The Key West Anthology (56 page)

Chapter Eighteen

“So.” Harper shrugged as she turned her back to us and began looking through her closet. “I’m pregnant.”

A very loud shriek of excitement escaped Avery, and Quinn’s mouth fell open in shock. I blinked a few times, wondering if I had heard her correctly.

“And we set a date for the wedding,” she added with her back still to us.

“When?” I asked.

Harper turned back around then, and her smile was huge. You could just feel the excitement flowing off her in waves. “I’m about seven weeks along, and the wedding is in November.” She finally took a seat on the end of her bed, next to Avery.

I stood from the chair and walked across the room to join them. Quinn still stood with her back leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom, watching Harper closely. She had a smirk on her lips I was sure no one had noticed yet. Something was up, and she was just quietly waiting for her chance to reveal it.

“November is a little over a month away. How in the hell are we gonna pull off a wedding in that short amount of time?” Avery asked.

“I’ve got it covered,” Harper assured her as Harper sat down on the edge of the bed.

“What do you mean you have it covered?” I asked.

“Easton already talked to Jett about the location for the wedding and the reception. We aren’t going big or flashy, just small and intimate. All I need is my family and our close friends. So there is very little to plan.” Harper shrugged once more as if that was that. She looked up and found Quinn still leaning against the bathroom doorframe. “Why the hell are you standing there looking at me like that?”

Quinn grinned, and a small giggle fell from her lips. “Well, I’m trying to determine if I should tell you my news or if I should wait a few days now.”

They shared some little conversation using only their eyes. It was quite humorous to watch their faces scrunch up and then suddenly morph into shock. I was just about to ask what in the hell was going on when Harper broke the silence.

“No, you are not.” She leaped up from the bed and her smile grew even wider. “How far?”

“Almost ten weeks.” Quinn smiled widely.

“You’re pregnant too?” Avery asked as she stood from the bed and stalked toward Quinn.

“Yeah, we were gonna wait until after we were over the first trimester to reveal our news. But I just told Jett last night that the secret was eating away at me, so we agreed to tell everyone. I’m sure Easton and him are bonding over it as we speak.” She shrugged.

“Well, Kade will take the opportunity to scare the hell out of them by telling them all kinds of baby horror stories. I’m sure they’ll come home pale and freaked out.” Avery laughed at the thought before walking back toward the bed and taking a seat on the edge.

Quinn and Harper looked back and forth between Avery and one another before breaking out into laughter.

“Oh they are gonna be so fun to torture,” Harper said as her eyes gleamed with the possibilities, and suddenly I felt kind of bad for Jett and Easton. They truly had no idea what the next several months had in store for them.

***

I’d texted Jude about an hour ago, and he still hadn’t answered. My day with the girls had gone on longer than we’d initially planned, but when we all got together that tended to happen.

I stopped off at the store to pick up the ingredients to bake cupcakes, because I had promised Zoey we would make them tonight. I was in my own little world as I sang along with the radio blasting, feeling happy and carefree after a great day with my best friends.

When I turned left onto the cul de sac that held Jude’s apartment complex, my heart lurched in my chest. Flashing red-and-blue lights lit up the front of the apartment. Tears welled within my eyes as I brought my car to a screeching halt just to the left of Jude’s car.

I sat frozen in place as I watched the paramedics wheel Kate from the apartment, Jude following at her side. I knew I should go to him, but the fear of what was happening had taken over and I couldn’t move. Yet the moment I saw Zoey running out of the apartment crying, I pushed open my door and ran across the front lawn to her. Falling to my knees in front of her, I wrapped her in my arms and looked up to find Jude staring back at us with tears in his eyes.

“I got her,” I assured him, and he nodded before climbing up into the ambulance.

Zoey sobbed, reaching her arms out toward it as the paramedics shut the doors. I could see Jude through the back window, and he looked so lost, torn between being with Katelynn and taking care of Zoey.

I stood and lifted her into my arms. “I got you, sweetheart,” I whispered as I carried her toward the apartment. Mrs. Reames stood in the open doorway, her own cheeks stained with fresh tears, a terrified Matthew clinging to her legs.

“She started coughing and couldn’t stop,” she whispered. “Then the blood…she choked on it. I didn’t know what else to do but call 9-1-1.”

“She’ll be okay,” I said. I didn’t know if I believed my own words, yet I had to be strong. Zoey and Matt were terrified, and I had to hold it together for them.

