Page 65 of Nanny for the SEALs

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Everyone was laughingand joking as the food came, and we were all dressed and ready to spend Thanksgiving together. I wished I hadn’t done the test, you know the big kid in me. The one who didn’t want to face anything and wanted to continue in the happily ever after—the vision I’d had off today in my head.

“Right, the table is set. The twins are ready, are we eating or what?” Aunt Elizabeth smiled as she stroked the arm of her boyfriend. Yes, it seemed as if everyone was happy in a relationship. I could be too, if I wasn’t so fucking nervous.

They spent a lot of money on a wooden round table from Western Heritage Furniture. Rick had a huge payout when he sold the club, and Pete, with his job, somehow they’d managed to have enough to live comfortably. No, for us all to live comfortably. I was impressed with the craftsmanship and details that went into the table. It spun and could seat up to seventeen people, Rick said it was better than a square table, because we could easily be seated and face each other. I didn’t think about it when no one sat there, but now with everyone taking their seats, I could see what he was talking about. A family event. Something I hadn’t been party to for a long time. Mom only arrived yesterday, and already they were making her feel like part of the family, too.

My hands were trembling as I held the potato salad with only one hand, not thinking about what I was doing, but more worried about telling Pete and Rick and their reaction to the news. I didn’t even know who the father was. What a mess. I shook the idea out and just focused on what I was thinking before everyone turned up, which was to have a nice Thanksgiving. I headed to the table, but for some reason, I wasn’t concentrating or my feet decided to do their own thing, and I nearly fell.

Fuck!

“Hey, it’s okay,” Mom whispered as she headed to my side to help me clear up the mess on the floor. I couldn’t believe it. I dropped the salad, one we couldn’t eat.

“The potato salad!”

Rick laughed. “Chill, there’s like two potato salads. I mean, one less plate, isn’t a big deal. We could all do with a diet.”

“Really, Rick! So, now I’m fat to you. You didn’t think it last night!” I barked with my hands on my hips. This is what Pete meant when he was holding my breasts; he wasn’t saying he loved it, more of a case of they’re so big.

“You know what, I don’t feel like eating, seeing as I’m so fat!”

With my parting words, I stormed off to my old room, but then I remembered it was Mom’s room, so I headed to the other side of the penthouse, wondering if someone was going to say something. All I could hear was Rachel bang something on her chair. She was hungry; Rachel seemed to have more of a temper the older she got. She had a nice side to her, a cute one. But when it came to sleeping and eating, she wasn’t a toddler to be messed with, not by any accounts.

As soon as I got to the room, I slammed the door behind me. I sat on the bed, waiting for someone to come.

Nothing.

No one.

No one called after me, no one even said anything, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was complaining about Rachel, but I’d made a fool of myself, a big fat fool. I couldn’t believe I’d acted so dramatically after what Rick had said. I was silly, but I was scared. This fairytale romance was going to come to an end, and I hated myself for letting it.

For the first time in a long time, I was happy and my carelessness was going to throw it all away. I didn’t know who to hate more. I slumped down on the bed and faced the ceiling. Rick had mirrors above his bed and looking down on me was my reflection. Not a pretty sight and I didn’t know who to despise?

Myself.

Life.

Even God.

Everything about this scenario didn’t seem fair, and I wanted to turn my head and run out of the door, but as I faced the door, I saw all three of them standing and looking at me.

“Can we come in?” Stan asked with pleading eyes, as if he was too scared to come in. Both Pete and Rick were huddled behind him.

“Sure. This is Rick’s room.” I sighed as I avoided eye contact.

“It’s our room,” Rick said as he gently shut the door.

“This is too much for you, isn’t it, Katie?” Pete asked as he hovered near the bed. “The three of us being here, like this. Too much. Too soon.”

“You’re young, we get it. Now, there’s the three of us. You. The twins. It’s all too much,” Rick said as he went to the other side of me.

“Can we let her speak?”

I looked up, and it felt as if I was Goldilocks with three bears, but I wasn’t blonde, I didn’t think they were about to eat me up, and I was pregnant. I could see guilt written on all their faces, so I decided to just come out and say the reason I blew up like some crazy person in their face.

“I’m pregnant!”

Their mouths dropped, and I remembered how I felt when Mom said I was pregnant. I could see the reflection on their faces. Stan was the one who held out his hand, and his reaction surprised me. I expected him to be mad, but it was as if his time away had really changed him and made him into the man I wanted him to be.

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