Sinful Ever After (Sinful Serenade Book 5) - Crystal Kaswell Page 0,49

hour to psyche myself up enough to call. I dial her number. But I'm not ready yet.

I end the call before it can ring.

Mom and I are better than we were, but things are still strained sometimes. I know she wants the best for me, but sometimes, it feels like she wants her idea of the best for me.

My phone buzzes.

Incoming call from Mom.

Dammit, I thought I hung up fast enough.

For a second, I consider letting it ring to voicemail. But then I see Drew's slacks and boxers on the bedroom floor.

Damn him and his sexual not quite bribery.

I answer the call. "Hey, Mom."

"Kara, sweetie. How are you?" Her voice is chipper. She's doing well.

"I'm good. Tired."

"How was your friend's wedding?"

"Beautiful." I spent nearly twenty minutes filling Mom in on all the details of the wedding. Not that I'm avoiding the subject at hand.

She interjects with awws. It was a nice wedding.

When I run out of details, I start talking about the cake. Then the frosting.

Then I'm out of other subjects.

I have to tell her.

Fuck.

I push myself off the bed and pace the hotel room. It's a long room. It's a lot of space for pacing.

"Kara, you okay?" Mom asks.

"I have to tell you something." I need to do this fast, like a Band-Aid. Quick. Painless.

Yep, there's nothing as painless as telling your mother that you're unwed and pregnant.

It's not so bad, really. Drew and I are engaged. We're employed. Well, he's employed. I'm employable.

He's responsible. He's mature. Hell, he's the only one of the guys who does his own cleaning. Miles, Tom, and Pete all hire cleaning services.

Drew takes care of himself. He takes care of me. He can take care of our baby too.

We can do this.

I take a deep breath. "Mom, I'm pregnant."

"Oh."

I can't read her voice. Shit.

"I just found out." I tap my fingers against the phone. What do I say here? How do I convince her this is okay? "It's a good thing. We're happy."

"Then I'm happy."

Drew calls out from the bathroom. "You have an appointment with a doctor in the morning."

Thank God for Drew. I've never been more certain that I need him than I am right now.

"I'm seeing an OB tomorrow," I say. "We'll find out more."

"That's great, sweetheart."

"Really?"

"You're a little young, but... you know, your father and I got married and started trying for a baby as soon as we could. Sometimes, it's okay to do things early."

"Yeah?" I ask.

Her voice lifts. "You're going to be a great mom, Kara. I know it's scary. I was terrified when you were born. I thought I'd do something wrong. But the love you have for your family—it's the best thing in the world."

***

After the doctor's office—I'm ten weeks along, and everything looks good—we get into a cab and head to brunch.

"Think they're tired of sleeping together already?" Drew asks.

"Not in a million years." I rest my head on his shoulder and intertwine my fingers with his. "Do you want to tell them or should I?"

"I will." He squeezes my hand. "Unless you object."

"No. You should tell them." I press my eyelids together and soak in the vibrations of the road. "In thirty weeks, we're going to have a baby."

"Yeah."

"There are about two weeks until your tour starts."

"I've got it under control, Kara. Don't worry."

"You want to tell me how?"

"I’d rather tell you once I'm sure this will work." He lowers his voice. "In case I fuck it up."

"Okay." My breath feels sharp. I don't like the uncertainty, but I can respect that Drew wants to be sure before he makes a promise.

It's his way.

After a few quiet minutes, we arrive at the restaurant. It's surprisingly quaint, like a hipster version of Denny's. Everyone else is here. They're at a long table in the middle of the room. Meg and Miles are sitting on the end. They're wearing the relaxed smiles of two people who spent the entire night knocking boots.

Tom jumps out of his chair when he sees us. Willow follows, a few paces behind.

He hugs me hello and whispers in my ear, "nobody knows you're knocked up."

Willow play-swats him then takes her turn hugging me. "You do have that glow about you."

"It's the glow of good nausea medication." The doctor prescribed something that is safe for the baby. It still feels like a dream. I'm having a baby. We're having a baby. In seven months, we'll have a baby. "But thanks."

"No, it's more than that." Tom gives me a quick once-over. He turns