Undeniably Yours (13 page)

When he hit the straightaway, he saw Mike and Evan had pulled off onto the side of the trail, so he fell in behind them. After killing his engine, he unplugged the cord to his face shield and got off the machine. With his visor flipped up, he unbuckled his helmet and took it off, then dragged the balaclava off.

Mike slapped him on the shoulder. “You leave your balls in your other jeans or what? We go any slower and we’ll have to draw straws to see which one of us gets roasted and eaten first because we sure as hell won’t ever make it back to town in time for supper.”

“And what happens to Beth and my kid if I wrap myself around a tree?” He tossed his helmet onto his seat. Watched it bounce off. “I shouldn’t have left her alone.”

“Alone? She’ll be lucky if she’s had a moment’s peace with everybody checking on her all the time. Lisa said you wanted to write out a schedule of who was calling her when.”

“I don’t have a will. I should have done that before I left.” When his brother laughed at him, Kevin resisted the urge to punch him in the mouth. “Yeah, wanting to make sure my kid’s taken care of if I die’s all kinds of funny.”

“Who’s dying?” Pop joined in the conversation.

Joe was right on his heels. “Me, if we don’t pick up the pace.”

“Kev’s afraid he’s going to hit a tree,” Mike said, “and we’ll abandon Beth and the baby and leave them to fend for themselves in squalor on the streets.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Hit a tree?” Joe snorted. “You may as well, ’cause at the rate you’re going, the kid’s going to be in middle school before we get back anyway.”

“Screw you. I’m not going
that
slow. And you—” He pointed at Mike. “You’ve got four kids at home. You shouldn’t be tearing up the trails, either.”

“Unlike you, I guess, I try to have fun when I can. Don’t make me beat that old dead
could get hit by a bus
horse.”

“Lot better chance of hitting a tree than getting hit by a bus,” he muttered. “Gonna go take a leak.”

Maybe it was easier for Mike, he fumed while watering a nearby tree. If something happened to Mike, Lisa would be smothered by all the support she’d get from the family. Beth had nobody. Without Kevin, she’d be alone.

Not that he believed for a second the Kowalskis would turn away from her. But she was proud and used to going it alone. Since it was like pulling teeth to get her to accept help from him, he couldn’t see her turning to his family for aid. Paulie would watch out for her, but it wasn’t the same. She’d probably get on a bus back to Florida and that would be that. He owed it to her, the baby and his family to get home in one piece.

“When are you and Keri gonna add to the family tree?” Mike was asking Joe when Kevin rejoined the group.

“Working on it. A lot. As often as I can talk her into trying.”

Since his moderate pace was causing his manhood to be called into question, Kevin felt justified in saying, “Only took me once, big brother.”

“Bragging about the fact you can’t even use a rubber the right way? Sounds like you.”

“Not my fault they don’t make one that can hold me.”

“All right,” Leo said. “Let’s hit the trail before you boys start giving each other noogies and Indian burns.”

When they geared up and pulled back onto the trail, he wasn’t surprised when Joe pulled out of line to cut in front of him. Pop stayed behind him, though, so he wouldn’t be alone when his brothers and Evan left him in their snow dust.

To hell with it. He hit the throttle hard, hoping the loud
braaaap
of the engine would snap him out of his funk. As he ate up the distance between him and Joe, he tried to force all thoughts of Beth out of his mind.

And the fuzzy, tiny black-and-white alien with the steady heartbeat and the cute bump of a nose that had totally stolen his breath. And his heart.

Joe started pulling away again and Kevin gave it some more throttle. After all, he didn’t want his kid sitting around the family gatherings listening to the story of the trip Daddy rode like a girl.

Two Kevin-free days down, two to go.

Beth sighed and tossed the parenting magazine she hadn’t really been reading onto the coffee table. It was pathetic, really, how out of sorts she was without Kevin across the hall.

She should be enjoying the alone time—enjoying a few days free of his overwhelming energy. Instead, the third floor felt so empty she was afraid her voice would echo if she got so lonely she started talking to herself. And she was worried about him.

