Eventually I ended up back at Amara’s only she never came home. I assumed she was hiding out at her parents, and me going there wasn’t the best option. Liam said Tucker had his opinions and by now I figured he’s already been brought up to speed and had my face on a target, checking his aim.

  Some time, I’d give her time. But that could only last so long, because this wasn’t going away.

  So I ended up at my parents’ house, not really wanting to be alone.

  “Where did you just go?”

  “What?” Shaking off the thoughts I find my mom staring at me with a confused expression. “I was telling you about Melanie’s daughter and you zoned out.”

  “Sorry,” taking a bite of pie I try to mask my worries.

  “Something is wrong,” of all the times I need her to believe me, this is one. “Where is Amara?”

  And there it is, the big question I know she’s been asking herself since I stepped inside alone.

  “We had a bit of a,” I shrug, “disagreement.”

  “A disagreement,” she repeats, not looking convinced.

  “Yeah.”

  Silence settles in and I nibble at the pie, moving it around on my plate with the fork.

  “Tyler,” she rounds the corner, “talk to me.”

  “Do you think being a shitty parent can be inherited?” When she doesn’t answer I look over and find her watching me with tears in her eyes. “Or do you think it's taught? Something you learn from those who raise you? Because I really hope it's the latter.”

  “Sweetheart,” when she says this, suddenly I feel like I am eight years old all over again.

  “What I think is that each one of us has a choice. We decide who we want to be. We decide if we want to be honorable and caring. We make the choice to do right or wrong, we set that path. One choice can change everything, but we also have the ability to learn and decide if that is who we want to be.”

  I take a deep breath as she continues.

  “I don’t believe that being a bad person is passed down to the next generation, but what I do feel is that we cannot only take our mistakes but take those mistakes of our parents and learn and grow. We can right not only our own wrongs but theirs too.”

  “I hope you’re right,” more than anything. I hope her words are true.

  “What aren’t you telling me, Tyler?” I can hear the concern itched in her voice.

  “Amara’s pregnant,” I confess. “And I’m afraid that I may have given her the idea that I can’t be the man she needs me to be.”

  “I think Amara knows better than that,” Ma says. I’m not so sure. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you. That day in the hospital Ty when we were waiting for you to wake up she looked so lost. I don’t know what exactly took place between you two, but I have a feeling it’s not impossible to fix. Sometimes it just takes a cooling off period and then tackling things at a different angle. Look at it from her side of things, and her yours. I don’t believe that this is something that you both can’t work out.”

  I can tell she wants to be excited about the news and I want her to have that.

  “So what do you think about being a grandma?”

  Suddenly her smile grew, and she leaned over placing her elbows on the marble. “I kind of get what Melanie means now, I couldn’t imagine having a little one and not being able to spoil them.”

  I chuckle.

  “Tyler, to me this is the greatest news you could have given me, and I know your dad is going to be over the moon.”

  I have to believe that Amara and I will make it through this. I can’t allow the alternative. The idea of her, raising our child without me right alongside her is not a possibility.

  I told her she was mine; it was something I felt from the start but now she’s carrying my child.

  We’re in this, her and I, there is no way I’m walking away.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY

  Amara

  Leah and Lauren were skeptical the entire ride. They both knew something was up and at one point Lauren asked me if I was sick and just not telling them. I almost spilled everything to them right then and there, because seeing the worry in her eyes almost killed me.

  “What? I can’t take my sisters on a little getaway?”

  “Yes,” Leah adds from the backseat, her head half buried in a pillow that is pinned between her head and the door. “But the fact that you’ve decided to do so in the middle of Tyler’s recovery, not to mention you never leave the salon unattended, doesn’t help your case much. Well, besides that one time when you escaped to Florida for a wedding, where our asshole of a cousin decided to stand up one of the coolest chicks he’ll ever get to look at him twice. But he’s the dumbass so he can sit on that fact.”

  She sounds like me when she rambles, but the truth is she isn’t wrong. Lincoln is an idiot.

  “Hannah is handling the shop, and Tyler...” even saying his name makes my throat burn, “is doing better. Plus, it's been forever since the three of us hung out like this and Claire offered a getaway with free room and board.”

  “We hang out all the time,” Lauren deadpans and I understand that these two are too inquisitive, so I simply let it go and change the subject.

  For the next several hours the three of us talked about school, and boys. Leah is doing so much better after her breakdown over Dirk Benson and those bitchy girls. Turns out Dirk isn’t as smooth as he thought he was, and got his little assed kicked by the oldest brother of one of the many girls he was playing. Now none of the girls in school will give him the time of day and he’s known as the little bitch who cried after he got punched in the gut. He seriously cried, like on the ground, crying like a baby, kind of crying.

  At the end of the day Leah was all good, and she’s been reminded of her worth.

  Pulling into the driveway just before midnight, the headlights reflect off the front of the cabin. Putting it in park, I look at Lauren and then Leah to find them both staring ahead.

  “I am not getting out of this car.” Leah hits the lock button on the doors, only they are already locked which makes me laugh.

