Emerald Eyes (20 page)

“Shi-t!” he hissed. They were the last two people he wanted to see. His happy face immediately melted away.

Devin merely gave an up-tilt of his head, acknowledging Chuck, and stepped aside as Madison approached. Chuck did notice that though she no longer looked like death warmed over, she had an odd color to her skin. Thought that she had already transitioned. No one else was in the store, so he didn’t hesitate to speak freely and with a definite edge to his voice. “What do you want, Madison?”

Devin was instantly in his face. “You show Madison some respect.”

Chuck’s instinct was to tear into the vampire, but he knew that probably wouldn’t end very well for him. He was no match for Devin in human form.

“Apologize,” Devin said, eyes cutting into his.

It took him a couple of seconds, but he finally said, “I’m sorry, Madison. It’s just that I was in a really good mood. And seeing you walk in with Devin here, kind of let the air out of my balloon.”

“It’s okay, Devin,” Madison insisted, giving him an assuring smile. “Hopefully, this won’t take long. Want to grab some sour pickles for me while I talk to Chuck?”

“My pleasure, sweetheart,” he replied, but his stare at Chuck was that of warning.

“Okay…What the crap you want to talk to me about?” He titled his head inquiringly. “You’ve transitioned?”

“No I haven’t. And I’m not going to for a while.”

He did a puzzled half nod. “But you were practically death itself when I saw you two walking down the road at dawn the other morning. Thought surely you would be turned by now.”

“Something’s come up. I’ve decided not to transition yet.”

“Why? And why are you looking at me like I would care?”

Devin cleared his throat and stared daggers at him from across the store where the pickles were shelved.

Chuck screwed up his mouth. “Sorry.” He made himself focus on what Madison had to say. “Okay. What is it?”

“Chuck…I’m pregnant!”

His brow furrowed as though he hadn’t heard her correctly.

“I’m pregnant,” she repeated.

His chin jut forward, befuddled.
“What?”

“I didn’t even know. Devin is the one who realized it. And yes! I went to the doctor.” She dug in her pocket and took out a paper and handed it over for him to see.

He unfolded the paper and stared at it for several long minutes, mouth moving but not speaking audibly. He suddenly lowered the paper and his face was white as a sheet. “You’re telling me this is
my
baby?”

Devin suddenly stood there, a jar of pickles in each hand. “I can’t procreate, Chuck. And you’re the only other man she’s been with.”

He folded the paper and stuck it back in her hand. “What the hell! I just told Indian Joe that I’d marry his granddaughter!” He swung away momentarily to compose himself, and then turned back. He looked at Devin, skeptical. “You know it’s my kid and yet you stopped her transitioning?”

“I may be a vampire, Chuck. But I am not totally barbaric. I do not believe in taking an innocent baby’s life. Not even an unborn one. Or worse, having an unborn fetus turned!”

Chuck’s eyes grew big at the last comment.

“It happens,” Devin assured him. “And since Madison has made it clear to me that she wants to keep the baby, we felt it was only right that you should know.”

He sniggered sardonically. “You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me!” His eyes met Madison’s. “What now? You still with Devin?”

“Yes! But we have no reason to keep your child from you, Chuck. You can be a part of his or her life. If that is what you wish?”

“Yeah! Sure…Of course I want to be in my kid’s life. God! Talk about the crazy jokes life plays.”

“Yes it does,” Devin agreed.

“And you’re really okay with Madison carrying
my
baby?”

“Not a problem. Doesn’t change the fact that I love her. I will love the child too, because it is hers. And I will be a good stepfather.”

Chuck flinched at that.

“But you are the child’s father. I will never deny that.”

You are free to marry Ticking Feather, if that is what you want?” Madison said.

His hands went to his forehead. “Oh God! I don’t know what to do now.”

“Just continue with your plans,” Devin suggested. “You can still be a major part in your child’s life.”

“Hell! Now I’ll have to tell Tickling Feather.”

“If she really loves you,” Devin said, “she’ll accept your child.”

“This is just great!” he said with sarcasm. “I haven’t even asked her yet. And I have to break this news to her too.”

“Perhaps you should tell her about the baby first and then ask her if she wants to marry you.” Devin suggested.

It was apparent that he thought taking advice from Devin a bit weird, but he went with it. “Looks like that’s the way I’ll have to do it.”

