Against Me (Cedar Tree Book 3) (35 page)

Holy hell is right.

I can hear Caleb's heart racing under my ear and my own isn't doing much better. Both of us are pretty much covered in the rich black soil I had dumped in last week to give the garden a good start, and suddenly a fit of giggles overcomes me. We're fucking near middle-aged, kid on the way and we are literally fucking like bunnies in the vegetable garden? If only Neil could see us now.

"What's funny?" Caleb's voice rumbles from his chest.

"Us," I snicker, "lying in the dirt, half-naked. All we need now is Neil coming around back."

"Oh hell no." And just like Caleb is sitting in front of me, struggling to get my foot back in my pant leg. "Come on Katie, cooperate."

All I can do is laugh harder, especially when he leans in, his nose touching mine and growls, "Not. Helping." Now I'm almost rolling on the ground with hilarity until I hear a distant bark and just like that the giggles are gone.

"Blue! Come 'ere boy!"

Suddenly cooperating fully, my pants are on and in place in seconds and Caleb is tucked in and buttoned up.

Good thing too, because Blue comes bounding around the side of the barn, Malachi following closely behind. Mal takes one look at me and then Caleb, no doubt noticing the black dirt all over us and simply shakes his head.

"Neil is right. Fucking bunnies." Which of course sets me off again, this time with my arms around Blue's neck who has cuddled up against me.

"Where've you been, buddy? Been looking for you."

"Showed up at the diner. Actually, he was sitting out back by the stairs. Funny dog. Turns out Seb's sister, Faith, was visiting and in the kitchen. Guess between the two us of we have just enough attraction to beat you out, little sister."

"Silly dog. You wanted to go for a visit?"

I don't mind him going over to visit Mal. I like it actually, I'm just a little worried about the road, and I guess I wouldn't want him to try and get to Cortez to visit Faith, but for a stray, he's been very faithful to me and to the barn.

"Just came by to drop him back off and to see if you guys want to come grab a bite at the diner tonight? Something I want to discuss."

"Sure," is my automatic response, but I see Caleb eying his brother with concern.

"Everything alright, Mal?" he asks.

"Yeah. Good. Everything's good," Mal says with a curt nod.

"Alright. Yeah, we'll see you later. Have an appointment in Cortez first, but we'll be there. Six?"

A nod and a hand wave is all we get for confirmation as he disappears around the corner as stealth as he appeared.

I'm excited. This will be my first official prenatal visit and from all the time I spend online trying to learn as much as I can, I know we'll probably get to hear the heartbeat.

"Ms. Acker?"

The nurse sticks her head into the waiting room where we've been waiting for thirty minutes, making me edge as hell. Caleb grabbed my hand twenty minutes ago, when the tapping of my fingers on the armrest was apparently getting on his nerves. He hands me my crutches and follows me through the open door, where the nurse stops him with a look.

"Can I help you sir?" she bats her barbed wire lashes at him, still holding on to his arm.

Oh. Hell. No.

Stepping in front of Caleb I effectively dislodge her claw from him and smile at her with my teeth clenched.

"Excuse me. I'd like my fiancé with me. You don't mind, do you?"

Turning my head to Caleb, I coo, "You coming, sweetheart?"

I can see the amusement dance in his eyes, but he doesn't say anything, just walks ahead of me into the treatment room. I throw one last fake as hell smile at the simpering nurse and hobble after him on my crutches. Bitch.

As soon as I'm in the door, it shuts behind me and Caleb has me up in his arms, his mouth hard on mine.

"That was sexy as fuck."

"Yeah?"

He nods yes, a big smirk on his face. "Fiancé? Or better yet, Sweetheart?"

I shrug, "Whatever. Bitch had it coming, she had her claws all over you."

Apparently that is funny, ‘cause now Caleb is laughing at me.

"What's funny?" Naomi walks in, pushing some kind of machine ahead of her.

"Katie," Caleb says.

"Shut up. And you–" I point my finger in Naomi's direction, “need to get some better staff. That skank out there had her paws all over Caleb. Oh, and she wears too much mascara. You can tell her that from me."

I'm riled up. I'm pissed. And apparently it's very funny, because now Naomi is laughing. But before I can explode, Naomi grabs my hand and guides me to the exam table.

"She is on loan. I promise I'll never use her again. Okay?"

Suddenly I'm in tears and I don't know how the fuck that happened.

"What's happening to me? I'm a mess."

"Pregnancy hormones, love. About this time you get them full force and your system needs time to adjust. It comes with mood changes, crying bouts, sometimes morning sickness, as well as odd cravings and in some cases extreme horniness."

I snort at that and Caleb starts chuckling again. Naomi just shakes her head and continues. "Because you’re over thirty-five, you fall into a higher risk category and there are some things we'll monitor a little closer. But there are perks to that, like today, even though you are only eight weeks pregnant, we're gonna have a peek with the ultrasound."

My eyes shoot to Caleb and my hand reaches for his.

"We get to see?"

"You get to see, but don't expect too much. The little one is only a peanut in there, with a big head and tiny hands and feet, the rest of him has got to grow a bit more, but all the basic structures are in place. I'll try to get a good picture, ‘cause we want to make sure we know the age of this baby."

