Mind Blowing, page 13
He smirked, like she expected him to. “I made you forget your name, huh?”
Lips pursed, she nodded. “You did, but then you got me pregnant, so it’s all pretty much null and void.”
He snorted, making her giggle. “Callie, baby, did you just make a joke?”
She didn’t answer him; instead she snuggled down under the covers and fell asleep to the feel of him smiling beside her.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jasper
Callahan spent the next few days with Maddi, helping her set up the clinic in St. Leasing’s trainer’s office. They would start seeing patients next week, and they’d be busy for months. It wasn’t only Haxton the free clinic served doing physicals for the athletes to be eligible to play during the next school year. Other small towns were included, and they’d flock to get in on the perk. Maddi would never turn away anyone who needed her help. She told Jasper that Callie was a hard worker, eager to learn and help any way she could.
He knew the truth though. She was begging for a distraction. Working herself until she was exhausted. She’d come home, eat, and then pass out. He hadn’t spent much time with her, they’d barely spoken. But every night, after she’d climb wearily into bed, he’d join her.
Jasper wasn’t irritated and clingy like Linc. He didn’t care Callie was going to spend the summer surrounded by males dropping trou.
He didn’t need to mark her, imprint his scent so fully that even humans would know to stay away. Instead, it was the thought of her feeling lonely, feeling hopeless or heartbroken that didn’t sit right with him or his wolf. He couldn’t stomach it.
She wasn’t his mate. She couldn’t be. He cared for her, sure. She was pregnant with his child, they’d always be close, they’d always have a deep connection.
He’d know if she was his forever.
Jasper had always reacted terribly to the pull of an unfinished bonding. First with Maddi, and then recently with Blake. It called to him, sent his wolf into hyperdrive. If Callie was meant to be his, the wolf lurking inside him would be losing his damn mind. Tearing at his insides to touch her, to claim her, to make her theirs irrevocably.
She was beautiful, there was no denying that. It was hard for him to keep his eyes to himself when she was around. He wanted to watch her, look for new signs of the pregnancy between them.
Everything about her drew him in, made him want her. The baby growing between them only heightened his longing. He felt so powerful, so male. He’d done that, he’d put that baby inside her. Fuck. He wanted to do it again. He would if he could, and it was such a stupid, silly feeling. It was almost embarrassing. When had his brain changed course from utter terror and regret to wanting to knock her up all over again?
“Why does she look like she’s so much younger than the rest of us? We’re all the same age.” Axie tilted her head to the side, watching as Callahan braided her hair over her shoulder. They were all on the back patio, watching Callahan do some stretches outside in the sun.
Blake squinted, like she was looking for an answer to Axie’s question. “She looks innocent. Like she’s never gotten drunk and fallen off a table.”
“Or done lines with strangers in a random bathroom.” Axie wrinkled her nose, like the memory of when she met Riley and Jasper was unpleasant.
Jace sighed from his place by the grill. “Or killed anyone.”
“It’s like you knocked up an underage Sunday school teacher,” Riley added to their little sidebar.
Jasper couldn’t disagree. He’d definitely gotten the most innocent girl he’d ever hooked up with pregnant. He’d been drawn to her, Blake was right. He saw it now, albeit in hindsight. He’d wanted her in a way that wasn’t natural. He didn’t usually go for the sweet and inexperienced. They always ended up being a bit of a headache.
“Speaking of Sunday school, remember when she told us how her father is a pastor?” He scrubbed his hands down his face. “Not only was he the reason she wouldn’t consider an abortion, she mentioned them locking her in a basement or sending her away to an aunt’s house until she could give birth.”
“Damn.” Riley wrapped his arms around Blake’s waist, drawing her into him. “They sound intense. When are you going to talk to them?”
“Uh, the twelfth of fucking never?” Jasper watched the mother of his child. “I was hoping we could forget they exist.”
Blake scoffed. “Parents don’t work that way.”
“Mine did.” Axie shrugged off the fact that her dad had essentially disowned her before she mated with Jace and moved into the mountain compound. She started ticking points off. “Pen is estranged from her parents. Corey’s parents never come to Haxton, neither do Maddi’s. And Molly just has her aunt, the retired one who’s traveling the world.”
“Okay, I take that back then, my parents don’t work that way, and it doesn’t sound like Callahan’s are going to either.” Blake rested her head back on Riley’s chest. “If they’re that strict and have that much control over her decisions, then I doubt they’ll let her go without a fight.”
“She’s going to burn in the sun, she’s already turning pink.” Riley pointed out to the yard. “Us gingers, we gotta stick together.”
Jasper swatted his hand away. “Stop looking at her.” He turned, facing the rest of his family. “All of you stop looking at her.” He shooed them away. Blake and Axie went inside to start making sides, the only food Jace would let them help with.
Today was Callahan’s day off, and unlike the last two weekends, she hadn’t spent her free time napping. Riley and Maddi assured him it was normal for her to be so tired. Today, though, she was awake and enjoying the backyard. It was warm, without a cloud in the sky.
