Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (20 page)

They wait in line together
then Colton climbs up the rope ladder behind her guarding her safety, like a good Daddy should. When they get to the top, just when I expect him to climb back down, he flops down on his ass pulling Heidi Jo into his lap and they slide down together, laughter bursting from the both of them. And just like the first slide, he follows her to every inflatable, jumping, rolling and flopping around until they’re both covered in sweat and out of breath.

“What’re ya sittin’ in the corner all by yourself for?” Colton asks with a panted breath as he s
lides inside the booth beside me.

“Eww, you’re covered in sweat, scoot away.” I say shoving him playfully. He nuzzles his face in my neck wiping his salty sweat all over
me with a devious chuckle.

“Come on, baby.” He says, wrapping his hand in mine, “
It’s family day. Let’s have some fun. I might even buy you a snow cone and cotton candy if you’re a good girl.” He croons, feathering a kiss delicately across my lips.

“One more hour
and that’s all I can handle of this place.” I pout. “You tricked me; I thought this was a restaurant with real food and people. Not minions who don’t know what an inside voice is!”

He throws his head back and laughs, “Darlin’, y
ou might as well get used to it because I bring Heidi Jo here at least once a month.”

“Well, maybe y’all can continue this as a Daddy-Daughter date because if I never see the inside of this h
ell hole again, it’ll be too soon.” I retort, my hands resting firmly at the top of my hips, shootin’ my attitude all over him.

“Nope, we’re a family now. Daddy-Daugh
ter dates are now family dates; so stop you’re poutin’ darlin’.”

Groaning, I f
ollow behind him towards the arcade. After getting change, Colton challenges me to a fierce game of Skee Ball, to which I gladly accept. He drops a handful of change in Heidi Jo’s hand, sending her on her way to play. “Ya ready, darlin’? Or do I need to take it easy on ya?” His eyes sparkle mischievously.

“Oh no, Mr. Weston;
I’m up for the challenge. Winner buys dinner.”

A crooked smile tips up his lips
as he slides a quarter in both of the machines. The balls come sliding down, clinking together loudly. “You’re on, baby.”

Picking up the first ball, I grip it in my hand leaning down with my hip popped out. Winking playfully at him, I
say, “Bring it,
darlin
’,” mocking his usual play from back in the day, then sling the skee ball up into the left corner pocket earning myself a fast one hundred points. He rolls a ball up the ramp, slinging it into the thirty pocket and his chin falls to his chest in disappointment. “What’s that, big boy, thought you had skills?” I laugh, sliding the next ball into the one hundred pocket again.

When the game is over a short minute later, my score has
tallied five hundred thirty points to Colton’s three hundred, claiming me the victor of the Skee Ball challenge. “Come on darlin’, best three outta five.” He whines, stomping behind me as I make my way over to the
Pump It
dance game to check on Heidi Jo.

“Are you bein’
a sore loser, Colton?” I ask, clasping my hand over my chest to portray my shock.

“Nope, just don’t remember you ever whoopin’ my ass in Skee Ball like that before.” He barks.

“Well you must be having memory issues in your old age because you may have beat me twice in your life. I’ve always kicked your ass at Skee Ball and you’ve always been a sore loser!” I laugh at him, adding salt to the wound.

After Heidi Jo has spent all of her money and cashed in
her tickets, we go back to the hotel to get cleaned up. Colton takes us to Smokey’s Barbecue in downtown Lexington for supper. It’s a small dive by the University campus with some of the best barbecue in the state as Colton claims. The restaurant is small, dimly lit and decorated with old rock albums, posters, and concert memorabilia. It’s a busy Saturday evening, each booth stuffed with patrons eating, relaxing and enjoying themselves to the old southern rock that blasts loudly from the speakers.

The waitress brings us menus
and asks for our drink and appetizer orders before hurrying off to the back. “Know what you’re in the mood for lil’ lady?” Colton asks Heidi Jo over the menu. She has her attention focused on her iPod, ignoring everyone around her. “Heidi Jo, put the iPod away while we’re at the table. Now, what do you want to eat?”