"Okay," is all I manage to get out, as Naomi guides me to lay back on the table, scoots up my shirt and with a towel tucked in pulls down the front of my pants. I sneak a peek at Caleb; grateful for the thorough shower we had after the vegetable patch gymnastics.

"This'll be cold," she says, squirting a bluish gel on my belly and starts moving what looks like a scanner over my lower belly. "I'm going to have to push down a little, 'cause your uterus is still mostly hidden behind your pubic bone. Tell me if it gets too uncomfortable. Next time we do this, your peanut will be much easier to find."

While Naomi twists and turns the wand over my belly, Caleb's and my eyes are glued to the little screen, seeing little more than what looks like grainy clouds over a black background. But then I see it, a darker void with a little being with a big head laying against one side. A dark spot on its chest seems to be pulsing rapidly.

"Is that its heart?"

"Sure is," Naomi smiles, "Give me a minute to take some measurements and I'll find a better angle. We'll be able to catch the sound then too."

I reach one hand behind me and pull Caleb's head down beside mine so I can whisper in his ear. "We made that."

"I'm blessed," he says back, voice thick with emotion.

A minute later we can hear the fast but steady rhythm of our little peanut's heartbeat. Best sound ever..

B
y the time we walk into the diner, it looks like the entire crew is assembled, including Joe. Malachi, Neil, Gus, Emma and Joe were all sitting at the far end of the diner, where three smaller tables were pushed together to make room for everyone. I help Katie in a chair beside Mal and sit on her other side.

"Quite a crowd," I notice.

"I invited everyone, since it affects everyone. Arlene and Seb will sit down when they can." Mal starts, for all appearances calm and collected, but I know the telltale signs of nerves on my brother. The rubbing of the pad of his thumb of his knuckles is something he's done since he was a little boy.

Arlene pulls up a chair and sits. "Sorry, had to finish serving someone. Seb is bringing out a pot of goulash soon. We'll serve at the table if that's okay with everyone?"

Everyone nods or voices their acknowledgement, while my eyes seek out Malachi's and hold over the table. I see insecurity there, but also resolve and I give him what I hope is a reassuring smile, conveying without words that whatever it is he needs, I will be there for him. The smallest of nods ends our wordless conversation and he turns to the rest of the table, clearing his throat.

"There are no words sufficient to thank all of you for how you have taken me on; taken me in over the past weeks and even before I came back from Durango. Actually, probably especially for that time. I don't have much I can share with you to show my gratitude, but in the family I grew up in, which was a very long time ago, that family believed in sharing a meal to celebrate and give thanks."

"Perfect! See Gus? There is a damn good reason I'm always cooking," Emma elbows Gus in the ribs, who only shakes his head smiling. Apparently a subject often revisited.

"I'm hoping to stay here, in Cedar Tree."

I can barely hear his voice over the discussion that has emerged between Emma and Arlene, but with his eyes focused on me I know exactly what he is saying. And apparently so does Katie, because she about climbs in his lap to hug him.

"We would love that!" She grabs his face and kisses his cheek. The little ass just lets her with a big, shit-eating grin on his face. Leaning over I grab her by the waist and pull her back.

"That's my brother you're mauling."

"Oh hush. It is your
brother
I'm mauling. We're gonna have a total family here in Cedar Tree. Uncle Malachi!"

The dead silence that follows is deafening, until Arlene of course is the first one to break it.

"Pregnant? You're fucking pregnant? Holy shit. That's some fast work, my friend." She punches me in the arm and has a big wobbly smile on her face. "Happy for ya."

I grab Arlene around the neck and pull her into a hug. "Thank you, girl. Thank you so much."

When I turn back to the table hugs and kisses are flying and Emma is grabbing extra napkins to staunch her flow of tears. She seems to be elated.

I have one arm around my Katie, never to let go and the other around Arlene, keeping her close until Seb can get here; feeling on top of the fucking world.

It isn't long before Seb comes out with a steaming pot, followed by Beth with a tray of bowls and fresh bread. With a glance my way he puts the pot on the table, taking his place beside Arlene, and I release her in his care.

A raucous and celebratory two hours later Emma, Gus, Katie and I stand outside saying our goodbyes, the women still chatting about pregnancy, when Gus turns to me.

"Your brother any good as a tracker?"

I can't help but smile at the memory of the way he bested me out at Arches National Park not that long ago. "Might be. Might even be better than I am. What's on your mind?"

"I may be interested in sitting down with him sometime. See if he's interested in trying to walk this side of the law. How would you feel about that?"

I consider it for a minute. Any reservations I thought I might've felt are simply not there. Even without too many words, simply by watching my brother interact with people and respond to his environment, without the garbage of our past cluttering the space between us. I’ve been able to get a much better picture of the man that is and not the man I thought I knew.

"No problem whatsoever," I can wholeheartedly respond.

Gus nods, turning back to the women.

I notice Katie looking toward the Tahoe.

"Caleb?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's that on your windshield?"

"Stay here," Gus orders Emma and Katie, following me across the parking lot. Of course I immediately hear the sound of Katie's crutches and Emma's walker following. These are not women you order around.

The envelope stuck under my wiper is a regular manila color and letter sized. Katie's name is printed in bold on the front. When Katie, who has drawn up beside me, reaches out to grab it, I hold her back.

"Wait up, little one. Let's get Neil and his gadgets out here first, okay? Just to be on the safe side?"