Every Kiss(105)

I have a feeling there isn’t any explanation to fix this. No, Wesley Baxter is clearly a douchebag, and I fell for it.





I DON’T KNOW where he could possibly be taking me to explain all of this away. I mean, is he seriously going to take me to these apartments and try to sell me on them like some kind of polygamist real estate agent? I have no desire to be a part of any kind of sister wife thing. No thank you.

The thing that bothers me the most is that I never would’ve seen this coming. Not in a million years. After everything we’ve been through, with his mother, with his reservations about relationships, why would I suspect something like this? Eve just thinks his main problem has to do with his heart being broken by Sarah and his mother abandoning him. No, he’s absolutely freaking insane. That’s his problem.

He pulls into the parking lot of a little office building, shifts into park, and looks over at me. “I want you to come inside with me. It all starts right here. All I ask is that, if you have anything to say to me about this, you save it for when we get back in the jeep, okay?”

“Fine.”

He sighs loudly and gets out, waiting for me to do the same before walking inside. I follow him into an elevator, and we take a short ride up to the third floor. When the doors slide open, I notice the sign over the reception desk. A New Beginning. If he’s bringing me to counseling or something, he’s completely lost it.

“Well, Mr. Baxter, we weren’t expecting you today. Are you here to see Casey?”

Wes forces a smile and shakes the young woman’s hand. “Good to see you, Amanda. I didn’t tell her I was coming in today. Is she busy?”

She looks down at the appointment book and taps an entry. “Her next appointment isn’t for an hour. Go ahead and head down that way, and I’ll buzz her office and let her know you’re coming.”

“Thanks. Say hello to Andy for me.”

She smiles sweetly at him. “I sure will. And honey,” she pauses to pat my arm, “don’t fret. You’re in good hands.”

I plaster on a smile, knowing I must look all kinds of crazy. “Uh, thanks.”

Wes leads the way through a series of corridors, and I know we’ve finally reached our destination when a woman steps out of an office at the end of the hallway with a huge grin. “Well, hello there, handsome. To what to I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?”

“I, uh, brought someone to see you. This is Callie.”

“Oh, sorry . . . I didn’t realize. Come on in.” She steps back inside her small office and waves in the direction of the two folding chairs across from her. “Have a seat.”

While she moves around her desk to her own seat, I notice the name stitched on her white lab coat—Dr. Casey Felkins. “Thanks, Dr. Felkins.”

“Oh, goodness, girl. Call me Casey.” She giggles. “So what can I help you with today? Have you already had a test to confirm?”

I flash a bewildered look at Wes, and he starts shaking his head at her. “Uh, she’s not pregnant, Casey. She’s a friend of mine. Well, my girlfriend, actually.”

“Oh, umm, I apologize for assuming.” She smoothes a hand over her wild red curls. “So that must mean you’re here to look at your birth control options?”

I scan the row of pamphlets on the shelf beside me, all about alternatives to abortion, local adoption clinics, single parenting classes. I just don’t get why he brought me here. “I’m, uh, already on the pill.”

“Okaaaay,” she draws out, looking back and forth between Wes and me. “Well, you’re going to have to help me here because something tells me you’re not here for family planning.”

Wes lets out a weak breath. “I want her to know, Casey. I know I told you that it remains confidential, no matter what, but this is different. She needs to know about our arrangement.”

“You’re sure? Because, honey, you don’t look too sure.”

“No doubt in my mind. But I’m going to leave the two of you to talk, and I’ll wait in the jeep. Callie, when you’re done, just meet me out there, and you can ask me any questions you have. I . . . I just can’t stay in here right now.”

He does look awfully green. But he should because I feel a little ill myself. I just don’t understand for the life of me what could possibly be going on.

Casey stands at the same time Wes does. “What do you want me to tell her?”

“Everything. Nothing is off-limits. Answer any questions she has. I have nothing to hide from her.” He walks out without even a glance at me and shuts the door.

Casey slowly sinks back into her seat. “Wow, well, this is new.”