She huffs
and slides the iPod down in her small purse that’s hanging on the back of the chair. Picking the menu up, she glances at it and replies, “eh, any piggy will do.”

“Alright, and Darlin’ what’re you gonna have?”

“I’m not sure, everything looks good, and I’m starving.”

“Do you like piggy, Carly Jo?”
Heidi Jo asks, and I nod. “I wanted one for a pet one time, but Daddy told me where bacon come from, and that I couldn’t eat anything after we named it. So I changed my mind really fast.” I cover my mouth to stifle back the laughter that hangs on my lips. All I can see in the back of  my mind is this little country gal turned loose in her back yard, tutu and flip flop-clad chasin’ down her
pet
piggy with a bb gun for tomorrow mornin’s breakfast.

The w
aitress returns with our drinks and without hesitation Colton orders for everyone. He doesn’t even ask what I want. But believe me you, he orders enough food to feed a small village. The waitress returns fifteen minutes later with two large platters of food that cover the table top. My mouth drops and drool forms in the corner of my mouth at the sight of this delicious buffet before me. Barbeque pulled pork, brisket, barbecue chicken, ribs, corn on the cob, baked beans, creamy macaroni and cheese, fried apples and corn muffins is my feast tonight and suddenly my little monkey is starved as well. Not a bashful bone in my body, I pile a little of everything high on my plate. After Heidi Jo reminds us to say grace, I cover my face and half of my shirt with barbeque.

“I was thinkin’ maybe tomorrow we could take
Heidi Jo out to the Horse Park before we pick your Tahoe up. That sound alright with you?”

“Yeah, that will be fun. But I don’t want to get back to Williamstown too late
, because I need to go home to clean house and catch up on laundry.”  He takes a swig of tea, his eyebrow cocked high, and I can see that I’ve struck a nerve.

“You need to clean house?” I nod, answering him silently. “You ain’t been there in almost two weeks. I’m sure it ain’t dirty, darlin’. We’ll go over next weekend and straighten it up. Just come
home with me, where you belong.”

I continue eating,
weighing decisions in my mind. We aren’t moving too fast, we’ve known each other since we were each knee high to a duck’s tail. We’ve shared some of the most intimate moments of our lives together, I carried his child
briefly
and with any love from the Heavens above this little monkey I’m carrying now, he fathered as well. But that hankerin’ doubt that he won’t hold true to loving me if the baby is Luke’s still causes me grief.

“Can we talk about all of this tonight after you’re little princess closes her eyes, please?” I plead with him softly
, lacing my fingers through his.

He raises up and stretches across the table, pressing a delicate kiss to my forehead and says, “No worries, darlin’. Let’s just enjoy dinner and we’ll talk later.”

When we get back to the hotel, Colton takes Heidi Jo for a swim before bed. When they finally come up to the room, she pulls on her pajamas and falls asleep as quickly as her head hits the pillow. The long day has tuckered the little princess plum out. Colton comes into the living room and sits down beside me, pulling me into his lap. Brushing my hair back off of my shoulder, he presses his face to my neck inhaling deeply before kissing me. He twists his fingers through my hair turning my face gently, forcing me to look at him. “What do you need to talk about, Carly Jo? I could tell back at the restaurant you were a little resigned to comin’ home with me.” His fingertips massage the nape of my neck, and he feathers more kisses on my neck before continuing to speak. “Is that what’s wrong, you ain’t comfortable in my home?”

He’
s such a tricky man trying to seduce me like this and although wild fire spreads through my veins each time his lips graze my skin, I fight back the feeling of letting him take me right here. I sit up quickly trying to put a little distance between us, forcing his hands to still in my lap, so we can talk…not make out like love starved teenagers.

“I love your home. I’m just concerned what this next week is gonna bring us.” He looks at me
quizzically, with a cocked eyebrow. “I have a follow up appointment with Dr. Staton this week, Colton. So come Wednesday we’ll know the paternity of my little monkey.” I say, rubbing my stomach lovingly.

