“You’re just saying that because it’s true.” I say, my voicerighteous. “What makes you so high and mighty, anyway? You’re justas vulnerable to getting pregnant as I am, Sloane. We used acondom. It obviously didn’t work. You’re no different.”
“I get it, Ellie. But, do you love Maverick? Because I loveJacob and he loves me.”
Alright,now she’s pissing me off. “Why are you so intent on saying theperfect thing to get under my skin lately? God, Sloane! I’m fuckingpregnant! You’re supposed to be supportive, and you’re being atotal bitch!” I shout, rising, setting my laptop to the side of thecouch. “Just…get out! If you’ve got nothing supportive to say, thenjust get out! Hell, I hardly know Maverick, and he's being athousand times nicer to me! You…you’re hell bent on hurting me andmaking me upset! Now, get out!”
“Fine.” She seethes, grabbing her purse, storming out,slamming the door in her wake. I hear her drive out of the drivewayand the tears start. What the hell is wrong with her? Why is shelashing out on me? Is she…jealous? That her recently divorcedsister is now having a baby with seemingly the nicest guy around?What? And as I sit on the couch, sobbing, I hear a knock at thedoor. I know it’s Maverick, and I’m defeated, so I just call outfor him to come in.
“Hey, pretty la—” he stops when he sees me blubbering on thecouch. After he removes his boots, he walks over to me, withoutsaying a word, and just holds me. His grip is firm yet gentle, andit feels so good, I don’t want to let him go. He kisses my headintermittently, making me feel like I mean so much to him, butagain, I don’t want to get too carried away here. Maybe Sloane isright. Maybe I am reading too much into this. When I pull back toget a tissue, he asks simply. “You want to talk aboutit?”
I shakemy head after wiping my eyes and nose. “There’s nothing really totalk about. My sister’s being a bitch. That’s all there is toit.”
“She not happy about you having the baby?”
“It’s not that. She just…I don’t know. She went off on thistangent about me carrying baggage from my divorce.”
“Well, that would be natural, Ellie. A divorce, not that Ihave any experience with those, but I know that it can’t beeasy.”
“It isn’t easy. I don’t know why Sloane is being sodifficult.”
“Well, what kind of baggage does she think that you’recarrying around?”
“She thinks that by me sleeping with you, that I’m carryingaround baggage. She thinks that I did it in some twisted way to getback at Will.”
Hescrunches his face, but his eyes are dancing. “I didn’t mindhelping you get back at Will, if that’s what that was.” He jokes,trying to make me smile. “Hell, you want to get back at Will, wecan do that again…right now if it makes you feel anybetter.”
I lookat him and he winks. I snort a laugh. “You asshole.” I elbow him inthe ribs.
“There’s my girl.” He growls playfully. He looks up and seesthe onesie sitting on the table. “That what started it all? She seethat little outfit?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, Ellie, maybe she’s just having trouble adjusting. Idon’t think she meant to hurt your feelings. She just doesn’t wantyou to screw up your life.”
“She’s sure got a nasty way of saying so.”
“Siblings are weird people, Ellie. My brothers are noexception. But remember that they may have a funny way of showingyou they love you, but if Sloane’s anything like my brothers, she’dtake a bullet for you or anyone you love. That’s they way it works.They drive you nuts but they’d save your life all in the samebreath.”
“That’s true. How you and your brothers came running when Icalled to say that Sloane was in trouble at the bank?”
“There’s that.” He nods. “And I’m sure that Sloane will comearound. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”
I lookat him. “Did you tell any of your brothers about the babyyet?”
Heshakes his head emphatically. “No, ma’am. At this point, they’dnever let me live it down. It’s just a shame that Sloane found outthe way that she did.” He sniffs. “No, we decide when we’re tellingpeople. And I’ll be careful to keep y’all away from the ranch, too,if you don’t mind. My mama’s got a sixth sense for sniffing outpregnant women.”
“My mama, too.”
“Then I’m glad that you understand. I wouldn’t want youthinking I was ashamed or anything. You think we should starttelling people, I’ll invite you over for dinner at the ranch, andby the time the meal is over, the cat’ll be out of the bag forsure.” He says with a soft chuckle.
“I think it’s best if we keep it to ourselves for now,Maverick.”
“No, darlin’, I agree. And at the same time, I respect that,too. Y’all think Sloane will keep it to herself, or do you thinkthat you’ll end up coming clean with your folks?”
“I’m not sure. She was pretty angry earlier. And she’ssometimes been known to have a big mouth in her personal life.Professionally speaking, she’d take it to the grave,though.”
“You think your folks will be upset if they hear it from herfirst?”
“I’m not sure. This is their first grandbaby. It might sting alittle at first, but then once the dust settles, I think thatthey’d be fine. Hopefully Sloane doesn’t squeal, though. I’ll killher if she does.”
