Not Quite Forever (Not Quite #4)(50)
Author: Catherine Bybee

Mr. Laurens stepped closer, lowered his voice. “What do you think I want to hear? What will you say to the man, who is not your son-in-law, when you learn your child is pregnant?”

Even though Dakota’s father was several inches shorter than him, Walt was happy the man wasn’t in his twenties.

“Marriage doesn’t scare me . . . but divorce does. I won’t do that to your daughter or our child. So when we decide it’s time for that step, you’ll be one of the first to know.”

Mr. Laurens rocked back on his heels, shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think I’ll take that drink now.”

“Not now, Mom.” Morning sickness and her mother. Dakota groaned as she sat on the edge of the bathtub, her head in her hands.

What was I thinking running home?

Three seconds of compassion filled her mother’s face before she crossed to the sink and ran cold water over a washcloth. “Guess who I just got off the phone with?”

“I couldn’t tell you.” And right now I don’t care.

“Mrs. Pinkerton.”

“Louise’s mother?”

“Yes, Louise. Why did you feel it necessary to tell your friends about your indiscretion before you bothered to tell us?”

My indiscretion? She let her mother’s words go . . . for the moment, and focused on the question. “I didn’t. Other than Walt and Mary, you guys are the only ones who know.”

Elaine squeezed water out of the washcloth and held it over Dakota’s forehead. The cool relief helped pull her focus off her grumbling stomach. “Teri Pinkerton knows plenty. And if I know her mouth, half of this town will know by noon.”

Dakota regarded her mother with one eye, the other remained under the cloth in silent darkness. “Louise knows nothing.”

“Then she guessed. Oh, Dakota, this is awful.”

She hid her other eye, found a quiet place in her brain, and tried like hell to stay there.

“I’m not the first pregnant twenty-eight-year-old, Mom.”

“You’re not married!”

“Thanks for your support.”

“I’m serious, Dakota. I live in this town, shop here, go to church with Teri Pinkerton and all her friends.”

“Why do you care a rat’s ass what those women think?”

Elaine started to pace the small footprint of the bathroom.

“Holding your head high is hard when people are talking behind your back.”

The motion in her stomach let up and drove Dakota from the bathroom. She found her bed and pulled the covers over her crossed legs. Once again, she’d lied to herself, made herself believe her mom would be less judgmental about the situation simply because she wasn’t a kid. How short-sighted of her. “Let it go.”

“I can’t. You know that’s not the way it works here. What am I going to tell my friends when they start calling?”

“Tell them I’m a slut.” Just go away.

“Dakota!”

“Tell them whatever you want.” Dakota met her mom’s eyes. “And while you’re telling them whatever you want them to hear, make sure to keep your chin high. Just make sure it’s a chin and not a nose, Mom. Every woman in your friendship pool has had sex and I sincerely doubt they hit their marital bed a virgin.”

With pinched lips, Elaine shot daggers with her eyes. “I didn’t think you were a virgin. But you could have been more careful.”

The room shot up ten degrees, or maybe it was her. Dakota tossed off the covers. “I think I overestimated you. I didn’t expect you to be happy about this, but I didn’t see you chastising me like I’m sixteen.”

“What did you expect? Did you think your father and I would be pleased to find you entering parenthood single and struggling?”

“I’m not struggling,” Dakota all but yelled.

“You ran home.”

“My mistake. I thought I could turn to my parents to offer some emotional support. I’m supposed to lower my stress level, have people around me.” She pushed off the bed, moved back into the bathroom, and mumbled, “I should have just hired a live-in nurse.”

Elaine blinked several times, followed her. “Live-in nurse? What are you talking about? Pregnancy doesn’t require professional care day and night.”

“My blood pressure is too high.”

“A lot of people have high blood pressure.”

“This isn’t about me, it’s about being pregnant.”

Elaine tilted her head. “I don’t understand.”

“When Walt comes over today, I’ll have him tell you all about it. Right now I need to empty my already empty stomach.” She pushed her mom out of the bathroom with an index finger and closed the door.

Chapter Nineteen

Walt’s road to redemption started with an hour-long discussion with Dakota’s parents about her health. He’d shown up at just after ten to hear that Dakota wasn’t up to seeing him yet, but would he please explain her medical condition to her parents.

By the time he and Dakota left the Laurens’ home, Elaine and Dennis were a little less worried about how their daughter’s pregnancy looked to the outside world, and more concerned with their daughter’s health.

Walt tucked her into the passenger seat and cracked the window to fill the car with crisp air.

“Morning sickness bites.”

“I’m sorry. I can be here every morning to hold your hair back.”

Dakota looked at him like he was crazy. “Yuck.”

“I mean it.”

“I don’t think so.”

He glanced over his sunglasses, smiled. “Offer still stands.”

Walt handed her the key card sitting in the cup holder of the car. “Here. My room key.”

“Why?”

“Because I want you to have it. I want you to think of me whenever you need anything.”

“Do I get a drawer to put my things in your room, too?” she teased.

“You can have the other side of the bed . . . or the other room. Then you’ll have to put up with me holding your hair back. Fair warning.”

She played with the key but hadn’t handed it back. Walt considered that progress. “Does this have anything to do with your talk with my dad last night?”

“No. Not directly.”

“Not directly?”

He shrugged, followed the guidance of the navigation of the rental car. “I don’t want your parents to hate me. I’d like them to know I mean it when I say I’m going to be here for you and our baby. More importantly, I want you to know I’m here.”