That Man of Mine (9 page)

His hands, his mouth, his soul…all those parts of him knew every square inch of her body. This part was new, but it was a part of him, too.

He laid the palm of his hand over her stomach. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“I…” She shook her head and opened the door wide. “Come in, Zeke.” Her voice sounded shaky, like she was frightened.
Of him
? He'd never given her any reason to fear him before. Even when she'd broken up with him, he'd taken it like a man. But maybe she was right to be leery. A part of him wanted to scream at her. To take her by the shoulders and shake her until she came to her senses. But a bigger part of him wanted to grab her into his arms and tell her he'd do whatever it took to make it all better, like he was some kind of big human Band-Aid.

The overwhelming urge to protect her and to protect the baby growing inside her came flooding through him. The hell with her parents and whatever it was they wanted for her.

All he cared about was what
she
wanted for herself.

They sat down on the living room couch, but he was careful not to sit too close. Even with no makeup and her hair all pulled back wearing that loose T-shirt and shorts, she still had the power to take his breath away. He wondered if he would ever feel different about her. In that moment, he didn't think he ever could.

“I should have told you, I know, but…” she shrugged, “there's nothing you could have done about it, so what was the point?”

“Did you know? When you broke up with me?”

She avoided his gaze. “I didn't know for sure, I mean, I hadn't done a pregnancy test. I kept putting it off, but…deep down, I knew. I know, it was stupid, but I was so scared.”

“Scared of what?” he whispered.

She glanced up at him. “I think I was afraid if I told anyone, that they would make me…”

“Get rid of it?” he finished for her.

She nodded.

He struggled to keep his voice calm. “Your brother says you're giving the baby up for adoption.” At the mention of Luke, her eyes flared with a rare anger he'd never seen before. “Don't be mad at him, he thought I knew.”

She looked away and sighed, all trace of her anger already gone. “I'm not mad at him.”

“Is it true? About the adoption?”

“My parents think it's for the best. I can take a couple of months off after the baby is born and start school in January.”

His throat felt thick with emotion. When he spoke, he hardly recognized his own voice. “Is it a done deal then?”

She shrugged, and it was the only sign he needed. “What do
you
want, Mimi? Do you want to give up our baby?”

She was so quiet he had to strain to hear her answer. “No. I want to keep her.”

Her
. He had a daughter. He was going to be a father. Correction: he was already a father. Now he needed to act like one.

“Then you're going to keep her.
We're
going to keep her.”

Her gaze shot straight to his. “But…how, Zeke? What can we offer her? I have a high school education and you live in a one bedroom apartment off the beach.”

The rest of her sentence went unspoken but he didn't have to hear the words to know what she was thinking.

“I don't smoke anymore. And I'm enrolled in the community college. I was going to join the army, but Buela isn't as young as she used to be, so…I really need to stick around here to help out. Bert's is just temporary. I'll get a good job. Hell, I'll work three jobs if I have to, to take care of you and the baby.”

She laughed, but it was a sad laugh. “Zeke, that's…sweet of you. But you don't have to give up your life for me. I don't expect you to do that.”

“You don't expect me to do what? To take responsibility for my actions? Like it or not, Mimi, you and this baby belong to
me
now.” He reached out to take her hands in his. They felt small and vulnerable. “We'll get married. I'll take care of you. I can make you happy. You know I can.”

The front door opened and Ann and Alex Powers walked in. “What's going on here?” her mother demanded.

Zeke stood, taking Mimi with him. He placed an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in close to him. “Mr. and Mrs. Powers, I'm sorry we haven't had the chance to meet properly before this, but I want you to know that I've come here to do the right thing.”

Alex Powers looked weary. “Young man, I appreciate you coming by, but—”

“Mimi and I are getting married.” Her mother opened her mouth to speak but Zeke cut her off. “If I remember correctly, her birthday was two weeks ago, so she's eighteen now. She's legally an adult and old enough to make her own decisions. You can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to.”

