Home Run (11 page)

She took the bag of groceries and began to unpack them, putting away each piece. When she got to the pregnancy test, she just stared at it as if she’d forgotten she’d bought it.

Her nerves twisted inside of her. She looked up and the kids were building something with the old toilet paper tubes they’d decorated one day. It would only take three minutes. She had three minutes.

Quickly, she took the box up to her bathroom and shut the door.

It would be quick and painless and it would be over. Then she could go on with her life.

She read the instructions, more than once, and then took the test.

As soon as she was done she set the test on the top of the toilet and went to wash her hands. But the faucet this time nearly came off in her hand. With water spewing all over she reached under the sink and turned off the water source.

She let out a sigh and grabbed towels to sop up the mess just as she heard a crash and a cry from down the stairs.

Without hesitation she ran down the stairs.

“What was that?” She turned the corner to see that Sam was holding his hand over his forehead and all around him were scattered cars.

She scooped him up. “Are you okay?”

He nodded with a tear dangling from his long, dark lashes.

She looked at Ali. “What happened?”

“He was stacking cars up high and he stood on the Lego bucket to get higher on the shelf and it fell over.”

Assessing the room she could now see the big pre-school Lego set all over the floor with all his cars. But he seemed fine.

In the midst of the commotion the doorbell rang and she set Sam on the floor and ran for the door. There stood Scott in his lawyer-man suit looking very handsome and in his hand he carried a bag. She tried to steady herself when she realized it was the bag he’d have packed all his things in to stay the night.

He stepped into the house and pressed a kiss to her lips. “This was one of the longest days of my life.”

“Why?” She gulped back.

“I couldn’t wait to get to you.”

The moment was quickly over taken by Sam tugging on Scott’s leg. “Car tower!” And then he ran back.

“He wants you to see it.”

Scott nodded with a smile as he set his bag by the stairs and followed him.

It was comfortable having Scott around as she started dinner and he played with the kids. He was a good role model and so good with them.

Dinner wasn’t fancy. Spaghetti and meatballs, but she’d made some garlic bread to appease the adults at the table.

After dinner it was time for a movie, which she and the kids sat and did every Friday night. Scott was right along for the ride, having changed out of his suit and into a pair of sweat pants and a T-shirt which accentuated his very nice biceps. It was then she noticed he had a tattoo peeking out from under the sleeve. She hadn’t noticed that when they’d gone swimming or even this morning when he was pressed up behind her.

“What is this?” She reached over and pushed up the sleeve.

He smiled shyly. “Tribute.”

The tattoo was very small, but it was a set of angel wings and the word mom.

She had to swallow back tears. The Kellers had a tattoo. Clara had hers on her wrist. The infinity symbol and the word family.

Victoria had lost her entire family. Her mother had died of cancer years ago and her father a few years later from complications with diabetes. Then her sister died in that horrible accident. She’d been alone for years and now here was this man…

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, drawing him closer for a kiss.

“What was that for?”

“I really like you. I’m glad you’re here.”

There was a tingling in her body now and the movie they were watching couldn’t end fast enough. When it did she announced bed time and they didn’t even have to pick up their toys first. That at least made the walk up the stairs quicker.

She and Scott tucked in each of the kids, kissed them good night, and then headed for the bedroom.

The moment they both were in the room Victoria shut the door and turned the lock. This was it. She was moving on!

“What happened in here?” Scott asked as he turned toward the bathroom. “Oh, you had a leak. I can…”

He’d stopped talking just as she realized she hadn’t been back upstairs since she’d taken that test.

She hurried to the door and saw him holding the pregnancy test in his hand.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest and her head spun. She couldn’t read him. His face had gone pale and blank.

She watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he swallowed hard and then looked up at her.

“You’re pregnant?”

“I am?” That wasn’t really the response she’d meant to give.

“Is this yours?”

She licked her lips to moisten them as she thought of an answer. But she simply nodded.

