Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (4 page)

I change clothes and head out.

The whole way there, I
’
m trying to process this all.
 

What it means for me.
 

What it means for me and Ariela.

I expect to ease the pregnancy into the conversation at some point during the evening, but the first thing out of my mouth when Keatyn opens the front door is,
“
Shelby
’
s pregnant and wants to get married.
”

“
What? Ohmigosh, Riley. You and Ariela just
—”

“
Yeah, I know,
”
I say, hanging my head in defeat.
 

She wraps me in a hug, probably because she can tell I need one.
“
It will be okay, Riley. Go sit on the deck with Aiden. I
’
ll get you a drink.
”

“
You should probably bring the bottle,
”
I mutter, even though I know she won
’
t.
 

But she surprises me when she sets a twenty-five-year-old scotch on the table along with two glasses.
 

“
What
’
s wrong?
”
Aiden immediately asks.
 

“
Shelby is pregnant and wants to get married,
”
she tells him.

Aiden looks at me shrewdly.
“
And you believe her?
”

“
It
’
s not like she
’
s the first girl to tell me she
’
s pregnant. I
’
m a little ashamed to admit this, but I keep a stash of pregnancy tests in the bathroom for such an occasion. She
’
s the first girl to make the line turn pink. She
’
s definitely pregnant.
”

“
You
’
ve told me before that you always use condoms,
”
Aiden says.
“
Did one fail?
”

 
“
Not that I was aware of but, obviously, one did since she’s pregnant.
”
 

“
Were you drunk when you were with her?
”

“
No, it was premiere week. All business.
”

Keatyn raises an eyebrow at me.
 

I roll my eyes.
“
Fine. It wasn
’
t all business with Shelby, but I was never drunk when I was with her.
”

“
What do you know about her?
”
Keatyn asks.

“
Not much, other than her sexual preferences, and I
’
m well acquainted with her body but, beyond that, nothing personal. She suggested we get married right away. Has even found her dream dress.
”

“
Riley, you aren
’
t marrying her!
”
Keatyn gasps.
“
You can
’
t!
”

“
And you need a paternity test,
”
Aiden agrees.

“
Do you have to wait until the baby is born for that?
”
I ask, taking a slug of scotch. I know I
’
m supposed to be sipping it, but fuck. I
’
d say this warrants it.

Marvel interrupts our conversation when he brings a charcuterie and cheese tray out for us along with a cucumber-infused water for Keatyn.
“
Dinner will be served shortly. Will Mr. Johnson be joining you?
”

“
Yes, he will be. Thank you, Marvel,
”
Keatyn replies. Once he shuts the door, she scoops up a handful of almonds.
“
I would think you could test for paternity when they do the amniocentesis, but many women are against that because it
’
s invasive.
”

“
Invasive?
”
I ask, feeling dumb.

“
In some cases, the test could harm the baby.
”

Aiden holds up his phone.
“
It says here there is new paternity testing technology that is noninvasive and can be done anytime after the eighth week.
”

“
Riley, do you know anything about this girl?
”
Aiden asks again.

“
I haven
’
t been very picky about who I date,
”
I admit.

“
Date
isn
’
t really the right word for it,
”
Keatyn mutters under her breath.

“
I heard that, and you
’
re right. Since Ariela and I broke up, I haven
’
t
wanted
to know anything about them.
”

Tears form in Keatyn
’
s eyes. I know she
’
s pregnant and emotional, but I also know it
’
s because she loves me. Especially when she reaches across and gives my arm a squeeze.

“
The fact that she wants a quickie wedding concerns me,
”
Aiden, ever the voice of reason, says.

“
You
’
re having a quickie wedding cuz you knocked up Keatyn,
”
I tease.

