Second Chances: A PAVAD Duet (17 page)

Kelly snorted. “Sure they
did. And now what? Why are you finally sharing this with the rest
of us? And do the kids really need to be here for this?”

Emma hugged Aislin as the
little girl asked why Aunt Kelly was mad at her mommy. Emma looked
at her father and the doc. “I think I get it. It does affect the
kids, doesn’t it, Daddy? Because there is going to be another
kid.”

Dan heard the doc gasp
beside him. He looked at her quickly. Her cheeks were bright red as
she stared at the table. He scooted her chair closer to his side.
Draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Emma’s
right. In a way.”

“
You’re kidding! You
couldn’t even use a con—” Kelly looked at Ryan and Aislin and
hastily amended her question. “Couldn’t even have been careful? Not
exactly responsible of either of you, was it? God,
Ally!”

The doc made another
distressed sound. Ryan jumped up and glared at Kelly. “Don’t yell
at my mom!”

Dan knocked on the tabletop
once. “Everyone calm down. Ryan, your mom is fine. And all of you,
we need to talk about this.”

Kelly stood up. “What’s
there to say? I’m thinking it’s already done! I hope you both are
happy.”

Dan stood up, as well. He
faced his oldest. “Kelly Danielle, I suggest you sit down. You’re
the oldest; I expected better out of you. We need your help.
Sit!”

Dan hadn’t risen his voice
to one of his girls even once since he’d first found them. But this
time, his words had an unmistakable bite. Kelly sat. “I hope you
two know what you’re doing.”

“
We do. We are going to
have these babies, and we are going to ensure that all of the
children have a happy and healthy childhood. It’s what I wanted for
all of my children.”

Ryan stood up again. Looked
at his mother. “Babies? You’re having another baby? With
him?”

“
Wait a minute…” Emma broke
in. “You said babies. There’s more than one? Wow, Dad. Aim
big?”

The doc nodded. “Two.
Fraternal. I’m so sorry. All of you! We definitely didn’t mean this
to happen. It was an accident. But we owe to the babies to do
what’s best…for everyone. Ryan…sweetie…”

The little boy still glared
at his mother. “I don’t want more babies! I want my dad! Not Aunt
Kelly’s!”

Tears slid down the doc’s
cheeks. “I know. But honey, your dad... We’re never getting back
together. It’s just not happening. We can’t be together anymore.
And Dan is my friend. You know that, right? He cares about me and I
care about him. These babies don’t mean I don’t love you or your
sister any less. You have to understand that.”

“
No I don’t! I want to
leave! I want to go back to my dad! You can call him and tell him
you don’t need me anymore! You’re getting two new babies! You don’t
need me or Aislin, do you?” The little boy’s voice bounced off the
walls and had Cletus barking and little Aislin crying. Emma rocked
the little girl, Gracie wrapped her arms around the little boy.
Kelly just watched.

The doc was at her son’s
side, kneeling down trying unsuccessfully to hug him. He wouldn’t
let her. He shoved her with both hands, hard.

Dan let a curse out, and
caught her before her head hit the edge of the table. His breath
caught in his throat. It had been too damned close. He struggled
for control. Once he regained it, he raised his own voice for the
second time. “Enough! Everyone, quiet! Sit down!”

Ryan continued to glare at
him. “You can’t tell me what to do. You are not my dad!”

Dan stared at the little
boy, who, except for the red hair, looked just like his mother.
Poor kid. But what Dan said now would set their future course, him
and this boy. “No, Ryan. I am not your father. I am not claiming to
be. But I am an adult, and I do expect respect from you. And I
never want to see you shove your mother again. Do you understand
me? You could have hurt her. That will not be
tolerated.”

The doc protested.
“Dan!”

“
Doc, they are unhappy. We
knew they would be. Expected it. But no matter how anyone feels
about this, about us, about the new babies, there will be respect.
For everyone, and from everyone. That includes Ryan. And that
includes you, too, Kelly. Now everyone is going to sit down and we
are going to discuss the changes that are going to affect this
family. All of it. And that includes every single member at this
table—including the twins.”

