“Thanks, Jaclyn. Can you put Mom on the phone and then go holler at Dad? I need to speak with them both.”
Silence fills the other side of the line.
“Jaclyn?”
Her throat clears. “Is everything okay, honey?”
“Oh, yeah.” I breathe. “Life’s never been better.”
And just uttering those four words sets everything back on track. All nerves of telling my parents dissipate. Either they’re in this or they’re not. Amelia and Branson are my life now, and nothing matters more than the two of them.
“Glad to hear it, honey. I’ll go get your mom.”
I can hear her set the phone down, her signature one-inch pumps clacking across the hall, no doubt in a hurry to get to my mom, knowing full well she’ll spill the beans as soon as we hang up. She’d do it even without having a glass or two of wine in her. With her nice and warmed up from a good cab, I’ll be lucky if all of Nashville doesn’t know by the next morning. That is, if she’s actually happy for me.
“Knox,” Mom croons into the phone, slightly out of breath. “I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for you to call. You’re still there, so I assume that’s a good thing. Or, oh no, does that mean you’re still trying to win her back? Do you need me to come down there and knock some sense into the girl?”
I chuckle. Judging by her tone, she’s definitely on glass number three. “No, Mom. Please don’t come scaring her away when I’ve just gotten her back.”
Her sigh is wistful. “I knew you’d do it.”
I play it over in my head, wondering if I should tell her we aren’t exactly back together, but what’s the use? By the time my parents meet Amelia, she’ll be mine.
“Oh, here’s your father. Knox! Sweetheart, our son did it. He won that girl over and they’re back together! Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Of course, Kate.”
The amusement in my father’s tone is unmistakable.
“Mom, since Dad’s there with you, there’s something I need to tell you both.”
“He says he has something to tell us,” she whispers to Dad. Well, I think she believes she’s whispering. I heard every word.
“Then let the boy speak, Kate.”
“Oh, right. Yes. Go ahead, Knox. Both of our ears are by the telephone so we can both hear. Now, what did you want to tell us?”
Suddenly, pride replaces my nervousness. I want them to know. Need them to.
“I have a son.”
There’s rustling on the other end of the line. My mom’s voice comes in a whisper. Pretty sure she’s taken the phone away from in between them and it’s just her and me now. “What?”
“Mom, I’ll explain. I only wanna say this once, though, so let Dad listen in, okay?”
More rustling.
“We’re both here, Knox. I, uh, I think we’re both in shock. Wh… How could this have happened?”
The memories of just how it could have happened bring a smile to my face and a shot to the groin. Those memories are what kept me going these past eight months.
“Considering you’re the one who taught me about the birds and the bees, I think you know how this happened. You sent me to Crystal Cove to have a good time. Well, I did. A helluva good time. Neither of us knew Amelia was pregnant when I left. In fact, she didn’t even know until a month later.”
“She could have told you!” Mom exclaims.
“Katie,” my dad warns.
She huffs but doesn’t say another word.
“We didn’t share contact information,” I tell them. “It was just supposed to be for the summer. At the time, I was too stubborn to admit I loved…love her.”
“Oh, Knox,” Mom whispers.
“And you guys are gonna get a kick out of this. She actually did write. Just…she wrote to the company and not to me specifically. Well, she thought she was. She just didn’t know how to address it to the correct Knox Wellington.”
“Jesus Christ,” Dad mutters.
“Amelia was the one who sent the letter to Wellington. Not some crazy woman trying to get Dad’s money.”
“I knew you didn’t have some harpy out there,” Mom teases Dad.
“Course not, woman. I only have eyes for you. You’re more than a handful. All my strength and energy go to you.”
And as I wait, I hear my parents kissing. I clear my throat. “Um, guys, can you do that later? This is a long-distance call, and it’s not on my phone.”
“Oh, does that mean—”
I cut her off. “Yeah, Mom. Amelia just had my baby. I’m staying at her place for the foreseeable future.”
“Tell us everything, Knox,” Mom insists, so I do.
Well, most of it. I’m not going to tell them that it appears Amelia’s in her own personal tug-of-war game. Definitely not telling them I’m not sure I’ll come out on the right side of it.
Mom, naturally, is beside herself that “the poor girl” went through the pregnancy by herself, only slightly settling down when I tell her she was surrounded by her friends here. Mom also insists she come to Crystal Cove immediately to help out. It takes Dad and me about five minutes to talk her out of it. I can hear her pouting over the phone.
“Mom, this is between Amelia and me. She’s already overwhelmed as it is. I’m not adding you to the mix. You’ll come to Crystal Cove when I say you can.”
“But—”
“No. That’s final. You will not interfere. I’m not asking, Mom.”
“All right, Knox. If you insist,” she says, her voice laced with defeat. “You sound so much like your father. It’s rather irritating.”
I laugh. “Thank you. On both counts.”
“Son, I have to ask you something,” my dad says, “and you’re probably not going to like it.” The skeptical tone in his voice tells me I’m definitely not going to like this.
“Yeah, Dad?” I ask, unable to hide my impatience. The longer I’m away from Sunny and Amelia, the more I worry Amelia’s going to change her mind and Sunny will kick me out of the door.
Or, rather, try to kick me out the door. Not gonna fucking happen.
“Is she trying to trap you? Perhaps when she discovered who you are, she saw dollar signs. Are you positively certain the child is yours?”
Mom’s gasp echoes before I’ve barely processed his words. “Knox Nathaniel Wellington! How could you?”
Strangely, I’m not upset with my dad. It’s a fair question.
“Katherine, I’m just looking out for our boy.”
“Hmmph.”
I should respond before Dad’s foot goes any farther into his mouth and he ends up sleeping in the pool house tonight.
Mom sighs with relief when I laugh. “Calm down, you two. Don’t fight on my account.”
“Knox, he didn’t mean it,” Mom answers.
“Don’t presume to speak for me, woman!”
“Did you just call me woman?!” she shrieks.
“You heard me. And you like it!” he insists with force.
Holy fucking hell. I have to get out of this.
“If you both don’t shut up, I’m hanging up the phone!” I shout, wincing as my voice echoes down the hall. So much for keeping the call private.