Just One Reason Read online

  Taking a deep breath, hoping to draw strength with every inhale, I followed Taryn down the hall leading to our bedrooms. Anne was nowhere to be seen, and I assumed she had returned to her hotel. Rebecca was seated across from my mom in the living room, and her eyes mirrored Taryn’s when she saw me standing in the doorway. She didn’t make any move to leave the room, and I understood that she too was supporting me.

  My mom looked just as beautiful and perfect as ever, in her ice blue suit with her blonde bob smooth and sleek.

  “Lindsay!” She cried and hurried over to pull me into a hug. My arms hung loosely at my side. Before I left I would have returned the hug out of obligation. But now, even though nothing had actually changed with our relationship since we hadn’t talked once, it seemed that everything had changed. Remembering what she put me through before and bringing it out into the open brought all the resentment back to the surface.

  She pulled back to take in my appearance, her bright blue eyes sweeping over me with quick efficiency. “You look tired, dear.” Gee, thanks Mom.

  “Well, I am pregnant,” I replied. This was absolutely not how I planned to break the news, but somehow it just spilled out of my mouth. Honestly, seeing the shock and horror on my mother’s face was worth it. Taryn gently took my arm and led me to the couch, leaving my mom standing there staring at the spot where I had been. Rebecca looked equally as shocked, but without the added element of horror.

  When Taryn urged me down on the couch between her and her mom, Rebecca rubbed my back and leaned close to whisper, “Congratulations, Lindsay.” At least somebody’s mom was happy for me.

  Before my mom was able to recover, the ding of the elevator signaled that the guys were back. This shit storm just elevated to a Level 5. From the living room we couldn’t see the foyer, but I distinctly heard Grady’s voice - I could pick it out of a crowd. Wyatt entered the room first, giving my mom a curious look before sidestepping her to plant a kiss on Taryn’s mouth.

  My uncle James followed. He walked into the room with Grady, clapping him on the back and laughing about something. My mom narrowed her eyes at Grady, and he returned her gaze. Though they had never met, there was no mistaking the resemblance between me and my mother. I’m sure he quickly guessed who she was. As for her, I had no doubt she had done her research on Grady Hawke five years ago.

  The room was now overcrowded and full of people just looking at each other, all of us knowing what was to come.

  James cleared his throat and said, “Taryn, Wyatt - you should go get cleaned up for dinner. We have reservations at 7:00.” That was his polite way of clearing the room slightly.

  Taryn gave me a quick hug and whispered, “Don’t worry. My parents are on your side.”

  When she left, Grady sat down in her place, putting his arm possessively around my shoulder. His body language was casual, but I could feel the tension like a force field around us. James motioned for my mother to return to her seat while he sat in the chair next to her.

  Before he could continue the peace talks that would surely rival any he would encounter in the Oval Office, my mother shot an angry glare at Grady, her eyes flickering to his hand rubbing up and down my arm.

  “Is it your mission in life to fuck up my daughter’s life by impregnating her?”

  Rebecca winced at my mother’s harsh words, and James looked taken aback for a brief moment. Grady leaned forward, but I put my hand on his thigh. This was my battle, not his. He didn’t look happy about it, but he remained silent and let me take the lead.

  “Mom,” I said, feeling calmer than I had with my mother in forever. It was like I knew she couldn’t do anything anymore. When I was sixteen she had control over my life. But now? Now I was in control of my future.

  “I am with Grady now, and I am pregnant. I plan on staying in Penn Yan and finishing up my degree there…in nursing. And I’m having this baby. We’re having this baby,” I said, glancing at Grady.

  My mother’s face pinched up in an unattractive look of disgust. “Did you not learn anything, Lindsay? You are so much better than that,” she spat. Now it was my turn to look disgusted.

  “Oh, I learned plenty. I learned that my mother cared more about her image than she did about her daughter’s feelings. Did you ever, for one second, think about how I felt? I lost a child, and until two days ago, I thought I had lost my ability to ever have children. That part wasn’t your fault. But forcing me to break up with Grady, and making me go through that all alone - that is something I will never forget. In time I might be able to forgive you, but I will never forget. You irreparably damaged our relationship that day.”