“You’re pregnant and you didn’t tell me?”

“I bought the test on a whim. Something Sonia said the other day about me being sick…so I bought it. I took the test and forgot…”

“You’re pregnant?”

Victoria dropped her shoulders. “I guess I am.”

Scott ran his hand over his chin and she could hear the scratching of his stubble against his palm.

“This puts us in a very awkward situation. You and I haven’t had sex.”

Tears were stinging her eyes and she tried to bat them away.

She watched as Scott considered. “How far along do you think you are?”

Victoria balled her fists to her side to keep her hands from shaking. “About four weeks.”

The color in his face began to deepen. The darkness in his eyes did the same.

He lowered his head and looked at the stick again before looking back up at her. “The wedding?”

She nodded.

“We’ve been dating since then.”

She nodded again and now the tears streamed down her face.

Scott pursed his lips and she noticed there were tears in his eyes too. “Do I even have to ask whose baby this is?”

“Scott, I didn’t mean…it just…no,” she finally resigned and hung her head.

Scott shook his head and took a long deep breath before walking toward her. She lifted her head and he handed her the pregnancy test which boldly had printed on it PREGNANT.

“Here. You’re going to want to show this to the responsible party.”

He walked past her and unlocked the bedroom door.

Victoria turned and followed as he pulled open the door and headed down the stairs.

“Scott, I’m so sorry. You have no idea…”

“Save it. You’re going to need to keep your strength for your baby and the kids. Tell them I said goodbye.”

“Goodbye?”

He picked up his bag which still sat by the stairs. “Victoria, I don’t mind taking on the responsibility of others. I thought making a life with you and the kids would be fine. And under different circumstances I’d never have given another thought about taking on this baby, too. But knowing that commitment doesn’t mean anything to you and that this baby was conceived while we were together…well that’s a game changer. I don’t take to people who lie to me.”

He opened the door and walked away.

Chapter Thirteen

Victoria fell to the floor still gripping the pregnancy test in her hand. How could she have gotten pregnant? How could they not have even considered it?

She didn’t even bother to wipe at the tears that fell down her face.

How could her life have turned into such a disaster?

But that didn’t feel right? That wasn’t the right assessment of her life. She had lost a lot. That part was true, but she’d never ever give up on Sam and Ali. No, her life had just changed.

She ran her hand over her belly. And now there was this.

Lifting her hand to her lips she began to sob harder. There never had been a doubt in her mind that she’d carry Christian’s baby—if she had a baby at all. But this wasn’t the way she wanted to do it—alone.

What if he turned the baby away just as he had turned her and the kids away?

Her breathing eased when she thought about the Kellers and her tears began to dry. Christian might push her aside, but they wouldn’t. They took family very seriously. Again, she ran her hand over her stomach. Her baby would be okay. He or she would have a family that would help to take care of them.

She let out a breath. For now she’d wait it out and see what happened. After a doctor appointment to confirm, she’d decide how she would handle it. Chris was going to have to be told.

But for now, this was her secret. Even if she couldn’t have Christian, she’d have a part of him.

With that thought she forced herself up off the floor and back to her bedroom where she faced the mess of towels under the sink. Tomorrow she would call Clara and see if her Uncle John might have some time to look at it.

Under the circumstances, she was sure Scott wasn’t an option and she didn’t want to ask Christian. She wasn’t ready to see him—and, to be honest, he wasn’t too handy.

~*~

When Christian heard the front door slam he headed toward it to see who had just barged into his house. It wasn’t much of a surprise to find his sister standing there. He shook his head. When would he ever get privacy? First his brother busts through his office door and now his sister has done the same in his house.

“Now what?” He dropped his shoulders. It had been a long night and he didn’t want to be social.

“Are you any good at plumbing?”

He actually snorted a laugh. “Are you kidding me?”

“Really. I need a faucet fixed.”

“Then you call Uncle John, not me.”

