Granting Wishes (13 page)

The last thing Lilah was in the mood for was a family dinner. Whoever said pregnancy came with morning sickness was a flat-out liar. It didn’t matter if it was morning, noon, or night; if she smelled fried food she was running for the nearest bathroom to puke. Normally she loved her momma’s fried chicken, but right now the smell of it was making her want to hurl. Sipping ginger ale seemed to help settle her stomach some, but she was hoping to fill her plate and escape outside into the fresh air before she dry heaved again.

“Lilah,” Roxy yelled, running to her. She wrapped her little arms around Lilah’s hips and hugged her as tight as she could. Lilah leaned down and hugged the sweet smelling little girl and kissed her rosy cheek.

“How’s it goin’, sweet cheeks?” she asked, lifting Roxy in her arms and settling her on her hip.

“I missed you, Lilah. Why you no come see me this week?” Roxy poked Lilah’s cheeks, making her laugh.

“I’m sorry, honey. Work has been a little crazy, but I’ll be at the farm with y’all most of the weekend for the opening.”

“Woohoo! Did you hear that, Daddy?” Roxy cheered. She gave Lilah a big, smacking kiss, then wiggled down and was off and running again.

“I wish I had her energy,” Lilah said, smiling when Jake gave her a tender kiss. The way he stroked her cheek and looked into her eyes made her feel warm all over.

Jake wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear, “I got enough energy for you and me both, darlin’.”

She laughed, giving him another kiss before taking his hand and going into the dining room with him. “You are such a tease, Jake.”

“You’ve only gotten a taste of how much of a tease I can be. But soon enoug
h,” his voice trailed off, full of promise. Enough so that she was feeling the white hot rush of heat charging through her veins. For a minute she forgot they weren’t alone until she heard her momma’s voice.

“Okay, y’all. We’ve got the food set up buffet style
, so fill your plate and find a spot to relax. Make sure y’all introduce yourselves to Sabrina. She’ll be staying with us awhile and working at A Million Wishes with the girls. Make her feel at home.” Miki wrapped her arm around Sabrina’s shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. A family dinner at the Canes could be a bit overwhelming with all the loud and boisterous talking and rough housing that could go on at any given time. Miki handed her a plate and encouraged her to start the line.

Lilah grabbed a plate for herself and Roxy, quickly adding bits of this and that while Jake followed behind her. She did her best to alternate between holding her breath
, and taking short breaths through her mouth to avoid breathing in the smell of the greasy food. As soon as she was done, she headed outside to the picnic table and took a deep, cleansing breath, sighing with relief. That had been a close call. Not only was there loads of fried chicken, but there was fried squash too. No wonder the smell had been so overwhelming. Thankfully, there was a nice breeze that kept everyone else’s food from wafting too close to her now that she was outdoors.

Dinner was an easy and fun affair. The usual teasing
between siblings kept it light hearted, and soon enough, Sabrina warmed to the family and joined into the conversation more. By the time everyone was ready for dessert, Lilah’s stomach was feeling settled and her sweet tooth was screaming at her to feed it. Luckily, her parents brought the peach cobbler and vanilla ice cream out to the picnic table, leaving the patio doors open to air out the house.

She watched her be
st friend and her twin with their heads tilted towards one another with smiles on their faces. Their world was changing too. Just like hers and Jake’s. If she could have picked a woman for her sibling, she would have chosen Chelsea. There wasn’t a better woman around. She was already family, so it seemed a natural progression for her to be the mother of her niece or nephew. Since they were best friends and pregnant at the same time, it seemed as if fate were taking charge so their children would grow up together as well. Now they both had to break the news to the men in their lives, then tell their parents.