  My mother’s wide eyes looked over to Rebecca and James. Yes, Mom, they know what you did. I continued before she could sputter more shit.

  “I am going to tell Dad the whole story, too. I want to have a relationship with both of you. But you have to accept the choices I make. And you have to accept Grady. We’re a package deal now.” Grady grasped my hand and brought it to his lips.

  My mother looked pissed beyond belief but, for once, was speechless. Rebecca broke the awkward silence.

  “Lisa, I think Lindsay has said what she needed to. It would be best for you to go now and think about what she has said. Dinner will be at 5:30 tomorrow. We hope to see both you and Lawrence here.” James and Rebecca stood, clearly waiting to escort my mom out. When she left in a huff without another look at me, I relaxed against Grady. I didn’t realize how tense my whole body had been. Grady wrapped me in his arms and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

  “I’m proud of you, Linz. That can’t have been easy.”

  I exhaled and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I said what I needed to. I still need to talk to my dad, but the ball’s in their court. If they want to be a part of my life, of their grandchild’s life, they need to be okay with my choices. And I choose you.”

  Rebecca and James didn’t return, or if they did, they saw Grady and I snuggled together and decided to give us some privacy. We stayed like that, not talking, just being together until Taryn came in to tell us they were leaving. She looked glamorous in a short red cocktail dress and black heels.

  Once they were gone I disentangled myself from Grady and went to the kitchen to find the take out menus. I must have been standing there staring at them for a while, because Grady came up behind me. He took the menus from my hands and placed them on the counter. Then he took my hand and led me to our bedroom.

  “Let’s take a shower and put on our pajamas. Then we can order something to eat and start a fire,” he said. Exactly what I had in mind.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  Grady

  Lindsay was asleep before the opening credits finished rolling. I stayed put, enjoying having her sprawled across my chest. But after twenty minutes into the romantic comedy Lindsay had picked, I just couldn’t take it anymore. I thought about just turning the movie off and staying on the couch, but decided Lindsay would be more comfortable in bed. She barely even stirred when I scooted out from under her, picked her up and carried her to our room. It wasn’t even 9:00 pm yet, so I tucked her in and turned out the light.

  I cleaned up our takeout containers and glasses from the coffee table. The wall of windows in the living room looked out over the Manhattan skyline, which was lit up like a Christmas tree. This had been Lindsay’s home her whole life. Would she be happy leaving all this behind and settling down in a small town? God, I hoped so. Because it would kill me to lose her again.

  Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I threw the trash away and rinsed out our glasses before placing them in the dishwasher. I was leaning back against the white marble countertop trying to decide whether to watch TV, try out the home gym, or just go climb into bed with Lindsay when the intercom buzzed. Frowning, I looked over at the box on the wall next to the refrigerator. It buzzed again, so I walked over and attempted to figure out how it worked. Pushing the red “Talk” button I said, “Yes?”

  “Sir, this is Barry
at the front desk. I have a Mr. Ross here to see Miss Ross,” the voice in the box said. What the fuck?

  “Do you have a first name for Mr. and Miss Ross?” I asked. Almost everyone in this apartment had the last name Ross, and I needed some clarification.

  “My apologies, sir. Mr. Lawrence Ross is here to see Miss Lindsay Ross. Normally Mr. Ross is allowed to come right up. But Mr. Ross…Senator James Ross…said no unannounced visitors while he was out.” I ran my hands through my hair. Shit, it’s Lindsay’s dad. I glanced toward the room where Lindsay was sound asleep. I didn’t want to wake her up just to get reamed by her dad. But did I have the right to just send him away?

  “Send him up,” I said into the box, almost immediately regretting my decision. Maybe I could deal with him without having to wake Lindsay. One angry parent is enough for one day, but what choice did I have? I went to wait for Mr. Ross in the foyer.