Chapter Nineteen

Jude

The nurse who had been at my sister’s side all night placed her hand on my shoulder. “How are you holding up?” she whispered.

She was young, maybe in her late twenties. Her smile was genuine, and she had the greenest eyes I had ever seen. She insisted I call her Nora.

“I’m okay,” I said.

Of course she saw right through the lie I had just fed her. “Do you need anything? Coffee, maybe?”

“Sure.” I forced a smile. “Thank you.”

I let my head rest back against the chair, closing my eyes once more. I had barely slept an hour combined throughout the entire night.

Kate had pneumonia, and for a patient already battling metastatic cancer, that only makes the battle harder. If I had been paying more attention to Kate, I may have seen the signs. But I was so wrapped up in my own life, I missed the changes. I hadn’t noticed the chills and heavy sweating. I had missed the enhanced fatigue she was suffering through. I had failed to do what I said I always would do—take care of her.

“Stop it,” a raspy whisper filled the silent room.

I opened my eyes and looked toward the hospital bed to find Kate staring at me disapprovingly.

“Stop what?” I asked. I already knew she had me figured out. She had developed the ability to read me like a book.

“This is not your fault. I ignored the symptoms, Jude. I didn’t tell you how I was feeling. I figured it was just part of the process. The doctor said I would have good and bad days. So I just ignored my bad days.” She took in a deep breath as her eyes sagged with exhaustion. “Go home and check on my babies. And stop playing the guilt game.”

“I’m not leaving,” I said without hesitation.

“Yes, you are, because I can’t sleep with you hovering over me. It’s distracting.” A smile pulled at her lips. That was Kate. Even in her worst moments she was busting my chops. “Besides, you need a shower.”

“Smartass.” My orneriness was forced, but I knew she was trying to make the best of our current situation. The words from her oncologists this morning kept playing over and over in my head.
“Your immune system is not what it once was. The pneumonia has settled in your left lung, and it is very aggressive.”
Since then, she’d had heavy rounds of antibiotics on a continuous drip. They’d also been giving her steroids in an attempt to strengthen her lung. It was a long shot, but at this point we would try just about anything to help.

One of the hardest things I ever had to do was sit at her bedside without being able to offer any form of help. I had spent so many years taking care of Katelynn, Matthew, and Zoey, but we’d now reached a point where I couldn’t fix things. I could no longer be the hero Katelynn needed in hard times. That fact was tearing me apart, and I knew I would never be able to accept it.

“You need to accept it, Jude.” Katelynn’s weak whisper brought me back to the present. My eyes met hers, and my chest instantly burned with emotional overload. Katelynn stared back at me as she fought to stay awake. “It’s gonna happen. We have to face it.”

“Enough,” I forced past the lump in my throat.

“Jude,” Katelynn whispered.

“Kate, I can’t do this.” I leaned forward and placed my head in my hands. “Not now, please. Don’t make me have this conversation. What am I gonna do without you? How will I be everything Matt and Zoey need, Katie?” My chest vibrated from the sob that had escaped me. “I am terrified of a world without you in it.”

I looked up when she didn’t respond and was surprised to find she had fallen asleep. I sat next to her bed, and the sound of her struggling breaths only made the reality of our future more clear.

***

I had dozed off and was once again awakened by the sound of someone entering the hospital room. I expected in was a nurse or a member of the hospital staff, so I didn’t open my eyes.

That was until the rich vanilla scent I had grown to love filled the area around me. I had no idea if it was the lack of sleep or my need for comfort, but I turned in my chair just as Callie stepped up beside me. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my head against her stomach, my throat burning as I fought against the tears.

The moment Callie combed her fingers through my hair, the hopes I’d had of holding my emotions back faltered. My body shook as I allowed them to pour from me.

“I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this, Callie,” I confessed.

She released her hold on me and knelt in front of me, placing one hand on each cheek. “You are,” she said. Her own eyes were filled with tears that broke free and slowly rolled along her cheeks. “You are so strong, Jude.”

“I feel like I’m failing. Like my strength is slipping and I’m falling fast. I don’t think I can hold it together.” I stared back at her, no longer caring if I appeared to be weak.

“Then fall,” she whispered. “Fall, and let me catch you. Sometimes in life you just need to let go and allow yourself to be the one that’s receiving the support. Just let it go, Jude. Please, just let it go.”

