Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (207 page)

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”

Mellenda laughed.  They pulled up to a motel a few minutes later.  It looked rundown on the outside, but ‘Vacancy’ was lit up on the sign.  Mellenda followed Jude into the office.  They handed their licenses over and Jude paid for the room.  When the key was in Jude’s hand and they were on the way to a room on the first floor, Mellenda heart set to pounding again.  She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, but it almost felt like they were making love for the first time.

Jude unlocked the door and flipped the light on.  He made a face.  “I’m sorry baby.  I guess maybe we should have kept looking.”

Mellenda looked at the room, trying not to look at it with a critical eye, but it was hard.  The carpet was worn and the bed looked lumpy.  It smelled stale.  She opened the window and breathed in the spring air. 

“It’s okay Jude.  I could stay anywhere with you and be happy.”

Jude grinned.  “That’s my girl.  Let’s get naked.”

Mellenda smiled.  “And that’s my man.  The pervert.”

He kissed her.  “You’re so beautiful that I can’t help but think dirty thoughts.”

There were no more words after that.  They made love three times that night.  Mellenda didn’t think she’d ever been happier in her life.  Until Jude’s alarm went off early the next morning.  She sat up and groaned. 

“Why does my boyfriend have to have a job that drags him out of bed so damned early in the morning?”

Jude laughed.  “I’m sorry baby.  You can go back to sleep.  I’ll be back in a couple hours.”

“I want to come with you.”

“You sure?  It’s pretty boring.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“Oh honey, I think you’re gonna make me cry.”

Mellenda smiled.  “I love you, you big dork.”

“I love you too.  I’m off at the restaurant today.  I thought we could go check out that apartment after checkout.  Brendan said the apartment next to him and Shayla is open but I’m not sure if you want to live that close to them.”

Mellenda laughed.  “I think I can forgive him for grabbing my ass as long as he promises not to do it again.”

“I told him that if he even looked at your ass, I’d let you kick his ass and then I’d kick his ass, so I don’t think he’ll think about it.”

“Good.”  Mellenda moved to kiss him, and then the nausea hit.  She got up off of the bed and rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

Jude followed her and brushed her hair back from her neck.  “Morning sickness.  I’d take it for you if I could, you know I would.”

She flushed the toilet and then gave him a weak smile.  “Yeah right.”

“Well, maybe not but it is really gonna suck watching you go through all that pain when you’re in labor.”

“Don’t remind me.”  Mellenda washed her hands and splashed some water on her face.  “What did you talk to your mom about last night?”

Jude grinned.  “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Jude, you can’t be mean to the woman that’s pregnant with your child.  It’s against the laws of being a good boyfriend.”

“I want it to be a surprise.”

Mellenda pouted.  “Meanie.”

Jude laughed.  “I’ll make it up to you after we get back from delivering papers.”

Mellenda pretended to ponder.  “Well, okay.”

They dressed and then went out to his car.  He drove to pick the papers up.  Mellenda was exhausted but she was so happy to be with him that she thought she could take delivering papers with him every morning.  It went quickly since he had been doing it for so long, and they were soon back at the motel.  They made love again and then took a long, leisurely shower together.

They checked out and then drove to the apartment building.  It looked really rundown.  Mellenda started having second thoughts, especially when she saw a dirty little kid running around naked in the parking lot.  But she felt a little better when he was retrieved almost immediately by his embarrassed mother.

They were shown a two bedroom apartment by a manager that chain smoked and talked constantly into a wireless headset.  The inside of the apartment looked better than the outside.  It was small, but clean.  The stove and the refrigerator were both in good shape.  Jude said they needed to talk about it.  The manager shrugged and told them the office was open until five.

They sat in the car.  Jude looked at Mellenda.  “What do you think babe?  It’s not quite as cheap as I’d hoped it would be since it’s a two bedroom but I think I can still afford it.  You won’t even have to get a job.  I got a shitload of money for graduation.”

“I’d feel bad with you working two jobs and me not even having one.  I’m sure there’s something I could do.”

