“And you just packed a bag and left?” Lexi asks in awe, which makes me laugh, considering she did the same thing a few years back, hiding out at the clubhouse after things with her and Pierce went sideways.
“Seems we have the same stress response.”
“You know he’s going to come looking for you, right?” Harlow states the obvious.
The front door takes that opportune moment to open, and all of us jump in unison, our gazes fixed on the living room opening, waiting on bated breath. Pierce pops around the corner and stops in his tracks, eyes finding Lexi immediately.
“Is everything okay?” He panics, dropping the groceries to the floor with a crash as he sprints to be at his wife’s side.
“I’m fine, Jesus. I told you nothing interesting would happen while you were gone.” Her eyes find mine over his shoulder, and I shake my head, silently pleading with her to keep the situation to herself.
It’s not fair, and it won’t work. The moment Vik shows up here, beating down their front door, Pierce is going to know something’s up, but maybe my husband will be rational for once and give me the space that I need.
“Josie brought Haley over to play with Sienna, and they’re going to stay for dinner. She offered to keep Sienna if I go into labor.”
“I thought she was staying with Harlow and Si.”
“Oh well…” Lexi takes a second. I can see she’s struggling with the whole lying-to-his-face thing.
“I just wanted to give you guys options. Plus, with the girls’ schools being so close together, it makes sense if it’s during the week.”
“Right.” Pierce drawls, dropping a kiss to his wife’s cheeks, before retreating back to pick up the groceries from the floor. “I don’t know what you three are up to, but it better not put any more stress on my wife, or I’m kicking you out,” he calls, heading for the kitchen.
“Ignore him, I do most of the time. He’s overbearing on the best days, but me pregnant, especially when this little guy could be here any minute, it’s almost stifling.” She sighs, sinking back into the couch. “You know you’re more than welcome to stay as long as you need, both of you.”
“Thank you. I just need a little time to wrap my head around everything and figure out how the man who has always been my rock, who didn’t blink twice when I told him I was pregnant with Haley, and has been the most amazing father since the day she was born, is the same man who never even thought to confirm if he did or didn’t have another kid out there. Or even mention the possibility to me. He just let it blind side us both.”
Lexi nods emphatically, but Harlow sucks her lips like she just popped a warhead.
“What? Just say it.”
“I mean, from what you said about her, can you really blame him for thinking she was probably fucking crazy and moving on with his life. He was what, twenty-six? I swear, men are idiots until they’re at least in their mid-thirties. By then, he was chasing after you. I’m not saying you have to forgive him right away. If anything, I think you should make him sweat a little. It’s good for their egos. But at the end of the day, are you really willing to let that dumb bitch get one last punch in from the grave?”
“Since when did you become the levelheaded one?”
“Well, you’re a little preoccupied, and she’s full of babyhormones, so someone’s gotta do it.” She shrugs. “Anyway, I should probably head out. I think I need to have a conversation with my husband. Make sure we don’t run into something like this in the future.”
Lo leaves in a flash, but her voice of reason repeats on a loop, while Lexi and I relax on the couch, watching some reality TV show about a group of internet-famous moms from Utah. Pierce serves us dinner and makes sure the girls are fed, and by the time the sun’s set and I’ve gotten Haley tucked away for the night, I turn my phone on for the first time since I left the house.
Twenty-seven missed calls.
Fifteen voicemails.
Eight texts.
All point to one very pissed-off husband.
A MIDDLE GROUND
VIKING
Driving around aimlessly tryingto find my long-lost kid is not how I expected to spend my evening. The sun beats against my truck, testing the old ranger’s AC.
I check the bus stop not far from Josie’s salon, circling the block twice just in case he clocked me pulling up the first time. There’s nothing but an old man smoking and a couple of empty soda cans rattling along the pavement.
I drive the county road that cuts out of town. The one people take when they’ve got nowhere to be and too much shit on their mind. Uneven pavement tilts under my tires while the fields stretch out on either side, barren this time of year after the last summer harvest. I keep my eyes peeled along the shoulder in case he’s decided to hoof it out of here on foot. The thought of him wandering these roads alone twists something deep in my gut that I don’t quite know what to do with.
It’s Caroline’s diner that I finally find the little shit holed up in.
