Her Grizzly Outlaw (18 page)

Tawny nodded, stood as well, and
gave
Tarren
a hug. “You know I’m here for you, too. I
don’t know the first thing about taking care of a baby, but we can work through
it together.” Tawny pulled back and wiped the tears off of
Tarren’s
cheeks. “Daddy and Mom will be there for you, as will the entire Grizzly
family, and of course the baby daddy.” Tawny grinned, and
Tarren
started chuckling.

“God, I’m going to have a little
Grizzly on my hands.”
Tarren
could picture a little
Lucas, or hell, even a little her running around. They were both wild.

“Yeah, you two are in for one
hell of a ride, that’s for sure.” Tawny grinned, and
Tarren
elbowed her in the ribs. “Ouch.” Tawny rubbed her side. “Come on, let’s go get
take-out, and watch stupid love stories on TV.”

Right now that sounded like
heaven.
Tarren
knew the road ahead of her would
definitely be bumpy, but she knew Tawny was right…Lucas and the rest of The
Grizzly MC would be there no matter what. They were a family after all.

****

As much as
Tarren
wanted to tell Lucas right away, she didn’t want to have him stressed out and
then both of them realize it had been a false positive test.

She sat in the waiting room and
twisted her hands together. Fortunately there were only a few people waiting as
well, but she was too anxious to concern herself with anyone else. She pushed
her worries aside, rested her hands flat on her thighs, and stared at the
couple in front of her. The couple couldn’t be more than her age, early
twenties, maybe late teens, but the guy was doting on the woman, rubbing her
very round belly, and whispering something in her ear that had the girl
giggling.

“Miss Stoker?”

Tarren
looked up, her heart in her
throat. “I’m here.” An older woman holding a clipboard and wearing these bright
neon green glasses stared at her.
Tarren
grabbed her
purse, stood on shaky legs, and wiped her sweaty hands on her thighs. She
followed the nurse to the back, was weighed and her height was measured, and
then she was in an exam room. She sat there now wearing a paper-thin gown, the
crinkling sound filling her ears. The pictures of a woman in different
gestational months were plastered on the wall in front of her.

All she could think about was
Lucas, telling her mom and dad, and what the outcome would be when it was all
said and done. There was a knock on the door, and then the doctor pushed it
open and stepped inside.

“Miss Stoker, I’m Dr. Yen.” The
doctor held her hand out and smiled softly, and for some reason
Tarren
felt a little at ease. They went through the general
stuff, family history, menstruation cycle, and then she was leaving and coming
in with a portable ultrasound machine.

“Now, just lie back, place your
feet on the stirrups, and relax.” After she was in position, a nurse came in,
shut the light off, and the silence stretched in the room.
Tarren
closed her eyes when the doctor took an internal ultrasound, and the only thing
she could hear was her heart beating.

“Miss Stoker, do you want to see your
baby?”

She opened her eyes, stared at
the screen, but at first couldn’t see anything.

“Right here is your baby’s
heart.” The doctor pointed to the tiny flickering in the center of the screen.
“Would you like to hear it?”

Tarren
tore her gaze from the screen
and looked at the doctor. She smiled and nodded, and a second later the sound
of her baby’s heart beating filled the room. It was a fast
whooshing
noise, and she felt herself start to tear up.

“I’m going to measure your baby’s
body, check the placement of organs, and see about a due date.” More clicking
and tapping from the doctor on the machine, and then there was the sound of
papers printing. “This is the face, and right here is the heart.”

Tarren’s
baby didn’t look much like a
baby at all. She could make out the arms and legs, but she couldn’t see hands,
feet, toes, or fingers. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It
was like at that very moment nothing else mattered. She wished Lucas was here
to see it, but it was her own fault for not telling him just yet. They would
have another time to experience this together. The thought of bringing Lucas
with her to see their baby and find out the sex thrilled her.

The doctor handed her a few thin
pieces of paper. “Well, looks like you are right on schedule. You’re set to
deliver in May.”

The doctor printed off a few
pictures, handed them to
Tarren
, and then told her
the month and estimated day she’d have the baby. She left the doctor’s office
feeling stunned, thrilled, and scared as hell. Now all she had to do was tell
Lucas, and her family.

For some reason
that seemed like the scariest part of all.

****

Lucas sat at
Tarren’s
small kitchen table, stared at the three ultrasound pictures in front of him,
and couldn’t even process what he was looking at.

“Lucas, please say something.”
Tarren
said,
her hands on the
tabletop and her fingers twisted together almost painfully.

He lifted his head, stared at her
with what he knew were wide eyes and a stunned expression, and then stared at
the pictures again. That was his baby right there. It was a tiny, bean shaped
thing, but his nonetheless. “I don’t know what to say,
Tarren
.”
And he didn’t. This shit was surreal. He had never thought he’d have an old
lady, let alone any kids. He looked at
Tarren
again,
swallowed the lump in his throat, and picked up one of the ultrasound photos.
It was black and white, hard to really make out, but his heart started beating
a little faster at the thought this was his.
His
.

He stared at
Tarren
,
his female, his old lady, and anticipation, excitement, and love filled him. He
couldn’t help it. He stood, walked over to her, and hauled her out of the seat.
She was watching him with wide eyes, her lips parted, and probably thinking he
was about to flip the fuck out.

“Lucas, please say something.”
Her voice was soft. “You’re kind of freaking me out.” There was a slight waver
in the way she spoke, and then he broke out in a grin, pulled her in close, and
kissed the top of her head.

