Sweet on You (The Wilde Sisters #1) (15 page)

Rayne would make sure her child never went a moment without feeling cared for and appreciated. She dressed for her doctor’s appointment and sent her sisters a text reminder. Their supporting, loving embraces greeted her in the waiting room an hour later.

“Nervous?”

“A little.” Rayne patted her slightly rounded belly. After she checked in, they found three chairs next to each other and thumbed through magazines, distracting Rayne with idle gossip from Hollywood.

“They say Jennifer Aniston is pregnant.”

“She’s been pregnant for the past ten years. Leave the woman alone. Not everyone wants to have kids, Thyme.”

“Just because you’re selfish and don’t want to share your life with anyone doesn’t mean—”

“Enough.” Rayne adored her sisters but their opposing views on…everything…drove her nuts.

“I still can’t believe you’re four months pregnant. My belly is bigger than yours.” Thyme crossed her arms over her stomach. She’d always been self-conscious of her curves.

“Oh, stop. You’re just looking for attention,” Sage scoffed.

“You’re just jealous because I have bigger boobs than you.”

“You have bigger boobs than everyone.”

“Girls. Seriously.” Rayne tossed the magazine she hadn’t been reading on the table and glanced around the waiting room. Women in various stages of their pregnancies waited for their appointments. The woman across from her, looking ready to burst, leaned her head on her husband’s shoulder as he rubbed her belly. Rayne imagined Trent by her side, not that she wasn’t grateful for her sisters’ support, whispering words of encouragement in her ear. Where would he be while she was in labor, bringing their child into the world? Out with another woman? In bed with another woman?

Rayne cringed.

“Hey, you okay? You said this was a quick check-up. We get to see how much you weigh, hear the heartbeat, and we’re out of here, right?” Sage asked as she scrolled through her emails on her iPad.

“Yeah. I’m fine. Just excited. When I heard her heartbeat last month it made it so…real.”

“Her, huh?” Thyme asked.

“Him. Definitely a boy,” Sage confirmed.

“I thought boy last week, but when I felt her move yesterday it seemed so sweet. Must be a girl.” Rayne sighed and imagined a little girl with arresting green eyes like her father.

“Rayne?” a nurse called out.

“Oh! That’s you!” Thyme jumped up.

“Easy, Tiger. It’s not like she won a prize,” Sage said.

Rayne wanted to correct her. This little baby was the biggest prize of her life.

“Hi, Rayne. I’m Jo. I’m just filling in for a bit. Dr. Hallowell’s nurse was in a car accident last week and she was already short-handed, so a few nurses from Dr. Carey’s office are filling in. I’m actually heading out, but another nurse will take care of you once I take your vitals.”

Nurse Jo led the three sisters into a small room, checked Rayne’s blood pressure, and pricked her finger to check her iron. “Looks good. Sit tight. I’ll get the nurse who will go over your prenatal care with you.” Nurse Jo left the cramped space.

Sage picked up a small model of a pregnant woman. “Wow. Look at her bladder.”

“I’m already making a dozen trips to the bathroom. Can’t wait to be in there every ten minutes.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I—Rayne?”

“Claire?” Rayne jumped up. “Hi.”

“You are…you’re pregnant?”

“Isn’t that why most women come here?” Sage drawled.

“Actually, no. This is a women’s clinic, so patients are often pregnant, but they also do annual exams, mammograms—”

“Okay, we don’t need the lecture.”

“Sage!” Embarrassed by her sarcasm, Rayne tried to alleviate the tension. “She’s just nervous being in such tight quarters.”

“That’s okay. I, uh, I didn’t know.”

“Wait a minute. So you girls know each other?” Sage asked.

“Yes. This is Claire. Claire Smart. She’s…”

“Trent’s sister,” Thyme whispered from the corner.

“And the rat bastard didn’t tell you he got my sister pregnant?”

“Sage!”

“That’s okay, Rayne. She’s right. He is a rat bastard for not telling me and for not being here for you. No offense. I take it you’re Rayne’s sisters?”

“The rude one is my older sister Sage. And this is Thyme.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Claire said, trying to bring some semblance of normal back to the room.

