Page 68 of Tuck & Roll

“Cutting it close? You didn’t show up here until you were six weeks from giving birth.” He shook his head. She’d always had the ability to turn things around so that he was the one to blame if something ever went wrong. Nine times out of ten it was something she’d done.

She was right. He supposed they should at least buy a car seat. He gave a signal and turned toward the store. Maybe buying the car seat would earn him a few hours of her not nagging him about everything.

He pulled into the parking lot and found a space to park. They both got out and he waited for her to come around the back of the truck to walk with her. Once inside, she led the way to the baby department where they looked over several car seat models. They all looked basically the same to him. It took about twenty minutes for them to agree on one before he loaded it into their cart.

Taylor meandered amongst the racks, picking up little baby outfits. She’d pick one up, smiled wistfully, then put it back. One of the outfits read “Cuter version of Dad.” He kind of liked that one. Another one she picked up read “Ladies man in training.” The clothes were so damn tiny. Hell, the baby socks she was looking at now would fit his thumb.

“Wow. Feel this.” She held out a fuzzy baby blanket. The baby blue material was the softest thing he’d ever touched.

“That’s really soft.”

Taylor put it back, a frown marring her usually flawless face.

“What’s the matter?” He wanted to slap himself for asking.

She shrugged a shoulder and wouldn’t look at him. “I always dreamed about being pregnant and how much fun it would be. I couldn’t wait to have a baby shower and see what kinds of cool things we’d get for the baby.” She looked up with tear-filled eyes.

Fuck. He hadn’t thought about that. Despite how much he couldn’t stand her, she did deserve a baby shower. He didn’t think he could con the old ladies into having one for her, so maybe, he’d reach out to her mom. He’d been meaning to do that ever since she showed up to find out why they were treating their only child like she was now something to be ashamed of. He still didn’t understand that whole situation. From what he remembered of her parents, they’d always been very loving and openly affectionate to her. They’d even continued to like Tuck after he started prospecting for the Sons.

“I’m sorry, Taylor, that things haven’t turned out the way you thought they should.” He didn’t know what else to say.

She dabbed at her eyes with the inside edge of her shirt and took a deep breath. “Oh well. It’s fine. Maybe I’ll have one after the baby gets here.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

They left the baby department and started heading for the front of the store to check out.

“You really don’t like the name Trent Michael?”

“Not really.”

“Maybe we could name him Trent Michael and call him Michael or Mike?” she asked hopefully.

He’d later blame it on being weak from everything going on with Taylor, the baby, Kylie pregnant with Darren’s baby, that he finally caved and agreed to Trent Michael. “But we’re calling him Mike.”

Her smile split her face and her eyes danced with happiness again because he’d caved to her wishes once more.

After they’d gotten home with the car seat, he’d spent thirty minutes trying to figure out how to secure the thing in the back of his truck. Then he’d gone inside to find her asleep on the couch on her side with her knees drawn up and her hands folded under her cheek. He covered her with a throw from the back of the couch and let her sleep.

He grabbed a beer from the fridge and ventured outside. He dropped into a deck chair and took a much-needed drink. He released a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes. “Fuck me.” What a day. He felt like he’d been run over by a truck. He rubbed his chest where a dull ache started the moment he’d found out Kylie was pregnant. He still couldn’t wrap his head around it. What the fuck was he going to do?

Darren would more than likely ask her to be his old lady and marry her so they could raise the kid together. Which would mean she would be a permanent fixture around the club. How was he going to be able to be around her? Watching her with Darren? Knowing she gave his friend the gift of a child? Watching that child grow up right under his nose? Tuck would forever be wishing the child was his. If the child was a boy, would it grow to be a big man like Darren? Or if it was a girl, would it have her blue eyes and genius mind? He’d never really pictured Kylie with anyone other than himself. Fuck, this hurt. It cut deep. He felt like he was bleeding out and had no way to stop it.

He scooted his butt to the edge of his seat to rest his head on the back of it. He crossed his legs at the ankles and clasped his hands over his stomach. He told himself he was only closing his eyes for a moment to hopefully head off the headache building behind his eyes.

He quickly fell asleep dreaming that Kylie was pregnant with his child and they were living the future he’d wanted to make with her.

Kylie felt numb. She was sure it would be considered shock, but that didn’t stop her from wondering if maybe she was having a stroke. Of all the reasons she could have been throwing up, pregnancy never crossed her mind. How had her life gotten so completely out of control?

She’d woken up sick again this morning and Darren had confronted her. “Okay. I’ve let it slide for a while now, but this has got to stop. You need to go to the doctor.”

“I’m fine. There’s no need to go to the doctor. It’s just my nerves. Once everything calms down, I’ll feel better.” Her argument didn’t carry much weight considering she was eating vanilla wafers and drinking hot tea. She was sure if she’d have taken a look at herself in the mirror after she’d gotten sick, she would have seen what Darren was seeing. A pale, pasty face.

Darren leaned his hip against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms. “When are you going to admit you’re pregnant?”

“What?” she screeched and choked on her cookie. She quickly took a drink to wash it down. “I’m not pregnant. Why would you say that?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you throw up all the time and despite your inability to hold anything down, your boobs are getting bigger.”

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