Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (180 page)

Eduardo chuckled.  “She sounds even better than I thought.  You got her number?”

“You disgust me Eduardo.  I told you that she pushed me down the stairs when I could be pregnant with your child and you think it makes her more attractive?”

“Hey, you swear up and down the kid is lover boy’s.  Why should I care if your precious Ricky’s kid goes bye bye?”

Molli pushed the button on her phone to end the call.  It rang again almost immediately after but she knew it was Eduardo from the ring tone.  She took the lap blanket that she had brought with her out of her bag and spread it out on the ground, leaning against a big sturdy tree. 

Her phone rang half an hour later.  It was Ricky.

“Hello.”

“Hi Molli.  I was right.  I can’t remember the back way into the woods.”

Molli laughed.  “There’s that dirt road right before you get into town, on the left side.  Just keep following it all the way.  It puts you out a little ways from that old pervert’s shack.  I’ll see you there soon.”

“Have you been outside this whole time?  Are you warm enough?  We’ll stop and buy some cocoa on the way back out of town.”

“You already sound like a father.  I can’t stand being stuck inside Crestview all the time.  And yes I’m warm enough.  Thank you for asking.  I wouldn’t mind the cocoa though.  I’ve been craving chocolate.  I’m starving too.  I didn’t eat much for lunch.”

“We’ll eat then.  Wherever you want.  I miss you Molli.  I’m so sorry I couldn’t be with you last weekend.  I didn’t know how to get out of being with Mellenda when we’d already made plans so far ahead of time.”

“It’s okay.  I had a good time hanging out with Sen and her boyfriend.”

“How is Seneca?  And Grant?”

“They’re good.  As crazy as ever.  We should go out on a double date with them sometime.”

Molli thought that she was probably pushing it, but she didn’t really care.  She was tired of not having Ricky to herself.

“I’d like that.  Maybe next weekend?  We’d have to do it in Upton since I still haven’t found a way to break up with Mellenda.  I can give Grant gas money to come up if he needs it.”

She was so thrilled by the fact that he had agreed to a double date that she was able to overlook the fact that he had said he still wasn’t breaking up with Mellenda.  “That’s so great.  I like Upton a lot better than I like Brentwood anyway.”

Ricky chuckled.  “Upton is a college town.  More for young people to do.  I’ll let you go my darling.  I forgot my headset and I think sometimes that I could talk to you all night.  I love the sound of your voice.”

“I know how you feel.  I love your voice.  I bet you sound great singing, so sexy.”

“I can’t sing.  Can’t really dance much either.  Stay warm.  I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Okay.  Bye Ricky.”

“Goodbye Molli.”

She ended the call and immediately sent out a text to Seneca.  ‘Hey girl.  Guess what?’

‘What?  Did Ricky finally break up with Mellenda?  Oh, I’m so happy for you Mol.’

‘I only wish.  I asked him about a double date with you and Grant and he said yes!  Are you guys busy next weekend?’

‘Nope.  Grant’s off for a change and my parents are taking Rain to visit our aunt.  I wasn’t invited because my stuffy old aunt doesn’t think I’m involved in activities that are suitable for a girl my age.’

‘Did your parents tell your whole family that you’re having sex with Grant?’

‘I think so.  They’re so weird.  When my dad caught us, he made Grant promise that he’d marry me if I got pregnant.  I thought Grant was going to die when my dad walked in on us.’

‘You let him catch you?  You’re slipping Sen.’

‘My parents weren’t supposed to be home until way later and Rain was spending the night at his friend’s house since we’ve been out of school since Tuesday with all of the conferences and in services and stuff.  At least he didn’t catch us doing it in their bed.’

‘I forgot you guys were out of school most of the week.  You’re so lucky.  I wish my parents still let me go to public school.  You are horrible Sen, doing it in your parents’ bed.’

‘It was Grant’s idea.  Public school sucks.  If you’d never have come to Crestview you wouldn’t have met me your wonderful best friend and you wouldn’t be having Ricky’s kid.’

‘I know.  Crestview is just so uptight though.  How am I going to hide my pregnancy?’

‘Wear baggy clothes and no one will notice until you graduate and then it won’t matter.  Has Mellenda caught you puking?’

‘She almost did the other morning.  She came back because she forgot something and I think she could smell it.  She wrinkled her nose in that prissy way.  I’ll be so glad when my morning sickness is over.  She would so tell on me.’

‘She’s such a bitch.  I can’t believe that Ricky wants to be with her.  I can’t believe she has sex with him.’

‘Ricky isn’t the type of the guy that would break up with her even if she didn’t.  He likes sex and he’s really good at it, but he’s not one of those guys that’s constantly thinking with his penis.’

‘Yeah.  I have to go.  I have to cook dinner since Mom and Dad are both working.  Rain has a friend over.  Is it wrong to think your thirteen year old little brother’s friend is kind of cute?’

‘Um.  I don’t know Sen.  I have to go too.  Ricky is on his way to pick me up.  I’ll text or call you later about getting together next weekend.  There’s something I want to talk to you about, but I want to do it in person.’

‘Sounds juicy.  Bye Mol.  Don’t tire Ricky out too much.’

‘I’ll try not to.  Bye Sen.’

Molli stood up, put the blanket back in her bag and her phone back in her purse.  She almost regretted putting her phone away because it had a flashlight and it was starting to get dark in the woods.  She thought it was pretty creepy being out there by herself, thinking that the old pervert’s ghost was wandering around.  Some of her more superstitious classmates claimed they had seen lights and heard noises out in the woods.  She figured that it was either Tory spying on people or the perverted security guard Jeremy.

She walked with hurried steps towards her meeting spot with Ricky and managed to make it there right when he pulled up.  She opened the passenger side door and got into the car.