“Mimi, we've been through this a thousand times already,” her mother pleaded. “Don't ruin your life! We can get past this. I know it all seems incredibly sad right now, but you'll see, a year from now this will all be some distant memory. You'll be happy again, darling. You'll be a Duke co-ed. You're a beautiful, smart young woman and you'll have the world at your feet.”

The room went eerily still, like someone had pushed a pause button on their lives.

For a second, Zeke thought Mimi was going to let go of his hand. He could see the indecision on her face as she went from looking at her parents to looking at him. He wanted to plead his case again. Only this time with more eloquence. He wanted to toss her over his shoulder and run out of her parents' house and never look back.

But it wasn't up to him.

It was all up her.

He had never felt more helpless in his life.

“Zeke and I are getting married,” he heard her say. It wasn't until then that he realized he'd been holding his breath the entire time.

“W
hy do I have
to tag along?” Claire asked, staring out the minivan window like she was being driven to the guillotine. “No one in town is even up yet!” Cameron had awakened at the crack of dawn, but Mimi had had to practically pull Claire out of bed to get them here in time to meet Zeke at the animal shelter. She knew it was normal for teenagers to sleep in, but she still hated it.

“It's not like the dog is even going to be mine,” Claire mumbled.

“She'll belong to the family,” Mimi said, trying to assuage her petulant daughter. “Won't that be fun? To finally get a dog?”

“In seven months I'll be away at college, so it's really not fair to either the dog or me to get too attached.”

“So, you've heard back from some schools?” Mimi said, taking this opportunity to jump onto the subject.

“Not yet,” Claire said.

Mimi struggled to keep her mouth shut. She was tired of constantly haranguing Claire for a college update, so she'd quit asking a few days ago. But it was almost mid-February and Claire had applied to schools back in the fall. Shouldn't she have heard from some of them by now?

“I thought this was going to be my dog,” Cameron said. “Who cares what Claire thinks?”

“It's going to be seventy-five percent your dog since you're going to take care of it, and twenty-five percent ours,” Mimi said. “It's not like it's going to live in your room. The dog should like all of us.”

“Even Dad?”

“Of course the dog should like your dad.”

“How much longer is Dad gonna stay away? If you guys get divorced, are you gonna split me fifty-fifty?” Cameron asked.

It was the first time either of the kids had inquired into the family's future living arrangements. Mimi hadn't been surprised by Claire's lack of interest; the truth was she wasn't interested in much these days, but she'd wondered when Cameron would bring it up.

“Split you fifty-fifty? Where did you hear that? And no one's talking divorce here,” she reminded him.

“That's how some of the kids at school do things with their divorced parents. Most live with their moms and visit their dads on weekends, that kind of stuff. Except for Henry. He stays with his dad a lot.”

Lauren and Tom had an enviable post-divorce relationship. Henry stayed with Lauren most of the time, but Tom picked him up from school, allowing Lauren to put more time into Baby Got Bump.

“There are a lot of things your dad and I have to discuss,” Mimi said cautiously. “Nothing's decided either way.”

They hadn't discussed anything yet, but whatever arrangements they did make, she was sure Zeke would want to keep things amiable. For the kids' sake, if nothing else. If their time out went on much longer they'd have to sit down and work something out.

She cringed when she thought about the last time she saw him. She'd gotten skunk drunk on those margaritas and, although she didn't remember an awful lot, the parts she did remember made her think she was never going to drink again. Shea and Pilar (those traitors!) had called Zeke to drive her home. She was grateful no one had let her drive drunk, but they didn't have to call
him
. Allie would have been happy to come get her, and Mimi wouldn't be racking her brain trying to remember what on earth she'd said to him.

They pulled into the parking lot of the Whispering Bay Animal Shelter. She searched for Zeke's police cruiser, but instead found a lone motorcycle parked near the shelter entrance.

Mimi swallowed hard.