“We’re going to have a baby,
Tarren
.” He pulled back, held onto her arms, and probably
looked like he had lost his mind. He felt high, a little frightened, sure, but
this was meant to happen. He had his woman, and soon she’d deliver his baby.

“You’re happy? This doesn’t freak
you out?” Her eyes were still wide, and he leaned down and kissed her softly.
“Because I’m freaking out here, Lucas.”

He chuckled softly. “Baby, I’m
freaking out, too, but I am so happy.” And then he thought about all the shit
they’d have to deal with through all of this. “I’m mainly worried about your
dad breaking my face when he finds out.”

Now she started chuckling. “I
won’t let him mess up that good looking face.”

He grinned. “Either way it’ll be
worth it. Fuck, will it be worth it,
Tarren
.”

Chapter Thirteen

Alexis and
Nico’s
wedding

Tarren
was still reeling from the fact she was pregnant.
She smoothed her sweaty palms down her dress, cursed that she was messing up
her bridesmaid’s gown, and moved toward the tent where Alexis was getting
ready. Walking inside she saw Alexis staring at herself in the mirror.

“You look lovely, Alexis,”
Tarren
said and moved up right behind her. And she did, so
damn beautiful that it made
Tarren
long for a wedding
of her own.

“Thank you, but I’m scared
shitless.” Alexis made this awkward laugh. Her friend hadn’t gone for the
typical white dress, but then again this wasn’t a typical wedding, but a
Grizzly MC outlaw wedding.

“I’m sure everyone is, girl.”
Tarren
tried to make light of the situation, not to show
that she was freaking out about her own issues, but it was damn hard.
Tarren
moved away and looked at Alexis’s back. “But the
dress is beautiful, the wedding and reception will go off without drama—”

“You might have spoken too soon
on that.” They both started laughing.

“Okay, you’re right, but it will
go off with minimal drama. I mean there are so many bikers out there waiting to
see you marry
Nico
that it isn’t even funny. If
someone wanted to screw with you on your day they’d be the stupidest asshole
around.” She swallowed, feeling her hands sweat even further, and not able to
stop them from shaking.

Alexis nodded, looking scared,
but holding it together remarkably well. She turned around to see the back of
the dress, moved the long fall of hair over one shoulder, and stared at
herself
.
Tarren
looked at her best
friend’s reflection. The dress really was gorgeous, with a white silk bow that
was tied delicately right under her shoulder blades.

“I just need to get past my
nerves trying to take over. I am dreading walking down the aisle and everyone
staring at me.”

Tarren
smiled at their reflections.
“Hey, you’ll have a veil covering your face, so just close your eyes and let
your dad lead the way.” Her heart was beating fast, her nerves were shot, and
she knew that she shouldn’t tell Alexis right now what the hell was going on,
but that she had to get it off her chest and tell someone.

The look on Alexis’s face told
Tarren
that she hadn’t hidden her emotions well enough.

“
Tarren
, what’s wrong?”

And then like a damn freak
Tarren
started to grow teary eyed.
Damn it. Stop acting like this, suck it up, and realize this is your
life now.
The rest of the bridesmaids that were getting ready stopped what
they were during and stared at them. Fortunately they left without being
prompted to, because
Tarren
couldn’t handle an
audience right now.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Alexis
gestured for
Tarren
to sit on one of the chairs by
the vanities.

Shit,
Tarren
was bawling like a damn baby right now. She wiped her tears and cursed out.
“I’m fucking up my make-up, dammit.” She gave a watery laugh and looked up at
Alexis.

Alexis grabbed a tissue and
smoothed it under her eyes. “All better. Now, tell me what’s wrong.” Alexis
grabbed one of the chairs off to the side and sat in front of
Tarren
. “Tell me.”

Tarren
tried to compose herself enough
before she continued. She sighed and wiped the rest of the wetness off her
cheeks. “I’m just hormonal and bloated, and feel so lost at the moment.”

Alexis gave her a sympathetic
look.
“Oh,
Tarren
.”
Alexis
reached out and took her hand. “You got your period?” Alexis said in a teasing
tone.

Tarren
could have laughed at that.

“It isn’t that bitch Red again,
is it? ‘Cause I’ll tell you, I’m not above ripping out her cheap hair
extensions on my wedding day.”

Tarren
smiled and shook her head. She
hadn’t even told Alexis that she had bitch-slapped the skank, and was surprised
none of the other guys had opened their mouths and said something. “No, that
tramp would have to be the dumbest bitch alive if she came back to the
clubhouse after I kicked her ass, and after she was thrown out by The Grizzlies
and Lucas.” She sat up straighter and stared right at Alexis. “I’m feeling fat
and hormonal, and crying for no damn reason because…”
Tarren
took a deep, steadying breath. “I’m pregnant.” It was like the damn world
stopped as she stared at Alexis, waiting for her friend to say something.

“You and Lucas are going to have
a baby?” There was clear surprise in Alexis’s voice.

Tarren
nodded. “Yeah, crazy shit, huh?”
But she didn’t wait for Alexis to say something before she started speaking
again. “I found out last week, and made an appointment with the doctor when it
had settled in. I wanted to make sure it was real before I started announcing
it, and that’s why I didn’t tell you right way.”

Alexis had wide eyes. “Well …wow,
Tarren
. Congrats?”

Tarren
found herself smiling. “Yes, I’m
happy. I mean I was so damn scared at first, worried about what everyone would
say, and what Lucas would say.” She closed her eyes for a moment and then
exhaled. “I didn’t know if I could be a mom at twenty-three. But I told Lucas,
and he was happy.”