An elderly man walked in the store. “Well…” Chuck breathed, eyeing Madison peculiarly. “I have a customer. I’d better get to work.” His glance turned to Devin. “Thanks for doing this. I really wouldn’t have expected it of you.”

Devin merely smiled. “I get that sometimes.” To Madison, “Shall we?” he offered her his arm, which she took.

“Again…thanks! I think.” He went to wait on his customer.

On the drive home, Devin pointed out that Chuck wasn’t through assimilating everything. He, personally, wasn’t sure what Chuck was going to do once he had time to really think about things.

Madison agreed. She was uneasy about the situation too. Afraid Chuck might decide he didn’t want to let her go. Or worse, think he wanted the child with him.

Devin assured her that he was certainly okay with him seeing the child and possibly sharing custody, but he wasn’t about to let Chuck just take the baby from her. Not unless that was something she wanted. And right now, he knew she didn’t.

“Thank you for being so wonderful, Devin,” she said, eyes misting over. “I love you so much!”

“Ditto, my sweet!”

They drove home the rest of the way in silence.

Although a stoic face was not unusual for the old Indian, Chuck wasn’t sure how his friend had taken the information bomb he’d just dropped on him. “I’m sorry!” he said in all honesty. “I had no clue Madison was pregnant when I told you I wanted to ask Tickling Feather to marry me.”

Breaking the long moment of silence, Joe asked Chuck if he wanted a beer and walked off to his little refrigerator. Chuck said he could use one and followed him into the kitchen.

Joe took two beers out and handed one to Chuck. “I knew when I heard the knock on my door this late that it had to be you.”

“Oh?” Chuck said, twisting the cap off his beer and taking a sip. “How’s that?” He tossed the cap in the trash can in the corner of the room.

The old Indian sniffed and did the same with his. “Because, anyone else would call me first before coming over at such a late hour. It is midnight, you know.”

“Is it? Damn! I’ve been pacing the floor, trying to decide what to do. Guess I lost all track of time. I’m sorry.”

“I know you don’t mean to be disrespectful, my friend. A lot of it is the werewolf in you. You don’t always think before you act. Kind of to be expected.”

“I am lucky to have such an understanding friend.”

With a gesture of his hand, Joe asked Chuck to take a seat at the little round table by the refrigerator. Joe sat too.

“If you would rather I don’t ask Ticking Feather to marry me now, I will understand.”

The old Indian thought about it a moment, taking several long sips of his beer before finally replying. “She loves you, Chuck. I cannot guarantee what she will say with the news that you are going to be a father. But I do believe she will probably say yes once she has time to think things over. It is all she has talked about since she was a child. Wanted to grow up and marry you.”

“As long as it is still with your blessings?”

Joe cut his dark eyes around to his friend. “You are a good man at heart. I know you did not mean for this to happen.”

“That means a lot, Joe! I really needed that.” He let out a deep sigh. “I just hate the fact that Madison still wants to be with that vampire, even after knowing she is carrying my kid. She has said that she loves me too! How can she choose him, knowing we are having a baby together?’

“Apparently she loves the vampire more, my friend.”

Chuck twisted his mouth around. “Apparently.”

“And Devin Knight…He is okay with the baby?”

“Seems very understanding about it. Weird. Not how I would have responded, if the situation were reversed. Honestly, I just want to kill him.”

Joe winced slightly. “That is a perfectly normal feeling. As long as you don’t try to act on it, it’s okay.”

“You know, Joe. Honestly, I can’t promise that I won’t try.”

“Chuck!” Joe said in a tone harsher than usual. “If you want to ask Tickling Feather for her hand in marriage, then you forget any thoughts of trying to kill Devin Knight. I do not want Tickling Feather hurt that way! Don’t want you to ask her to marry you and then you turn around and get yourself killed. Or go to jail for murder.”

“But he’s not human. Isn’t he already dead? In a sense?”

“Not everyone knows that, Chuck. Most folks only know him to be human. Haven’t got a clue he is a vampire. What’s more, as you know, most folks don’t even know about vampires and werewolves! You could still go to prison.”

“Not if I dispose of the body,”

“Chuck!” This time Joe was angry. He stood. “I do not want that kind of talk in my home!”

