Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (22 page)

Really, the cleavage is what they are staring at.

Bleach-blonde Shelby would have flirted with them.
 

The new Shelby will not.
 

I ignore them and sit down in front of Marcy, who is filling glasses from the tap.
 

“
Hey,
”
she says, sliding one of the beers in front of me.
“
What
’
s up? You decide to slum or is the gig up, and you need a place to stay?
”

“
I have something for you.
”
I smile at her and hand her an envelope. She sets it on the wet counter, delivers beer to the men, and then comes back.

“
It
’
s not even my birthday,
”
she says, ripping the envelope open. When she sees the check, her eyes widen.
“
Is this a joke?
”

“
No, I
’
ve had incredible fortune lately and am living my dream, and I want that for you too. I didn
’
t have much of a family and being able to send you back to yours would mean a lot to me.
”

She runs out from behind the bar and throws her arms around me in an uncustomary show of emotion.

“
Oh my God! I
’
m so excited! My parents will be so happy!
”

“
And you can do what you love.
”

She jumps up and down.
 

“
Is this for real? Will the check bounce?
”

“
No, it won
’
t,
”
I say, holding up my hand to discreetly show off a very large, but very fake engagement ring.

“
What is that?
”
she asks, pulling my hand into the light.
“
It
’
s so big it almost doesn
’
t look real.
”

“
I know. It
’
s crazy. The bigger they are, the faker they look. But, trust me, it
’
s real. We
’
re getting married!
”

“
Really? God, you work fast, girl. When is it? I want to come!
”

“
Oh, I so wish you could,
”
I lie.
“
But we
’
re going to the Maldives. Just the two of us.
”
I quickly change the subject.
“
So when will you leave for home?
”
 

“
As fast as I can pack my shit up and go. Thank you, Shelby. You
’
re an amazing friend.
”

“
You
’
re welcome, and don't be a stranger. Text me with lots of updates!
”

“
I absolutely will,
”
she says sincerely.

The second I leave the bar, I drop my phone on the concrete, causing the glass to shatter.

I carefully pick it up and call Tyler.

“
I
’
m so klutzy. I dropped my phone, and it broke.
”

“
I
’
ll order you a new one,
”
he says.

“
Do you think you could get me a new number? Mine is one digit off a pizza place, and I get
so
many wrong numbers.
”

“
Sure thing. Anything else you need?
”

“
No, but I didn
’
t get a chance to thank you for setting me up with the personal shopper. She was really nice.
”

“
It was my pleasure,
”
he says, then ends the call.
 

I get in the town car, pour myself a glass of complimentary champagne, roll down the window, and chuck the fake ring out.
 

Then I lean back into the plush seat.
 

The only person who knows the baby isn
’
t Riley
’
s is gone.
 

Now, I just need to figure out how to manipulate a paternity test.
 

And get him to put a ring on it for real.

Keatyn & Aiden
’
s home - Malibu

KEATYN

“
That was some birthday party,
”
Aiden says as we
’
re getting in the car to head home.
 

“
I feel like I didn
’
t really get to spend much time with the girls but, then again, this party was more for their friends.
”

“
And apparently they have a whole lot of them. The place was packed,
”
Aiden says.

“
Well, that
’
s to be expected. All three girls have such different interests, so you had guests from the music, fashion, and movie industries. Tommy and Mom went a little crazy on their gifts, but it
’
s their eighteenth birthday, of course they
’
d do it up big.
”

“
Most of the night, I was reminiscing about your eighteenth birthday party. Remember how we danced all night long?
”
 

“
I wish we could have danced more tonight.
”

“
Why didn
’
t you want to?
”

“
I
’
m tired, for one, but I also felt kinda old.
”

“
You
’
re not old.
”

“
I know, it
’
s just that in my head I still feel like I
’
m eighteen, but when you are at a party with people that age, you realize you
’
re not really as young as you think.
”

Aiden wraps his arm around my shoulder and gives me a squeeze.
“
I
’
m glad we aren
’
t that young. I much prefer our life now to our life then.
”

“
You do?
”

“
Yes, I do.
”
He tilts his head slightly.
“
I take that back. We did have a lot of fun. It
’
s just that I
’
m really looking forward to what
’
s next for us
—
a slower pace, spending more time together, and raising a family.
”

“
I
’
m excited too. Did you notice Gracie was dancing with that Dylan kid?
”

“
He
’
s in that boy band, right? Isn
’
t that how you said she got to Eastbrooke
’
s homecoming? She hitched a ride on their plane?
”

“
Yeah, which was kind of weird. At homecoming, she seemed all into Baylor Hawthorne.
”

“
I know his dad. He
’
s a good kid. But you remember what it
’
s like to be that age. You like a different person every week.
”

“
That
’
s true, I guess.
”

“
The boy band guy seems a little old for her though.
”

“
He
’
s seventeen.
”

“
And she
’
s fourteen.
”

“
She
’
ll be fifteen in a few weeks.
”

“
I know, but I just didn
’
t like where his hands were. I
’
m surprised Tommy allowed it. I
’
m not even her dad, and I was ready to go kick his ass.
”

“
That
’
s pretty sweet of you,
”
I tell him.
“
What are you going to do when it
’
s your daughter out there?
”

“
I
’
ll definitely be kicking some ass. No way is some little punk going to get away with that shit.
”

“
You danced like that with me when
we
were in high school,
”
I tease.
 

He waves his hand, like
whatever
. He
’
s so cute, and I am dying to tell him about the triplets, but now doesn
’
t feel like the right time. When I tell him, I want it to be special, not when we
’
re both exhausted after a long day.
 

“
You still haven
’
t told me where we
’
re going on our honeymoon,
”
I pout.
“
How am I supposed to know what to pack?
”

“
You
’
re going to be naked the entire time. No need for clothes,
”
he says, sounding serious.
 

“
Come on, Aiden. Give me a hint. Or at least a rough idea of the climate so I can pack.
”

“
You don
’
t have to worry about that, actually. Kym is already at the vineyard, and she
’
s packing for you.
”

“
Can
’
t I at least have a hint?
”

He kisses me, which still fills my head with cotton candy, making me forget my question and focus solely on the feel of his lips on mine.
 

When we get home, a little ball of fur races toward us, barking.
 

“
This dog is a
—
how you say it
—
hell raiser?
”
Marvel says in greeting.

“
What did she do now?
”
Aiden says, laughing, while I cuddle with our new puppy. I still can
’
t believe Aiden surprised me with her the other night.
 

“
She shredded one of my dishtowels, but then she fell asleep on my lap, and I can
’
t be angry further. On that note, I bid you bonne nuit.
”

The puppy is on our heels as we head into our bedroom suite.
 

“
We need to decide on a name for her,
”
Aiden says as we
’
re getting ready for bed.
 

“
I thought you had a list of possible names.
”

“
I do. I
’
ve narrowed it down to three and want you to choose.
”

“
Okay,
”
I say, snuggling next to him in bed, the dog in between us, licking our faces with its rough little tongue.
 

“
One I was thinking of is Chardonnay, since she
’
ll be at the vineyard, and she
’
s yellow.
”

“
That
’
s cute.
”
 

“
Another idea is Grigio, same reasons.
”

“
Hmm. I don
’
t really like that one. What else have you got?
”

“
Bliss.
”

“
Oh, Aiden,
”
I say, my eyes filling with tears.
“
Do you remember?
”