The Rebel's Own(15)

“I don’t know if I’m pregnant,” she ground out. Kennedy was slowly losing it.

“Do you want to find out?” he asked. “We could go to the drugstore and get a pregnancy test.”

“I don’t think I could handle a negative result. Because if I’m not and you bail, what happens to Riley?”

Ryan opened his mouth to assure her he would never turn his back on Riley, or her, again. But he knew Kennedy probably wouldn’t trust anything he said at this moment. If the situation was different, and if they had time, he would work hard to prove he was worth having in their lives.

But they didn’t have time. His son was going to die if he didn’t step up and do the right thing here. He had to convince her that he could help. Correction: he had to convince her to let him help. But how? Only one crazy solution came to mind.

“Marry me.”

Kennedy’s eyebrows shot up, her mouth opening in shock.

“We can take a jet to Vegas and get married. That way you will have half of all my money, and the promise that I will always be here for you. For both of you.”

Ryan could see the uncertainty on her face. Hell, he was pretty uncertain himself. He didn’t know if they were compatible, or really, anything about her, but one thing he was sure of was the sexual chemistry between them. His lips came down on hers like a naked flame on gunpowder. Ryan felt her hesitate to respond at first, but soon Kennedy was kissing him back with urgency. He pulled away for a second and spoke with his lips against hers. “You wanted to run away, let me take you away for a while. We’ll run together.”

Ryan opened his eyes and found Kennedy watching him. She wasn’t giving in. His heart sank. It was ironic really; She was drawing the line at this, yet she’d have sex with him to produce another child.

That was it! The answer.

“Marry me, and I’ll make sure you get pregnant again,” he blurted. “We’ll have another baby. To help Riley.”

After a long minute, Kennedy finally gave a tiny, hesitant nod. Ryan wasn’t about to let the moment get past him. Instead, he pulled Kennedy to her feet and they ran out of the apartment together.

They found a curious and stunned Matt in the car. But with a wave of the hand, he seemed to understand. Matt handed Ryan the keys to his car and climbed out, and a few seconds later, they were on their way.

• • •

Seven hours later, Kennedy hung up the phone. It had just taken her ten minutes to convince herself and her mother that marrying Ryan was the right decision, For Riley’s sake. Rebecca hadn’t been amused that her daughter had taken off for Vegas without even a word. But Riley, the ever-positive light in her life, was excited about having a Rebel as a father. At least her decision had managed to make one person happy.

She sat in the back pew of the Elvis chapel with Ryan at her side. It was just the two of them. They were about to make a decision that would change their lives forever. She laughed at herself, her plans were finally materializing. Her high school self had planned on marrying Ryan, on having kids with him. Here she was with her plans coming true one after the other.

When it was their turn, they walked hand in hand to the front of the pew. They looked like they were headed to the hangman’s noose. They repeated the vows as Elvis told them to, signed their names on the marriage certificate, and walked away without even the kissing part of the wedding fulfilled.

They were back in their suite when Ryan approached her with the pregnancy test. Kennedy wouldn’t take it; she couldn’t. Inside she felt weak, and was terrified that she wasn’t pregnant. But Ryan seemed to be more scared than she was. Of course she had done the whole baby thing before, but for him it was new. So instead of fighting with him, she took the test. She even let Ryan hover outside the bathroom door as she did it.

She didn’t leave the safe confines of the bathroom until she got the results. Ryan was sitting on her bed, his face wet, his eyes red as tears rolled down his cheeks. He nervously twiddled with his thumbs then asked, “Are we pregnant?”

We. That was something Kennedy didn’t expect to be with Ryan Carville. But now she was Mrs. Carville and she had a husband and a family. “Yes, we are pregnant.”

Then Kennedy saw a sight that she never thought she would see from Ryan Carville. Ryan broke down, his shoulders shaking violently as he cried. Was he happy? That was answered when Ryan pulled her into his arms whispering to her belly. He was going to be a great husband and father.

Too bad Kennedy had no intention of giving him that chance.





Chapter Nine





It had been two weeks since Ryan’s life had changed overnight. Now he had a wife, a son, and a baby on the way, as well as a new home to get used to.