Baby, Be Mine (9 page)

Len looked disappointed. “Does this mean we’re not killing him and hiding the body?”

Mitch rested a hand on his shoulder. “Not today, but there’s still hope for tomorrow.”

And with that, Gage sighed in relief. He was going to be forgiven, at least by the guys. Katy, on the other hand, was another issue. He’d have to watch his balls around her for the next while.

They all settled around the table, a little uneasy. More awkward than he’d ever felt with the family.

“So, now what?” Len asked.

“That one is easy,” Keith Thompson answered. “Now Gage finds a way to convince Katy they’re a couple. If she’s going to have a baby, she needs all the support she can get.”

“So you’d better find a way to convince Katy she wants you in her life, or else,” Clay snapped.

Clay’s ultimatum pissed Gage off all over.

“There’s nothing I want more.” The secret seed of fear inside was shoved down and ignored as Gage went nose to nose with his stubborn best friend. “Did you not listen to what I said about sending you an email, you stupid ass? Did you not hear the part about how I’m the one who came to her before she even told me about the baby?”

“Easy words to say when none of it can be proved.”

“Still say we take him outside and work him over,” Len muttered.

“Shut up, all of you.” Mr. Thompson didn’t shout. Didn’t storm, but his intensely spoken comment quelled all four of his sons. “Stop poking at Gage. He knows what he did was wrong, and if my baby girl is going to have a man in her life, I like Gage a hell of a lot more than Simon.”

Warmth rushed him at the man’s words of acceptance. “Thank you, sir.”

Keith turned toward him with ice in the depths of his grey eyes. “You hurt her again, though, and I’ll shoot you myself.”

Ahh, family. Gage straightened up and wondered if he was going to survive.

Remembering the expression of fury in Katy’s eyes, he just might be better off dealing with the guys.

Chapter Nine

“You want a baby shower before or after the kid is born?”

Katy pulled herself alert. She was only a moment away from sliding into a puddle of relaxation in the overstuffed easy chair, tired from her week and everything that had been going on. “There’s a choice?”

Janey had plopped herself on the floor to apply a new layer of polish to Katy’s toes. “Sure. I have two cousins, and one did it one way, and one did it the other. It’s really up to you.”

Tamara Coleman laughed. “How about both? Any reason to party is a good one.”

Outside the snowdrifts were growing in height daily, but inside the room was warm, music playing softly in the background. Finger foods covered the table. Pitchers of both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks stood at the ready as the six women sprawled comfortably, relaxing after a long workweek.

Instead of Friday night at the pub, Janey had suggested a girls’ home spa. The laid-back evening was so much better than fighting the noise and the crowds. Katy was in heaven.

Lisa Coleman, who had been one of Katy’s classmates in school, examined her sparkly nails critically. “It’s easier to buy stuff after the baby is born, but then you also tend to get a ton of all blue or all pink outfits.”

“Skipping away from the baby talk for a minute.” Tamara leaned forward on her elbows. “Tell me to butt out if you’re not sharing, but what’s this I hear about Gage Jenick basically camping out in your front yard?”

Katy wasn’t sure if she was pissed off or pleased with his relentless attention. “I laid down the law about two weeks ago, and ever since he’s been trying to get back in my good books.”

“Is it working?”

Janey snorted. “Gage has not yet perfected the art of the grovel, we’ll just put it that way.”

“Hmm.” Shannon and Liz, two more of Katy’s friends, exchanged glances. “A good grovel is always nice,” Shannon admitted.

“Followed by make-up sex, right?” Liz grinned. “So, what’s he not doing right? Not being determined enough?”

Katy stopped to think for a minute. Gage had been persistent—that much was in his favour. “I don’t think he understands what he did wrong in the first place.”

“Of course he doesn’t.” Tamara grabbed a pitcher and topped up her drink. “He’s a guy. The words ‘I was wrong’ kind of stick in their throats and end up coming out as ‘Get over it, little woman, I know best.’”

A snort escaped before Katy could stop it. “Yeah, that’s about the entire story.”

“So, all he needs to do is say he was wrong?” Janey tilted her head to the side. “I would have thought this situation required more than that.”

“Oh, ‘I was wrong’ would be the first step,” Katy agreed. “But until he figures out that this is my life, I’m not letting him back in. It’s bad enough with my brothers wanting to make decisions for me.”

