Kaylie lets out a deep breath then loops her arm through mine. “Let’s go for a drive, okay?”
“Kay, the last thing I want is to go for a drive. One, it’s weird that you got your license while I was gone. And more importantly, I want to know where my fucking fiancée is and I want to know now. Unless you’re taking me to her, save your goddamn drive for another day. I’ll just grab a cab and find her myself.”
Apparently I loosen her resolve because she sighs then nods her head. “Okay, Kale, I’ll take you to her. I know exactly where she is.”
KAYLIE TRIES to make small talk in the car, but after a few noncommittal one-word answers, she decides that I’m a lost cause and stops attempting to get me to engage in conversation. As I stare out the window, we ride in silence, and I can’t help all the horrible thoughts rolling through my head.
I’ve been gone for just a little over three months, and even though I never saw the military in my future, the day I found out that Tara was pregnant, I vowed to do everything in my power to provide love and support for my family. Seeing as how I was just a kid barely out of high school, the military seemed to be the best route for me. We’d been childhood friends, then sweethearts, so when she ended up pregnant, marriage made perfect sense. Mom tried to talk me out of it, saying that it was a new century and there were plenty of unwed parents, but I was head over heels and I wanted to start a family with her, even if it was a hell of a lot sooner than either of us had planned. When I proposed, she cried and said yes, and even though she didn’t want me to leave for the Army, she understood and we had a tearful goodbye at the airport. A smile forms over my face as I remember kneeling down one last time to place a kiss on her belly, where a small bump had started to form.
“Kale, we’re here,” Kaylie informs me, tearing me away from the happy memory.
I glance out the window and frown, turning to her. “This has to be a mistake. What the hell would she be doing at a bar at two in the afternoon?” I ask incredulously, wondering what kind of fucked-up joke she’s playing on me.
Sighing, Kaylie leans her head against the glass. “She’s working. I don’t know the details, but for some reason, after you left, she dropped all her classes at Faulkner State, quit her receptionist job, and started bartending. Just go in and see her, okay? I’m right behind you.”
Her words register in my mind but they make no sense. Tara, bartending? What the hell? Quickly wanting to get to the bottom of this, I’m out of the car in a flash, and I walk with long strides until I make it to the front door of the bar.
My heart’s racing as I open it. I hear the chime signaling my arrival, but no one seems to notice. Not waiting for Kaylie to come in behind me, I let it shut and take two steps until I see her, and I’m frozen in place. Her back’s to me, but I know it’s her, and I watch in utter disbelief as she flirts with some asshole. I tell myself that she’s just doing her job, but then he grabs her ass and she giggles, turning slightly so I can see her flashing him a beautiful smile. She leans and whispers in his ear, causing him to nod his head vigorously. Before I can do anything, she’s walking away, her back still to me, and then she disappears behind the kitchen doors.
The asshole stands up, throws some bills down on the counter, and then starts to head my way. He gives me a tip of his hat as he takes in my uniform. “’Preciate the service, brother,” he tells me before leaning in close. “The chick behind the bar? Be nice to her and I promise she’ll take care of ya, if ya know what I mean.”
What the fuck? Almost as if on instinct, my arms flies out, my fist connecting with his face. He reels back, his hands coming up to his nose to assess the damage.
“What the hell, man? I’m just tryin’ to help a brother out!”
Leaning in, I grab ahold of his collar. “That chick behind the bar? She’s my fucking fiancée, asshole. Not only that, but she’s having my kid, so no, she’s not going to be taking care of anyone.”
His eyes widen, and then the fucker gives me a look that is nothing but pure sympathy. “Oh, man, I had no idea. You serious?” He pauses, and I nod. “Dude, hate to be the one to tell you this, but she ain’t wearin’ a ring. And the girl? She most certainly is not havin’ no baby.”
Tara chooses that exact moment to reenter the bar carrying a thick tub full of ice and beer bottles, effectively covering her middle. I let go of the guy and pull out the teddy bear from my cargo pocket. She doesn’t see me, and I lose sight of her for a moment when she bends to set the tub down. When she stands back up, the sight of her takes my breath away. Stumbling back, I feel the stuffed animal fall from my fingertips as my eyes continuously blink. It’s as if they’re playing tricks on me and I’m not really seeing what I’m seeing. Or well, not seeing.
I feel a hand on my shoulder, and then Kaylie is pressing up against me, her cheek on my back. “I’m so sorry, Kale. I didn’t know how to tell you,” she whispers, her voice cracking.
My head falls and I bring a hand up to meet hers, squeezing tight. I don’t blame her. I probably never would’ve believed it without seeing anyway, but now that I’m here, I can’t deny it. Standing less than twenty feet away from me is Tara Jennings, my childhood best friend, first love, fiancée, and mother of my future child. Only this Tara, the one who should be nearly seven months pregnant, is standing in tight denim shorts with a form-fitting black tank top that rides up on her belly—her unbelievably flat-as-a-board belly. Gone is the baby bump I’d caressed before I left. Gone is any evidence that a baby, my baby, was there not just three months ago.
And now it all makes sense. The letters that became less frequent the longer I was gone. The unanswered calls when I was able to get a phone pass. The airport reunion that never was. She lost the baby and was here to deal with it all on her own. In four long strides, I’m in front of her, and I pull her into my arms and wrap her in a warm embrace. My heart’s breaking for the loss, but it’s equally tearing me apart that she had to deal with the fallout on her own.
Before I can even begin to really feel her, she’s pushing against my chest, out of my arms. Her eyes widen when she looks up at me, and there’s something there. Shame? Regret? I don’t know what it is, but nothing about the look on her face is one that I’d expect from my fiancée when I return home after being away for so long.
Reaching down, I stroke her face, cherishing the feel of her skin under my fingertips. “Why didn’t come to the airport, babe? I’ve missed you,” I admit, leaning in for a kiss, but she turns her face at the last second, forcing me to kiss her cheek instead of her lips.
What the fuck is going on?
A million things start racing through my mind, and I don’t get it. This Tara is distant, unfeeling, nothing like the woman I love, and my heart starts beating rapidly as I look back at my sister, who is watching us with sorrowful eyes.
“Kale, I can’t do this here. We need to talk, but not right now.” She holds her wrist up to glance at her watch, and my eyes widen when I notice her fingers and realize that the asshole was right. My ring is no longer on her finger. “I get off at nine. Can we meet then? At the old swing set?”
Anger courses through me, and there’s no way in hell I’m waiting hours to find out what the hell she’s been up to since I’ve been gone. Taking her hand, I don’t give her a choice as I pull her outside and into the alley next to the building.