Page 15 of Calamity Rayne Knocked Up

“Great. I’ll text you my flight details as soon as I have them.”

Traveling meant doubling up on my workload with school and Remington plus spending extra quality time with Elara and Hale before I left, which was fine because all of those distractions took my mind off other things.

I plowed into my syllabus, moving full speed ahead until about two o’clock when a splitting headache developed behind my right eye. That was when Remington called, asking if I was in the office or working from home.

“I’m home. Did you need something?”

“I, uh…” His voice drifted.

“Remington?”

“I forget what the hell I called you for.”

“Oh.” I frowned.Remington wasn’t usually the forgetful sort. “What were you doing before you called?”

“I was…” he muttered something, and I gave him a moment to collect his thoughts.

I disliked seeing signs of aging in Remington, so I attributed his forgetfulness to simple busyness. The man had a ton of crap on his plate.

He growled in frustration. “Forget it. I’ll call you when I remember.”

The line went dead, and I sighed. I was used to his abrupt and rude phone etiquette, especially when he was preoccupied, so I didn’t think much of it.

I read a few more chapters from my supply chain management text and that put me right to sleep. A few hours later, I awoke hunched over my notes with back-breaking cramps just as Andrew walked in the door with Elara.

“Mommy!” she called, charging for me and hurling herself onto my lap.

“Umph!Hey, Peanut. How was your adventure?” Elara wasn’t in preschool yet, but Andrew kept her pretty busy. She had a full social schedule of playdates, museum tours, nanny circles, and fun kiddie adventures.

She held up her pudgyfist, showing off the smeared stamp on the back of her hand and frowned. “Uh-oh.”

I laughed. She was her father’s daughter. Knowing little blemishes like this stressed her out, I tried to celebrate it as a good thing. “How pretty! Did you go to the petting zoo?”

Moaning, she climbed off my lap and went to the kitchen, not distracted in the least from the horrific smudge on her hand. “Up!” she demanded, pointing to her stool by the sink.

“She’s been begging to wash it off all day,” Andrew commented, moving to help the little princess. “What do we say when we need help, Elara?”

“Pease,” she pleaded, leaving out the L.

I wasn’t sure if her OCD was an environmental trait she picked up from her neatnik father or something genetic. Maybe I should mention it to the pediatrician next week. And it wouldn’t hurt for Hale to curb his need for perfection around the little one.

Ha! Like that would ever happen.

I got up from the sofa and folded the lap blanket, setting my forgotten textbook and notes on the coffee table. “Andrew, next week I’m going to New York. Are you okaywith that?”

“Hale’s here, right?”

“Yes. He’ll be back by then.” I typically tried to travel only when Hale was away, but this trip felt…necessary. I wasn’t sure why.

“Then that should be fine. I’ll put the dates in my calendar now.”

“Thanks, Andrew.”

He shut off the faucet and helped Elara dry her hands. “All better.”

I reached into the cup of pens by the phone and clicked a purple one open. “Oooh, look what I found.” Elara immediately looked at what I had. I drew a small heart on the back of my hand. “Pretty.”

She frowned and gasped. “Uh-oh, Mommy.” She tugged me toward the sink.

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