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I grab River’s hand under the table and interlock my fingers with hers. “Well, turns out you’re going to be grandparents to another little bundle.”
Mama glares at me. Dad’s face stays exactly the same, no reaction surfacing. The silence seems to drown on.
“How did this happen?” Mama asks, looking back and forth between River and me. I can almost taste the venom in her words even though she tries to cover her disdain with a smile.
“Well, it’s kind of a long story. We met in Key West when Dylan and I went last October.” I don’t want to go into details about our relationship and our vacation hookup agreement. Mama would never approve of my past lifestyle, which is why she isn’t privy to that type of information.
“Well, son, I have to say I’m quite shocked right now. I feel blindsided by this whole situation,” Mama says to River and me. And I understand. It’s a lot to take in. I’m not a child, but Mama has always had high traditional expectations.
“What does this all mean, exactly?” Dad asks.
“I guess it means I’m gonna be a father,” I reply.
Dad chuckles softly. “You two raisin’ the baby together?”
“Yes, sir.”
Mama sets her spoon down in her bowl and pushes it away. After wiping her mouth with the napkin from her lap then setting it on the table, I get the hint that lunch is over. Maybe bringing River here and dropping the bomb this way wasn’t the smartest idea. Maybe I should’ve told Mama alone so I could get her real reaction, and we could talk it through. The whole situation backfired, and I can sense how uneasy River is by the tightness of her grip. Before getting up to leave, I thank Mama for lunch and tell Dad I’ll be back to work after dropping River off at the B&B.
As I go to walk out, Mama calls me back. I place a hand on River’s shoulder and tell her I’ll meet her outside.
“If you weren’t a grown man, I’d slap you right now,” Mama says with her arms crossed over her chest. Fuck, I haven’t seen her this pissed since she caught me stealing the tractor for a joyride when I was ten years old.
“What’s your problem? You always said you wanted grandkids. Now you’re going to have one close to you, and you’re being rude. You didn’t treat Courtney this way with her big announcement,” I tell her and instantly feel terrible for playing the comparison game.
“Your situation and Courtney’s are completely different. Courtney is married and settled. You, on the other hand, decided to knock up a stranger and bring her here, then expect me to welcome the news with open arms. Maybe you should’ve thought this through. Are you sure it’s even yours?”
“Mom!” I scold her quick judgment.
“I’m sorry, but this is going to take me a while to process. Where does she live? Is she moving here? It’s obvious the poor girl doesn’t know anything about our lifestyle and has a lot of learnin’ to do. And that’s gonna need to change real quick. You know my motto, son: can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.”
Good lord. If this is how fast she’s blurting words out, I can’t imagine how fast her mind is racing.
“Well first, yes, River is moving here from Wisconsin because I want to take responsibility for my baby, and we’re going to be together. I know this is out of your traditional values, but what’s done is done. You can be on board with it or not, but this is happening, and there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it but accept it.” I search her face before I walk away, but I don’t wait for her response because I’m pissed, and she knows it.
Before I walk outside, I put on a fake smile because I don’t want River to be upset. We climb inside the side by side and drive across the pasture.
“She doesn’t like me,” River says on the way back to the B&B.
“She doesn’t know you. I’m sure she’ll fall in love with you. I have no doubts about it. Just gotta give each other a chance,” I say confidently, and I truly believe that. It’s just going to take a little adjusting for everyone. “Mama will come around.”
“I hope so.” She bows her head, chewing on her bottom lip.
I drive us around to the back and pull the side by side in the barn at the B&B. We sit in silence for a moment before I turn and look at her. “I’m sorry for that. I truly expected a different reaction from them both.”
Sweetly, she places her hand on top of mine. “It’s okay. I honestly didn’t know we were telling them about the baby right away. I thought maybe I’d meet them first, and then you’d mention it later when I wasn’t around to feel their wrath.” She falls silent.