***

It was comforting being with Dom. All day long she’d been stressed out and an emotional wreck, but as soon as he had wrapped his arms around her she knew everything was going to be okay. So what if she’d gained eleven pounds in the last six months. He still looked at her as if he wanted to devour her and that was all she needed. The doctor said she was healthy other than her blood pressure being slightly high. Chelsea was six and half weeks pregnant. She had a job she loved, a dependable car, the best friends and sweetest man a girl could ask for. Chelsea had never been close to her own parents. To this day they were alcoholics who loved to hate one another, so she’d stayed pretty far away from them once she graduated from high school.

Tonight, when dinner was over, she planned on getting Dom alone and telling him what the doctor had said. Dom was in college studying to be a family physician. It’s not like her current condition would be a huge surprise. They both knew it was a possibility, they simply hadn’t discussed it. Life had been so busy for them both over the summer they hadn’t even gotten to spend as much time together as they would have liked. And with fall semester starting soon, Dom had a full schedule with his second year in med school that would keep him running ragged. Chelsea knew he was a good man though. They would figure it out and make due. She was more worried about telling his parents than anything. She had an immense amount of respect for Mikayla and Noah Cane. The Cane’s had parented her more than her own had. Chelsea had spent most of her free time here in this house with them
, growing up. She didn’t want to disappoint them. Thus far, they had adapted well to seeing Chelsea and Dom together as a couple, instead of seeing her as just Lilah’s best friend.

“You look like you’re lost in thought. What’s going on in that mind of yours?” Dom was giving her that sexy smile of his that made her stomach flutter. She
started to feel her worries slip away as she smiled right back at him.

“I was thinking that maybe you could come over to my place tonight instead of us hanging out here. I need to talk to you about something
, and we really need privacy for that.” Chelsea knew her cheeks were pink because they felt warm and it wasn’t from the summer evening heat either.

“I think we could make our escape here in a little while after we help clean up.” He kissed her softly on the mouth before whisp
ering in her ear, “Now, tell me, should I bring a change of clothes and leave from your house for school in the morning, or will you be sending me home tonight?”

Chelsea looked at him with love and heat shining from her eyes. “Oh, I definitely think you need to pack an overnight bag while I help your mom clean up. That way we
can get out of here faster.”

He chuckled, kissing her again.

She loved that he wasn’t shy about showing her affection around his family. In truth, Chelsea couldn’t remember a time when she was happier than she was right at this very moment.

A shout from his mom where she was standing at the patio doors shattered the tender moment. Mikayla’s face was pale and her hands were c
lenched in fists. “Dominic Elijah Cane, you need to come inside right now.” She looked over at her husband and crooked her finger at him indicating he needed to come with him.

***

It didn’t matter how old you were, when your momma calls you by your full name, you come to attention and do whatever the hell she says without question. Dom did just that. What he didn’t expect to see upon entering the kitchen was his ex-girlfriend Jade. Nor did he expect to see her with a little boy holding a juice box. Jade was pale and thin as usual, but she appeared more so as if she hadn’t been out in the sun all summer long. He hadn’t really noticed it when he saw her briefly at Ms. Lola’s that morning they’d met for coffee.

The little boy however, had rich caramel skin, a shade or two lighter than Dom’s. He looked up at him, staring at Dom as if he were as curious about him as Dom was.

“What’s going on? What are you doing here, Jade?” Dom’s tone was firm, but not what it would have been if she hadn’t brought a child with her.

“I’ve tried to talk to you ever since I came back to town, Dom. This seemed to be the only way to get your attention. I didn’t have time to wait on you responding any longer.” Jade wrung her hands nervously, not looking as confident. Her eyes darted from his parents to him again.

“So what is it? What do you want? Is this your son?”

“Yes, he’s mine. This is Peyton. Can you say hi to them, Peyton?” Jade crouched down and put her hand on the little boy’s back.

“Hi,” he said obediently, lowering his eyes and staring at the floor shyly.

Dom couldn’t help but smile at Peyton. He used to be a shy kid too so he understood how it felt to be on the spot like that in front of new people. “Hi, Peyton. I’m Dom and this
is my mom and dad, Miki and Noah.” He looked at Jade again, curiosity forming. “I didn’t know you had a kid, Jade.”

