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Prologue
Carly
I pace nervously across my bedroom floor, chewing my nails as I whisper a silent prayer. “Lord, please…” I choke on a sob and cup my mouth as my chest rattles with unwavering fear. “I’m not ready for a baby. I’m only seventeen.” I swipe at tears that flow relentlessly down my cheek. “My daddy is going to be so disappointed, and Colton is gonna be pissed! What should I do?”
How the hell do I tell them I’m pregnant? Colton made it clear he was done with our relationship, done with me. After three years, he finally pushed me away and walked out of my life. I don’t understand why, and right now there’s too much to process to even bother.
“This can’t be happening!” I yell in a fit of rage. The egg timer dings, interrupting my hormonal fit. I still, too scared to approach my pending destiny. Suck it up, Carly, waitin’ ain’t gonna change the results!
I walk into the bathroom and grab the stick from the sink and quickly glance at the result. I brace myself as my knees buckle, and I slowly slide down the wall. I’m pregnant! A tumultuous wave of nausea quivers in my stomach, and I crawl to the toilet to expel my breakfast. Fear creeps over my body as I sit back and hug my knees to my chest, calming my quivering breath. I stand to flush, then wash my hands. As I'm brushing my teeth, I can’t help but giggle to myself. There go my dreams, right down the toilet along with breakfast... Ironic, huh?
I fight back the jumbled thoughts crawling through my mind and decide this is too big of a situation to handle on my own. Who do I turn to? My momma is in Florida; I only see her at holidays, and we aren’t exactly close like mother and daughter should be.
Savannah, my older sister, is away at college. Colton doesn’t want me. Daddy. Dread blankets me as I realize I need to be honest and tell Daddy my dilemma. This situation is more than I can handle on my own, and at the risk of putting myself in the war path of his anger, I need his support right now.
Daddy is at the mines, as usual, and this isn’t a conversation to have with anyone over the phone. I hope I don’t run into Colton there. Stupid, stupid, stupid, Carly!!!
I slide on my flip flops, grab my keys, and I’m out the door. It’s a beautiful late spring day. The trees are in full bloom, and the air is crisp and fresh. It’s only a twenty-minute drive to the mines, but it feels like it takes forever. My brain is running on all gears, thoughts flying everywhere. I crank up the stereo to drown it all out. Each word of the depressing love song strikes at my heart, lashing the wounds of mine and Colton’s break-up deeper.
“You deserve better than me,” or so Colton said. I don’t even understand how that’s possible when he’s all I’ve ever known.
Finally, I approach the guard gate, and Tony waves me through without question. I park beside Daddy’s coal-covered Silverado 2500 HD and make my way to the office. This place reeks of coal and sulfur. Daddy could have a twenty-four hour cleaning staff, and the office would still be covered in soot and smell. But the mines are his life. I always wonder why he insists on having his office on-site. He’s the frickin’ owner; shouldn’t he have someone running this hellhole for him or, at least, have a clean office in town? Nope, not Daddy; the mines are his babies. He prefers to oversee all the day-to-day operations himself. He’d never trust anyone else.
“Well hey, Carly Jo!” Shelly, Daddy’s receptionist, greets me as I enter the lobby.
“Hey, Shelly. Daddy in?”
She cocks her brow in curiosity. “He’s actually in a meeting right now, doll. Just have a seat and chat me up a bit. I’m sure he won’t be too long.” My lungs deflate, and my shoulders fall as the air leaves my chest. Shelly chatters up a spell, but I don’t hear the words; I’m too deep in my head. Seventeen and pregnant… Yep, this spoiled brat has really screwed up. I chew away at my nails and drum my foot against the floor, and Shelly pauses mid-sentence as she senses my irritation.
“Anything I can help ya with, Carly? You look a little flustered.” Her comment causes me to still, and I give her a deadpan stare.
“No, I’m fine, Shelly. Thanks. I just need to talk to my daddy.” I continue my beat against the floor, and she takes that as her cue to leave me to my thoughts.