Chuck swallowed and closed his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry…That was out of line.”

“Better. I do not want to ever hear that kind of talk out of your mouth again!”

Chuck nodded. “You won’t. I Promise!”

“Forget about Madison. Forget about Devin. You marry Tickling Feather. And from what you say, Madison is willing to let you see your kid. Be happy with that.”

Chuck stood too. “Okay…Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, my friend.”

“Thank you, Joe! And thanks for the beer!” he finished the bottle off and sat the empty on the counter by the sink. “Now…I will go and let you get some sleep.”

“I will be at the store early in the morning so you can go ask Tickling Feather to marry you.”

Chuck raised his brow. “You sure you’re still okay with it?”

“As long as you keep your promise, my friend.” He laid a hand on Chuck’s shoulder. “I have known you for a long time. You’re hurt. It wasn’t you but the animal in you that was doing the talking. You have my blessings to proceed in asking Tickling Feather for her hand.”

Chuck gave Joe a hug of gratitude before Joe let him out the door.

The hurt in Tickling Feather’s eyes was so obvious that Chuck wasn’t sure if he should go ahead and ask her to marry him. She had been so happy to see him when he’d knocked on her door, and she’d even offered to cook breakfast for him. But he let her know there were a couple of things pressing on his mind, so she offered him a seat at the table while she made coffee for the two of them. Once their cups were filled, she gave him his and sat down by him with hers.

“First of all,” he began, having trouble holding her trusting gaze, “I got myself into a little fix.”

She reached out a hand in her loving way and laid it on his. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

“I’m not proud of it, Tickling Feather. Still, I’m not completely unhappy about it either. Just the circumstances.”

“Out with it!”

“I don’t know if you know about my seeing Madison Stevenson or not.” He looked off, not wanting to look into her trusting black eyes.

“I know you were seeing her. Grandfather told me. In fact, he just told me about her not long ago. She hurt you, right?”

“Truthfully, we actually hurt each other. That’s not all. I just learned last night that she’s…she’s pregnant, Tickling Feather.” He caught the flicker of pain in her eyes before he said it. “The baby is mine!”

Instinctively, guided by hurt, Tickling Feather quickly withdrew her hand. “Oh!” She turned her face away from him.

He didn’t take his eyes off of her, though. “I’m sorry! I know you have feelings for me. And there’s something I want to ask you…But you needed to know about the baby before I asked.”

“What?” she said, still staring at the kitchen wall. A tear slid down her cheek.

“Before I found out about the baby, I asked your grandfather if I could ask for your hand in marriage.” There was no way he was going to tell her that it was because of her grandfather that he had decided to ask. That it had been at his strong suggestion.

She got very still and her mood changed from hurt to anger. She snapped her head around? “Is this some kind of cruel joke?” She jumped up and faced him, looked like she was ready to spring on him at any moment. Obsidian eyes sparkling with rage.

“I’m not joking, Tickling Feather. I still want to marry you!”

She shook visibly and just stared at him suspiciously. “You’ve always treated me like a kid!
Now
you want to marry me! What changed your mind?”

“Your grandfather got me to thinking about it. I have always thought you very attractive, Tickling Feather. Just a little young. But he pointed out that Madison is only a little older than you. And I was dating her. Honestly. I really did mean to ask you before I found about all this. Madison doesn’t want me, regardless. She’s chosen someone else over me. Devin Knight.”

She drew her head back, surprised. “The vampire?” she said, anger softening slightly. “She chose a vampire over you? Even knowing she’s carrying your baby?”

“I know this is a lot for you to process at once. I’m sorry. Honestly, I knew of no other way to tell you. I understand if you don’t want to marry me. Hell! Maybe you would have said no regardless. Would you have?”

Her black eyes softened. “No! You know I’ve loved you ever since I was old enough to walk, Chuck Smith. I would have said
yes
in an instant.”

“And now?” He stood and went over to her and laid his hands on her shoulders. “Do you think you could marry me, knowing I am having a child with someone else?”

She looked off for a moment, considering his words, and then faced him again. “I love you, Chuck! I love you so much that it makes me angry that Madison could hurt you like this! I would be very hurt if she wanted you and you chose her. But I know this has to hurt you something awful! In fact, it makes me a little angry that she could do you this way.”