Michael turned stiffly and stared at me, ready for what he knew was coming.
Because let me tell you a little something about me.
I’m a hothead.
I react first, speak second, and think third.
It’s gotten me into trouble my entire life.
“You will not have a kid with anyone but me!” I yelled loudly, punctuating my point with a finger jab to his chest.
Michael’s eyes glittered.
“I’m not having kids with anyone, so it’s a moot point,” Michael said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“But Dean, you said he’d agree!” Joslin whined.
“My baby brother is not having a kid with you. That’s fucked,” Hannah put in her two cents.
“But it wouldn’t be his kid and mine, it’d be mine and Dean’s,” Joslin continued to whine.
“Yeah right. You know damn well and good that if it’s Michael’s DNA, he’ll have a responsibility to that kid, even if you want him not to,” Manuelo said seriously.
“It’d be our kid! He wouldn’t have any say to it!” Joslin dug herself deeper.
Michael’s body became tense, and I knew he was about to say something harsh.
“Michael and I are serious, and I’m really not comfortable with having a child of his running around with y’all. Not to say that you wouldn’t be capable parents,” I told Dean. “But what’s a part of Michael is a part of me. So would y’all be comfortable with sharing this child with me and Michael? Because I know I wouldn’t be comfortable doing that with y’all.”
“I think that we need to talk to Michael without you here,” Dean said softly. “Joslin, why don’t you go finish cleaning the kitchen with Nikki and…”
“No, she’s right. I won’t be having any kids. But if I were, it wouldn’t be with Joslin. Sorry,” Michael said, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking around the room at all the occupants.
Manuelo and Hannah, I could tell, were firmly on my side.
Elizabeth, I could tell, was conflicted.
She wanted both of her boys to be happy.
And I knew I’d made an enemy out of Joslin first and foremost.
There wouldn’t be any turning back from that.
Dean, however, looked oddly happy.
Like he hadn’t wanted to have children with her. Nor her to have any children with anyone else.
Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep.
I glanced at Michael as he pulled his pager out of his pocket.
“Gotta go,” he muttered, looking at the readout. “Nikki, come on. Let’s go.”
We left within seconds, and I was so happy I could scream.
“I cannot believe,” I said, plugging my seatbelt in, “That she asked you that.”
Michael snorted. “She always wanted kids. And I think Dean was in the process of telling me he didn’t want kids either, when you burst through the door like a hot fire poker was shoved up your ass.”
I winced.
“That sounds painful,” I admitted.
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve no doubt that it would be, though.”
He pulled out of his parents subdivision, flipping the lights on that I hadn’t realized were there.
“Wow,” I said, looking up at the flashing lights that were mounted to his rearview mirror. “Does it make sounds, too?”
He hit a button on his steering wheel, and the sound of a loud air horn, followed by the distinct buuuurp-burrrp most police cars used filled the night air.
Surprisingly, people moved out of our way fairly quickly.
“You can take my truck back to your house,” he muttered. “I’ll get someone to drop me off at my place.”
I blinked.
“You’re not coming back over?”
Was that a whine I detected in my voice?
Yuck, I hated whining.
“No, there’s no telling when I’ll be back,” he told me as he pulled into the station.
Then, without another word, he disappeared, leaving the truck running and me surprised and a little bit hurt.
He’d always come to my house after his calls before. Why was this time any different?
Had what I said been out of line?
Surely not. But hell, what did I know?
Chapter 14
Show me your kitties.
-T-shirt
Nikki