His mouth dropped open. “I don’t, but can I get a picture?”
My eyes moved over to Kinley, who was watching this exchange. His friends were standing off to the side, already drawing attention to my table. Great! It was just my luck that this would happen right out of the gate—our very first meeting.
My fists clenched at my sides because I couldn’t turn this kid away without looking like an asshole. Disappointment, frustration, and a whole other mix of emotions settled in my gut.
I cleared my throat and stood up. Kinley was already skittish about my life, and this little exchange wouldn’t help my case. It would also be the end of our breakfast because once this kid got his picture, it would be fifteen seconds before word hit the street and fans came streaming into the diner.
I needed to find out how I would balance my two worlds. Now that I was going to be a father, my privacy would be my number one priority.
I tossed a hundred-dollar bill and gently reached for Kinley’s hand. “Time for us to get out of here.”
CHAPTER10
KINLEY
“Look at you.”My mom held her arms out for me to walk into them. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to have you home for Christmas.” She squeezed me tight, and a wave of emotions hit me in the chest.
I felt guilty for staying at a hotel last night, but I knew I would need some time alone after talking with Maverick. Now, after all the craziness of the past twenty-four hours had passed, the only thing I wanted was the comfort and familiarity of my mother’s arms.
“You look good, Mom.” I stepped back and noticed her blond hair was a little darker since the last time I saw her.
She patted the side of her head. “I just got it colored last week.”
My grandmother came limping around the corner. I could practically hear her grumbling under her breath. “I tried to tell her that her hair is going to fall out by the time she’s sixty.”
My mom rolled her eyes. “She’s been saying that since I was fourteen.”
“It’s all that Aqua Net you used back in the eighties,” my grandmother quipped while leaning against the wall.
I was too tired to deal with these two. I slept like crap last night, and the pregnancy hormones were starting to kick in. The only thing that could perk me up was coffee, and seeing that caffeine was no longer an option, I just wanted a nap.
My mom put her hand on her hip and glared. “Be careful, you old bird, or I’ll make sure to reserve you a room at Serenity Shores.”
My grandmother always had a retort on the tip of her tongue, and my mom always threatened to put her in a nursing home. I’m not sure how they’ve survived living together all these years without killing each other. It always felt good to come home for a visit, but something told me I’d be ready to return by the week’s end.
“You can always come live with me in Manhattan, Grandma.” I pulled her in for a light squeeze. Grandma Deanne wasn’t big on affection. She hated hugs and all the mushy stuff, but it’d been so long since I’d seen her that I couldn’t resist. She had her hip replaced last year, another sign that she was slowing down. That was another reason why this visit was so important to me. She wasn’t getting any younger, and I knew I would regret it if something happened to her and I didn’t take the time to see her.
“Hmm…” Her eyebrows folded together as she adjusted her floral housecoat. “You look different.”
Most people were born with five senses. My eighty-year-old grandmother, however, was born with a sixth. I shifted uncomfortably and forced a smile. “What do you mean?”
She pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose and leaned her face forward. “You’re glowing.”
Oh, God. Please no. The longer I stood there, rocking on my heels, the longer she stared. I squirmed and dropped my eyes to my mom’s tiled floor. I folded my hands in front of my stomach, which ended up drawing more attention to it.
She inched closer, and I stepped back, bumping into the wall. Her gaze traveled to my stomach; her thin lips curled in a smirk. “Well, I’ll be damned. You got a bun in the oven. Who is the lucky fella that knocked you up?”
All the color drained from my mom’s face. “Kinley, do you have something you want to tell me?”
My eyes closed, and my shoulders sagged. There was no point in denying it. The truth would only come out in eight months. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?” my mom shrieked. “You’re not even dating anyone. How did this happen?”
Despite the miles between us, my mom and I were extremely close. She’s been supportive of me and every decision I’ve ever made. So the thought of disappointing her had an unfamiliar emotion forming in the base of my throat.
“Do you remember Rylee’s older brother, Maverick?”
“Of course, I do. You had a huge crush on him,” she said, wiping the tears from under her eyes.