“Apparently you haven’t heard much about Rayne,” Sage mumbled.

“Girls, can you give me a few minutes alone with your sister, please?”

They referred to Rayne, who nodded.

“Okay. We’ll be right outside. Don’t be long. I want to hear my nephew’s heartbeat.”

When Sage and Thyme left, Claire closed the door and wrapped Rayne in a warm hug. “I am so sorry for my brother. I don’t know what happened. All I know is he took off suddenly for California and told Brian and me we could look for him on the Cooking Network. He hasn’t returned any of Brian’s calls or texts. Brian figured you two had a fight, but he made me promise not to meddle. I tried calling a few times…”

Rayne slid from their embrace and wrapped her arms around her body. “I’m sorry I never returned your calls. I just needed to…distance myself. It hurt too much to talk to you since you’re…”

“I understand, Rayne. I don’t take it personally and I won’t push you for details, but if you ever need to talk, need a friend, call me. Forget I’m Trent’s sister, okay? Besides—” she rubbed Rayne’s belly “—that’s my little niece or nephew you’ve got in there. Faith will want to play with her cousin.”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Trent made it very clear that he doesn’t want this baby. I won’t let my child feel his hatred—”

“Whatever Trent said, he doesn’t hate this baby. You’ve seen how he is around Faith. He’ll make an excellent father.”

“He doesn’t want to be a father.”

“He may not, but he is. Okay, enough of that. Let’s finish you up and get you in to Dr. Hallowell. I want to hear this little heartbeat as well.”

Chapter Thirteen

Trent

Knowing his sister wouldn’t pester him
this
much unless something was wrong, Trent answered his phone. “This is the tenth time you called today. Is Faith okay?”

“You got Rayne pregnant and completely abandoned her?” Claire yelled through the phone. So much for keeping that one a secret. He already felt like an ass; he didn’t need anyone else to confirm it.

“Leave it alone, sis.”

“I will not!”

“Yes, you will.” He yanked open the fridge and pulled out two bottles of beer. Rummaging through the junk drawer, he finally found the bottle opener, ripped open one of bottles, and chugged until it was gone. Letting out a loud belch, he uncapped the second bottle and walked into his living room.

“The caveman act won’t scare me away. I’ve seen and heard far worse.”

Yeah, from their father. History repeating itself. First Michael Kipson drowns his sorrows in a bottle of beer, and now his son.

“You’re pathetic.”

“So leave me alone.”

“No. Why didn’t you tell me Rayne was pregnant?”

Trent shrugged. “It’s none of your business.”

“That baby is Faith’s cousin. My nephew or niece.”

“Who said I was the father?”

That shut her up for a good minute. “No, I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Really? ‘Cause your silence spoke a lot.”

“My silence says I don’t believe it. Rayne loved you. Loves you. I can see it in her eyes.”

“You talked to her?” Careful not to seem too eager, he crossed his foot onto his knee and reclined in his La-Z-Boy.

“Yes. And the baby is yours.”

He knew that. He never doubted it but couldn’t control the garbage that came out of his mouth that night or the lies running through his head for the following days. Weeks. Trent figured Rayne would have called, tried to convince him of that love and marriage crap. But she didn’t.

“I’m helping out at Southern Maine Women’s Clinic in South Portland. I’ve been on a waiting list to move over to that facility. There was a temporary opening. It means steady hours for the next few months, which is perfect timing with the holidays coming up. I won’t have to work on Thanksgiving or Christmas. And speaking of holidays—”

“No.”

“I haven’t even said anything yet.”

“Doesn’t matter anyway. I’m not coming home.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. You’re coming to our house for Thanksgiving next week.”

“I’m busy.”

“Faith will miss you. It’s her first Thanksgiving.”

“Faith doesn’t care what day it is and neither do I.”

“You know what, I don’t blame her. I don’t want my child to be forced to spend time with someone who doesn’t love her either. It’s no wonder why Rayne doesn’t want you near her child.”

It wasn’t until his sister hung up on him that Trent finally let out the breath he’d been holding.
Rayne doesn’t want you near her child.
So she did think of him as some monster, just like Michael Kipson. Damn history. Damn genes.