When he’d left, it had taken every ounce of her willpower not to throw her arms around his neck and beg him not to go. The only thing that stopped her was knowing he would have stayed. If he thought for a minute his being gone might cause her anxiety, he would have watched the guys leave without him, just for her. And that was just the kind of codependency she was trying to avoid.

She’d spent an hour on the phone with her mom. They’d planned to fly up, but her father had caught some kind of lingering crud on the cruise and the last thing they wanted to do was expose her and the baby to his germs. So she’d emailed them a picture of her belly and her father had emailed back a picture of her mother, crying and laughing at the same time.

After cleaning her already spotless apartment for the third time since he left, a knock on the door was a welcome relief. Especially since Paulie was on the other side.

“Screw it,” the redhead said by way of hello. “The place is dead. I left Randy in charge and figured I’d see how you’re coping with Kevin not being around.”

“I’m bored, actually. I didn’t realize how much space he fills up in my day until he wasn’t filling it.”

“At least he’ll be back Monday.”

Something about the way she said it made Beth take a closer look. “When’s Sam coming back?”

“A couple of weeks, he said. Not that it’s a big deal. There’s nothing really going on there, anyway.”

“But there was once. Seems like he’s interested in rekindling the flame.” Too late she realized what she’d said.

Paulie pounced on it. “Kevin told you, didn’t he?”

Beth hesitated, but there was no sense in lying. “Yes, but I swore I wouldn’t tell anybody.”

“That bastard,” she said, but without any true heat in her words. “Since you guys are still pretending you’re not a couple, he doesn’t get the significant-other pass.”

“We’re not pretending. We’re really not a couple. Just two neighbors and friends who happen to be having a baby together.”

“Sure. You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.”

“Speaking of pretending you’re not a couple, what are you going to do when Sam comes back?”

Paulie flopped on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. “I don’t know. There’s no sense in pretending we can make it work, but I can’t quite bring myself to toss him out of my life again.”

“Why can’t you make it work?” Beth sat down in the chair, wincing as her pants seemed to cut off the circulation at her waist, even unbuttoned with her shirt pulled out to hide it.

“He’s still necktie-deep in Boston society and I can’t go back there. It was a total hell. Social status determined by what shoes you were wearing and God forbid you should be seen looking at the sale rack, even if there was the cutest red sweater there. Seriously, Beth, you have no idea.”

No, she didn’t. Her childhood had been comfortable, but it was still hard to identify with a woman who’d never had to look at a price tag. “I still don’t see why you can’t make it work. Thousands of people commute from here to Boston. So could he.”

“He has to attend hundreds of fancy functions every year—the kind of functions you bring your wife to, all dolled up. And his wife would be expected to serve on charitable foundations and play tennis at the country club. That’s just not my thing. You got anything to drink?”

“Sure.” She stood, then had to pause to give her pants a hike. Not being able to button or zip them comfortably, she’d left them undone but, since her butt wasn’t getting any bigger yet, they wouldn’t stay up.

“Time to hit the maternity racks.” Of course Paulie had to notice.

Beth knew it was time to hit the maternity racks, but her bank account thought she should try to squeeze out a few more weeks—literally. She’d been determined to keep the medical bills at a fair fifty-fifty split and the bill for that ultrasound would be expensive.

Even if she went to the Goodwill store, springing for a new wardrobe would hurt. Then again, her pants falling down while she was carrying a tray of plates at work wouldn’t feel so good, either.

Paulie stood, excitement lighting up her face. “Let’s go shopping!”

“I’ll probably go next week and pick up a few things.”

“When? I’ll go with you.”

The idea of taking Paulie of the trust funds to the Goodwill store with her was so ludicrous she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I…don’t know exactly when I’ll be able to go.”

“Let’s go right now. Randy can handle the place for a while.”

She really didn’t want to tell her she couldn’t afford any maternity clothes yet, but Paulie wasn’t going to give up. “I need to save up a couple more weeks first.”

