Someone to Love(76)

I help Kenny fill out a mountain of forms, then let her lay over me with her hair splayed out over my chest in long dark ribbons.

“Cruise?” She looks up at me with those watery baby blues and I wish with my entire being I could make this misery go away for her. “Do you think you could ever hate me?”

“Hate you?” I give a small laugh into her delirium, and she rides up and down my chest with the effort. “Nope. Not happening.”

“Just in case—don’t freak out or anything.” She nestles into me and sniffles. “I’m not the brightest bulb, you know. I’m human.” She says human like it’s an unfortunate condition. “I’m prone to making huge mistakes—like really big ones.” She sniffles again, and this time I’m pretty sure she’s crying.

My insides turn to stone when she says the words huge mistake. Am I the huge mistake? Maybe I’m the one who’s making her sick.

The nurse calls us back and I help Kenny into the small room.

“You don’t have to stay.” She shakes her head a little too aggressively as her cheeks fill with color.

“Relax. I’m not going anywhere. And you don’t have to feel embarrassed. I’ve participated in more public hurling sessions than I’d like to remember.” I stroke the hair away from her face and give a weak smile. “You’re family, Kenny. You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.”

“Family?” Her hand covers her lips. Her eyes explode in crimson tracks at the mention of such an intimate bond.

A light knock erupts at the door followed by a giant beast of a man with a neck the size of a tree trunk.

“Shit,” I mutter. His tag reads, Dr. Gaines.

“I didn’t know they let the wrestling team play dress up,” I say it light, but damn, I mean it.

“I am a wrestler.” He gives a slight bow.

Kenny straightens. Her eyes widen at the sight of him. She’s probably scared to death he’s going to pin her to the ground. I bet she’s really glad I decided to stick around.

“So, what’s going on?” He looks over the chart briefly before inspecting her.

“She’s been sick, throwing up all weekend,” I offer.

“Diarrhea?” He asks.

Kenny averts her eyes and shakes her head. Not sure she would cop to it with me in the room. Maybe I shouldn’t be here.

“Noro’s not going around,” he muses.

“We ate the same thing for dinner the other night and I didn’t get sick.” I pull a bleak smile. “Maybe you could run some tests, and see if she ate something she’s allergic to—or something poisonous.” I had to go there. I was thinking it for God’s sake.

He lets out a graveled laugh. “Let’s start with a few more obvious suspects. We want to capture all the horses before we start chasing zebras. I’ll have the nurse run a blood panel—probably just the flu. Kendall—is there anything you suspect might be making you ill?” He gives a plain smile, his eyes dull out awaiting her response.

“Yes,” she rasps. “And I’d like a pregnancy test to prove it.”





16


Kendall

Baby be Mine





All of the color bleeds from Cruise’s face. He staggers a moment until Dr. Beefcake shoves some smelling salts under his nose and perks him back to startled attention.

“You’d better take a seat, buddy.” Dr. Gaines tries shoving Cruise in a chair but he resists the effort.

“I’m fine, really.”

The doctor nods and leaves the room, sealing the door behind him.

A rail of panic rips through me, and suddenly I want to be anywhere but in this over-bright room with, of all people, the unsuspecting father of my surprise pregnancy.

“Pregnant?” His brows dip into a sharp V, and it makes him look undeniably provocative. Although, I’m pretty sure now’s not a good time to drool over his astonishing good looks, especially since committing a felony or two against me is clearly still on the table.

“You’re going think this is funny.” I open my mouth to tell him all about my egregious oversight at the free clinic then remember his seventeen-year-old sister is tangled in that web as well. Speaking of which, I’m thrilled Dr. Muscles didn’t remember me from his rotation at said free clinic.

“I’m going to think what’s funny?” He tilts his head because he so knows it’s not.

“Oh, um… you see…” Fuck. Fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck. This isn’t going to end well. Cruise is going to explode when he finds out I couldn’t figure out how to use a simple birth control pill. “I…” Words dam up in my throat, and I hesitate in spewing out a sea of lies.