Part 29 (1/2)
Kennedy chuckled and fished the stick out of the box. Moment of truth, indeed. She quickly did what she needed to do, replaced the cap on the test and set it down on the toilet tank.
”Don't accidently drop it in!” Vanessa cried when she heard the toilet flush.
Kennedy opened the door and yanked her into the tiny stall with her. Vanessa looked down at her jacket and wrinkled her nose.
”I really wish you would have washed your hands before touching me.”
Kennedy ignored her and grabbed her hand, twisting her wrist so she could check the time on her watch.
”Three minutes.”
”How are you going to tell Memphis?”
”I haven't thought about it,” Kennedy said, not taking her eyes off the watch.
”Valentine's Day is tomorrow. You should do it then!”
Kennedy frowned. ”Isn't that a little cliche?”
”To propose or get married on, yes. To tell your hubby he's going to be a daddy? No.”
”How did you tell Joe?” Kennedy looked up just in time to see the blush in Vanessa's cheeks before she turned her face away. ”What?”
”I didn't actually tell him the first time. I, uh, kind of threw up on him when I was . . .” She waved her hand in circles and cringed. ”You know.”
”Oh my G.o.d!” Kennedy was about to slap her hand over her mouth to stop the giggles but quickly remembered what she had just done.
”Yeah. He kind of put two and two together after that.”
”Wow. Poor Joe.”
”Poor Joe? What about me? Anyway, you should definitely tell him tomorrow!” Vanessa said, the excitement returning to her voice.
”I don't even know if there's anything to tell him.”
Two minutes later Kennedy was staring at her answer.
”Well, now you know,” Vanessa said softly.
Kennedy looked at her and then back at the stick.
”Do you think they give discounted prices for used tests?”
After she had paid for the already used test, Vanessa dropped her off at home and made her promise to call her as soon as she spilled the beans to Memphis.
”He's going to be ecstatic, you know that, right?” Vanessa said. ”He isn't Brooks.”
”I know that. But like you said earlier, it's not like we were trying. It's still going to be a surprise for him.”
”And he'll love it.”
Inside the house was quiet, a rarity since Luke had entered their lives. He brought chaos with him everywhere he went. Kennedy smiled as she thought of the new chaos that would soon be entering their lives.
She looked down at her still flat stomach and gently placed her hands on top. It was hard to believe there was a little life growing inside her. And, even though she felt calmer about the whole thing, there was a part of her that was terrified of going through the same h.e.l.l as before. Only this time her heart wouldn't be the only one broken.
Kennedy shook her head and tried to push thoughts like that out of her mind. She needed to stay positive. She needed to stop comparing this pregnancy to her last one and living in fear of the unknown. She needed to figure out a way to tell Memphis.
She didn't want to just blurt it out. You only got to be told you were going to be a parent for the first time once, and she wanted to do it in a way he'd never forget. But she didn't want anything too over-the-top either. She wanted to keep things simple but memorable. Like the way he had proposed to her . . .
”I think I finally unpacked the last box of yours today,” Kennedy had said, hopping on the bed next to Memphis.
He'd looked at her over the paper he was reading and smiled. ”That only took us four months.”
”Us?” Kennedy snorted. ”If I had left it up to you, you would still be living out of a suitcase.” She paused and waited until he went back to reading. ”You know what I didn't find though?”
”What's that?”
”Your little black book.”
”Oh yeah. I should probably stop using that now, huh? Guess that means I have to cancel the date I have this weekend.”
”Nah, you shouldn't cancel on the poor girl,” Kennedy said, slipping off the bed with a saucy smile. ”I can always make plans with Alec. Ryder mentioned he would be in town this weekend.”
The sound of the paper being tossed to the side told her she had hit the mark and taken their banter a little too far. Memphis still didn't like the fact she was friends with the other artist. Alec was the only man he had ever been jealous of. And even though it shouldn't, it kind of turned Kennedy on to taunt him about their friends.h.i.+p and see his animalistic side come out.
”That d.i.c.k is in Vancouver for the weekend?” Memphis huffed.
Kennedy tried to hide her smile as she turned away from the dresser to face him.
”That's what Ryder said.”
”You know that the only reason he's working with Strokes of Pa.s.sion is to get close to you, right? It has nothing to do with Ryder.”
Kennedy laughed and crawled back onto the bed, straddled his lap and cupped his face.
”Aw, baby,” she cooed. ”Are you afraid Alec is still trying to get into my pants?”
”You and I both know he wants more than that.”
Kennedy dropped her hands and frowned.
”So you're saying if that's all he wanted you'd be okay with it?”
”f.u.c.k no! You're mine. He just needs to realize that.”
Kennedy ran her hands through his hair and nodded. ”He does.”
”But do you?”
She stopped stroking his hair and met his eyes. ”What-”