“You can work if you want.  I just want you to know that you don’t have to if you don’t want to.  I’m not saying that it’s always gonna be that way, but for now it is.”

Mellenda squeezed his hand.  “I’m scared.”

“Baby, it’s okay to be scared.  We’re gonna be okay.  I know it.  No matter what we decide to do about school, or about where we’re gonna live.”

“I love you Jude.”

“I love you Mellenda.  You don’t have to decide about the apartment right now.  There’s another apartment building over by Tony’s house.  It’s not quite as cheap I don’t think, but we should still be able to afford it.”

“I don’t know if I want to live over by Tony.  And we still have to buy furniture and all kinds of stuff for the baby.”

“Tony and Tory are leaving town pretty soon I think.  They let his mom out of the loony bin.  Sorry, the mental hospital.”

“Oh.  I guess we should probably take this apartment.  It’s not that bad and I want to wake up beside you every day like right now.”

Jude grinned.  “I still can’t believe that the most beautiful woman in the world loves me.”

“I am not the most beautiful woman in the world Jude.”

“You are.  But even if you weren’t you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me.”

He kissed her.  They were making out several minutes later when someone banged on Jude’s window.  Jude gave Mellenda a grin and then rolled the window down. 

“No sex in my parking lot,” the manager said.  “I don’t need to know that you’re getting some when I ain’t.  You takin’ the place?”

“Yeah.  I have to go get the money out of my bank account.  We’ll be back in a bit.”

The manager sighed and lit another cigarette.  “I’ll be here.”

Jude drove to the bank and made his withdrawal.  Mellenda felt like she was in a dream.  She could hardly believe that at this time the day before she hadn’t been sure that she was pregnant.  Now she and Jude were moving in together.  She felt very emotional by the time they had made it back to the apartment building.

Jude looked at her.  “Baby are you okay?  We don’t have to live here.  Just please tell me you hate it before I pay for the place.”

Mellenda laughed, though it felt forced. “It’s not that.  I just feel so. . .  I don’t know how to describe it.  But I’m not sad.  It all feels so strange.”

“I know babe.  I’m scared too, but we can get through anything together.” He gave her a quick kiss.

“Thank you.  There is no one in the world that I’d rather be with than you Jude.”

Jude grinned.  “Ditto baby.  Let’s go.  We still have a lot to do today.”

They left the car and went into the office, filling out a simple application form.  The electricity was paid through the apartments so they didn’t need to worry about the utilities.  Mellenda still felt like she was dreaming when Jude handed her the key to their apartment and she unlocked the door. 

They decided on the furniture they needed.  There was a thrift store downtown that had used furniture.  Jude’s parents had promised to meet them after his dad was off of work.  They had insisted on paying for groceries.  Jude’s mom was meeting them earlier in the day since she was off of work.  Jude still wouldn’t tell Mellenda what he had insisted on speaking with his mom about privately.

They were able to find a bed, a dresser and a kitchen table and chairs.  A couple from the trailer park was giving them a worn but still usable couch.  Jude’s mom had already lined up a crib for them.  Everything was moving so fast that Mellenda felt like she was in the middle of a whirlwind.

Brendan helped them move their furniture into the apartment.  Jude had sold his truck to Shayla, so they packed everything into the back.  Shayla and Brendan both apologized profusely to Mellenda.  Mellenda accepted their apologies and actually found herself liking both of them. 

Jude left her with Shayla shopping for pots and pans and other household goods while he disappeared with his mom.  It seemed to Mellenda like he was going through his graduation money really quickly, but he assured her that their money situation was fine.  He had talked Seneca into giving him Molli and Ricky’s address and had paid her back the money that he had borrowed from her while they had been dating too.

By evening, Mellenda felt exhausted.  But their apartment was furnished.  Jude’s parents took them shopping for groceries, and then they all had pizza at the apartment, Brendan and Shayla included.  Brendan and Shayla were moving into their apartment the next week.

When everyone was gone, Mellenda admitted to herself that she needed to call her parents.  It wasn’t that late and she knew her parents were very likely still awake, so she curled up with Jude on their bed and dialed her parents’ home number.