  The expression on his face when the elevator doors opened and he saw me was priceless. I’m sure I was the exact opposite of what he was expecting. After all, he was expecting Lindsay - not a guy with long hair and tattoos in his pajama pants and nothing else. His eyes swung around the foyer like he was expecting the rest of my thug posse to rush out and jump him.

  “Easy, dude. Lindsay’s asleep. She’s had a long day, and I didn’t want to wake her until I know why you’re here,” I said.

  Mr. Ross looked me up and down and sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. He looked older than I knew him to be, and tired. Not stayed up too late partying tired, but bone deep exhausted from a lifetime of working too much.

  “You must be Grady,” he said, taking a step forward and holding out his hand. Not exactly what I was expecting, but I could tell immediately I would like him better than his wife. I eyed his hand for a moment and then shook it.

  “Do you want to come in?” I asked, feeling awkward because neither of us actually lived here. But I guess we were on my turf since Lindsay and I were staying there. He nodded and followed me to the living room. I took my place on the couch where Lindsay and I had been not half an hour earlier. Mr. Ross tugged his tie loose and removed his suit jacket. It was 9:00 pm on the night before Thanksgiving and the guy looked like he just came from the office. I would probably work myself to death too, if I was married to Lindsay’s mom.

  It seemed neither of us knew what to say or where to start. I was unsure how much he knew, so I remained silent and waited for him to speak first. It was several awkward minutes later before he finally said, “Lindsay must hate us.”

  “Honestly, she hasn’t spoken of you much. Just to say you were unhappy with her decision to quit her internship. Now, her mother…that’s a different story,” I replied.

  “Lisa just told me this evening what happened,” he paused to take a deep breath. “What really happened with Lindsay…and you. She changed so much after that summer. I didn’t spend much time with Lindsay…I just chalked it up to typical teenager behavior. But now, I can look back and see the pain in her eyes. How she tried so hard to be what she thought we wanted.” He fell silent and dropped his head into his hands.

  “It surprised me when Lindsay said she wanted to be a lawyer. I never knew she had an interest in joining me at the firm. I suppose I grew so accustomed to the idea then that I turned a blind eye to how miserable she was during her internship.”

  He looked up at me then as if he just remembered he wasn’t alone. “I’m truly sorry for what my wife did…not just to Lindsay, but to you as well. My wife is headstrong, just like her daughter, but what she did was horrible. I’m not sure I will be able to forgive her, and I wouldn’t expect Lindsay or you to either…I just wanted Lindsay to know that I love her.”

  I contemplated going to wake Lindsay up, sure that she would want to hear this, but Mr. Ross stood up and put his jacket back on.

  “Do you want me to get Lindsay?” I asked.

  “No, let her sleep. She needs her rest.” Mr. Ross came over to shake my hand again. “My wife also told me that Lindsay is expecting again. It is truly a miracle after what she went through. I hope that you both will allow me to be a part of your lives and to know my grandchild.” He spoke with such sincerity that I had no doubt he meant what he said.

  “I can’t speak for Lindsay, but I would welcome your involvement in our family,” I said to him. I followed him to the foyer and waited for the elevator. He stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor. Just as the doors began to close he stuck out his hand and grabbed the door.

  “I expect that you will be marrying her,” he stated. It wasn’t a question, and it made me like him more.

  “Yes, sir. As soon as possible,” I replied. He nodded once and drew back, letting the doors close between us.

  I blew out a breath. Who would have thought meeting my girlfriend’s parents would be such an emotional roller coaster? I would have bet anything that meeting her uncle, the likely future President of the United States, would have been more nerve wracking. And I would have lost that bet. I was still standing in the foyer trying to process the conversation with Lindsay’s dad when the elevator dinged again. Jesus Christ, what now?

  Taryn and Wyatt exited the elevator, hand in hand, followed by the other Mr. and Mrs. Ross. These people needed nicknames. Mrs. Ross took in my half dressed state and winked at Taryn, who gave her mom a “what the fuck” look. Wyatt looked disturbed by their exchange and Mr. Ross seemed oblivious. Too much had happened tonight for me to even care about what was going on here.

