“Then, who is the father of my grandbaby?” Mom asks.
“I don’t even know if I’m pregnant! I just bought the test because there’s a small chance I could be.”
“Quit avoiding the question,” Mom snaps sounding like her old self. As grateful as I am for that, I wish she’d back down this time.
“I am,” Blue announces, making my entire body go taut. I glance up at him to give him a look that should be able to bring him to his knees. It doesn’t.
All he does is grin.
Chapter 15
Blue
“Praise the Lord, my son has a few brains in his head after all,” Mom responds, clapping her hands together. I roll my eyes.
“Maybe you two can leave me and Meadow alone to talk this out.”
I can feel Meadow somehow stiffen even more beside me. If she doesn’t stop, she’s going to shatter into pieces. She doesn’t say anything, though. Mom goes to Leddie’s chair and begins pushing her toward the door.
“Don’t fuck this up, Blue,” Mom whispers as she passes me.
Meadow hisses under her breath but doesn’t say anything. She does step away from me. My instinct is to grab her hand and pull her back by my side, but I resist—barely. I need to handle this carefully. Meadow doesn’t know it yet, but she’s not going to get away from me again. It’s going to work this time. I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it does. When the door closes, I lean against the counter, crossing my arms at my chest, and look at the woman who has haunted me my whole life.
She’s nervous. That’s clear. She’s also pissed. I can see that in the flush of her cheeks. Plus, when Meadow gets mad, the tip of her ears turns pink. I used to pick on her just to watch it happen. There’s so much I know about Meadow that I’ve shoved away from my mind. It’s all coming back as she looks at me.
“Get that look off your face, Blue Moon.”
“You’re not going to let that go are you, Doe?”
“Not any time soon,” she admits. “I think I’ll start calling you Moonie. You know? Like Loretta Lynn used to call her husband.”
“You call me Moonie and I’ll spank your ass.”
“I wouldn’t try it,” she warns.
“Is that a dare, honey?”
“Cut the shit, Blue. We agreed to walk away from one another, remember?” she asks, shoving some of her hair behind her ear. I don’t know why I find that so sexy, but I do. I always have.
“When did we do that?”
“When we talked on the phone, remember?”
“I think we saw that conversation differently,” I respond with a shrug. “It doesn’t matter now anyway.”
“What’s that mean?” she snaps. “Of course, it matters.”
“I don’t see how it can. There’s more than us to consider now, Doe.”
“There isn’t, or at least, we don’t know that for sure. Besides which, all of this is my business, not yours.”
“If you’re carrying my baby, I think that automatically makes this a ‘we’ thing.”
“There’s a very good chance that I’m not pregnant.”
“So, take the test and let’s find out.”
“I’ll take it when I’m ready, Blue—and it won’t be because you told me to.”
“Why won’t you take it now, Doe? Afraid?”
Her ears deepen in color. She’s definitely mad now. This probably isn’t the best way to deal with the situation, but it feels like I’m always missing common sense when I’m dealing with Meadow.
“Why are you always such a bastard?”
I scrub the back of my neck with my hand. “Believe it or not, I seem to only be that way around you, honey.”
“Gee, aren’t I lucky?” she snarks out, making me grin.
“I don’t mean to, Doe. It’s a knee-jerk reaction with you.”
“If I am pregnant, you don’t have to worry about it. I’m not asking you—”
“Whatever you’re trying to say, please don’t. If you’re pregnant, I’m going to be a part of our child’s life. I’m going to be a part of every moment of his or her life.”
“I figured,” she mutters.
“There’s something else to consider, Meadow.”
“I think I’ve been mulling over too much but go ahead and tell me what’s on your mind.”
“You sound so thrilled,” I laugh.
“It’s just whenever you talk it’s usually not good for me,” she says, and I frown.
“I’m tired of fighting with you, Doe. I want us to be friends again,” I answer, never meaning anything more in my life.
“Were we ever friends, Blue?”
“Once, you were my best friend,” I remind her.
“We were kids,” she says, studying my face.
“Maybe so, sweetheart, but are you going to deny this push and pull between us is as strong as it has always been—if not stronger.”
“We’re too fundamentally different, Blue. We would never get along. I’m thinking that’s only going to get worse when it comes to co-parenting if I am pregnant.”