She hadn't seen that bike in years. Zeke had refused to sell it. Instead, he'd put it in storage, claiming that one day it would come in handy. It seemed like one day was finally here. Most of the time Zeke either drove his police cruiser or they were in the minivan together, but Zeke preferred to not drive the cruiser when he wasn't on duty. They'd talked about buying a second car, but at the time it had been an unnecessary expense. When eventually they did buy another car, it had been for Claire. Now that they were separated, Zeke's old motorcycle did seem like a practical solution to their transportation problem.

Seeing it again, though, also brought back memories.

An image flashed through her brain—one of her at seventeen straddling that motorcycle as she clung to Zeke's hard back, the wind cutting through her thin T-shirt. She'd never been an adrenaline junkie. But then, she'd never met any boy before Zeke who'd inspired her to do something as terrifying as getting on the back of a motorcycle.

They'd driven along the highway with the gulf on one side, laughing, like they had all the time in the world to be young and carefree. They'd been dating for over a month. Secretly, of course, because no way would Ann and Alex Powers ever have approved of Zeke Grant. No parents in their right mind would. He was trouble with a capital T. Sex on a stick. And every other bad boy cliché you could think of. He smoked pot and drank beer and had a tattoo, all of which seemed thrilling to a seventeen-year-old girl who'd never even let a boy get to second base before.

But as appealing as all that was, it wasn't his bad boy self she'd fallen in love with. It wasn't even the fact that he was drop dead gorgeous. It was the way he made her feel when she was with him. Like nothing bad would ever happen to her when they were together. Zeke Grant had a presence. Good or bad, everyone felt it. He wasn't someone you ignored. And when she was with him, she became someone no one could ignore either. It had made her feel powerful. And wanted. And safe. And once she felt all those things, there was no going back to the way she'd felt without him.

So Mimi had lied to her parents and told them she was out with friends, and because they had no previous reason to mistrust her, they'd believed her.

Despite the anxiety caused by the deception, it had been the happiest time of her young life.

“Is that Dad's bike?” Claire asked, her voice filled with awe. “Did he really use to ride that thing?”

“Yep,” Mimi said tightly.

Cameron jumped out of the minivan and walked over to the bike. He ran his hand reverently over the worn leather seat. “Dad said one day he's going to give this to me.”

“Goody,” Mimi muttered as visions of a teenage Cameron whipping around town on a motorcycle danced through her head. “As if your sister hasn't already turned me gray.” She shuffled the kids toward the building. “C'mon. Let's go.”

She opened the door to the animal shelter. Lanie Miller, the shelter's director, stood by the information desk talking to Zeke. He wore jeans and a T-shirt and the soft brown leather jacket Mimi had given him a couple of Christmas's ago. Drop dead gorgeous then. And drop dead gorgeous now.
Concentrate, Mary Margaret
.

Lanie spotted them and waved them over. “How exciting! The Grant family is getting a dog!”

“A little dog,” Mimi emphasized.

“Yeah, one that doesn't shed, is already house-broken, and can feed itself,” Claire added with a snicker.

Zeke looked at his daughter. “Don't be a wise-guy.” But there was no heat behind his words.

“You have to admit, Mom's requirements are a little unrealistic,” Claire said.

Lanie looked confused, not that Mimi blamed her. “I thought you said you wanted a watch dog.”

“Absolutely,” Zeke said. “He needs to have a good warning bark.”

“And he has to be able to do tricks,” Cameron added.

Lanie smiled patiently at Cameron, like she'd heard this from a dozen twelve-year-old boys before. “What kind of tricks?”

“He should be able to catch a Frisbee.”

“Mmm…” Lanie glanced between the four of them. “I'm afraid I'm fresh out of all the above. Why don't we start by seeing what's available? I have lots of cats right now. But my dog population is a little sparse.”

“A cat?” Mimi piped in. “I love cats! They're so independent.”

Cameron made a face. “You said I could get a dog.”

Lanie opened the door to a large room, where they were greeted by a cacophony of barking and meowing. “Cats on one side, dogs on the other, but as you can see, my dog side doesn't have much to offer. Not that these dogs aren't all great, but I'm not sure we have one that meets all your,
uh
, needs.”