  “We should’ve brought one of daddies riffles,” Lauren scans over the space. “I’m just waiting for someone to jump out from behind the trees and charge us.”

  “No, they’ll wait until we get out and have nowhere to escape. All deformed and crooked faced, carrying us all off to some place deep in the woods where they slowly cut away our flesh and feast on us for days while we suffer.”

  “The Hills Have Eyes,” I roll my eyes at her suddenly scanning over the area myself. “You just had to bring that movie up.” I hate that movie, with a passion. I’m alright with most scary movies, they don’t bother me and actually I find myself laughing at their ridiculousness, but that one, it gets to me. So much so, that I can’t watch it or hear it from another room when it's playing.

  “Yeah, I couldn’t let the opportunity pass by.” Leah is such an ass.

  Another flash of lights comes in from behind us and we all jump and shriek, just as Claire slides in beside us.

  She pushes open the door, jumps out and places her hands on her hips like it's nothing. “What in the hell is wrong with you three? Do you plan on sleeping in that car?”

  “With it running and my foot on the gas,” Leah mumbles and I can’t help but laugh.

  “It's fine,” I say as I open my own door, though my pulse is still racing. I will also admit that it's taking everything I have inside of me not to take off running toward the cabin door.

  “You’re all freaking out, aren’t you?” Claire is gleaming. “Like full on panic mode.” Of course she finds humor in our fear.

  “Can you and the Bobbsey Twins grab the rest of the stuff in the truck,” Claire hollers over her shoulder as she starts walking toward the front of the cabin. “And don’t drop any of the food along the way, the bears will smell it and be hanging out on the porch for days expecting more.”

  “Bears,” Lauren squeaks with wide eyes.

  “I can handle bears, it's the crazies I’m worried about.” Leah shrugs.

  “Oh please,” Lauren scoffs. “If a bear showed up here you’d shit yourself and run back home.”

  I walk toward the cabin laughing with my arms full. I freaking love the two of them and even in my own sadness I can find joy.

  The moment I step over the threshold I am reminded of my childhood. The times I was here with Claire and her family, and her father would tell us ghost stories in front of the fire.

  It only has one bedroom, and two sets of bunk beds that are in the main living area. A large, oversized couch, a decent television and though it looks rugged and rough on the outside, her parents had the inside cozy.

  There is Wi-Fi, satellite television and every utensil you could need to make a decent meal stocked in the kitchen.

  Her parents come here several times a year and when they aren’t here they have a cleaning service that comes in to freshen the place up monthly.

  “It smells clean,” Leah sounds surprised as she enters the still open door with Lauren right behind her.

  “What did you expect, roaches and stale food?” Claire smiles over at them as she sets her bags on the countertop. “There is no way my father or mother would let this place fall apart. It belonged to my grandparents and when they passed it was inherited by them. This place holds a lot of memories.”

  The four of us settle in, deciding to camp out in the big room with the bunk beds instead of using the bedroom. That way we could watch movies, talk and laugh. The talking part did worry me as I am about to lay a bombshell at both my sisters feet that I haven’t even told my parents yet.

  After we’ve all showered, and are in comfy clothes, we decided to call it a night after all the driving. The girls snicker and talk across the two upper bunks, and I curl onto my side and close my eyes. My mind falling back to the scene earlier with Tyler.

  I want to message him, but I refrain, giving him the time he obviously needs. But it doesn’t stop me from worrying about where this all will take us.

  I know he cares; he’s made that clear. But I also know that this might be too much, and that terrifies me, because though I know I will, I’m not sure how I’ll handle this alone.

  Then an even bigger part of me knows that if this isn’t what he wants, Tyler is too good of a man to admit that, and he’ll do it out of obligation.

  Which scares me more, than being completely on my own with this.

  CHAPTER

  THIRTY-ONE

  Tyler

  I am well aware that I am possibly leading myself into hell, or a form of it. Driving up Amara’s parents driveway I understand that this may go in the opposite direction I hope. I am sure they are well aware of the baby, and the conversation she and I last shared.

  I’m even more sure they’ve all formed an opinion of me, or already had one and this confirmed their presumptuous thoughts. With Amara’s phone off, and her not going home or into the shop I’m left with very little options.

  The moment I pull up the driveway and find no signs of her car, only to see her father standing near the open garage door, regret rushes over me.

  He wears a scowl, and I grip the steering wheel tighter.

  Taking in a deep breath I turn off my truck and climb out of the driver's door, closing it behind me. His eyes remain locked on me as I move up the drive in his direction.

  “Afternoon sir,” I dip my chin giving him a nod and when he only watches me, saying nothing and making no movements, I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. “I was looking for Amara.”

  “Doesn’t look like she’s here to me.”

  I’ve never met the girlfriend's dad before, I never got that far with any girl or woman. I’ll admit, this shit sucks.

  “It doesn’t, but she’s not home and she hasn’t been in the shop either.”

  “You stop by there?”

  “I have and Hannah said she was out, though she wouldn’t offer me any help in locating her.” I can still picture her staring me down with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “And so you show up here thinking I’ll tell you where to find her?”