“Are you sure you’re okay Molli?  You look a little pale.”  Ricky reached over and turned the heater up.

“I’m fine.  I think I let myself get a little spooked being out in the woods by myself.”

“I don’t like you being out there by yourself either.  Next time, I’ll call you and let you know I’m here and you can come to me then.  I’d rather have to wait on you than have you wait on me.”

“You are such a gentleman.  Your mother must be so proud.”

He smiled.  “I like to think so.  Where would you like to eat?”

“There‘s a really good Mexican restaurant right outside of town on the right hand side.  I can’t remember the name but the food is so good.  I hardly ever get to go there.”

“I know the place you’re talking about.  We’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Good.  Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome Molli.  It’s no trouble.  Mellenda and I ate there once and the food was wonderful.”

Molli made a face at his mention of Mellenda.  “So Seneca said that she and Grant are both free next weekend.  When are we going to get together?”

“Well, I’d love for you to stay with me Friday night.  I do work Saturday, but I’m off at two p.m. so we can do something afterwards, see a movie and then go out to dinner.  If Seneca and Grant can make it up earlier in the day, I can give you money to go shopping so that you won’t be bored.  You’re going to need maternity clothing eventually and we should start buying things for the baby.”

Molli thought her grin was going to split her face she was so happy.  “Oh Ricky, thank you.  I don’t know about maternity clothes, though.  I still have to wear my uniform at school.  I think I might have to buy a bigger size.  My parents are going to throw a fit about the cost because they charge so much for the things and they won’t let you trade in your old ones.  No hand me downs for the girls at Crestview.”

“I’ll give you the money for a new uniform so that you don’t have to bother your parents.  You might like some things for outside of school that will be comfortable as your pregnancy progresses.  We can also keep all of the things for the baby at my place.  We’re going to need something bigger than my one bedroom apartment after the baby is born.  I have a credit card that I barely use.  I’ll give that to you or make a cash withdrawal.”

Molli wondered why he wouldn’t break up with Mellenda if he was talking about them living together.  She was almost afraid to go shopping for baby things though.  Upton was only half an hour away from her hometown.  People from Cheston frequently shopped there since there were more stores and a bigger selection.

“I don’t want to put you into debt.  And I don’t want to buy too much for the baby.  I’m afraid that someone will see me shopping for all this stuff and tell my parents.”

“Oh Molli, you still haven’t told your parents about the baby?”

“No.   Like I told you before, I don’t want them to bring up abortion or adoption.  My older sister, well she’s not my blood sister and she’s much older than me, they adopted her from foster care; got pregnant right before she was eighteen.  They made her put the baby up for adoption.”

“If she was of legal age when she had the child they couldn’t have forced her to put the child up for adoption.”

“I think they threatened to cut her out of their will if she didn’t.”

“That’s terrible.  Maybe it is better if you don’t tell them.  I can’t believe a parent would do such a thing.”

“I know.  My parents are really old fashioned though.  They had me when they were in their forties but they seem even older than they really are sometimes.”

“I’m sorry darling.”

He pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant and parked the car.  He came around and opened her door for her, taking her into his arms for a brief embrace.  When he pulled back, she
thought that she saw that look in his eyes again, the look that said he loved her.  But why wouldn’t he break up with Mellenda she wondered, why wouldn’t he tell her that he loved her?  She wanted to tell him that she loved him, but she needed to hear him say it first.  She felt like she had already laid her heart on the line for him enough, she didn’t think she could take it if she told him she loved him and he didn’t say it back.

She followed him into the restaurant.  They were greeted by a pretty young waitress who showed them to a booth and took their drink orders, leaving them with menus.  When the waitress left, Molli decided that she wanted to sit on the same side of the table as Ricky and got up and moved.  She wanted to be close to him.  She loved the way he smelled and the feel of the warmth of his body next to hers.

He smiled at her and put his arm around her.  “I’ve missed you Molli.”

“I’ve missed you too, Ricky.”

The waitress brought their drinks back and took their orders.  They talked about Ricky’s classes.  He asked if Molli had any plans on what she wanted to do after she graduated.  She told him that she still had no idea and that she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to get into college.  Ricky tried to assure her that she would do fine but she didn’t believe him.  He didn’t make her feel stupid like a lot of people did, but she knew that he was just trying to be nice.

Their food arrived and they ate in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.  Molli finished her enchilada since she really had been very hungry but Ricky took half of his huge burrito to go.  They both got a hot cocoa to go and made their way back to the car.

When they got to the car Ricky said “Do you want to drive?”

“Your car is so nice.  I hardly drive anymore since my car has been broken down for so long.”

“You can drive if you’d like.  I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  We can look for another car for you after you graduate.  My payments for this one are done in March and I like to comparison shop.  It took me months to pick out this one.”

He handed her the keys and she pushed the button to unlock the doors.  She adjusted the seat and then strapped on her seatbelt.  He was being so sweet that she felt tears try to prick her eyes.  She turned away from him and started the car.

They didn’t talk during the drive.  Ricky got two phone calls, one from his brother, wanting to talk about his pending divorce and one from the friend of his that was going to examine Molli and make sure everything was okay with the baby.

When they got to Ricky’s apartment, there was a good looking blonde guy waiting in the hall.  Ricky said “Hello Matthew.  Thank you so much for coming.”

He grinned.  “No problem.  You know I owe you about a thousand favors.”

Ricky unlocked the apartment and stepped back so that Molli and Matthew could both go ahead of him.  “Matthew this is Molli, my girlfriend.”

Molli felt a little thrill that he’d called her his girlfriend, but she figured it was easier to let Matthew think she was his girlfriend since she was most likely pregnant with his child.

“Nice to meet you Molli.  Ricky said that some crazy girl at your school pushed you down the stairs?”