Hawk turned to her. “You’re not helping.”
“How surprising.”
Brittany climbed out of her car. “Daddy, you don’t understand and until you do, I don’t want anything to do with you.”
“You can’t stay here,” Hawk told her. “I won’t allow it.”
“You don’t love me. If you did, you’d be happy for me.”
“Happy that you’re throwing your life away? Oh, yeah, this is great. All my dreams have come true.”
Raoul stepped toward Hawk. “You won’t talk to her that way.”
“What are you going to do about it, kid? Take me on. You think you can win?”
“Yes.”
“Stop it,” Nicole snapped. “Neither of you are helping.”
Sheila whined again.
Nicole moved between Raoul and Hawk. “There is a lot to consider here and no good solution is going to come from beating the crap out of each other. Besides, if anyone gets to be violent tonight, it’s me.”
“There’s nothing to consider,” Brittany said, sounding whiny and stubborn. “Raoul and I are getting married and we’re going to be very happy together.”
“You’re not getting married,” Hawk growled. “You’re still seventeen.”
“Why not?” Brittany asked, pushing Nicole aside and standing up to her father. “What’s the big deal? You did it and it was fine. Or were you lying? Why are you so upset, Daddy?”
Nicole saw the trapped look in Hawk’s eyes. While she was annoyed for how he’d ignored her before, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him now. Besides, she loved the man.
She took a deep breath. “We all need a little time and space. Brittany can stay, but only until everyone cools off.”
Brittany stuck her tongue out at her father.
“That was so mature,” Nicole muttered and held up her hand before Hawk could explode. “In Jesse’s room. If I catch either of you trying to share bed space, you’re both out. Is that clear?”
The teenagers looked at each other, then reluctantly nodded. Nicole moved in front of Raoul.
“I want you to look me in the eye and give me your word,” she said.
He drew in a breath. “I give you my word I will not sleep with Brittany under your roof.”
“Raoul!” Brittany stamped her foot.
“We have to do the right thing.”
“I’m not giving my permission for this,” Hawk muttered. “Brittany needs to come home.”
“What are the odds of that happening?” Nicole asked.
“You’re saying I can’t control my daughter?” he demanded, then shook his head. “Don’t answer that.”
“I won’t.” She touched his arm. “At least we’ll know where they are. Raoul gave me his word. I believe him. Do you?”
Hawk nodded slowly.
“You two, go upstairs,” Nicole said. “You can get Brittany’s stuff later. Raoul, see if Sheila’s hungry.”
The kids went inside.
Nicole waited until they’d left, then turned to Hawk.
“This is all your fault,” he muttered.
She glared at him. “How is that possible? Brittany got pregnant on your watch.”
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
“In what? Their lives? Raoul was living in an abandoned building. Was that okay? I’m thinking it’s where all the trouble started.”
“I don’t want this,” he said, not looking at her. “Any of it.”
Did that
“Hawk,” she began, but he shook his head.
“I can’t talk about this now. You wanted them, you got them. I need to think.”
He walked toward his truck.
“Wait,” she yelled. “You can’t just walk away.”
“Why not? It’s done.”
Was he crazy? They hadn’t even begun.
She started to go after him when the front door burst open.
“Hurry,” Raoul called. “It’s Sheila. She’s having her puppies.”
“THE CIRCLE OF LIFE is a whole lot messier than I’d realized,” Nicole said several hours later as Sheila licked her sleeping puppies. The birth had gone smoothly and now there were three tiny, blind newborns nestled against their mother.
Sheila had handled it all like a pro, asking for nothing more than a little company as she delivered her litter. She’d allowed Nicole to move her to a clean bed and had accepted a light meal.
Raoul and Brittany huddled together on the side of the box Nicole had prepared.
“You did good,” Raoul told his dog. Sheila looked up, her eyes half-closed. She thumped her tail once, then was still.
“You have babies,” Brittany whispered. “That was totally incredible.”
Nicole had to agree.
She looked at the teenagers sitting across from her on the floor. Were they even ready for the responsibility they were facing? Did it matter? One way or the other, in about eight months it would be here.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
HAWK WAITED UNTIL the next afternoon to return to Nicole’s house. He figured everyone could use the time to calm down. He ignored the fact that the person who probably needed the time most was himself.
He hadn’t slept the previous night-he’d barely stopped pacing. He couldn’t shake the anger and sense of betrayal directed toward everyone involved.
Brittany had lied to him. She’d looked him in the eye and flat-out lied. How was that possible? They’d always been close. He’d given up his career to be with her when they lost Serena. She’d always seemed like she had it together, but that wasn’t true. And if she’d lied about sleeping with Raoul, what else had she lied about?
He couldn’t think about Raoul without wanting to strangle the kid. Being Brittany’s boyfriend was one thing, but sleeping with her was something else. Still, he knew he couldn’t talk to Raoul until he could imagine the conversation without wanting to beat the shit out of the kid.
Strangely the one who bugged him the most was Nicole. She’d known and hadn’t told him. What the hell was up with that? She was the adult in the situation. She should have handled things better. Okay, sure, they’d asked her not to say anything, but so what? He was Brittany’s father and he had the right to know.
He pulled up in front of Nicole’s house and stared at the structure. What he didn’t want to admit was the person he was most angry with was himself. This had happened on his watch. He’d always prided himself on being a father who was involved, who knew the truth. He’d secretly pitied those parents who weren’t as cool, as involved. But it had all been a giant joke on him. Where had he screwed up?
When he couldn’t find an answer, he left the car and walked up to the front door. Nicole opened before he could knock.
She looked tired and apprehensive. Despite the raging emotions inside of him, he found himself wanting to pull her close and hold her. He wasn’t sure if the action was supposed to make her feel better or him.
“I figured you’d drop by,” she said, stepping back to let him in. “You missed the big excitement. Sheila had her puppies.”
“How many?”
“Three. Two girls and a boy.”
He nodded, then glanced toward the stairs. “I want to talk to Brittany.”