“And you don’t need another big brother, right?” Lisa winked at her. “I know you probably hate getting asked, but how are you feeling?”

“Much better,” Katy admitted happily. “Morning sickness is done. Lots of energy. I haven’t got back my memory, but I have progressed in my math beyond two plus two is four.”

“Hmm, too bad you have no memory of sexing it up with Gage.” Shannon waggled her brows. “I bet he’s got some moves.”

“I bet he’s not the only one out of the guys at the garage with moves.” Janey’s heavy sigh of frustration set the entire room laughing. “What?”

“Len turn you down again?” Liz asked.

Janey pouted. “This isn’t supposed to be about me, but yes. Damn stupid sex-on-a-stick stubborn ass. I wonder if he’s getting some on the side that helps him hold out against my charms?”

“Mrs. Palmer and her five sisters,” Liz drawled.

Janey guffawed noisily, and things kind of went downhill for a while after that. Katy listened to the dirt talk and smiled as her girlfriends went to town about the guys they’d been seeing, or hadn’t been seeing lately.

The Coleman sisters grinned at each other. “So basically no one in this room has gotten any action lately, except Katy, who can’t remember how hot it was.”

“Shut up.” Teasingly said as Katy offered a smile. “This is the Immaculate Conception over here, and don’t you forget it.”

“I can’t believe sex with Gage wasn’t memorable enough to stay in your brain no matter what. I mean, do you think he’s got a teeny penis or something, and your mind is trying to wipe that out?”

“Not the size of the equipment, it’s how well they use it,” Liz quipped innocently, batting her lashes at the laughter that rose from the other women. “Well, that’s what they say, right?”

“Who says? The guys with little dicks?” Tamara shook her head. “No, I doubt Gage is lacking penis power. Unless he’s shoving socks into his jock strap, the guy’s got the goods.”

Like a barometer, Katy’s cheeks had responded to the chatter. She didn’t really want to speculate on Gage’s…equipment. “Sorry. Memory loss doesn’t pick and choose to save the juicier tidbits for repeat consumption. We’ll have to stick with ‘I don’t remember’ on this one.”

“You know who has a tiny dick,” Shannon muttered, staring into her third margarita.

Liz poked her. “Who?”

Shannon blinked then looked pointedly across the room. “Tamara’s on-and-off-again beau from the hospital.”

“Right.” Tamara rolled her eyes. “Where did you hear that?”

“From you.” Shannon smiled evilly. “You sent me an email with a bunch of forwards on it, and one of the old messages mentioned Dr. Tom should look into a penis enhancer.”

“Oh shit.” Tamara dropped her head into her hands while the room exploded with laughter. “Please tell me you deleted it.”

“It’s the Internet,” Shannon groaned like a zombie. “It’s forever. It will come back to haunt you…”

Tamara winced, then glanced around the room conspiratorially. “He does have a tiny dick.”

Laughter exploded, and Katy relaxed back into her happy haze of food and friends.

It wasn’t the size of Gage’s equipment that interested her—well, okay, not completely. But if she remembered the act, she’d know for sure who was involved in making the baby in her belly. She slipped her hands over the slight bulge beginning to show and wished again for a miracle, like total recall.

It didn’t come, but the friendship and warmth around her helped. Helped a lot.

Outside of the house and around the corner, Gage leaned on the wall. Tucked out of sight, he was bundled from head to toe in his thickest winter gear. The walkie-talkie he held to his ear alternatively answered his questions and made him blush.

Damn. And he’d thought guys talked shit.

A light buzzing sound registered in time for him to pull the speaker farther from his ear and not be deafened.

“You there, Gage?” Janey whispered.

He clicked on the speaker button. “Yeah.”

“You hear what Katy wants from you?”

He couldn’t resist. “Before or after she finds out the size of my package?”

Janey snorted then muffled her laughter. “Stop that. I’m in the bathroom. I’m going to turn off the walkie-talkie now if you have enough intel to get things straightened out between you and Katy.”

“I think I do.” A real apology. He could do that. “Thank you for setting this up for me.”

“Hey, Katy does like you. A lot. But you pissed her off so hard. Don’t do it again.”

“I’ll try not to.” He resisted laughing. Being called up on the carpet by Janey was like being lectured to by a small, self-contained whirlwind.