“Hey,”
he whispers gripping my face in his palms, “ ‘member what I told you? Please don’t lose faith in me. I promise you, regardless of what that paternity test reveals I’m gonna be here. We’re a family now.” My heart skips a beat, nearly lurching from my chest at the word family. Blended we may be, but love has no bounds nor defines the elements of a family.

“Do you want to come to the appointmen
t with me Wednesday?” The words slip off of my tongue faster than I can stop them. I want him to be there so badly. But what if he ain’t the daddy, and he flips out. I’m sixteen weeks pregnant and Colton hasn’t even heard my little monkey’s heartbeat yet. I want to be able to look back on this pregnancy and smile at the beauty that outweighs all of the ugly that we will surely overcome.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He promises. “Come on, baby. Let’s get some sleep.”

Hump day kicks my feet right out from underneath me. The day that I’ve been pleading
for over the last three months. The day that will finally lay to rest the question of paternity for my little monkey. Apprehension and anxiety gripped ahold of me yesterday crippling me of my sanity. I’ve chewed all of the polish off of my perfectly manicured nails so now they look like shit. I’ve eaten an entire bag of Reese Eggs miniatures, all while crying that my ass is gonna spread wider and wider the further I get into this pregnancy.

When w
e arrive at Dr. Staton’s office I sign in at the receptionist desk, but before I can sit down, Kaylee swings the door open, calling my name back to the exam room. “Mornin’ sweets, how are you today?” She smiles brightly. She has the most beautiful smile stretching from ear to ear. I swear if she didn’t have ear’s she’d cut her damn head off. All smiles and happiness every time I see her.

“Nervous. I’d ask how you are, but I’m pretty sure your response will be ‘just peachy’.”
I kid with her and a bubbly laughter fills the room.

“Always happy go lucky, sweets. World’s got enough problems without me belly-achin’ ‘bout my own ya know? By the way, I don’t believe I’ve met this handsome sinner you have with ya today.” She looks up at Colton with a glistening sparkle in her eye. “My name is Kaylee, and
I take pretty good care of this lady.” She says extending her hand to Colton. Taking her hand in his he shakes it softly and she sways a little, light on her feet. Alright little miss, step on back there now.

“Colton Weston, Carly Jo’s boyfriend. It’s nice to meet ya.”

“Alright, y’alls met. He’s hot, I’m impatient, let’s move it.” I bicker, looking between Colton and Kaylee. “Sound good to y’all?” I sneer stomping over to the scales.

“Oooh, somebody’s a Moody Molly today.” Kay
lee snickers in a little song. “Pregnancy Hormones must be kickin’ in. Go ahead and step on the scale, then we’ll get your vitals so Dr. Staton can check on your little monkey.” We go through the usual pre-exam steps, weight, blood pressure, urine, blah blah. Then Kaylee shows me to an exam room where we wait impatiently for Dr. Staton.

“You okay?” Colton questions
as I sit bouncing my legs on the step of the exam table.

“Yeah, just nervous.” I admit. He plops down on the stool and spins around in front of me, snatching
a hot pink glove from the box on the wall blowing it up into a big hand balloon.

“
Well lay back there and relax. You could let me exam you just to loosen ya up before the doc comes in.” He laughs, trailing his fingers softly up my inner thigh.

“You’re terrible, Colton Jacob Weston.” I say swatting at his hand.
A knock on the door interrupts my scolding. Dr. Staton enters and Colton moves from her stool to standing against the wall beside me.

“Morning Carly!”
She sings as she places her laptop on the counter then turns to Colton. “Good morning, I’m Dr. Staton.” She stretches out her hand to greet him.

“Mornin’ Doctor. Colton Weston.” He nods. Five minutes ago, he
was being his usual flirty self, but now the nerves have surfaced and his tan face is ashen.

Dr. St
aton turns back to the computer searching through her notes, I assume before speaking to me again. “How have you been feeling? It looks like you’re coming upon your seventeenth week, so all of the morning sickness should be gone and your appetite should be back in full force.”

“Other than a knotted mess of nerves, I’m feeling wonderful.”

