Redwood Bend

SUV. You don’t have anything better to do between now and when you toss me to that brother of yours. Let’s head for the beach. Got an old blanket around here? We can stop and get some lunch to go, take it easy. You can tell me all about Charlie. How you met him, how you knew you wanted to take a chance on him, all your secrets.”
“They’re not secrets, Dylan. They’re also not the sort of thing you should be interested in. What kind of guy wants to know about the first guy?”
“I’m interested in Charlie,” he said. “But I want to know about you. ”

Fifteen

O ver a couple of deli sandwiches, bag of chips and unsweetened tea, Dylan learned that Katie met Charlie through a girlfriend. “She had a date with some soldier, set up by a cousin of hers or something, and she didn’t want to go alone. So, before she even asked me if I’d go, she asked her date to bring a friend for her girlfriend. I was pretty annoyed with her, but I went. She never saw her soldier again after that night, but I married mine.”
“You must’ve been a lot easier back then…” Dylan teased.
“He made me laugh,” she said, amused. “Then he made me love him. Conner had a fit because I was ready to run away with Charlie after a week. I agreed to wait a few months and Charlie won over Conner.”
“Just out of curiosity, how’d he do that?”
“Well, he didn’t break his nose, for one thing. It did take a while, but Charlie worked hard at courting me. He flew from Texas to Sacramento every chance he got, not easy to do on a soldier’s salary. Conner thought he’d lose interest, find a more convenient girlfriend, but Charlie kept coming back. He just wouldn’t give up. He told Conner he’d never quit because he loved me.”
Dylan reached for her, smoothing back her hair on one side. “I came back,” he reminded her.
“I didn’t expect that,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean I trust you.”
“I know you don’t. I’ll be honest with you—I didn’t know I’d come back, either. And here’s a flash for you, Katie Malone—I’m not giving up, either.”
She sighed and lay down on the blanket, on her back. “I think you might, Dylan. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to fit into your plans.”
“I’m flexible, when you get down to it,” he said, leaning over her, hoping he could wrap up this conversation with some meaningful kissing.
“Not about everything,” she said. She touched the tender black-and-blue cheek under his eye. “Listen, I didn’t plan this, but I guess since you’re here asking for another chance, you should have the facts. There’s a reason why Conner went a little crazy on you. It’s not just because you left and I was sad. It’s because just minutes before he ran into you at Jack’s, I had told him…” She lost her nerve and bit her lower lip.
“What, Katie?”
“Well, the one thing you had long ago made up your mind never to do—have a family,” she said.
“I’ve given that some thought,” he said. “If the girl I want comes with a couple of kids, I’ll have to rethink that.” He shrugged. “I guess the real danger to you probably lies in my screwed up DNA. I’d really like to overcome that. I just don’t know if I can.”
“Right,” she said. She turned on her side and balanced her head on her hand, her elbow braced on the ground. “As it turns out, we’re going to find out just how screwed up your DNA is. Take a deep breath. I’m pregnant.”
He didn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. His eyes got a little wide as he looked at her.
“You aren’t going to throw up, are you?” she asked him.
He still didn’t move. He leaned away from her and she sat up. “I’m very careful,” he said. “That shouldn’t have happened.”
“Yeah, I’m careful, too. We had some bad luck, I guess. Failed protection? I think we got a little too…ahem…close before the protection got involved.”
“My fault,” he muttered. “I lost my mind. I lost control. I couldn’t think and I—I’m sorry…”
“You’re probably right about how it happened. I can promise you I didn’t stick pins in condoms—I wasn’t interested in having this kind of surprise. I already have plenty on my plate.”
“Were you going to tell me?” he asked, and his voice sounded very hoarse.
“Absolutely, but when I was ready and not because I need anything from you. You’ve been very clear how you feel about this sort of thing, like you don’t realize I’ll have some DNA in this