“Don’t fuck with me, Gage.” Janey’s voice tightened. “I went out on a limb for you here because I think you and Katy would be good together. But if you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down and give you pain. Worse pain than the Thompson boys would ever dream of.”

What was it with everyone in his life threatening him when he already wanted to do the right thing? “I just want to be there for her,” Gage insisted.

“You better. Now go away. I want to drink some more.”

“Thanks, Janey.” He grinned as he stared into the distance. “If you ever need the same favour with Len, you let me know.”

“Fuck off,” she sang sweetly. “I can arrange my own seduction without your help.”

He turned off the power and snuck away, careful to stick to the shadows and not let the girls discover he’d been eavesdropping.

Only putting what he’d learned into action was a hell of a lot harder than he’d expected. Yes, he’d known he’d fucked up, but he had apologized already.

Obviously it hadn’t been sincere enough.

The next morning he shifted uneasily on his feet and waited for Katy to answer his knock. It was just past ten. Late enough she would have had time to sleep in a little and dress, because he didn’t need any temptation to mess this up.

It sort of worked. She was awake. The woman who pulled the door open had bright eyes and a rested face; only she was still wrapped in a mass of soft terrycloth. Her robe ended at mid-thigh, and Gage snapped his gaze back up to safer territory.

He swallowed hard. “Hi.”

She lifted one brow in a perfect Vulcan imitation. “Hi.”

Gage paused. “How you doing?”

Katy nodded. “Good.”

Ah, fuck it. “I’m so sorry, Katy. I was an ass, and I had no right to butt in and go around your wishes.”

The door wavered a little as she hung on it, rocking slightly. “Go on.”

Go on? Wasn’t that enough? Gage struggled for more. Oh, his brilliant idea. He lifted the toolbox in his hand. “I can fix things.”

Katy snorted and opened the door to allow him in. “You still need a coffee, don’t you?”

There was no smell of caffeine on the air. “You’re not drinking coffee right now, are you?”

She padded toward the kitchen. “No.”

Gage made a flash decision. “Then neither am I.”

Katy turned slowly to face him, her expression one of disbelief. “Why would you do that?”

He lowered the toolbox to the floor and followed her into the kitchen. “Because you love coffee, and if you have to give it up, I should too. As support for you while you’re pregnant.”

Katy rolled her eyes at him. “You can drink it, Gage. It’s not going to kill me to have to smell coffee.”

He shook his head. “Nope. I want to do this. To…” He scrambled for words. “To experience a little of what you’re going through.”

“You want to go through delivery as well?” she asked dryly.

“Hell no.” Gage grinned as he reached for the fridge door. “I’m not
that
brave.”

There were tons of fruit and veggies and juice before him, so he poured himself a glass and offered Katy one.

She watched with a bemused attitude from where she’d pushed herself up to sit on the counter. “What are you doing, Gage?”

“Apologizing.” He lifted his glass to her. “Trying to find a way to truly be there for you and make up for my stupid move at dinner a while back.”

She tipped her glass toward him and they both drank deeply. Katy put her glass beside her on the counter and glanced toward the front hall. “You brought tools.”

“Yeah.” Gage leaned a hip on the counter beside her. “Wanted to have them around in case there was anything I could help with.”

She shook her head. “Nothing broken. Nothing leaking or stuck. Sorry. Thanks for the offer, but I’m good.”

Her feet kicked lightly as she watched him, her gaze lingering on his hands. Gage moved cautiously, afraid to spook her. “Okay. But have you thought about anything you need changed to get ready for the baby?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it.”

He gazed out the window. “Maybe there’s something there I could help with. If you’d like. Up to you, though.”

God, this beating around the bush was going to kill him.

Katy didn’t say anything for a while. Then this strange noise escaped her, and he whirled in a panic to check her. “Katy, you okay?”

Her shoulders were heaving. Heavy motion rocked her body, and he worried for a moment she was having some kind of seizure. Then she tossed her head back, and an enormous laugh burst free, echoing off the walls of the kitchen and driving into his soul.

Katy laughing was one of the things he’d come to treasure over the years.

Laughing at him? Not so much. “What?”

It took her a while to settle down, and she hiccupped a few times as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Oh God, Gage, this isn’t you. So earnest and willing and…a total pushover. What the hell are you doing?”