Her mom answered on the second ring.  “Mellenda, is everything okay?”

Mellenda took a deep breath and then let it out.  “Yes Mom.  There’s something I need to tell you though.  Is Daddy home?”

“He’s in the other room honey.  Let me get him.”

Mrs. Brooks returned to the phone a few minutes later.  “You’ve got us both on speaker now Mellenda.  What is it?”

“I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?”  It came from her father.

“I’m pregnant Daddy.”

“I hope this is a joke Mellenda Jean, though it’s hardly funny.”

Mellenda felt tears sting her eyes.  Jude’s arms tightened around her.  “It’s not a joke.  We already moved in together.  You can meet Jude when you come down for my graduation.”

“I don’t know that we’ll be making the trip.  I cannot believe how different from your sister you’ve become.  First cheating and losing your scholarship and now this.” 

“Dad, how can you say that I’m so different from Adrina?  She was pregnant too and she wasn’t even living with her boyfriend.”

“Your sister was acting responsibly.  You haven’t been.” 

“You know what?  I don’t care anymore.  You can hate me if you want to, but it’s not going to change what I do.  I love Jude and he loves me.  We’re going to be together and we’re going to raise our baby.  You can be a part of it, or you can stay away.  I can’t let you make me feel as if you’d wished I’d died too.  Not anymore.  I’m not dead.  Adrina would never have wanted any of us to pretend that we were either.  You know that. Adrina was so beautiful and so smart and so good, but she’s gone now.  It really sucks, but I’m still here.  If you want to continue to ignore that, it’s fine.  But I’m not going to.”

There was silence on the other end of the phone for several minutes.  Then her mother spoke up.  “You’re throwing your life away Mellenda.”

“I’m not.  You don’t have to agree with my choices, but they’re not your choices to make.  I love you.  I have to go.”

Mellenda pushed end on her phone.  The tears came soon after.  Jude held her.  When she was finally satisfied that she was done, she gave him a grateful smile.  She got up and used the restroom and washed her hands and her face.  She realized that she didn’t care whether or not her parents came to her graduation.  She loved them, but she couldn’t let them make her miserable anymore.

She kissed Jude and they were soon making love.  Mellenda never wanted it to end.  She had never felt so loved, so wanted or so cared for in her life.

Chapter 14

When she woke up in his arms the next morning, she felt like the luckiest woman on the planet, even though it was to the blare of his alarm and he had to both deliver papers and work at the restaurant that day.

She went through the motions of her morning sickness and then she went with him on his route again.  The day passed quickly, even though she felt terribly silly because she missed him so much while he was at work.

She hung out with Shayla and they browsed baby clothes, though they bought little.  Shayla was pregnant too, and even though she admitted that she’d been with other men, she was positive that the baby was Brendan’s because she said she’d always been doubly careful when she was with someone else.  They were getting married later in the summer.

Mellenda felt a little strange to hear Shayla talk so openly about her unconventional relationship with Jude’s best friend.  But she figured she’d get used to it.  Shayla was blunt, but she was very smart and she was kind too, even though Mellenda was beginning to get the idea that Shayla was attracted to her.

On the day of her graduation, she skipped going with Jude when he delivered his papers.  She was nervous, terrified actually.  She was glad to be leaving Crestview Academy, and hoped never to set foot on the grounds after Jude had helped her retrieve her things after graduation, but it was just another reminder that her life was changing, that one part of it was ending and she was truly beginning anew.

She threw up right before they left, which didn’t help matters much.  But it wasn’t morning sickness.  She’d already gotten that out of the way when she’d woken up with Jude’s alarm.  It was nerves that made her sick.  Jude told her that she didn’t have to go at all, and she felt so silly that she smiled and told him that she just wanted to get it over with.

She could see him when she took her place on the stage next to the rest of the graduates.  He was sitting with his family, Brendan and Shayla.  Her parents were absent and her heart sank a little.  She looked out and saw Tony with what she figured to be his aunt and uncle and his cousin
Carl.  He was also sitting with a pretty woman that she was sure must be his mother.  A good looking but young guy had his arm draped across the back of Tony’s mom’s chair.  Mellenda hid a smile. 