Claire was right. Faith shouldn’t be exposed to an ass of an uncle and neither should Trent’s child. He had two options. Stay away from the people he cared about or change his freakin’ attitude.

***

Rayne

For the past five years Thanksgivings were spent at Rayne’s apartment. As soon as Thyme turned eighteen, Suzie and Neil Wilde began traveling during the cold New England months, leaving their daughters to fend for themselves. Rayne didn’t mind. She liked the intimate dinner feast she and her sisters collaborated to prepare.

There had been other dinner guests too. Sage never brought boyfriends, but Thyme usually did—no one serious, but whomever she was dating at the time. Ironically, Rayne never had a boyfriend come to Thanksgiving dinner. Her brief engagements were in the spring and over before the end of the summer. Typical summer romance. That was Rayne.

This year it would only be the three of them, but next year they’d have a little one at the table. Rayne thought of adorable Faith enjoying her first Thanksgiving. Claire invited her to Brian’s family’s house but she respectfully declined, even after hearing Trent wouldn’t be there.

Faith and the Wilde child in Rayne’s belly would be a little more than a year apart. Already Claire was planning play dates. Rayne accepted recent invites to lunch with Claire and Faith and discovered how much she missed the two. Learning Trent had moved across the country without a simple goodbye hurt as much as him denouncing his parentage of the child.

When the Thanksgiving dinner had been eaten, Sage and Thyme told Rayne to sit and put her feet up while they did the dishes. Rayne smiled as she listened to her sisters argue in the kitchen. Placing a hand on her belly, she felt her wild one kick and shuffle around. She’d definitely make a great Zumba dancer, Rayne thought with a laugh.

Peace and serenity. She’d finally gotten there. She didn’t need a man in her life to make her happy or complete and neither did her baby. Rayne had enough love in her to make up for an absent father and two negligent grandparents. Her child would never go without and never, ever feel the emptiness that Trent, Rayne, and her sisters felt growing up.

***

Trent

Trent pulled out his cell phone and texted his sister.

Trent: In parking lot Where r u

He drummed his fingers on his steering wheel while he waited for his sister to leave for her lunch break.

Claire: Running late. Come inside. I’ll meet you in the second floor waiting room.

It was just like his sister to spell, capitalize, and punctuate her texts correctly. Shutting off his engine, he got out of his rental and made his way into the medical building. Not bothering to read the signs to the different offices, he took the stairs two at a time to the second floor. It smelled faintly of flowers, which was better than the stale, sterile scent of the hospital where she usually worked, and was decorated with light pink walls, plants, and feminine prints. He smiled at the receptionist.

“I’m looking for my sister, Claire Smart.”

“Yes, she said to have a seat in the waiting area.” The receptionist pointed toward an open space. Trent thanked her and started heading toward an empty chair when he heard a familiar voice.

“Well, that sucks.”

“Sage,” Rayne reprimanded.

“I’m sorry, Miss Wilde. Only one guest is allowed in during the exam,” a nurse said, looking from Sage to Thyme.

Trent’s breath caught in his throat. He could pick Rayne’s butt out of any line-up. Her jeans molded to her rounded globes. She turned to talk to Sage and his head spun. Her long-sleeved shirt clung to her body, accentuating her curves. Her breasts were larger, as was her belly. Just a slight bump to it, nothing like the flat, smooth stomach that he licked chocolate sauce off a few months ago. His groin swelled and his jeans grew tight. He knew her body better than his own. Knew being the operative word. Not anymore.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I could only bring one person in with me. Can you give me a minute?”

The nurse nodded. “Sure. Let me process some paperwork. I’ll be right back.”

“I’m the oldest. I should go.”

“No fair. I’ll probably be the next one to have a baby, so I should go.”

“Thyme? Is there something you need to tell us?” Rayne asked.

“No. I’m not pregnant, but we know Sage never will be.”

“Easy, brat. I could—”

His brain shut down and his legs took over. Trent walked over to the trio and said, “I’m going.” The girls stopped squabbling.

“Well, I’ll be dammed. Look who’s risen from the dead.” Sage put a protective arm around her sister.

Rayne crossed her arms under her breasts, which only accentuated their fullness. He lifted his gaze back to the pools of chocolate.

