Must Wait (26 page)

The next afternoon, Paolo and I are having lunch at
the Cantina. Ryan is serving food and working the bar.
Rosalie is in the back cooking. She is startled to see me
eating. She goes up to Ryan batting at him with her
hands. “You are interfering. Stay out of it.” She comes
over to the table. “Pedro, do not let Ryan push you into
doing anything you do not want to do, you understand
me?”
I nod confused. “Yes, Rosalie.”
She turns, heading back to the kitchen.
Ryan is working the blender making frozen drinks. He
walks over to us, putting the frozen drink and the tequila
on the rocks down. He points to the drinks.
“The red one is for Katie, you tell her that her daddy
made it just for her. This is for you, you are going to need
it.”
Paolo laughs. “You should get that drink to her before
it melts.”
I shake my head. “I do not know what got into you
both. You’re being weird.” I pick up the drinks and head
down to the beach.

I see Katie sitting in her spot away from the day
trippers. She is reading a book with a t-shirt over her
bikini. I walk up behind her and hand her the drink in
front of her face. I move sitting down next to her on her
blanket.

She glances over at me. “My father told you to stay
away from me while I am here.”
“Yes, I know. Then he sends me down here to bring
you that frozen drink.”
She looks at the drink. “Daddy made this for me?”
“Yes.”
She tilts her head and sucks on the straw. “Um, it
figures.”
I take a sip of my drink coughing on it. “Oh my God,
he is trying to kill me with all this tequila.”
She laughs. “Just trying to lessen the pain for you.”
I kick off my boots and pull off my socks. I lean back
on my elbows and take another sip.
She looks over at me then looks back to the water.
“Making yourself comfortable, I see.”
“Yeah, your dad wants me to work on our friendship.
You know with you moving on and all.”
She chortles. “Sure, our friendship. Right.”
I glance over at her and notice that she looks different.
“So tell me about your boyfriend? I assume it is serious
since you brought him to meet your parents.”
She glances over at me, giving me a nasty look. “You
could say it is serious. Zeki went to school with me at
Harvard.” She takes a long slurp of the frozen drink. She
starts coughing as she touches her head. “Brain freeze.
Fuck.”
I watch her cough as I lean forward to rub her back. I
look down at her shirt to see that her stomach is round.
My jaw falls open in shock while I stare down at her
stomach. “Katie, are you pregnant?”
She continues to stare at her drink. “Yip.”
I remove my hand from her back. “Wow. I guess you
got what you wanted.”
She glances at me. “You could say that.”
I look out to the water. “I just thought you would
have waited longer after the storm with your recovery.”
She nods her head. “I know, me too.”
“Katie, did you get married again?”
“Nope, I am not married. I was never married,
remember, Pedro.”
I shift away from her upon hearing her callousness. “I
assume he will marry you soon. When are you due?”
She laughs. “I am due whenever I want. I am going the
caesarean section route. I get to pick the date.”
“Hopefully you will get married before the baby is
born?”
She snickers. “That would be nice.”
I can see that I am bothering her. I guess this is why
Ryan wanted me to see her. To see that she has really
moved on. A little quick if you ask me. I am happy for
her though. I wish it could have been me that was starting
a life with her. I feel myself getting emotional. I am going
to leave now.
I lean over and kiss her on the cheek. “I am happy,
Katie, that you are happy. I will let you be alone now.”

I grab my boots and walk slowly back to the Cantina. I
just keep thinking about what could have been for us.
Once I got back to the bar, I changed my mood. I want
to show that I am happy for her and that we can be all
friends. Paolo and Ryan stare uncertainly at me as I come
back to the bar.

I smile at Ryan. “I see why you gave me the stiff drink.
You want to lessen the blow.”
Ryan scowls at me. “What did she tell you, Pedro?”
“Just basic stuff. How she gets to pick the date when
she is having the baby and hopes that Zeki or whatever
his name is marries her before the baby is born.”
Ryan slaps his forehead. “What? She didn’t say that.
Did you ask her how far along she is, Pedro?”
“No, she did not want to talk to me. She was very
evasive.”
Paolo puts his hand on my shoulder. “I think you need
to go back down there.”
Ryan nods. “Did you see her stomach, Pedro? You
need to think. Does that look like a woman who just got
pregnant? Fuck, you are so smart sometimes and so dense
other times. Get back down there. I need to know who
that baby belongs to so I can tear them apart.”
I flash with anger. “Yeah, okay. You’re her father so
make her tell you.”
He shakes his head. “Don’t you think I have not tried
over these last few days? I can’t believe it took her this
long to tell Livi and me. She talks to you. Find out.”
Paolo is smiling up at him as I leave, shaking my head.