“Oh.” Paulie looked disappointed, but then she perked up again. “My treat. Consider it my baby shower gift to you.”

“Oh.” She hadn’t really thought about a shower yet. There were a few women at work she was friendly enough with, but she wasn’t sure they were the kind of friends who threw baby showers. Kevin’s mom, sister and sisters-in-law. Her mom would fly up, of course. “If I have a shower, it’ll just be a small one.”

Paulie threw back her head and laughed. “Are you kidding me? I heard Mrs. Kowalski made Mr. Kowalski move his stuff out of the closet because she’s running out of space for all the stuff she’s already bought the baby.”

Beth’s cheeks grew hot again and she covered them with her hands. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“Nope. Trust me, by the time those women are done shopping, that kid won’t even need shoes until third grade. Which is why you should let me give you your shower gift early—something just for you.”

She just couldn’t do it. Paulie was turning into a good friend, but it wouldn’t be right for her to be buying her stuff.

“Listen,” Paulie said, the laughter gone from her eyes. “Here’s how it is. I get along well with Kevin’s family and the other women who work here, but I haven’t had a girlfriend in forever. I miss that. And you know my history, so you know I can go out and blow some money without having to explain how I got it. I’m in the mood for a good shopping binge and I’ve barely used my credit card lately.”

“I don’t know.” It didn’t seem right.

“There’s no classy way to say this, so I’ll just say it straight out. I could buy you one of everything in the mall—including the new cars they put on display in the center court—and not touch the interest on one of my trust funds.”

Beth couldn’t even begin to wrap her mind around that kind of money. To buy anything that captured your fancy without even glancing at the price tag? Totally unreal.

Paulie clasped her hands together, begging. “Come on, Beth. Let’s splurge. Spend some of my grandmother’s money.”

She was caving. Although she wanted to be responsible and politely decline, she couldn’t stop the rush of excitement. She hadn’t had a girlfriend in a long time, either.

“Just a couple pairs of pants, maybe,” she finally said. “And if the Kowalskis do throw me a baby shower, you can’t give me another gift.”

“Okay.” Paulie managed an innocent look but not an ounce of sincerity in her voice.

“I mean it. Just some pants. Two pair.”

“Okay.”

***

Despite Kevin’s inability to bring himself to ride balls to the wall like he usually did, the guys did make it back into town in time for supper. There was a pub they liked—one that catered to snowmobilers and didn’t mind coats and bibs draped everywhere—and they each ordered the steak. It wasn’t some chain-restaurant girly steak, either. It was a
steak.

Beth would be at work, he thought, staring morosely down into his beer. On her feet all night, carrying trays of food and running laps with the coffee pot. And since she didn’t look pregnant yet, they wouldn’t know to cut her some slack.

“Kevin.” He looked up at his father’s tone, embarrassed to be caught moping. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I’ve got a delicate situation with a woman.”

Mike snorted. “You mean other than the fact you knocked one up you barely knew?”

“You’re a funny guy.” He took a long pull off his beer. “I’m serious.”

“You should talk to your mother,” Leo said, slapping his shoulder. “She’s good at delicate woman situations.”

“Ma’s not here. You guys are. And you did ask.”

“Then shoot.” Joe leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “But don’t blame us if the advice sucks.”

“We’re going to need more beer.” Evan waved to the waitress and ordered another round. “I’ve been married to your sister so long I’m the master of delicate.”

Mike snorted. “Terry? Delicate?”

“Not that
she’s
delicate. I meant that I have some experience with delicate situations—walking on eggshells, if you know what I mean.”

When they all had a fresh Sam Adams—and a Coke for Joe—Kevin picked at the corner of the label and tried to figure out where to start.

“So…Beth can be a little prickly.”

They all laughed and Mike said, “Dude, you think she’s prickly now? Wait until she can’t see her feet.”

Kevin threw a balled-up napkin at his brother. “Shut up, asshole.”

“Boys.” When Leo spoke, they all quieted down. “Okay. Out with it, Kevin, or we’ll be too drunk to find our rooms by the time you’re done.”