Clara followed him back to the kitchen and stopped, resting her hands on the back of one of the chairs.

“It’s not for me. Tori just texted me and said she needed Uncle John to come fix her sink. I figured you should go.”

“I don’t think so.” He walked over to the dishwasher he’d been unloading and continued to pull out warm, clean dishes.

“C’mon. Even if you can’t fix it, it’ll get you in the house.”

“She has company.”

“Oh.” She pulled out the chair and sat down, which wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted her to go.

“If she needs something fixed she should ask Mr. Lexus to either get his nice manicure messed up or hire someone to do it.”

“How do you know he’s there?”

Christian set his jaw. “Because for two nights I’ve driven by,” he swallowed hard. “Multiple times.”

“You’re spying?”

“No. Just driving by.” He turned away from her and whispered, “At all times of the night.”

“You are spying.”

He turned back to her. “What does it matter? His car was at her house all night Thursday and was still there this morning when I went to work. And then last night at dinner time and at nine o’clock it was still there. I’ve been replaced.” Again he turned around. “And I don’t blame her.”

“I really thought after the wedding and lunch…”

“You thought wrong.”

She nodded and stood. “I’ll call Uncle John.”

“Good.”

“Chris, I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “I did this to myself. But the good news is I have a date tonight. So I’m not going to worry or think about Tori. She seems to be happy and she’s moved on.”
Rather quickly after our night together.
“She doesn’t need me crashing anymore lunch dates.”

~*~

It was just past one when Victoria answered the door to the handsome “Uncle John.”

“You got my message,” she said grinning as she pulled open the door.

“Honey, I’d fix anything you needed. I’m glad you thought of me. Retirement has me bored off my ass.”

She laughed. “I doubt that. I’ve seen what you’ve done to the theater in the past few years.”

“My wife and her projects.”

Victoria missed going to see productions at the theater John and his wife Arianna owned. She remembered seeing Clara there when she played
Annie
when she was little.
She never would have thought then that she’d know that girl who had mesmerized her so much. And to think., she was a big country star now.

“So which sink is it?” John asked walking into the house with his tool box.

“The bathroom in my bedroom.” She pointed him up the stairs.

John began walking up the steps. “Where are the kids?”

“Napping.”

“I’ll be super quiet.”

She smiled hoping he might do just that.

When they walked into the bathroom he looked the sink over. “This shouldn’t take too long, but the tube to the shut off doesn’t look too good either. I’ll put a new one there too.”

“Thank you. Whatever you need to do I’m fine with. I’d rather stop the problem before it costs me so much more.”

“Smart girl.” He set his tool box down and looked up at her. “Are you feeling alright? You have dark circles under your eyes.”

Victoria kept a smile pressed on her lips. “I’m doing fine. Just a little something that’s going around I guess.”

He nodded at her. “You need rest.”

“You’re probably right.”

“Why isn’t that man of yours fixing this? Really, it’s not a tough job.”

The smile left and tears threatened. “Let’s just say, there isn’t a man right now. You’re it I’m afraid.”

“Well, sorry to hear things didn’t work out. But whenever you need me you just call.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“I’ll get to this. I’ll let you know if I need anything.”

Victoria walked out of the room as John got under the sink and began working on the tubing. She could hear all sorts of noise downstairs, but what she didn’t know was that he’d kicked over the trash can in the bathroom and found the pregnancy test she’d thrown there.

Chapter Fourteen

For the first time in weeks, Christian had a spring in his step. A new pair of jeans and a trendy new shirt, which made him look bad ass—at least that’s what he thought of it when he looked in the mirror. He’d dug out his old Rolex and even had on some
sexy
boxers—just in case. There was a woman out there that didn’t just want to let him in to push him away and he was going to take advantage of a nice evening with her. And, if she was willing, maybe breakfast too. He was tired of being the stand-up kind of guy. It hadn’t been working for him.