“She’s pregn–“
“We know she’s pregnant. That doesn’t mean you run off and get married.”
“Liam!” Josie says his name loudly. He turns and looks at her before turning back to us. I know he wants to protect his friend, but it’s not like I’m after his money or anything.
“You didn’t let me finish, Liam. Jenna’s pregnant with my baby.”
Liam’s face turns red as he looks from Jimmy to me. There are two gasps that I assume come from my mom and Josie and a string of expletives from my father. But for some reason, the look on Liam’s face is what does me in.
“Are you fucking kidding me, JD? You can’t go around claiming her baby because you’re bored. This is a life we’re talking about. And now you’re married? How long until you cheat?”
I jump when Liam says cheat. Jimmy’s not going to do that to me. That’s what I keep telling myself.
“I’m not bored, Liam. I’m taking responsibility. Jenna and I made this baby together on the night of your wedding, and I’ll be there by her side when she brings our child into this world.”
“What’s this about cheating?” my dad asks as he steps forward. I feel like I’m about two feet tall and invisible right now.
“Oh, JD here has a hankering for women and lots of them.”
“Liam, that’s not fair.” Josie adds. I want to say she’s right, but I know the truth. Jimmy’s a dirty dog, that’s what she called him the night of her bachelorette party.
“I won’t cheat, Mr. Hardy. Jenna means too much to me and I won’t hurt her. I’m a married man and I’m about to become a dad. This is what I want.”
Jimmy leans forward and kisses me full on my lips. He smiles when he pulls back and I can’t help but smile too.
“I can’t fucking believe you, JD.” Liam doesn’t wait for a response, but pushes Jimmy away from me and out of my sight. My dad follows, l
eaving me with Josie and my mom. Two sets of arms encase me as I fight tears that I didn’t know I had coming.
I walk down the path of the unknown. Unknown because most of our business “meetings” take place downstairs in the studio, but not today. Liam pushes me again, literally shoving me as if I’m walking into a torture chamber. Maybe I am. Maybe I’m being duped and I’m not the baby daddy and she’s been tricking me. I want to punch myself in the head, repeatedly, for even thinking that. There’s no way she’s lying about us. She doesn’t need to. I remember the night vividly, like it happened yesterday. It’s been on my mind constantly because for the first time in years my body craves her. It cries out for her. She’s my water after a long night on stage and the more I drink, the more I need.
I step outside into the back garden. I don’t know why Liam doesn’t use this space more. He should. It’s great for entertaining. I can see Jenna and I in a place like this with our little one playing in a sandbox or something equally as cheesy. I want to give this baby everything that I didn’t have when I was growing up. I know I have to start with me first. I need to get some shit straightened out in Los Angeles before I can be the best husband I can be to Jenna. It’s all crap I should’ve done before, but I’ve never been one to plan my life out. Spur of the moment works best for me and while I was thinking with my head when I asked Jenna to marry me; I also pretty much think with my dick and that gets me into trouble.
Liam steps around me and opens the door to his garage. I try not to show any fear, but I’m pretty sure it’s pouring out of my pores. Jenna’s dad stands behind me. He’s a big guy, and could easily break my sorry self in half, but I’m hoping since his daughter is carrying my child he’ll take it easy on me. What self-respecting man wants to leave his daughter husbandless and his grandchild fatherless? I tentatively look behind me and am met with an ice-cold glare. I turn slowly back around and take a deep breath before stepping over the imaginary line that is my doom.
The garage is unwelcoming and sterile. Liam is incredibly anal about his truck and motorbike so I know this room is treated like a sanctuary. If I were a gambling man, I’d bet that you could eat off the floor if you ever felt the need to behave like a dog. I have a feeling I’ll be eating in here after today. I follow Liam as he climbs up a set of wooden stairs. He flicks on a switch, lighting the rest of my path. Jenna’s father, my now father-in-law, is muttering something incomprehensible behind me. I’m willing to bet my life savings that he’s plotting ways to cut off my dick so I can’t violate his daughter again.
When I get to the top, I’m suddenly taken back to high school with Liam, even though we didn’t attend the same school or even know each other. The walls are covered with posters of him and Josie, and him and Katelyn’s former husband. I walk around the room, looking at the memorabilia and it’s like a shrine. I’m not about to ask why it’s all here because I know this is his history and if I had what he did, I’d fight to keep it all too. “What the fuck, Jimmy?” he doesn’t tell me to sit down or offer me anything to quench my dry throat, not that I deserve it. I look at my father-in-law and briefly see hurt spread all over his face. I play Jenna’s words from this morning over in my mind; she, no scratch that, we should’ve called her parents to tell them the good news. And I suppose, right now, good is a relative term.
My answer doesn’t come quickly enough. I stare between the two men wondering if this is going to be a good cop/bad cop situation. I’ve been through this before, with Chelsea and her family. Her father was never afraid to tell her that I’m nothing but a worthless piece of shit, and her uncle tried to help me get a respectable job. It didn’t matter how much money I made with the band, it was never good enough to satisfy her father. I was never good enough.
“What do you want me to say?” I ask, and it’s clearly the wrong question. Jenna’s dad, whose name I don’t even know, paces. His hands are shoved deeply in his pockets and as he walks, he mumbles to himself, shaking his head back and forth.
“How much is it going to take?
“Why would you be so stupid to claim a child that isn’t yours?”
Both questions are fired at me at the same time and it makes head spin. I alternate looking at both men, each one clearly has a different agenda and I know that I have to tackle the most important one. I step forward, stopping in his path and offer my hand.
“I’m Jimmy Davis. My friends call me JD, but your daughter calls me Jimmy and I know I should’ve asked you for her hand in marriage, but I tend to get carried away and act before I think and apparently I talk a lot when I’m nervous, but it’s nice to meet you.”
Liam doesn’t hide the fact that he’s laughing at me. I’m sweating bullets and my best mate is in the corner pissing himself laughing at me like this is some type of hilarious joke. Jenna’s dad is bloody huge and I’m a nervous wreck because he could probably kill me with his bare hands. Ironically, I didn’t care what Chelsea’s parents thought of me, but I do care what this man thinks of me because I’m going to know him for a long time.
I drop my hand when he doesn’t offer his back. I look away, not wanting to show him the hurt expression on my face. If I have to spend the next however many years buttering up this man, I’ll do it because it will make my wife happy. Her mother I can probably win over with my charm, but I doubt this burly man gives two shits about me.
“How much will take for you to go away, to annul this sham of a marriage?”
I step back at his request, stunned. This marriage isn’t a sham. We’re having a baby and I’m doing the best thing for Jenna and me. I never wanted children, at least not right now, but knowing that she’s having my baby – it does things to me – and I want to be with her. She’s fucking sexy as hell and my body craves her. Not being with her isn’t an option for me.