“Beth is touchy when it comes to accepting help. She’s very independent and hung up on boundaries, so it’s a total battle to get her to accept the smallest thing from me.”

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Evan said. “A lot of women would be sucking you dry. Probably even with the court system’s assistance.”

“Maybe the court system could assist me in convincing Beth to become a kept woman.”

Not surprisingly, that brought on another bout of laughter, but this one went on and on, long enough for him to drain a third of his beer.

Then his dad started coughing until Mike and Joe thumped him on the back a few times. “You trying to kill me, Kevin? Kept woman? Welcome to the twenty-first century, son.”

“What else would you call it? She can’t be on her feet all day, waiting tables. I want her to quit her job and let me take care of her financially, but it was freakin’ World War Three when I bought her a cellphone.”

“Women work right up to their due dates,” Mike pointed out. “Even waitresses. Then it’s maternity leave, unpaid for her, then back to work.”

He didn’t want her to work that hard for that long. She was already showing signs of tiring easily and she wasn’t even showing yet. Throw in her mother’s history of miscarriages and he wanted her off her feet.

“If she worked in an office or something, maybe. But she doesn’t even get to sit down, except on her break.”

“Has she mentioned not wanting to work?” Joe asked.

“No. Beth doesn’t…she takes care of herself. It wouldn’t even occur to her not to work.”

Evan slapped him on the back again. “You sure got it rough, Kowalski. A woman who had sex with you, but doesn’t want gifts and won’t take your money?”

“Whether she likes it or not, it’s on me to make sure she’s taken care of.”

“You really like her that much?” Joe asked.

“Of course I like her. She’s having my baby.”

Leo shook his head. “That makes the baby yours. Not the mother. If she doesn’t want help from you, that’s her business.”

That didn’t make any sense, even after downing some more beer. Why wouldn’t she let him help her? What was good for her was good for the baby. Being bounced around half of every day while his mother ran around delivering cheeseburgers couldn’t be good for him. Therefore, for the baby’s sake, she should stop waitressing.

“You know what you need to do?” Mike asked.

“If I did, do you think I would have asked you idiots for advice? Well, not you, Pop. These other idiots.”

“Whatever.” Mike leaned forward, as though he was about to give up the key to understanding women. “You need to offer her a job yourself.”

“Waiting tables at Jasper’s every night would be different than what she’s doing, how?”

“Not waiting tables. Office stuff. Inventory shit. She went to college for business management. Didn’t get her degree, but she knows the stuff.”

He didn’t know that. “How the hell do you know what she went to school for?”

“Lisa told me.”

“How did Lisa know?”

“Fucked if I know. I assume Beth told her. Or Beth told Paulie who told Terry who told Ma who told Lisa. You know how it is.”

He considered Mike’s plan for a few minutes, but he didn’t think it would work. “She knows I’ve been managing the place two years with no problems. If she thinks I’m just trying to get her off her feet, she’ll refuse.”

“You need to make her think you need the help. Screw some stuff up. Lose some papers. Run out of something. Shit like that.”

Evan was nodding. “You gotta be sneaky. Trust me, I know. There isn’t a woman on the planet more stubborn than Terry.”

“She gets it from her mother,” Leo said. “They’re right. Nothing makes a woman happier than thinking a man can’t function without her.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Joe asked and they all groaned. As the oldest brother, he usually felt a need to be the voice of reason. Not a quality his younger brothers or brother-in-law appreciated the way they probably should. “You’re already giving her a place to live. Now you want to give her a semi-fake job. Making her totally dependent on you is a pretty big deal.”

It was a big deal and she would absolutely hate hearing Joe sum up the situation like that, but Kevin was convinced it was the best thing to do. For the baby’s sake, of course. Not just because he couldn’t think of anything he’d like more than working side by side with Beth every day.

The waitress brought their steaks, but Joe had to take a final shot at him. “Families aren’t Sea-Monkeys, Kev. You can’t just add water and watch them magically appear. The fact you made a baby together doesn’t mean she’s the one for you. Or that you’re the one for her.”