Sitting at a table in Olive Owl, I’m going over the calendar and other administration with Knox and Drew.
Drew started working for us a few months ago. He’s a few years older than Lucy, and while he sorts his life out post high school, he’s handling a lot of the physical stuff here at Olive Owl.
“You good working extra the coming weeks? Weekends will be a zoo,” I double-check with Drew.
“Absolutely, I can use all the overtime I can get,” he admits as he sits across from me. He wants to go to college, and I hope for him that it becomes a reality soon.
“Good, because after pumpkin season is Christmas tree season, and we can use all the help.” Knox leans back in his chair.
“We have family dinner tonight, right?” I remind us all and grab my can of cola. We do these dinners on a regular basis for Lucy, and with Grayson and Brooke getting married soon, then Rosie and Kelsey are a packaged deal—not complaining one bit.
“Yup. You coming Drew? You know we won’t take no for an answer,” Knox reminds him before leaning back in his chair.
“Yeah, I’ll be there. Okay, I’m going to head out and unpack the delivery that came this morning. See you later,” Drew tells us as he grabs his baseball cap and leaves.
With me and Knox alone, we both let the moment of quiet sink in. It’s been a while since we’ve had a day with not much to do at Olive Owl.
Knox sighs before stretching his arms up over his head then walks to the inn’s bar to grab a soft drink. “Should we look at the calendar for next year already? We had two wedding bookings come in,” Knox suggests.
Before I can answer, I notice a woman who looks hell-bent storming into the room.
Not just any woman. The one who has managed to keep me at bay in all ways, except when my cock is buried inside of her.
Kelsey looks a cross between pissed and upset as she storms in with skirt, tights, a sweater that I’ve seen on my floor a few times—and a paper bag. Even pissed she still looks hot as hell, and her flaring eyes are making my dick twitch in excitement too.
I don’t get an opportunity to greet her because she doesn’t give me a chance.
“You promised me that you wouldn’t let us fuck up,” she begins, and I’m completely lost about which direction this is heading.
That is until she stands over me and tips the paper bag in her hand over the table with the contents landing over the documents that I was looking at.
My eyes try and take in what the items lying there are.
“Your swimmers, Bennett.” Her tone has a little bit of bite to it. “A little too eager.” She watches me as I study that pile of what I’m going to assume are pregnancy tests, and I feel the spin of nerves shooting between my stomach and chest.
“I’m pregnant.” Kelsey’s words confirm what my eyes are witnessing.
I’m speechless as I sink in the news that just hit me. I’m not quite sure I believe it, or maybe it’s my mind simply going blank.
This isn’t happening. No, this just can’t be. What the hell? How? Wait, I know how. No way.
The clearing of a throat draws both of our attention to the side where Knox makes his presence known.
“Well, shit, this day just got interesting,” Knox comments, and he is utterly entertained.
“Oh… I didn’t realize you were here,” Kelsey simply says.
Knox gives Kelsey a little nod and a comforting smile. “I would love to watch this play out, but I think I’m going to leave you two alone,” he awkwardly tells us before he makes his quiet escape.
Kelsey returns her gaze to me, but I have yet to move or configure in my head any words that would make sense in this moment.
It’s dead silent for the following moments.
No words. Only a held gaze that confirms we’re both entering unchartered territory.
“Say something, Bennett… anything.” She’s calmed slightly, probably because I’m in a state of shock.
My mouth opens, but it’s dry and only a croaky sound escapes.
Kelsey stands there with her hands on her hips, her nails tapping as she waits… and waits.
I swallow and hope my mind can actually wrap around this to form words.
Nothing.
“Right, well, I’m going, and when you are ready to talk, then you know where to find me.” She shakes her head, disgruntled with my lack of response, before pivoting and exiting the scene. Understandable.
But, shit, my world just feels like it stopped, when in reality it’s spinning so fast because I’m now tied together for life to Kelsey and this baby.
A walk helped slightly to clear my head. It’s been a few hours and I’m now out of the shocked state, well, slightly less, anyway. Which is a good thing, because it’s Blisswood dinner night, which means not only do I face the whole family but Kelsey too.
I’m an ass. I should have managed to say a word to her, but now she must be completely lost about where I stand.
I don’t have an answer, only to do better than speechless.
Pepping myself up and letting a deep breath escape me, I walk into the dining area of the inn for the second time today, Knox in tow. I flop onto a chair and notice that Knox’s overpowering grin should concern me as he uncorks a bottle of wine.
“What’s up with you two?” Grayson asks, as he arrived earlier than everyone since Brooke is cooking.
Knox flashes me a smile. “You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what?” Grayson asks.
“Bennett here had an eventful day.” He points his thumb to me, and I’m annoyed. I shake my head because I know what he is about to do.