I become irritated. I do not understand why Ryan is
having me do his dirty work. Does he not understand that
this hurt me? I wish it was me. I wanted different things
for us. I am just going to be direct with her. I do not want
to play Ryan’s games with her. I get to the side of the
blanket as I glare down at her.

“Katie, I am going to be blunt with you. Your father
sent me down here to get information about who the
baby’s father is?”

She stands up and I can see that she is bigger than I
thought. “I will deal with his meddling ass. He thought I
was a bitch last night, wait until he sees how pissed I am
now.”

Pedro. I am having twins you asshole.”
“Okay, that makes sense.”
She runs up to the Cantina. I hang back, watching her.

I decide to walk slowly since I do not want to hear them
fighting. I come back to the bar and notice that Ryan
pulled Katie out back behind the Cantina for their
screaming match.

Paolo glances at me. “Brother, you are the stupidest
man that I know when it comes to women. I think you
need to break up that fight that is happening out back. It
is not good for Katie or those babies that she is carrying.”

I look over at the kitchen, knowing Paolo’s right. Both
Katie and Ryan have tempers. I will go mediate. I go
through the kitchen to the backdoor, as Rosalie stares up
at me.

I step down the steps as I hear Ryan tell her, “He has a
right to know. Give him a chance.”
She cries, “He does want them. I have been through
this with him before. He believes in some stupid curse.”
I stop in my tracks at what I just heard. Katie is talking
about me. Those are my babies that she is carrying. I am
feeling dizzy as I sit down on the steps. My ears are
ringing with Katie’s last sentence repeating over and over
again in my head.
Ryan looks over at me. “He is my friend and he will do
what is right by me. Won’t you, Pedro?”
I lean over and put my face into my palms, nodding in
to them. I hear Ryan’s footsteps come towards me.
“You’ll make a fine son-in-law.” He taps me on the
shoulder as he squeezes behind me to get back into the
kitchen.
I hear Katie’s footsteps walk towards me. “I am sorry,
Pedro. I know this isn’t what you wanted. I will be fine on
my own.”
I am still dazed as I look up at her. “It is what I
wanted. I was too scared to have it. How could this be
true?”
She laughs. “The doctor took the implant out. It is the
reason why they do not want you having unprotected sex.
Hormones are messed up. I was already pregnant when
you left me.”
I still am stunned. “When did you find out?”
“By the doctor in the hospital when I was found in the
bathtub.”
I breathe out hard. “So, you were reckless with my
children as you ran back to that house?”
“I didn’t know or I would have never made that
attempt. Something was driving me though. Odd now as
I look back.”
“What about the guy, Zeki?”
She laughs. “He is very gay. Just my good friend. He
came here as moral support for when I told my parents
that I am pregnant. Look at me though, I do not think I
would have been able to hide it from them.”
I laugh at her then look up. “So now what do we do,
Katie?
“I am not sure, Pedro. I am going to stay in Los
Angeles with Nick and Chris. I have a doctor’s
appointment in a few days for an ultrasound. I will get to
see the babies then.”
I look at her confused. “See the babies? How can you
do that?”
She smiles at me. “You need to come with me, Pedro,
for a few days. Leave Ramón with Paolo.”
I scowl at her for hurting my son. “Yes, I have to keep
Ramón from you.”
She nods.
“Oh, you heard about that. I was
an
emotional mess. When I saw him it crushed me that I
couldn’t tell you that I was pregnant.”
“I understand that now. What do we do going
forward, Katie? I need to know our next step is.”
She touches my cheek as she stands in front of me
with that belly of hers. “I do not have a plan. I have no
job and nowhere to live. I will follow your lead, Pedro.”
I reach out, putting my both hands on her stomach
and caressing it lovingly. I lean in placing two small kisses
on her stomach. “Just guessing, but I assume that I will
have to take you in. Back to my home where I can protect
and care for you.”
She laughs. “I think you are going to need a bigger
home if you take me in.”
“If your father has his way, he is already planning the
addition.”
“Do I get to go home with you now? Because I am
sure tired and need a nap before school ends.”
I smile up at her. “If you can steal your father’s Range
Rover.”
She laughs. “Done. I know where he hides the keys.”