Ally was exhausted by the
time she pulled her vehicle into the drive of the little house she
shared with Kelly. Kelly had chosen not to come home. But she
hadn’t stayed at Dan’s either. Ally hoped she’d gone to a friend’s.
Payton’s, maybe. Or perhaps Kelly had gone to stay with Cody at the
hospital. Their teammate had been attacked two days earlier, and
the younger agents were taking turns staying with her.

Ryan was sullen,
alternating between wiping his nose and glaring at her. Aislin
didn’t really understand what had happened. Ally carried her
daughter into the house, steps after her son. He was so, so angry
at her. And hurt. Just like she’d expected him to be. He’d sat
silently while she and Dan had explained about the risks involved
with the pregnancy, what they hoped for the future. How they’d
expected Ally and the kids would eventually move in with Dan. Ryan
hadn’t said anything other than that he didn’t want to
move.

Kelly hadn’t said much more
either—especially to Ally. And Ally was torn. Kelly was her best
friend, and she knew the younger woman was mad at her. But Kelly
had handled the situation no better than eleven-year-old Ryan. Ally
knew Kelly was hurt, but it wasn’t just about Kelly’s feelings. It
was about everyone, including the twins.

Dan had been right tonight,
when he’d said everyone would have to work together if this change
was going to work.

Ally tucked Aislin into her
bed after slipping the little girl’s pink shoes from her feet. She
covered her child with the quilt her own mother had made when
Aislin was a baby, then sat watching Aislin sleep for several
moments. The purple Kool-Aid had faded from Aislin’s hair, finally,
and Ally stroked the strawberry blonde strands. Aislin still loved
her, was excited about getting little sisters and brothers. Ally
smiled, remembering Gracie trying to explain that she might get two
sisters, or two brothers, or one of each.

Emma and Gracie seemed ok
with it, too, though neither had come out and said so. Emma had
hugged Ally before she’d left, telling Ally to take good care of
the mini-Reynoldses inside her. It had been the only time Ally had
smiled since entering Dan’s home.

Kelly had barely looked at
her. Hadn’t asked about her health or about the babies’. Ally tried
to remind herself that that was how Kelly always reacted to
situations. With anger and defensiveness. Wisecracks and snark.
Then Kelly would take a few steps back and reevaluate.

Ally just wasn’t used to
Kelly’s anger directed her way. Especially when Ally felt so
raw.

Ryan slammed his bedroom
door and Ally stood staring at it for several long moments. Maybe
it would be best to let him be alone with his thoughts for the
night? Ally seriously considered it, but she had never put her
children to bed without telling them she loved them, and she would
not start now. She knocked on the door and pushed it open
slightly.

Her little boy glared at
her through the tears on his cheeks. “Leave me alone.”

“
I can’t do
that.”

“
Why?”

“
Because you are my son and
I love you. I know you’re mad at me, Ryan. I get that; I understand
it. But no matter how mad you get at me, I still love you. And I
always will.” She didn’t try to hug him this time. Her little boy
needed his space. He was nearly as tall as her shoulder now and
sturdy at eighty full pounds. He wasn’t a baby anymore. And he had
a right to feel the way he did.

“
Yeah, right. Just like you
will love Dad forever? Like Dad loves me and Aislin so much he
doesn’t call or email or come see us?” He practically spat the
words at her, and Ally flinched at the rancor behind them. How long
had he thought that?

“
I will always love your
dad in a way, Ryan. He gave me you and your sister. And we had a
good life together until he decided that wasn’t what he wanted
anymore. And it wasn’t anything any of us had done. It was
something your father decided. He needed something that we couldn’t
give him. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. He just doesn’t
know how to show how he feels anymore. And I don’t care if I have a
thousand kids, you will always be my first and will always have my
love.”

“
Dad’s getting
married.”

Ally took a step back. She
hadn’t known that. “How do you know?”

