Kenny’s parents were not what I expected.
After a night of small doses of sleep marked by tossing and turning—while Kenny slept like a rock curled up beside me—I’d finally given up. I’d cooked eggs for both of us for breakfast, and she ate half of my portion in addition to hers. Then I put on my most respectable-looking khakis and a button down, and we hit the road for Bayville, me following her in my car.
In a little more than an hour, Kenny and I were sitting side by side on a dark plaid sofa in the living room of a small, middle-class home with pictures of Kenny at various ages on wood-paneled walls.
Her father Byron Woods had light brown hair like his daughter’s that was now becoming salt-and-pepper grey. He studied me with stern suspicion from his chair, which I didn’t necessarily fault him for.
Kenny’s mother Grace hastened around the room getting everyone drinks. Other than her dark hair, Kenny looked more like Grace, having the same build and eye color. I wasn’t sure what she was expecting or if she already had an idea.
“What’s your line of work Mr. Knight?” Kenny’s dad asked, sitting back in his recliner with a glass of iced tea.
Kenny was right, this did feel exactly like we were in high school confessing. “I’m a private investigator, sir. I can do pretty much anything, but my focus is online security.”
The part about me being a closer and getting the job done didn’t seem quite appropriate in view of our circumstances.
“How did you and Kenny meet?” her mom breezed into the room, carrying another glass of tea, which she handed to me.
That question threw me. I didn’t know how Kenny’s parents felt about her former occupation—if she’d even told them about her job with Carl or being a tattoo artist. They appeared pretty conservative. Then I remembered how Kenny looked when we first met compared to how she looked today. The change had occurred since she moved back home, all her tattoos were hidden; I was stumped.
“Patrick works with Derek Alexander. The man who helped with Blake’s case?” Ken intercepted. “We met through mutual friends.”
Both her parents nodded, and we were all quiet again. For the first time since Kenny told me, I worried what other people might think about our situation. I thought of my sister Amy, and how I would feel if a guy showed up to drop a bomb like this. I’d punch him in the face. How could I say this gently?
“We’ve had a little surprise,” I started, shifting in my seat. “You see—”
“Mom, Dad,” Kenny cut in, “I’m pregnant.”
With a gasp, Kenny’s mom covered her heart with her hand. Then she let out an “Oh!” that I was pretty sure indicated she was not devastated by the news.
“And you’re the father?” Kenny’s dad was another matter. His eyes were no longer curious. They were flat.
“Yes, sir.” I shifted. I should probably let him punch me in the face if he wanted to, only he wasn’t that big. “I… I mean, we…”
“It was an accident,” Kenny said. “We didn’t mean for it to happen. It was just one of those things where—”
“Kendra,” her mother said softly. “You don’t have to tell us everything.”
Somehow that statement made me want to laugh. No, her mother probably didn’t want to know the whole story of how this blessed event occurred.
Her father sat forward. “So why are we all here? Do you have a plan?”
“Yes, Patrick’s staying in Princeton, and I want to stay here with you in Bayville.” Kenny sounded more confident than she had in two days. I hoped it was because I was here with her, and I sat back to let her take the lead. Whatever she said, I’d support it.
“If it’s okay with you,” she continued, “I’ll keep working at the Jungle Gym until I can afford my own place.”
My brow lined. I hadn’t asked her what she was doing these days, and with a name like that, I wasn’t sure if she was working with kids, animals, or exercisers.
“How will you do that?” her mother asked. “You can’t kickbox in your condition.”
“Sure I can!” She scooted forward on the couch. “And I’d like to keep going to GCU, finish my teaching certificate…”
All of this was news to me, but it was great. She was doing a lot more than she’d told me.
“I’ll help out any way I can,” I added.
Her father looked at me a moment, and then he stood. “So you’re not planning to get married?”
“No.” Kenny answered before I could speak. “Patrick’s… Neither of us intended to be together that way.”