Hold Me (Fool's Gold #16)(77)

Pregnant? Destiny was having a baby? His baby? Kipling took in the news. Mentally, he turned it over in his mind, not sure how he felt about it. He liked kids. He’d been hoping to have kids. He could make sure he was always there to fix things for a kid. Yeah, he could do this. A child. He felt himself start to grin. A mini G-Force.

“I don’t get it,” she said, her voice rising just a little. “There should be a one-time protection mechanism. Like a do-over. But no. Virgins get no special allowances. Instead, there are consequences. That’s what gets me. I believe in consequences. I’m a huge fan. I live my life to avoid ever having to worry about them. But there we were, on the bench in the bar, doing it, and I’m pregnant.”

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“No!” The word came out as a shriek.

She visibly drew in a breath. “No,” she repeated more quietly. “I’m not okay. I’m just getting things together with Starr. We don’t even have a permanent place to live. We’ve decided to stay in Fool’s Gold, but it’s not like I have a job lined up. Or even a plan. What am I supposed to do with my life? And now there’s a baby?”

She walked to the window then turned back and glared at him. “This is so your fault. Before I met you I was a calm and rational person. Now I’m pregnant. And I have feelings. Like before, after our dinner? I wanted you to kiss me but you didn’t, and I was upset. What’s with that? I’ve gone my whole life not needing to be kissed. Things are a whole lot more calm when there’s no kissing, let me tell you.”

He leaned against the desk and held in a smile. Oh, yeah, this was the Destiny he’d long suspected was hidden inside. The passionate woman who sang with body and soul.

“Don’t look at me like that!” she told him.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. With amusement and pride. I’m not a puppy.”

“I never said you were.”

She stomped her foot. “I want to throw something! Do you know what that means? I really am my parents. I’ve worked so hard to not be them, and here I am, wanting to throw a plate at your head!”

He crossed to her, grabbed her by her upper arms, hauled her against him and pressed his mouth against hers. When he drew back, he stared into her green eyes and knew exactly how to solve the problem.

“Marry me.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DESTINY SAT ON HER BED. The part where she’d left Kipling’s office and walked or possibly run home was kind of a blur. She remembered him proposing. She was pretty sure she’d told him no, burst into tears and then run off. But maybe the fact that she couldn’t exactly remember meant she’d politely thanked him for his generous offer then had sedately strolled away.

Or not. And remembering was highly overrated, anyway.

She reached for her guitar. Her fingers found chords. She wasn’t looking for a song, but the act of playing allowed her to relax.

On the bright side, Lacey had left that morning. The whirlwind visit had ended with her mother promising to return in a couple of months to see how things were going with Starr. Destiny had a feeling that once word of her pregnancy spread, Lacey would become a regular in Fool’s Gold.

She had to admit, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Having a baby was scary. Knowing her own mother would be around was nice.

She continued to play, thinking that now that she was pregnant, wine was out of the question. Which meant she was going to have to curl up with a glass of milk and some cookies later. Dairy was good for her, wasn’t it? And if she had raisin oatmeal cookies, they were practically a fruit and a whole grain.

Nutrition aside, she’d had a life and a direction. Maybe a slightly strange one, but a life that was hers all the same. A life that was basically laughable now. Wasn’t she ridiculously old for an unplanned pregnancy? Shouldn’t she have known better? All the running from her genetics and her family had landed her in a situation even her mother had managed to avoid. Single and pregnant and nearly thirty.

She kept watching the clock and when it was time, she put down her guitar and walked into the living room to wait for Starr to get home.

A few minutes later the teen flew into the house. The second she saw Destiny, she started talking.

“There’s a musical. They’re putting on a musical the last week of summer, and I want to audition for one of the lead roles. Do you think I can do it?”

“Of course. You have a beautiful voice.”

“I’m so scared,” Starr admitted with a laugh, as she dumped her backpack on the floor by the sofa. “What if I freak out?”

“You’ll know the music,” Destiny told her. “Why don’t I talk to Kipling? Maybe he can open The Man Cave some Saturday afternoon so you and your friends can practice with a microphone and a few family members in the audience. Less pressure than an audition, but in a safe environment.”

“That’s an awesome idea. Thanks. I was going to ask you what song you think I should sing. They gave us a list to choose from.”

“We can look them over tonight.”

“That would be great.” Starr wrinkled her nose. “What’s up? You have a scrunchy face.”

“What?”

“Your face is all scrunched up. Something happened.”

Destiny figured things were bad when she couldn’t fool a fifteen-year-old. “Have a seat. We need to talk.”