“I understand sweetie. I have the Paternity results here, if you’d like for me to share them with you.” She asks looking from me to Colton. Colton begins to crack his knuckles as he flexes his wrists at his sides, a sure sign that the anxiety is clutching him as badly as it’s clutching me. “Let me step out to get Kaylee to assist me and the two of you can talk. I’ll knock when we’re ready.”

She walks out of the room
taking all of my oxygen with her. “Colton, are you sure you want to be here for this?” My heart constricts at the emotions that I see rolling through his chocolate eyes. That same pain, anguish and utter destruction that I saw in his eyes the night that I told him about Luke, is all there brewing like storm clouds on the horizon of a black sky. When he doesn’t answer I call to him again, pulling him from his torturous thoughts. “Colton?”

He looks down at me sadly then storms past me saying, “Screw this shit.” My heart drops to my stomach and tears roll over the lids of my eyes. He jerks the door open roughly
and steps into the hallway. “Hey Doc, let’s do this, ‘kay?” He hollers, then steps back into the exam room. When he sees that I’m crying he walks over and lifts my face to his, wiping the tears away with the pads of his thumbs. “Shh, baby. Why are you cryin’?”

“I-I thought you had finally broke and just couldn’t handle this.” I
sob.

“Listen to me,” He pleads, kissing me softly on the
cheek. “I’m that baby’s daddy regardless of what those frickin’ results read, darlin’.”

I
hear the door close behind him and soft footsteps closing in. “Ya big baby, what’re ya over here blubberin’ about? Goodness gracious don’t get snot all over this hot man here or I’ll have to take him out of the room and clean him up.” Kaylee kids, trying to lighten my mood. She hands me a Kleenex and says, “Get that shit together, Carly. We gotta introduce the little monkey to it’s daddy here!” Kaylee claims, pulling the ultrasound monitor from the corner. “Lay back, shirt up and get ready for the some belly jelly, sweets.”

“Woah, hold
the hell up!” Colton screeches and all eyes turn on him. “Forgive me for bein’ so damn rude, Kaylee, but what the hell did you just say?” He pants and his heart is beating so damn hard I can hear it from here. I grip my hands tighter around his and drag in a hard ragged breath.

Dr. Staton bursts out la
ughing and steps closer to Colton, whose face is so white it’s almost transparent. She places her hands on top of mine and Colton’s and says, “Congratulations! You’re gonna be a Daddy!” Our mouths drop simultaneously releasing a relieved gasp.

“I’m the daddy?!” Colton questions in a boisterous shout.

“Yes, Mr. Weston. The results were conclusive with a ninety nine point nine percentile match. Congratulations.” Dr. Staton says happily. He lifts me up from the table in a bear hug, swinging me around, shouting “we’re havin’ a baby!” Dr. Staton and Kaylee give us a moment to bask in our happiness before big mouth Kaylee gets impatient and interrupts us.

“Okay that’s enough. N
ow everyone in Williamstown knows the two of you are having a baby since you shouted it from the rooftops. You can celebrate later.” She wiggles her eyebrows with a wicked grin. “Can I introduce you to the little monkey now, please?!” Kaylee begs and Colton and I both laugh at her.

“Yes ma’am. Please, introduce me to
our
monkey.” Colton says.

I hop back up on the exam table, raising my shirt up to the hem of my bra.
Colton links our fingers together and kisses my knuckles mouthing, “I love you.” Kaylee dollops blue belly jelly over my abdomen and I wince at the cold chill of the gel, gooseflesh blanketing my skin. Dr. Staton swirls the wand in the gel, then goes in search of our little monkey. A loud staticky noise fills the room, followed by a swooshing
lup-dup lup-dup
.

“Daddy, meet your little monkey.
He
or
she
is measuring to be sixteen weeks and four days, and is about the size of an avocado. Little monkey is growing nicely as the legs are beginning to develop more and the eyes are centering more in the face at this point. Here is the heart and little monkey has an amazingly strong heartbeat which is a wonderful sign.” She says, pointing everything out to Colton. He gazes at the screen in astonishment and a wild tear trails down his face. “I’ll print some pictures off for you as a keepsake. I can see this is a very momentous occasion, so if you don’t have any questions for me today, I’ll see you back in one month.” She says, wiping the goo from my belly. “And dad, please try to make it to the next appointment because by then little monkey will have grown so much we will be able to determine the gender.” Colton’s mouth drops open wide and he just stares at her. “If you’d like to know, that is.” She giggles, turning to throw the paper towel in the trash. I pull my shirt down, and Colton takes my hand to help me down from the exam table.

