Laughing, she clutches my wrist. “Don’t do that. I think Dean likes you with hair. So, what about Dean? Have you gotten the balls yet to tell him about the baby?”
I shake my head. “He booked my flight for his birthday. I have to tell him in person. This isn’t the kind of news you drop on someone over the phone.”
She nods. “Yeah, I get that but make sure you tell him. Don’t punk out.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “Dean will know about the baby before I leave.”
“He won’t let you go after you tell him.”
I shrug. “I don’t know. He’s been kind of distant lately. Maybe he’s having second thoughts about us now that he’s in the NHL and has women throwing themselves at him all the time.”
She snorts. “You must’ve hit your head on the toilet the last time you were in there barfing your brains out.”
I roll my eyes at her.
“You should listen to yourself. Dean might be busy with hockey, but he’s madly in love with you and has been for years. That’s not going to change just because he’s playing in the NHL.”
“Yeah, I’m just a little paranoid. All of these hormones are making me feel like a crazy lady.”
A beat passes between us before she says, “Have you told your dad yet?”
“No, I’m not sure how to tell him.”
“How about your brothers?”
“Nope, I kinda want to tell them at the same time.”
“Call them and say, I’m pregnant, and then hang up.” She laughs. “I’m joking, but in all seriousness, that might be easier than what you’ve been doing. You can’t keep this news to yourself, Kat. It affects your family as much as you.”
“I see my dad so little that I haven’t found the right time, you know. I’m his only daughter. I feel like a massive disappointment. Duke and Austin are back with their teams. Theo and Trav are at school.”
She leans back in her chair and glances around the lunchroom. “If you don’t call them, you’ll never tell them. Thanksgiving is next month. Don’t ruin the holiday by waiting.”
“You’re right.”
She puts her elbows on the table, pinning me down with her gaze. “I still can’t believe you’re having a baby with Dean. At least you know how to pick them. Dean Crawford’s not a bad option for a baby daddy.”
I press my finger to my lips. “Shh…”
“What?”
“We work for a sports magazine,” I point out. “I don’t need the whole country to know before I tell Dean.”
“I’ll tell them tonight. Duke and Austin don’t have a game for a few more days.”
She pats me on the shoulder and smiles. “Good. Call me after you break the news to them.”
With a shaky hand, I raise the phone to my ear. I call Austin first since his voice puts me at ease. Like Dean, Austin always knows the right things to say. Then, I conference in Duke followed by the twins, who are sharing Travis’ phone for the call, and then I add my dad to the line.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Dad yells over a crowd. “What’s up? I’m on the air in about thirty minutes.”
“I need to tell you all something important. Are you sitting down?”
“What did you do?” Duke growls.
“Why would you assume I did something wrong, Denny?”
Duke blows a puff of air into the receiver.