“
We
, Dom.
We
had a kid.” Jade pointed at Dom, speaking to her son, “This man is your daddy, Peyton. Remember me telling you all about him? You’re going to be staying with him now.”

If someone would’ve touched him with a feather he would have fallen over, he was in such shock. Words wouldn’t even form from his mouth although he had many rushing through his mind. He looked at the little boy with big brown eyes as he continued to stare up at him. It was like he was looking at a childhood photograph of himself when he was three or four.

He thought back to the last time he had seen Jade and it had been graduation night. They had all went to a bonfire party out in the country and indulged in drinks even though they were underage. That was the kind of thing that happened even though it shouldn’t. Jade was leaving the next day to go on a summer trip to Paris, then she
set out to start Julliard in the fall. That night had just been a fling. A goodbye of sorts before they started their lives as adults and prepared for their careers. His would be in medicine, hers in dance. They never even spoke again until she showed up again in Sugar Creek.

“Why would you keep him from me until now?” He had so many other questions, but that was the first one he wanted answered. He’d never imagined having a kid so young
, but he would have taken responsibility and helped raise him. Now he had missed out on all his firsts. Dom couldn’t even look at Jade. His sole focus was on Peyton. The little boy was clinging to his mother’s leg, hiding his face.

“We were so young, Dom. I knew you had a future in medicine
, and I was already in Paris when I found out. We no longer meant anything to each other. I was pretty mad at you when I left, you know. I asked you to come with me and you told me no, remember? That it was just a fun night between friends, that you didn’t love me. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life seeing you from time to time, sharing custody with you. I know that sounds selfish. It was wrong.”

“Wrong doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Dom’s voice was thick with the emotion he was trying to keep under control. Peyton turned his head and looked at Dom, crocodile tears streaming down his cheeks. “Hey, little man, it’s okay.” Peyton rubbed his face against his
mother’s pant leg, sniffling as he clung to her.

Jade stroked Peyton’s head to comfort him. “All I can say now, is I’m sorry, Dom. But Peyton needs you now. I need you now. I’m asking you to take responsibility for our son because I no longer can do it.”

A sharp gasp came from behind Dom. When he turned, he saw Chelsea with her hand over her stomach, and her big green eyes filled with tears.

“Dom, what’s going on?”

He went to her and she took a step back.

Hurt flashed in his eyes. “Chels, I didn’t know. Jade kept him from me.”

She turned her eyes towards the woman that used to be her friend before jealousy ruined their relationship. As much as she wanted to lash out at her, Chelsea knew it wasn’t her place. In fact, at this point, she was unsure just where her place was. The only thing she knew for certain was that she loved Dominic, and even though he didn’t know it yet, they were going to have a child together. Right now, he needed her. She reached for his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. He had things to work out with Jade that would be easier to do without doing it in front of the innocent little boy that had yet to say a word.

On shaky legs, Chelsea walked towards him and crouched down, holding out her hand. “I’m Chelsea, what’s your name?”

His big brown eyes flecked with green gazed back at her a moment before he took her hand and shook it bravely as he replied, “Peyton Dominic Cane.”

She smiled at him. “That’s a great name. How about you and I go outside with the others and have some ice cream while your parents talk? Would you like that?”

He took her hand and smiled, “Yes, ma’am.”

Dom whispered his thanks to her, kissing her cheek before she went outside with his son. Once the patio door was shut, his mom was the first to speak. “How d
are you keep him from Dominic, from all of us for all these years! What were you thinking?”

Jade looked chastised and lowered her head. Her shoulders slumped and began shaking as she broke down in tears. “I’m so sorry,” she cried. “I know that’s not good enough and I know that doesn’t fix it, but I am. I’m so damned sorry, Dom.”

As much as he hated her for keeping his son a secret from him, he hated seeing a woman cry even more. Once he reached out and touched her shoulder to comfort her, it was like the floodgates opened and she sobbed until she leaned on him weakly as if she could barely stand up. Dom led her to the living room and sat her on the sofa. So many questions were running through his mind but he didn’t even know where to start. That made him even more thankful for his parents being there by his side.