“I’ll be here, Doc; with bells on.”

“You two enjoy your day. I’m so very happy for you both.” Dr. Staton says as we walk out of the exam room. She is an amazing doctor who has went the extra step by being more than just a doctor, caring for a pregnant patient. She sensed the urgency of my situation and held my hand as I dealt with it. I could see the happiness in her face when she announced that Colton is the daddy because she knows that is what I want.

When we step outside in the cool spring air, Colton begins shouting “I’m gonna be a Daddy!
” to everyone he passes by. I can’t help but to smile with him because this is the happiest I’ve felt in a very long time. Like a gentlemen, he opens the passenger side door to the Tahoe and helps me in before climbing inside. He laces our fingers together as he drives, and the most handsome smile I’ve ever seen is etched on his face. Pure happiness seeps from his pores, and it’s a happiness that I hope to see on his face for many years to come. I am so in love with this man that my heart skips a beat and a thousand butterflies take flight in my stomach each time he looks at me.

“
We’re goin’ out to lunch, then we’re goin’ home to tell everyone that my darlin’ is havin’ my baby! Hell yeah!” He fist pumps into the air. His excitement truly is adorable.

“
Let’s just invite everyone over and we can make the announcement then. Is that okay?”

“Whatever you want, baby.” I pull my phone out of my purse, and begin texting everyone. Savannah, Emma, Bill and
Luke
. Luke. Oh shit, I pause before pressing send.

“Ah, Colton. I think we need to make a stop first.”

“Where to darlin’?”

I bite down hard on my lip, as I pinch my eyes closed. I know he
says that he’s changed and that Luke helped him overcome his insecurities; whatever that means. But I don’t want to hurt him by needing to tell Luke. I think it’s the honorable thing to do, since there was that slim chance that he may have been the daddy, too. “I-I n-need to talk to Luke.” I say casting my eyes down with a slight sense of shame picking at my heart.

“No. We need to go talk to Luke.” He says, tipping my chin up to look at him.

Fifteen minutes later we cross the tracks to Miller’s Branch and my scattered nerves begin to dance. I know that Luke deserves a relationship where he is loved and cherished for the incredible man that he is. But I can’t offer him any of what he deserves. After the tragedy that stripped Luke of his own family, he surely isn’t ready to start another. It still crushes my heart knowing that in five short minutes I’ll give him news that’s gonna cut him a little deeper.

Before I realize where we a
re, Colton opens the truck door startling me from my daze. “We’re here, darlin’.” He says taking my hand in his, helping me down out of the truck. I can’t hide the shaking tremors that control my small hands no matter how hard I try. “Are you sure you can do this, baby? If you can’t, just wait here and I’ll go talk to Luke.”

I take a few small steps up the gr
avel driveway considering Colton’s offer. “No, I need to do this. It’s only right that he hears this from me, Colton. But I’m so happy you’re willing to do it with me.” We step up on the creaky porch and I drag in a rough breath as Colton taps his knuckles against the front door. Luke pulls the door open, immediately smiling when he sees Colton and I standing on his porch. Words don’t have to be spoken for Luke to know why we’re here. He has a keen sense that I admire.

“Hey Y’all! Come on in.” He holler
s, stepping back from the door making room for us to enter. The living room is entirely different from the exterior of the house. The siding of the house is tattered and stained from the coal polluted air, and the windows are thick and grimy with soot. However, the inside is a different scene. The living room walls are painted a soothing grey, beautiful white crown molding lining the ceilings. A black leather sectional stretches along the wall and adjacent from there is a flat screen TV, anchored to the wall. It’s simple, sleek and very clean. Everything is neatly in its own place. We take a seat on the couch, and Luke sits down across from us bracing his elbows on his knees. “Glad to see y’all together.”