any minute. All my stuff is already tucked away inside due to the fact that the truck has been my bedroom for most of the week. All we gotta do is start ’er up and head home.
I can’t wait to get a tight hug from McKenna. I can’t wait to see my mom smile, happier than ever because we’re all three together again. Without a doubt, there’s a stack of pancakes in my future, and my stomach grumbles just thinking about it.
“Where’ve you been?” I ask as Jeremy nears.
It’s later than I was planning on leaving. All but a few cars have gone. Even Ethan already headed back home for the weekend—not that I noticed him driving off in his truck or the fact that he didn’t even wave as he passed me by.
That’s when I see Jeremy’s face and notice it doesn’t shine with happiness at the prospect of being reunited with his beloved Khloe in just a couple of hours. In fact, he looks shocked. His hair is standing on end like he’s been tugging his hands through it. His eyes are wide and red-rimmed.
“What’s going on?” I ask, right before he reaches out and pulls me into a hug so tight I can barely breathe.
“Taylor…I’m…” He laughs and sounds absolutely deranged. Did someone slip him something during lunch?
“What? What’s wrong?!”
“I’m going to be a dad,” he finally forces out, barely above a whisper.
I jerk back, hands flying to cup either side of my face. “What?!”
What is he talking about? We were just at work. Dad? What? How? Who did he impregnate?
He claps a hand over his mouth and shakes his head. His eyes are welling with tears, and now the redness makes sense. He’s been crying.
From joy.
“Jeremy, that’s…” My voice breaks. “That’s really great news.”
More than anything, I want Jeremy to be happy, and he is happy right now. He’s over the moon about this news, news that is going to absolutely turn his world upside down.
“I can’t even believe it. I just got off the phone with Khloe. She’s been trying to reach me all day. She’s already six months along.”
“Six months?! Hasn’t she been showing?”
My heart races trying to catch up with all this news.
He nods, more tears running down his cheeks before he wipes them away. “She’s always been curvy and I guess I should have been paying more attention, but it doesn’t matter now. She says we’re having a little girl and she wants to name her Jacqueline after her grandmother. She was keeping it a secret because she wasn’t sure how I’d take it. That’s why she called me here instead of just waiting until I got home. She was nervous I’d want nothing to do with her or the baby.”
I can’t wrap my head around this. Jeremy had goals. He wanted to get out of debt and start building up a nest egg. I’m so happy for him—I am—I just…
What happens now?
Apparently, what happens now is that Jeremy is moving.
Khloe has family in San Antonio, an aunt and an uncle who want to help her out. Her uncle has work for Jeremy at a car dealership he manages.
“It’s a good opportunity for us.”
“Better than this?” I ask, feeling like a jerk for even bringing it up. I’m just still in shock.
His eyes find mine and pity settles there. I feel terrible. He should be getting to enjoy this moment, but how can he with me standing here like a joy-sucking leech?
“Khloe’s dead set on going to San Antonio, and I can’t abandon her. I have to do what’s best for my family.”
Family.
That’s right.
Khloe and Jacqueline are Jeremy’s family now, and just like that my safety net is gone, because if Jeremy is quitting, I can’t leave with him and drive back to Oak Dale. I’d have no way of getting back here on Monday. Max would be an option if Max had a car, but Jeremy says he’s been catching a ride with another guy. He isn’t sure on the details and he doesn’t even have Max’s current number and I feel like I’m on the brink of tears, but I can’t cry in front of Jeremy. I can’t cry and ruin his moment more than I probably already have.
“Hey, why don’t I just drive you back here on Monday?” Jeremy offers, but I shake my head.
“No, that’s silly. You’ve got a lot to do with…everything, and I don’t mind staying here. I just need to grab my stuff out of