I continued to take deep breaths, refusing to give in to the ache. I had to stay strong for Kate, Zoey, and Matthew. They needed that from me. But the longer I stared back into Callie’s eyes, the harder it was to hold back. She was giving me an out, a chance to feel fully without judgement. And knowing that made it easier to let go of my last bit of resolve.

Chapter Twenty

Callie

Between my shifts at Jett’s and my time at Jude’s apartment, along with visits to the hospital and preparation for Harper and Easton’s wedding, the days were beginning to blend together. Meanwhile, Katelynn was still fighting against pneumonia with no end in sight. It felt as if a dark cloud was hanging over all of us, but we continued to try to keep a happy face on for the kids.

Jude spent most of his days and even his nights at the hospital alongside Katelynn. He found it almost impossible to leave her. But between Jett, Quinn, and the rest of our friends, we had an amazing team willing to offer any and all help they could. They took shifts sitting alongside Jude, offering him their support and reassurance.

Zoey and Matthew had also grown close to my parents. When I had to work, my mom would take them under her wing and spoil them, and they adored her. The feeling as far as my parents were concerned was mutual.

I had just finished my shift at the restaurant and decided I would stop in to see Jude and Katelynn before going to my parents’ house to pick up the kids. As I exited the elevator and walked toward Katelyn’s room, I could hear voices spilling from the partially open door.

“I can’t accept that, Easton. It doesn’t feel right.” Jude was attempting to come off as stern and straightforward, yet his lack of rest only made him sound defeated.

“I’m not asking you if it’s okay. I’m telling you this is just the way it’s gonna be.” Easton chuckled, and I could only imagine it was because of that look Jude always gives someone when he disagrees with something they’ve said or done. “I already put the building in your name, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. The renovations will be done in a few more weeks, and then you all can move into the larger unit on the end. After that, the contractors will continue to move throughout the building, updating and cleaning things up.”

“I’m not a charity case, man. I don’t need you swooping in and playing hero. I can take care of my own.” But Jude’s response sounded sad, like he was questioning his own words.

“Never once have I looked at this as charity. You’re my friend, Jude, and friends help one another. My father spent his life building his empire. No, he may not have always done things the right way, but he assured my future was secure. Now all I want to do is pass that on to someone I know deserves a break. Fuck, you have busted your ass for years, Jude. Besides, in a few years’ time, I’ll have the money back and then some.”

“What do you mean?” Jude asked.

“We break ground on the other two units next week. The property just across the parking lot will have two buildings just like yours. I’m keeping those two.”

A silence set in, and I wondered just what was happening.

“So I’m gonna have to deal with even more neighbors?” Jude’s voice sounded less tormented.

“Well, for now, but I figure once you and Callie get married and start having kids of your own, you’ll probably move out of the complex.” Easton’s words surprised me. Jude and I were nowhere near that stage yet.

Another uncomfortable silence set in, and I was just about to turn around and retreat back toward the elevator when Jude’s words made me freeze.

“I was a dumbass for ever thinking I could keep my distance from her. She’s pretty damn special, and you’re right.” Jude paused, and my heart raced in my chest. “I can see myself spending the rest of my life with Callie.”

“Well, it’s about time you admit you’ve had a thing for her for years. The rest of us could see it every time you were in the same room together,” Easton said.

“I will pay you back somehow,” Jude said.

Easton chuckled once more, and I slowly began to back away from the room. “You can pay me back by giving those two kids the best life you can and by loving Callie the way she deserves to be loved.”

My chest tightened at Easton’s words. He truly was a sweet man, and Harper had found a gem when she snagged him.

I walked toward the vending machine just around the corner to wait for a few moments. I wanted to let the guys finish up their talk, even though I had eavesdropped on the main part of it. I purchased a bottle of water and was putting my wallet back into my bag when my phone vibrated in my purse. When I took it out, I found a message from Jude that made me smile.

Jude: I miss you. I would love to see your sweet smile right now. Come see me.

Without sending a response, I slipped the phone into my bag and walked toward Katelynn’s room.

The moment I pushed open the door, he turned to face me.

“Hi,” I offered with a smile. “I was already on my way to see you.” I shrugged and took another step into the room, pulling the door closed behind me.

Without speaking a word, he motioned for me to come to him, and I moved without hesitation. Jude wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap. We sat silently as he held me close with his face buried in the crease of my neck. The silence in the room was peaceful, and I had truly missed being in his arms.