“
I friended Uncle Harold.
Daddy posted it two days ago.”

“
First, you know you’re not
allowed social pages without my say-so. We’ll talk about that
later. Second, I’m sorry, sweetie. Sorry you found out that way. I
didn’t know, myself, or I would have told you. I hope your dad gets
a chance to be happy. It would seriously suck if he spent the rest
of his life unhappy, don’t you think?” Poor Ryan. She knew he’d had
fantasies of her and Jack reuniting. Then in the scope of a few
days those fantasies were destroyed. No wonder he was angry. First
Jack, then her. The timing sure sucked for the kid.

“
Like we are?”

“
Are we? I didn’t know
that. I thought you were starting to like it here.” Now that was a
sharp jab to her mother heart. All she’d ever wanted in the world
was happy, healthy children. And now here he was telling her she’d
failed him. “You are making friends, liking the school.”

“
I guess.” He flopped on to
his bed and pouted. “It’s ok.”

“
And Aislin likes it, too.
And if you guys are happy, then I am. That’s all that matters to
me, Ryan Michael. That all of my children be happy and healthy.”
Ally settled on the bed beside him. “And sweetheart, that has to
include the new babies, too. I know you’re mad at me right
now…”

“
A little. Why did you do
it with Aunt Kelly’s dad? That’s gross. You’re both old. You’re not
supposed to do it. And now Aunt Kelly hates us, too.”

“
Nonsense. Aunt Kelly
doesn’t hate anyone. She’s a little mad and me and her dad, just
like you are. But she doesn’t hate us, and she especially doesn’t
hate you or your sister. And as for me and her dad, grown-ups
sometimes get lonely. Sometimes they need friendships, especially
when bad and scary things happen, like happened to Aunt Kelly. And
when those friendships are between men and women, other things can
develop. I care about Aunt Kelly’s dad. Quite a lot. And he feels
the same way about me, and about you and Aislin. Can’t you give him
a chance? You enjoyed being there a few weeks ago,
remember?”

“
But that’s before he had
the hots for my mom.”

Ally laughed. “Where did
you learn that? Never mind. I’m not sure I want to know. All I’m
asking, sweetie, is that you give this a chance. We can all be a
big family. We can live in that nice house, you can fish in the
pond in the back corner, you can play with Cletus. And Teddy can
visit. Would that be so bad?”

“
I guess not.” He let her
kiss him, this time, then rolled to face the wall. Ally understood;
he’d told her how he felt, now he needed some time alone. To think.
Her half-grown man. Would she ever stop seeing him as the baby
she’d first held more than a decade ago?

“
I love you, now
good-night.”

“
I love you, too.
Mom?”

“
Yes?”

“
I didn’t mean to push you.
Do you think Aunt Kelly’s dad is still mad at me?”

“
No. I’m sure he’s not. And
I think you can call him Dan, now.”

***

The sound of the door
opening early the next morning had Ally shooting from her
bed.

Kelly’s familiar footsteps
tiptoed down the hallway. Ally wrapped her robe around herself and
met her friend in the hall just outside Kelly’s door.

The other woman barely
looked at her. “I came to get some things.”

Ally bit her lip. Kelly
wasn’t going to make any of this any easier. “I see. Have you
spoken with your father, yet?”

“
Nope. What is there to
say? Daddy-dearest put the moves on my so-called best friend the
minute my back was turned. Not much more to it, is
there?”

The snide remark set
something off in Ally that she hadn’t realized was even there. “In
the kitchen, please. I think we need to talk.”

“
After you. I have plenty
to say.”

Ally opened the fridge and
pulled out two bottles of the juice she knew Kelly favored. She
slammed them down on the small table where they’d shared many meals
together. Kelly might be hurting, but there was a bigger picture at
stake. Kelly was one of her closest friends, and Ally loved her,
but there were children to think about. And like it or not, Ryan,
Aislin, and Gracie often took their cues from Kelly. It sounded
like Kelly needed reminded of that. And reminded that she was a
twenty-six-year-old adult.