Cameron ran to a crate that housed a suspicious looking ball of wiry fur. “Move along,” Mimi said, “I can pretty much guarantee that dog sheds.”

Claire split off from the group toward the cat section of the room and Mimi followed behind Cameron. He stopped at each crate to inspect the dog inside, giving each one a thorough look over. Every once in a while, he'd study one dog a little longer and pet it. Mimi was impressed by how serious he was taking the whole thing.

Zeke walked alongside her, or rather loomed alongside her, like he owned all the space around him. And everything in it, too. Including her. “How are you feeling?” he asked quietly. There was sympathy mixed with humor in his voice.

“I feel great. Thanks for asking.”

“So, you're over Thursday night?”

“Thursday night… Oh! Was that
you
who gave me a ride home from Bunco?”

He stopped and looked at her. “You weren't that drunk.” Then his gaze narrowed. “Were you?”

She wanted to laugh. He must have realized she was joking because he grinned at her and began walking again. “No, I wasn't that drunk, although,” she frowned, “I have to admit, I really don't remember anything we said to one another.”

“Really?”

There was some small inflection in his voice that made her pause before admitting, “Nope. Is…there something I should remember?”

“No,” he said, but Mimi got the impression he wasn't being a hundred percent truthful. “By the way, I haven't had a chance to thank you for backing me up the other day at lunch. With Allie,” he clarified. “I'm glad we're on the same page about the wedding.”

“Of course,” she said.

“So, how are the plans going?”

“To be honest, we haven't gotten much further than the date and the church. I told her to make up a list of people she wanted to invite. Once we have a number we can look into reception venues.”

He placed his hand over her arm, stopping them both. Cameron was now far enough ahead that he wouldn't be able to hear them. “I know I said it before, but thank you,” he said.

“For what?” she squeaked. His hand felt warm and firm against her skin. She wanted to pull away, but if she did, then he'd know the effect he had on her. Although, it was probably moot. He'd
always
known the effect he had on her.

“For being there for Allie.”

“I love her. I'll always love her…no matter what.”

“Look, baby, can we talk?”

“We're talking now.”

“I screwed up. Let's go back to counseling.”

Her knees began to go wobbly. When he looked at her like that, turning on the Zeke Grant charm, it was impossible to say no to him.

“What's going to be different this time, Zeke?”

“This time I'm going to do everything I can to make it work. And yeah, I know how that sounds.” He blew out a breath, like he was frustrated. “I love you, Mimi. And I know you still love me.”

Her heart flew up to her throat. His confidence was so…infuriating.  But it was one of the things she both loved and hated about him.

“When did you start riding your bike again?” she asked.

His right eye-lid twitched. She knew he hated the way she'd just changed the subject, but he played along anyway. “I pulled it out of storage last weekend and took it to a shop in Destin for a tune up. She might be old, but she still rides pretty well.”

“You'll be careful, right?”

His gaze met hers. “Does this mean you still care?”

Well of course she cared, and he damn well knew it. But they were here to pick out a dog for their son. Why did he have to turn everything around and make it all about them? “Cameron asked me about our living arrangements. He wants to know what's going to happen next.”

“That's up to you,” he said.

“We don't have to decide anything right now, do we?”

“No, I guess we don't.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket. “I moved into Rusty's cousin's cabin last night. It's no luxury hotel but it's free and relatively clean. I might even be able to get some fishing in while I'm there. Maybe Cameron can join me next weekend? I think he'd get a kick out of the place.”

Before either one of them could say anything else, Cameron turned to them, his brown eyes shiny with excitement. “I like this one.” He pointed to a dog (at least Mimi thought it was a dog). It was medium sized and gray and sort of…ugly. She hated thinking that, but it was true. It wasn't even cute ugly. Nor was it cuddly or small. His tongue hung out between his mouth and he was panting heavily.