Page 5 of Unexpected Love

Chapter One

Chloe

Eight Weeks Later

“You’ve got to be joking. Please tell me you read the test wrong.” I stare at my doctor, praying that she’s wrong, that her test was wrong. In my heart, though, I know she’s not.

“Chloe, I take it this wasn’t a planned pregnancy. Do we need to discuss options?”

I stare at her before looking at my lap. “I don’t know. God, does that sound terrible or what?” But in my heart, I know that’s not true. My eyes lift to find hers. “I’m thirty-one years old. I’m single, with no prospects in sight. This may be my only chance to be a mother.” After a dramatic pause, I whisper, “No, I guess I don’t.”

She gives me a kind smile. “Okay. We’ll get you a prescription for prenatal vitamins, and I want you to get some blood work done. We’ll see you back in a month, and we’ll see if we can hear the heartbeat.”

My heart beats rapidly, and butterflies flutter around in my stomach. I’ve had no symptoms other than zero periods and my breasts being super tender—almost to the point that I’ve had a hard time wearing bras. Well, and the smell of chicken makes me queasy. Two weeks ago, I suspected that I was pregnant, but I chose to ignore it, hoping I was wrong.

I haven’t seen or heard from Joe since our night together, but I’m not surprised. I knew what I was getting when I slept with him, and that’s the way I wanted it with him. I knew it would be easy and uncomplicated, but of course now things have gotten very complicated. We used condoms—a lot of them—so I’m not sure if one was compromised or what.

Am I going to tell him that he’s going to be a father? Of course I’m going to tell him, but if he doesn’t seem interested in co-parenting with me, then that’ll be that, I guess. Oh God, I have to tell my dads. Dad will be great and excited about being a grandpa. Pops, on the other hand, will try to drive down to Beaufort so he can kick Joe’s ass, but he’ll be excited about a baby, and Carter will support me however I need him to.

I stop at reception on my way out and schedule my next appointment. They give me the lab requisition form so I can get blood work done. When I step outside, the hot sun beats down on me. I slip my shades on and head to my beautiful royal blue Chevy Camaro that I’m going to have to trade in for something with four doors. I let my hand trail over the blue paint and remember when I bought it.

It was when I turned twenty-eight and I’d just sold two really big jewelry pieces—my boss had given me a huge bonus. Before that, I’d driven a Corolla but had wanted a Camaro so bad. At least I have some time to enjoy him before I trade him in for something else.

My brother is a music teacher at the junior high we went to, so I head toward the school. He should be done by now, but I know he always hangs out afterward even when there’s no band practice. I can sing and play piano, but when he touches any instrument, it’s like he can play it immediately.

Carter’s never been much of a talker unless it’s with family, but he seems to communicate through music. During my freshman year of high school, he wrote me the most beautiful song to sing at the talent show. He was eleven at the time. Carter has a gift that so many would kill for, and I love watching him create his musical pieces.

We’re adopted, and neither of us remembers our biological parents, so we have no idea if they were musicians or what. Our pops and his brothers and our cousins are all musicians, and it was just natural for us to be involved, too.

Dad’s the only one who doesn’t play or sing. Oh sure, he tries, but it’s not pretty.

In the parking lot of the school, I pull out my phone and send Carter a quick text.

Chloe: Hey I’m outside. Do you have a minute to talk?

He answers me almost immediately.

Carter: Sure, I’ll be right down.

I stand outside the locked doors and stare out at nothing. My mind is a million miles away, and I jerk when Carter calls my name. I turn to look at him and smile. Carter has the same dark hair that looks almost black and the same cerulean blue eyes. Except his porcelain skin is covered in colorful ink. The school requires him to keep his tattoos covered; he wears a lot of dress shirts with the sleeves rolled up to where his colorful sleeves begin.

“Hey. What’s up? You looked like you were somewhere else.” I may be older, but that doesn’t mean that he hasn’t always watched over me.

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Are you free to talk?”

“Let’s head to my office.”

I follow him down the hall until we reach his office, which is just inside the band room. He sits behind his desk, and I smile. He’s right at home teaching music, and on the weekends we have our band. We started Beautiful Rage with our best friend/neighbor growing up, Eli. Then Kyle and Robby joined.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Picking at my thumbnail, I take a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

His eyes widen comically. “Pregnant? Like you’re going to have a baby, pregnant?”

“I suspected it, but I found out today.” Carter gets up and comes around his desk. He grabs me out of my chair and hugs me tight.

“I’m going to be the best uncle this kid has ever seen.” He sets me back on my feet. “Who’s the father?”

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