Tony looked at her and gave her a subdued grin, shaking his head at his mother and what appeared to be her boyfriend, and then his eyes went back to Tory.  Mellenda studied Tory.  She looked beautiful and happier than Mellenda thought she’d ever seen her.  She felt a little stab of panic, wondering if Tory noticed Jude in the audience, but Tory only had eyes for Tony.

Mellenda listened with half an ear as first Mr. Luciano, and then Leslie gave their speeches.  Leslie stuttered through her speech and a few people laughed.  Leslie’s face was bright red.  Mellenda almost felt sorry for the girl.  The laughter died down when Beth shot the whole audience a look that could kill though.  Mellenda laughed quietly.

She accepted her diploma and then waited while the rest of the names of the graduates in her class were announced.  When it was over, she was so relieved she could hardly believe it.  She made her way over to Jude.  He took her into his arms and whispered into her ear.  “I love you.”

She pulled back slightly and smiled.  “I love you too.”

His mom looked like she’d been crying.  She felt another pang that her own parents were still nowhere to be found.  But the world suddenly stood still when Jude got down on one knee in front of her in the grass.  She felt her heart leap into her throat and she could hardly breathe.  He pulled a velvet covered box out of his pocket and cleared his throat. 

“Mellenda will you marry me?”

Mellenda licked her lips.  She couldn’t speak for a moment.  Jude gave her a look that held such panic that she laughed.  She took his hand and helped him up and smiled.  “Of course I’ll marry you you big dork.”

He let out a relieved laugh.  She held out her hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger.  It fit perfectly. 

“How did you know what size to buy?”

“The other day when Shayla asked you to try that ring on, she was really helping me figure out what size you wore.”  Jude grinned at his best friend’s fiancé.

Shayla laughed.  “Guilty as charged.”

“Well,” Mrs. Ashland said.  “We have a party to go to but I suppose you two had better go retrieve Mellenda’s things.  We’ll see you back at the house.”

“Thank you so much.”

Mrs. Ashland smiled. “There is no other girl in the world we’d rather have marry our son.  We’re so proud of you both.”

Mellenda felt tears prick her eyes.  “Thank you.”

“Welcome to the family honey.  We’re glad to have you.”  Mrs. Ashland gave Mellenda another smile.  Then she walked away with her family, Brendan and Shayla.

Jude put his arms around Mellenda.  “I’m the happiest guy in the world.  If you start crying now, I think I might cry too.  So please don’t cry baby.”

Mellenda smiled.  “I love you Jude.  I’ll try not to cry.  Let’s go get my stuff so that I never have to step foot in this place again.” 

They had started to walk away when a familiar voice called out “Mellenda.”

Mellenda turned to her mother.  Jude squeezed her hand but didn’t let go.  “Hi Mom.  Hi Dad.”

Her mother reached out to give her a hug.  “We’re so sorry that we missed seeing you get your diploma.  We ran into some problems with your present.”

“You didn’t have to get me a present Mom, but thank you.”

“Honey, this is a big day.  I know it didn’t turn out exactly the way you wanted it to, but it’s still a big deal.”  Mrs. Brooks turned to Jude.  “This must be your boyfriend.”

Mellenda cleared her throat.  “My fiancé actually.  Mom, Dad, this is Jude.”

Mrs. Brooks blinked.  “Fiancé.  Wow we really have been asleep haven’t we Dad?”  She turned to her husband.

He stuck his hand out to Jude.  “Nice to meet you son.  It’s good to know that you’re doing right by our little girl.  Mellenda, your grandma was sorry she couldn’t make it.  Your present from her and your aunt and uncle is in your glove box.”

“My glove box?”

Mr. Brooks smiled.  “I guess that there might be things you might need more now than a car, but you’re welcome to do with it as you please.”  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.  “It’s probably too sporty to be a family car.”