“What did you mean when you told Peyton, ‘You’re going to be staying with him now’?” His dad questioned her.

Jade took a moment to gather herself, wiping her face with the tissues his mom handed her. “I meant exactly what I said. Peyton has to come live here with Dominic. I can’t take care of him any longer. I’ve done it by myself for three and a half years, but I’m too sick to do it now. I’m sorry, I just can’t.”

“Too sick?” Dom asked, confusion making his brows furrow.

“I found out during my pregnancy that I had cancer. I waited until after he was born to start treatment. I’ve fought, Dom. I’ve fought so hard to get better, but it’s not working. My doctor told me I needed to make arrangements for Peyton. Since my cancer has spread, he said…” she choked up again, covering her face with her hands. “Ugh, I’m so sorry I keep crying. I never cry. Not anymore. But now that I started I can’t seem to stop.” She tried to laugh it off but it came out as a choked cry.

Dom’s heart was breaking for her. Even though they’d had a rocky teenaged relationship, it didn’t take away from the fact that long ago, he had really cared about this woman. Jade had always been such a vibrant albeit snobby sort of girl. He couldn’t remember her ever even being sick as lo
ng as they’d known each other. It was hard to think of her suffering through treatments since she was eighteen, fighting for her life while taking care of their son alone made him sick to his stomach. He thought she’d been at Julliard living her dream and dancing. Now that he looked at her, really looked at her, he knew why she looked so pale. As he observed her movements he noticed the small tattoo marks on her chest that are done for radiation treatment sites. Her skin looked frail and now that he was paying attention to detail, he could see that her hair wasn’t even really hers at all, it was a wig. All her years of being super confident to the point of coming off snide with a mean girl attitude was a front she had been grasping at upholding the first day he’d seen her at Ms. Lola’s. It really just made him sad now.

“I wish you would have told me sooner, at least when you found out you were sick.” He took her hands in his, “I would have helped, done anything to ease your burden, Jade.”

She smiled at him, nodding her head. “That’s why I couldn’t tell you. You would have pulled out of school and dedicated all your time to helping me and our son. I couldn’t let you put your life on hold for me, Dom. Not when I knew you and I weren’t really in love. That may sound silly, but I didn’t want your pity. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with Peyton. I selfishly didn’t want to share him. I see how wrong that was now. But at the time, I thought I was doing what was best for the both of us. I need you to forgive me, Dom.”

Dom was angry, he felt cheated, yet he felt ashamed for being mad at her in her current situation. She obviously loved and took good care of Peyton. While she had made a huge mistake not telling him about his son, at least she brought Peyton to him now when it mattered most.

“I forgive you, Jade.” Dom swallowed his pride, taking the high road and not continuing to show her anger, but instead, giving her what she needed to be able to deal with her past mistakes. It would do neither of them any good for him to lash out at her for her misdeeds. “I can promise you I will take care of Peyton. He’ll never want for anything, and I’ll love him and raise him to be a good man.”

Jade choked out a sob, covering her face with her hands as she cried. Dom was unsure what to do at that point, so he was grateful when his mom stepped in and sat with Jade, putting a comforting arm around her. Over the next hour, Jade gave them more details on her previous treatment and care. She had completed her final round of chemo and told her doctor she wasn’t subjecting herself to any more. Enough was enough. That’s when she decided she had to contact Dom and turn over custody to him. Peyton needed his father. Before she left, they made arrangements for Dom to pick up the rest of Peyton’s things the following day from her
parents’ house where she’d been staying. He agreed that she could see their son as much as she could until her time came.

When she kissed Peyton goodbye, she told him he was spending his first overnight with his father so they could get to know one another. He didn’t understand why his mother was crying
, but she assured him it was happy tears that he finally got to spend time with his father. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room as she walked out the door.