Rosalie turns to look at me. “Parker, please take Pedro out of
here. You and Lasaro are going to have to keep him back.”
I look around at the saddened faces. I am confused. Parker is
pulling me away from her out the door. Lasaro takes my other arm
as both men drag me down to my fields. I hear her screaming again
as I fight trying to get out of Parker and Lasaro’s grip off my arms.
After a few minutes her screams stop with an eerie silence.
“Hey Pedro, get the fuck up!”
I jerk up and begin coughing. Ryan is standing over
me.
“What is wrong with you? You are completely
soaked.”
I am still rattled. “I had a nightmare that we are in
Costa Rica in the house and Katie stops screaming.”
Ryan shakes his head at me yelling out loudly, “Livi,
honey do you have more of those anxiety pills. Pedro is
not going to make it and he is going to upset Katie with
his nervousness.”
She walks into the room. She hands me a pill. “Take
this. It will help you get through today. Oh, and happy
birthday, Pedro.” She runs out of the room.
Ryan crosses his arms as he grins down at me. “Are
you excited, Pedro, because I am so excited?”
“I am mortified. I do not understand why she chose to
do this on my birthday. It is already a cursed day for me.”
He laughs. “She wanted to make this a happy day for
you, not a sad day. You will be just fine. You got us this
time around.”
I shrug, not too excited. I change the subject, “What
time did you and Olivia come back last night with all the
guys?”
He grins wickedly. “Right on time to hear you
finishing your pre-birthday sex.”
I fall back on the bed. “Great! Just another thing you
are going to mock me for the rest of my life.”
He laughs. “No way! Chris, Nick and I were
dumbfounded how you pulled that off with Katie being
the size that she is and all. I am surprised that you even
wanted to touch her being that pregnant.”
I stretch up. “She begged me and you know how she
gets when she doesn’t get her way. The baby names are
done too. One name was easy the other not so much.”
He smiles. “Now get up and go in that shower. We
have to leave.”

I run out to the Tahoe where everyone is waiting for
me. I slide into the back seat next to Olivia who is
looking at her phone. Chris is driving and Ryan is sitting
upfront next to him.

Nick leans over smiling at me. “Sound like you had
some fun last night, huh, Rock?”
Olivia does not look up at her phone. “They are
getting ready for the six week dry spell.”
Nick looks over at her. “But she is not going natural.”
Olivia glares over at him. “All that yucky dead tissue
needs to go somewhere.”
Ryan turns around to look at the back seat and yells,
“Please, Livi, no more. I do not want to remember that.”
He shudders and turns around.
Olivia nods. “Yup, poor you, Ryan. Anyway,
apparently Katie is still ranting to Daddy and Rosalie
about you not wanting Ramón here for the birth of his
new brothers.”
I shrug. “She is relentless. I feel that when she leaves
the hospital she is going to be in a lot of discomfort and
with two babies for the first few days it is going to be
tough for us all. Paolo is bringing him in a week and once
we get the babies their passports we will be home back in
Costa Rica together. Ramón will be fine.”
Chris glances at me through the review mirror. “Why
does Nick call you Rock?”
Nick starts laughing. “His name is Spanish for rock
and from what Katie’s says so is his body.”
I chuckle as Ryan glares over at me. “I see someone is
feeling better, but I sure wish you were having girls so
you can feel the torture that I have to withstand.”
I shake my head. “No, only boys, San Bart is cursed.”
Ryan raises his voice, “Pedro, there is no such thing as
Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or fucking curses.”
I shake my head. “Please do not ruin it for my kids.
Anyway, so the names are chosen.”
Ryan snickers. “She will change them again. You know
Katie.”
I tune out the conversation that is going on. I sit back
in the seat looking out the window. I am getting anxious
to see my twenty-five year old wife. Katie and I decided
that is was best for her to go under for this procedure.
We learned that they were fraternal twins and
their
placentas fused together during the course of pregnancy
so they will appear as one at birth. When each baby was
close to the upper scale of six pound, Katie chose to go
under. I agreed with what she wanted. She understands
more than I do. She needs to be comfortable and safe.
That is all I want for her.