Mellenda hugged her father.  “Thank you so much.  Um, Jude’s parents are having a party if you want to come.  You can follow us, but we have to go get my stuff from my room.”

“That sounds wonderful.  We’ll see you in the parking lot then, unless you need help.”

“No thank you.  I don’t have much stuff.”

“Your laptop is in the trunk as well sweetheart.”

“Thank you.  We’ll be back in a few minutes.”  She gave her mom and then her dad a kiss on the cheek and then walked away with Jude, hand in hand.

The halls were filled with other girls who were retrieving their belongings.  She was glad that she didn’t live on the same floor as Tory.  She still wasn’t sure how Tory would feel about her being with Jude.  It was obvious she was happy with Tony, but Mellenda knew how much she had cared about Jude.

It didn’t take long to gather her things, since she had already packed most of it.  She hadn’t bothered to come back for anything once she had left with Jude.  She had bought new toiletries and a few new outfits.  She looked back and forth between her bed and Molli’s.

“Goodbye Crestview Academy.  I won’t miss you.  Molli, I hope you’re happy with Ricky.”

She took Jude’s hand and they left.  Her parents were waiting in the parking lot next to a shiny blue car.  It was sporty looking and Mellenda knew there was no way she could drive it for long.  She felt so much older than eighteen and wouldn’t get any enjoyment out of a fancy car when she knew that the money it was worth could be used for things that they needed much more.  She wasn’t sure how her parents would feel about the fact that she was going to sell it, even though they had said she could do what she wanted with it, but she was going to.

She gave both of her parents a hug after she had stowed her things in her trunk, and then gave Jude a quick kiss before he walked away to his car.  She pushed the button to open her door, but her mother stopped her.

“Mellenda, there is no way we could ever apologize enough for the way we’ve treated you these past few years.  It was so hard for us when Adrina died.  But we’re going to be better, try harder.  Your young man looks like he really cares about you and we will do anything that we can to help you.”

“Thank you.  I. . .”  Mellenda didn’t know what else to say, so instead she stepped into her mother’s embrace.  Her mother held her for a long time, and then she hugged her father again.

“I love you.  I guess we’d better get going.  I think you’ll like Jude’s parents.  They’re really nice. But um, they live in a trailer park.”

Mellenda’s mother nodded.  “Okay.”

Her father shrugged.  “Home is what you make of it.  We’ve been more fortunate than a lot of people honey.  But we need to start putting our lives back together.  When you first told us you were pregnant, we thought that you had broken the last piece of our already fragile hearts, but then we realized that we would have broken your sister’s heart if we had turned our backs on you.  Congratulations sweetheart.”

“Thank you Daddy.”

She got into her car, and her parents got into her Dad’s car.  Her car ran so smoothly that she knew she was going to have to drive it at least a little before she got rid of it.  She knew that Jude would talk her into letting him drive it too.

The party was nice and her parents got along well with Jude’s parents.  Between what she figured she could make when she sold her car, and what her grandma and her aunt and uncle had given her, she was sure that she and Jude would be fine and be able to buy the things that they needed for the baby.

Mellenda and Jude were married at the end of August in a double ceremony with Shayla and Brendan.  Mellenda’s parents came, as did her grandma and her aunt and uncle.  Her mother cried.  She even saw her dad drop a few tears, but Jude’s dad was openly crying right along with his mom so no one cared.  Marissa and Joelle shared the honor of being the flower girls and Jacob was a somewhat uncomfortable ring bearer.  He had invited his girlfriend.  She was a very quiet girl, but seemed to adore Jacob.

Constantine Aziah Ashland was born healthy and was much adored by all four of his grandparents.  Mellenda’s parents had sold most of the stockpile of useless clutter they had picked up over the years and were thinking about selling their house to make a further dent in their debts.

Mellenda and Jude both ended up attending the university.  Jude was working on a degree in business management and Mellenda was going to be a counselor.  Their marriage was very happy.  Mellenda believed that it would truly remain to be a ‘til death do us part union.  And she knew that whether little Connie grew up in a mansion or a trailer park, he was going to grow up happy.