I hear a loud chuckle as Daddy’s office door swings open wide. Out walks Daddy and a tall man in a mining stripes. Hmm, don’t recognize him, and I know most of the miners here. He nods and smiles as he walks past me, carrying a thick gold envelope. His uniform tag reads MSHA on the left pocket. Mine Safety and Health Administration. Of course, Daddy is paying off yet another inspector. Hell, if he didn’t, the mines would’ve been closed years ago.
‘Ya gotta spend money to make money, princess,’ Daddy’s comment from so many times before races through my mind. The man is never tight or cheap on the wallet; that’s for sure.
“Princess, what are you doin’ here?” Daddy wraps me against his broad, solid chest, and closes his arms around me in a bear hug.
“Just needed to see my old man, maybe catch your infinite wisdom. Got a minute for your favorite gal?” I ask sweetly. His beard-covered cheek crooks up in a half-smile, as he ushers me into his office.
“Hold my calls, Shelly,” he hollers over his shoulder as he closes the door. Daddy takes his seat behind the desk and motions for me to sit. He caresses the black as coal mustache between his thumb and forefinger as he regards me, his hazel eyes narrowing into thin slits.
“Alright, princess, what’s goin’ on? You never come to the mines, so don’t pull this wantin’ to see your daddy bullshit on me,” Daddy says, his tan face holding a stern glare as he appraises my nervous demeanor. He read right through me; should’ve known. My face burns hot, and anxiety creeps through my chest; the heavy thud of my heart pounds against my rib cage. If I don’t spit it out now, I may never be brave enough to utter the truth. Taking a deep breath, I spill my confession.
“I-I’m pregnant.” I look up at him to gauge his expression, but it’s blank.“I woke up nauseous and just felt different. I can’t really explain it. Then I realized I’d missed my period, and even though we were always careful, I just knew… I knew it deep in my soul, although I prayed a million prayers that it wasn’t my reality. I haven’t even told Colton yet. Hell, he doesn’t even want me anymore, and I don’t know what to do! What about college? What about law school? I’m only seventeen; I can’t raise a baby! Hell, I never even had a mom growing up! I’ve never changed a diaper, made a bottle, swaddled a baby... Oh my god, they smell! They poop, pee, cry all the time!” Yep, I literally flip my shit.
I look up to see Daddy’s face is hard and beet red. I’ve rendered him speechless. Daddy leans back further in his chair and swings his feet up on the desk, all the while, he continues to rub the tip of his mustache between his thumb and index finger. Dear God … the silence is suffering in itself. Daddy’s brows furrow deep into the bridge of his nose, and he sighs in frustration, disappointment … anger. “Well, little girl, what are you gonna do?” he asks, his voice rumbling with the barely contained thunder.
“I-I don’t know…” I stammer, nervously pinching the tips of my fingers.
“You don’t know?” he retorts. He kicks his heavy boots to the floor and stands, palming the desk as he leans across and levels me with a penetrating glare of hardened blue eyes. “I swear to God if you ain’t just royally screwed the hell up! Life as you know it is over, little girl. And be damned sure I ain’t about to raise your damn kid so you can go traipsin’ off livin’ the college life,” he growls at me, his eyes fierce slits.
“You best forget college; that dream is gone. There’s no way you’ll get in on that cheer scholarship now. Not totin’ a damn kid around on your hip. You better get this figured out, little girl.”
“Figured out? Daddy, why do you think I came to you? I don't know what I'm supposed to do!”
He waves a dismissive hand in my direction, cutting me off. “You’re all on your own,” he barks. “And I swear to God when I see that friggin’ son of a bitch Colton, I’m gonna have his balls in a damn vice grip! No damn miner of mine is good enough for my little girl to begin with! I told you he wasn’t good enough for you years ago!” Daddy scrubs his hands over his face angrily. “I swear, you’re just like your damn mother. That woman would’ve been the death of me if she hadn’t left, but no…” He gathers a heavy breath and expels it in a thunderous roar, “You, you will be the cause of my demise. Ruining my reputation by makin’ me a damn papaw. Did you even think how this is gonna make me look to the public, to the media? I can see it in the headlines now, ‘Coal giant’s a papaw to a bastard child’!” He adds the air quotes for sarcasm.
