Southern Chance - Natasha Madison Page 0,13

with Charlotte, Kallie’s mom, ended, she baked twice a day. When my father died, she baked three times a day. We had to buy her another freezer so she could fill it. “Mom, I swear it’s going to be fine.”

“I know,” she says. “Bring Ethan over here tomorrow after school. He loves to bake with me.”

“Will do, Mom,” I say and disconnect. I get Ethan into bed and sit by his bed while he says his prayers, and then I read him a goodnight story. I know that it’s going to end soon, so I’m taking full advantage of it.

I kiss his head and walk out of the room, closing the door a bit, and then walk through the quiet house. A house my parents bought for me as soon as the shock of me becoming a father set in. I, of course, refused, and they insisted even more. “It’s for our grandson.”

I make sure that the dim light over the stove is on and go into my room to my private shower. I hang my head and let the hot water cascade around me, my mind going back to the past.

I opened the front door, my heart crushed and my body in pain as I thought about the fact that what was supposed to be the best night of our lives was now the worst. My father was sitting on the couch with his arm around my mother as she cried into a tissue in her hand. She’d obviously already got the news. The phone started ringing again, and they both ignored it.

“You have to tell me it’s a lie,” my mother sobbed. “It can’t be true.”

My father’s eyes never left mine, and it was like he knew the truth.

“It’ll be fine.” My father tried to soothe her. “It’ll all be okay.”

“I’m sorry.” Those were the only words I could actually say.

A week later, my dad found me in the barn and grabbed a bottle of whiskey. He put one glass down and then another and then filled it. He looked at me, and I grabbed the glass and swallowed the amber liquid. It burned all the way down, but I only felt a sliver of pain. “That isn’t your child.” He wasn’t asking me; he was telling me. “There is no way that is your child.”

“How?” I asked him, but I wasn’t surprised he knew the truth. It was why he was so good at his job. “You can’t say anything.”

“Not my story to tell,” my father said, pouring another shot. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”

“I know that I have to protect that child.” I took another shot, hissing, “My child.”

I turn off the water and shake my head. These flashbacks are not going to change or help anything.

I slip on my boxers and the pants that I wear when Ethan is here. He walked in one morning and my cock was at full salute, and we had to have an in-depth conversation about how it gets so big and what to do with it.

I’m just slipping into bed when I hear a soft knock on the door, and I stand here, not sure if it’s in my head or not. But then I hear it again, and my heart starts to beat faster. It starts to beat frantically when I walk closer and closer. I open the door, and my heart drops or maybe it crushes. I don’t know why I expected it to be Kallie. I don’t know why I even care.

“Sorry for coming over without calling first,” Savannah says, walking into my house, and I close the door behind her. “I just …” She takes a deep breath and walks into the living room. I look at her, and see she’s wearing her blue jeans and a tight top. Don’t get me wrong, she’s beautiful, but I can’t look past everything we’ve been through. We even had a talk when she gave birth about moving in together and trying to be a family, but I just couldn’t take that step. “This is crazy.”

“I’m sorry. I’m past the point of tired,” I say. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that Kallie just showed up in town.” She speaks quietly so as not to wake Ethan up. “I’m talking about the fact that the last time you saw her was prom.”

“I know exactly when the last time I saw her, Savannah. I was there,” I remind her.

“You promised me,” she says,