Aiden gives me the eye and is ready to tear me a new one, but Keatyn grabs ahold of his hand and intervenes.
“
I can kind of sympathize with Shelby on that part,
”
she says.
“
I
’
ve been in a long relationship with Aiden and when the line turned pink that was the first thing I thought of. How I
’
m not married. How I don
’
t want to raise the baby alone. And once I got over the shock of it, I started worrying about bringing up the baby in the best environment and all that stuff.
”

Aiden starts to say something, but Keatyn holds her hand up and continues.
“
You both just need a little time to process it all.
”

“
She said she grew up without a dad. I wanted to tell her I could care less, but if it is my baby
—
speaking of that, is it even possible? Like from a timing standpoint? I don
’
t understand all that ovulation stuff Dallas is always going on about.
”

“
That
’
s because they use the rhythm method of birth control.
”

“
What is that?
”

“
It
’
s a contraceptive method where you decide when to have sex based on a woman
’
s cycle.
”

“
They have five kids.
”

“
And all but the first and last were planned. When was the first time you and Shelby were together?
”

“
The Paris premiere.
”

“
Which was on September the twenty-third.
”
She sets her phone down and counts out days on her calendar.
“
Twenty days ago. Which is about right, Riley. A woman
’
s cycle is roughly twenty-eight days long. You typically ovulate in the middle of that, at around day fourteen. So, more than likely, she
’
s about five weeks pregnant.
”

“
Five weeks? How can that be? I
’
ve known her for less than three weeks.
”

“
It
’
s complicated,
”
Aiden says.
“
But basically the two weeks of a woman
’
s cycle
before
she gets pregnant count in how far along she is. They go by the first day of her last period rather than the conception date like you would assume.
”

“
The timing works, Riley. She would have just missed her period, done the test, had it turn positive, and here you are.
”

“
Now I feel bad for not believing her,
”
I say, sliding further down in my chair.

Marvel comes outside, interrupting us again.
“
Dinner is served in the dining room.
”

“
Would it be too much trouble for us to eat out here tonight?
”
Keatyn asks him sweetly.
“
It
’
s such a beautiful evening.
”

“
But of course,
”
he says.
 

As soon as the door shuts, Aiden pours each of us more scotch.
“
Riley, how many people did you sleep with last month?
”

“
Uh.
”

“
Exactly. She could have, too.
”

“
Yeah, I guess, but she said she hasn
’
t. She says she’s in love with me.
”

“
You
’
re a big target, Riley,
”
Keatyn says.
“
If she doesn
’
t know who the father is, she might go with the one who could provide the most.
”

“
That
’
s why you have to do a paternity test,
”
Aiden says.
“
Have
to.
”

I sigh for about the hundredth time since I learned about the pregnancy.
“
Ariela and I were talking about kids on the phone tonight. I always thought maybe
—”

“
You would have kids with her?
”
Keatyn asks, finishing my sentence.

“
Yeah.
”

“
So, you already know that you want a relationship with her? I thought you were deciding at the wedding.
”

“
Yeah. I mean, we
’
re supposed to talk this week. Obviously, she needs to get a divorce. But, yes, I think I do want to be with her. I can
’
t believe that she finally comes back into my life and this happens. I don
’
t want a pregnancy to screw things up for us. But, if the baby is mine, I
’
ll want to be with it, not just see it on weekends.
”

“
Then you get custody, or at least joint custody,
”
Aiden states.
“
You don
’
t have to live with the mother to do so.
”

“
I know. And I don
’
t want to live with her. But she
’
s a nice girl. I mean, what I know of her. When she was talking about getting married and moving in, I was thinking she was a gold digger, but then she talked sincerely about family. She also said she lives in a dive. I don
’
t want the mother of my baby living in a dive.
”

“
Then rent her an apartment if you need to, Riley, but nothing else until we get a paternity test,
”
Aiden says.

Marvel comes back out with place settings, so I excuse myself.
“
I
’
m going to call and talk to her. I feel bad about the way I reacted.
”

I dial Shelby
’
s number.
 

“
Hey, it
’
s Riley.
”

“
I
’
m surprised to hear from you already,
”
she says.