“What the hell is going on?” Grayson presses on, clearly intrigued.
Knox only chuckles, and I know he’s taking pleasure from this. “Fun story, so we were sitting here at the table going over admin, and guess what?”
Knox looks between us and leans back in the chair with a cheeky look. “A woman comes storming in all hell-bent and then she pours a shitload of positive pregnancy tests in front of Bennett. Guess who knocked someone up?”
I’m going to murder Knox.
“Thanks for letting me process the news,” I sarcastically state.
“Who did you knock up?” Grayson asks as his sight lands on me, and I notice the subtle hitch at the corner of his mouth because he too is amused right now. “Kelsey?”
My head perks up from surprise as I didn’t realize he knew. “Yeah.”
A smile spreads on his face and he comes around to slap my back. “Congrats.”
“For someone who just learned that his brother accidentally got a woman pregnant and has yet to speak to her, you are pretty chipper.” I look at him slightly in astonishment.
“Kind of been there, and kids are great. Kelsey will be a great mom, you’ll be a great dad. What’s not to celebrate?” Grayson is acting far too casual and calm for me right now.
“Nice. So you knew that Bennett and Kelsey have been at it like rabbits?” Knox grins as he offers a glass of wine to both of us.
Grayson laughs before taking a quick sip of the red liquid. “Fucking obvious. I was hoping tonight you both would kind of announce you’re finally together together, because it’s been getting kind of uncomfortable. But a baby? Wow, this is…” He blows out a breath.
“I actually don’t know anything else other than she peed on a few sticks and here we are,” I admit, and that fact doesn’t sit right with me. I need to rectify that stat.
“Look at you two, hopping on the daddy train. Is it that Olive Owl has fertile ground or do Blisswoods just possess potent genes?” Knox reflects as he circles the wine in his glass.
Nope. Absolutely not. I’m not going to sit here and listen to Knox talk about potent genes.
“On that note, I need to go find Kelsey.” I stand from my chair and feel a wave of energy overcome me, because I need to now be in action mode.
“She’s outside, I think Brooke went to her,” Grayson says. “But listen, before you go out there, know what you’re going to say. I mean, you want the baby, right? You’re not going to walk away?” He gives me his serious older-brother tone that is filled with care.
He’s right too.
“I’m not going to walk away.” That is an easy confirmation, because any other option isn’t one in my book.
“Alright then, go find her and we’ll go ahead and start dinner without you two.” Grayson speaks so easily, as if it’s a normal day.
I raise my brows at my brothers. “Fuck that, I am not letting us go to family dinner with everyone eyeing us.”
Grayson and Knox look to one another and both break out in a knowing look.
When I reach outside, I see Brooke and Kelsey standing by her car in conversation. Brooke has her hand on Kelsey’s arm, and I can’t see Kelsey’s face as her back is to me. Brooke peers up to me, and I walk over.
“Kels, I think I’m going to leave you alone now—” Brooke begins but gets cut off.
“Great, now I’m a crying pregnant lady all alone and getting stared at by the horse who has been eyeing me for the last twenty minutes.” Kelsey hiccups a cry and her head indicates in the direction of Cosmo, Lucy’s horse.
“Not exactly alone,” I speak up, and Kelsey immediately turns her head to me. Her eyes are telling me that she is both relieved and surprised that I’m there. Is it possible to be both of those things? I guess I feel both right now too.
Brooke walks past me and rubs my arm in support before disappearing.
Circling around Kelsey, I stop in front of her with our eyes meeting and my fingertips instantly touching her arms.
“I’m pregnant,” she repeats.
“Yeah, gathered that when you dumped a bag full of tests on my table,” I simply answer.
She glances away then back at me. “Sorry, I should have thought of a better way of telling you. I just…”
I rub warmth into her arms. “It’s okay. It was memorable, that’s for sure,” I reply.
“Guess it’s our fault that we weren’t careful.” She looks down, almost ashamed.
I’m quick to hook my finger under her chin and force her gaze back to mine. “It happens. And I’m positive I was an active participant.”
She nods in understanding.
“It wasn’t planned,” she states.
“The best and worst things in life never are,” I admit, though I can’t put us in either one of those categories right now.
“Why are you so calm in this moment?” Her eyes squint in confusion, and I get it, considering my track record of earlier this afternoon.
I lick my lips before offering a closed-mouth smile. “Because it would be best if only one of us is a mess right now and I’m letting you take the honors for that today.”
“Oh.” A glimmer of appreciation floods her eyes, and I know we both feel numb right now, but it’s these little specks of hope that keep us going. “We should probably talk. Really talk.”
I step to her side and offer my hand. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
It should be a simple walk, but it can’t be.
Our whole future is ahead of us.