  “I thought maybe she was here,” I shrug, debating on if I should just leave. “Listen sir, I know you probably don’t care much for me, and that I’ve got some explaining to do.”

  “I know all about the man you’ve been in the past Tyler.” This makes me tense up. “I don’t question my girl's judgment. She’s a good judge of character, always has been.” He reaches out, grabs a shovel and brings it in front of him. I watch his movements like I’m half expecting him to whack me over the head and bury me in the backyard. “She’s tough, she may question herself at every turn but in the end she’s tough. I just hope that you don’t make me regret my decision to accept that she’s chosen you.”

  I expect more, I expect him to drill me on what I plan to do now that his daughter is pregnant, but instead he simply stares at me. Then it hits me that maybe he doesn’t know.

  “She took a little trip with her sisters. I suppose if she wanted you to know where, she’d have called or messaged. Since she obviously hasn’t I suspect you are the one she needed to get away from, so that being said I think you should give the girl what she needs.”

  I want to push, but know better.

  “When she gets back from this trip can you tell her I stopped by?”

  He nods once and I figure it's my time to go. So, turning around I walk back to my truck feeling no better about where Amara and I are, than I did before I showed up here. Honestly, I feel a little worse because now I know she left Calloway to get away from me.

  Climbing up in my truck I start to back out and am only stopped by a big red truck that comes barreling down the driveway and parks right behind me blocking the path. Looking back, I see Tucker jumping out, not even bothering to shut off the engine. I don’t remember him being as big as he looks now, but the determined pissed off look on his face tells me he doesn’t have a pleasant greeting in mind.

  “What did you do to her?” He steps right up to my door and stares me down through the open window. “She’s been happy lately and no; I didn’t like that it was you she was with. I told her you’d screw up somehow and now she’s run off to some cabin in Tennessee and though she won’t admit it, I know it’s you she’s running from.”

  Her brother is not my fan, but I already knew that from Liam.

  “We had a little disagreement but nothing that can’t be fixed.”

  “A disagreement,” he makes a hmph sound. “More like you decided you weren’t all in.”

  I wonder then if he knows. But surely if he did he’d have more to say.

  “I am all in,” it was the first time I’ve said that aloud since I found out about the baby. “I’m not going anywhere; I’m not walking away and if she’d answer her damn phone I could tell her that too. If she’d answer the fucking phone I could tell her that she is the first woman that I have ever been in love with and I plan on that lasting a lifetime. So you standing here at the side of my truck shouting in my face about shit you have no clue about isn’t going to help. If you aren’t going to help me find her, then I suggest you move your damn truck so I can find someone that will.”

  I’m hanging on a cliff, and no I don’t want to hit Amara’s brother, but I will if the dick doesn’t stop throwing accusations about me around like he fucking knows what he’s talking about. He doesn’t know me, he may think he does, but he doesn’t have a clue.

  We stare at each other, and I see movement to my right that I assume is Amara’s dad, coming to his son's aide.

  But when I hear his words he surprises me.

  “Tucker, get the address of the cabin.”

  “What?” Tucker sneers at his father.

  “Boy, you take that tone with me one more time I’ll kick your ass myself. I may be old but I ain’t messin’, now get the damn address like I told you to.” The two of them share some kind of silent message and I feel like I’m imagining the entire thing. There is no way that he’s just gonna pass it over like that.

  Tucker storms off toward the house leaving me alone with Mr. Bennett. He watches until Tucker walks inside letting the screen door slam behind him before looking back at me. “You love my girl?”

  “I do sir,” chills cover my arms and neck. I fucking love Amara. I never would have seen that coming three months ago, but yet here I am with my truck idling in the driveway at her parents admitting that very think to her father.

  I notice the corner of his mouth tip slightly, as if he wants to smile, but also doesn’t want to appear soft.

  Suddenly the screen door flies open and tucker steps out with the door slamming closed once more, his heavy footsteps pounding the driveway. He thrusts his hand out and passes a sheet of folded paper to his father. “I think you’re making a mistake.”

  “And you can think what you want but I also know you’re gonna stay out of this and that means your ass isn’t going to make any phones calls, or text any of your sisters or Claire.” He dares Tucker to argue. “Amara is a big girl, if he travels all this way and she rejects him that is her choice to make, it's not mine and it sure as hell isn’t yours. I think you need to worry about your own shitstorm of a personal life and stay out of theirs.”

  Mr. Bennett isn’t playing around.

  “Had three different women show up here yesterday looking for you. One looked pretty damn pissed, one crying and the other nervous as a mouse. I’m guessing you got your own messes going on.”

  Tucker shakes his head and walks back to his truck but before climbing up inside he hollers out to me. “You hurt her Collins and even my father won’t stop me from driving over your ass without stopping.”

  He then climbs up in his truck slamming the door. Throwing it in reverse he backs up turning in a U, before switching to drive and squealing his tires.

  “I got to say, that my boy is not your biggest fan,” Amara’s father chuckles.