  Feeling like I should tell someone about Lawrence’s visit I said to Mr. Ross, “Your brother was just here.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Hmmm, how did that go?”

  I gave them the cliffs note version of his visit. Taryn looked extremely relieved that Lindsay had one supportive parent. “Where is Lindsay?” She asked looking around for her.

  I motioned towards the hallway. “She’s asleep. She doesn’t know her dad was here. I’ll tell her in the morning.”

  “Okay, good. Here. I bought this for her. She probably hasn’t had time to get any books yet, and I think this will get her started on what she needs to know,” Taryn said, holding a Barnes & Noble bag towards me.

  I took the bag and said goodnight to everyone, excusing myself. Back in our room, I flipped on the lamp next to my side of the bed. Lindsay didn’t stir, and I wondered if sleeping so deeply was normal during pregnancy or if I should be worried. Looking down at the book from Taryn, something about the stages of pregnancy, I decided to find out. Two hours later I knew more than I ever wanted to know about the first trimester of pregnancy. But I did know that Lindsay’s super sleeping was normal. Turning off the light I pulled her against my chest and dozed off.

  Thanksgiving Day started with a late breakfast when we all finally woke up, followed by football on the big screen, and ending with dinner in the dining room. When Lindsay woke up, before we even got out of bed, I told her about her father’s visit the night before. She cried, happy tears I think, and called him right away. They talked for a while, and she was smiling when she hung up. That’s all I cared about.

  Lawrence arrived early for dinner, taking Lindsay aside to talk before joining the guys in the living room to watch football. Lindsay brought him a beer before handing one to me and settling herself on my lap. Lisa apparently had a headache and sent her apologies for missing Thanksgiving. Even though Lindsay brushed it off, I could tell she was disappointed that her mother hadn’t come around yet. Maybe she never would, but I would make sure that Lindsay had a full, happy life anyway. She would be the loving mother to our child that her mother never was to her. That I would bet my life on.

  Dinner was delicious, and we all ate way too much. Lindsay and I stayed in the city until Sunday morning. Taryn, Wyatt and Lindsay dragged me to see all the touristy landmarks, and Wyatt and I were somehow roped into shopping. Even though I know the girls were already out shopping once this trip.

  It was bittersweet to go home. I knew Lindsay woul
d miss Taryn, but we were both ready to get back. I was unbelievably relieved to hear Lindsay say she missed “our” home. On the ride back to Penn Yan we discussed her moving in with me ahead of our original January schedule. In reality I let Lindsay think we were “discussing”, when in actuality Leah and Lana were packing up Lindsay’s stuff and moving it to my house today.

  She hadn’t brought up marriage, probably because that was my job. Her dad’s words played over in my head. Honestly, I had been thinking about it for a while now, ever since we got back together two months ago. Now with the baby on the way, there was no time to waste. When Lindsay fell asleep, I drove us the rest of the way home and formulated my plan.

  ***

  It wasn’t a long drive to the doctor’s office that Leah recommended, but I had to place my hand on Lindsay’s knee five times to stop it from bouncing up and down. We took her car, because I absolutely refused to let Lindsay on my bike now that she was pregnant.

  I think I had effectively kept Lindsay’s mind off the appointment last night. When we arrived back in town I drove straight to my (our) house. Lindsay was worn out from the week with her family, so she said it didn’t matter to me where we stayed. However, she was definitely surprised to see her clothes hanging in the master bedroom closet and her toiletries lining the sink and shower.

  I explained with a sheepish grin that I had arranged to have her moved in while we were gone. Lindsay pretended to be mad for about two seconds and then she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She said staying at Lana’s house she had felt like a visitor, but staying here, living here with me, she felt like she was home. Even more so than the penthouse apartment she had grown up in. That was exactly what I needed to hear after spending the last few days seeing firsthand how her privileged life had been before me.

  The moment we woke up this morning, the nervous energy was flowing through both of us, but especially Lindsay. She was showered and dressed well before we had to leave, but her stomach was too uneasy to eat anything. I was less than pleased when she passed on breakfast, but I was slightly appeased when she promised to eat after the appointment.