“You weren’t invited to this party, bud,” the sassy sister said.

“Miss Wilde. I’m ready for you. I can’t wait any longer or it will cut into the next patient’s slot.”

“He should go,” Thyme said. God bless the youngest sister.

“I don’t think she wants him to go,” Sage bickered.

“He’s the father.”

“That’s not what he said.”

Great, so Rayne told them everything.

Rayne stayed conspicuously quiet while her sisters argued around her, her eyes changing from round and shocked to small and distant.

“Miss Wilde?” the nurse prompted again.

Despair filled her face, her eyes and mouth turning downward in defeat. “He can come,” she whispered and turned to follow the nurse.

Instead of feeling like the victor, he felt like a fool. She didn’t want him in there. He didn’t need to be there. Hell, he didn’t even know where
there
was, but he followed Rayne down the hall, ignoring her sister’s warning, “Don’t you dare hurt her.”

Once in the dimly lit room, the nurse asked Rayne to hop on the table and pull her pants down under her belly. She sheepishly peered over at Trent and then turned her head, ignoring him once again. The nurse squirted some gook all over her belly and glided an instrument around.

“First, I need to take some measurements, check out the heart and lungs, and then we can play around.” The room was quiet as she pressed some keys on the keyboard attached to the wand and pointed out various body parts on the screen. “See the four chambers? That’s the heart. Nice and strong and steady.”

Trent didn’t know where to look. At Rayne’s smooth, slightly rounded belly, completely unfamiliar to him, or at the screen where the nurse pointed. At first the blob on the black and white screen didn’t look like anything, but as his eyes became familiar with the tiny object, he started to make out the head and arms and legs. And a foot. Trent smiled. And a hand. Five tiny fingers stretched. He did that. He and Rayne made that little ball of bones and fingers that would soon be a baby.

“Oh.” Rayne flinched.

“Are you hurt?” Trent jumped to her side and the nurse laughed.

“Saw that. This baby’s an active one. Just gave you a one-two punch.”

“Yeah. I call it my Wilde child.”

Trent almost laughed but stopped himself.

“Would you like to know the baby’s sex?”

“No.”

“Yes.”

Rayne turned and glared at him. “No.”

He stared at her, soaking in her radiant skin. God, he missed her. Missed her hair that always made its way to his pillow, causing him to sneeze. Missed her laugh; the way she challenged him and kept him on his toes. But that wasn’t the woman who lay before him. She was gone, replaced by this serious, pregnant woman. He hurt her. He was the one who changed her.

“Okay. Whatever you say. We’ll wait until the baby is born.”

Rayne didn’t comment on his use of “we.” It was out before he could think of the consequences. This meant he was sticking around. He was going to be a father.

***

Rayne

Seeing Trent in the waiting room knocked the wind right out of her already squished diaphragm. She couldn’t form a cohesive thought. Part of her itched to jump into his arms but most of her was wary of him. How did he know she had an ultrasound scheduled?

Claire. Rayne would see her after the ultrasound and give her a piece of her mind. How dare she betray Rayne like this?

Or did she do Rayne a favor? It was hard to tell if the flutter in her belly was the baby or her anxiety at seeing Trent after two months. Rayne figured he’d be tanned, the California sun bringing out blond highlights in his hair. Instead he looked like he’d lost some weight, the scruff on his face making him appear worn out instead of tough. She couldn’t look at his emerald eyes without remembering their frantic lovemaking in the woods. So consumed in each other that they forgot to use protection. His accusation still stung and she’d never forgive him for the way he treated her, thinking she trapped him into getting her pregnant.

Oh, the nerve. The moment of weakness passed quickly, hurt and anger consuming her once again.

The nurse wiped the gel from her belly. “Okay, Miss Wilde. I’m done on this end. You can have a seat in the waiting room and a nurse will be with you shortly. You can keep these.” She handed Rayne four pictures of her baby. The first was a headshot, the second showed most of the head and torso, the third was an adorable little foot, and the fourth was a hand, as if waving to its mama.

“Thank you. I’ll cherish them forever.” Rayne studied each picture over and over as she walked back to the waiting room.