The pack had decided on a barbeque, and no one made a dry rub quite like his twin. Who knew Jace’s hidden talent would involve neurotically labeled spices and a food processor?
Jasper still hadn’t told the rest of the pack what his connection to Callahan was. It wasn’t that he was hiding it out of fear; he still wasn’t ready for everyone’s opinions and remarks.
Jasper licked his lips, tearing his eyes away from Callahan where she was lying in the sun. He turned, obstructing Riley’s view of her in her swimsuit. It wasn’t skimpy by any means; he wasn’t sure Callahan even owned a bikini. Didn’t mean he wanted everyone in his damn pack staring at her while she was exposed and unaware.
Riley narrowed his eyes, a smile playing on this mouth. “Are you blocking her from me?”
“She’s not mine.” Jasper was tired of telling them that over and over. “The baby is. It makes me protective.” At least that was what he assumed was happening since blocking her from Riley had been a reflex, something his body and his wolf had wanted to do automatically.
“Sure, man, whatever.” Riley gestured behind him to the patio where Jace was manning the grill. He said the meat needed to smoke for eight hours, so he’d woken them up at sunrise to help. “You want a beer?” Riley handed him a cold bottle, twisting the top once he took it in his hands. “We thought we’d go on a run after dinner. We haven’t gone out as a full pack in months.”
Jasper needed a run, that was for fucking sure. His skin felt too tight and his wolf was panting at the idea of busting free. The mountains behind his twin’s compound were a playground to them. The rocky terrain and vast wildlife were like beacons to his shifter. He glanced over his shoulder, taking one more look at Callie before following Riley back to the grill and his twin.
“You get him to stop eye-fucking his girl? I was about to start taking bets on whether he’d come in his pants or get so frustrated he’d finally make a move.”
Jasper growled at his brother, his jaw clenched so tight it ached up into his ears. “She’s not my girl.”
“I hate to point out the fucking obvious. But didn’t we just go through this? Without the fetus of course.” Riley crossed his arms over his chest. “You have been in Greenly, where we live as more human than shifter. You’re away from the pack, your wolf is repressed, exactly like mine was.”
Jace nodded, adding, “Remember what happened when Riley came home and started to shift and run with the pack? His wolf woke up and realized he’d shared his mate with his best friend and all hell broke loose.”
Riley ticked off points on his fingers. “You banged her, you knocked her up, you brought her home to meet your pack, you’ve decided to live together for the summer, and you want to raise a kid with her.” He snorted, his lips against his beer bottle. “She’s yours, mate or not.”
“My wolf woke up before we left Greenly, thank you very much.” He didn’t add that the fucker promptly went MIA again. “He was a smug bastard about the pregnancy, but that was as far as his intentions went.”
Jace stepped to the edge of the wooden deck, peering across the yard at Callahan. Jasper was trying his best not to rip the eyes from his twin’s head. He’d only prove their point all over again. “You only slept with her that once? And you used protection?”
He sat down in the nearest chair, exhausted by his entire existence at this point. “I mean, I banged her like four times that night, I’m pretty sure, but yes. I was careful, like I always am. I wore a condom and I pulled…” His words trailed off as images of them tangled in his sheets assaulted his memory. It was as if he was watching the two of them from the ceiling, seeing the way her creamy thighs stretched to cradle his body. Her red hair spread over his pillows, her nails scratching down his back leaving raised pink lines in their wake.
“You didn’t, did you?” It was Riley asking, his voice an almost whisper.
“I, uh, I’m sure I did.” He scrubbed his palms down his face. “I always do.” He was promiscuous, but he was cautious to a fault. The last thing he ever wanted to happen was to accidentally get the wrong chick pregnant. He chuckled humorlessly to himself. “Fuck. I don’t know, man. I honestly can’t really remember now.”
“Ask her,” Jace urged.
“And I assumed I was the only high motherfucker on this patio.” Jasper lost the war with his gaze, his attention back on Callahan as she held a book over her face. “Like I should say, ‘Hey, Callie, no big deal, but do you remember if I pulled out during all the sex that created that baby you’re growing?’” He snorted. “What would that help? What would it matter at this point?”
“I’m bringing this up, one time, and one time only.” Riley sighed, cursing under his breath. “That night at the cabin with Blake, when we uh, shared—”
“How is Jasper not making disgusting crude remarks, that I’d kill him for, were I in your shoes?” Jace glanced between the two of them, shock written on his face.
“Oh, I can’t,” Jasper told his twin. “I traded Riley pants for a semester of no threesome jokes.”
“Pants?” Jace cocked his head to the side. “What the hell are you three doing up there in Greenly?”
“It’s a complicated balance.” Jasper shrugged.
Riley continued. “Anyway, that night was the first time I was with her. It was also the first time I didn’t pull out in my life. Like, I couldn’t physically make myself leave her body. I wanted to fill her, even with the condom between us.”
“Okay, so we’re both fucking horndogs who have gone all caveman during a good time. That doesn’t mean anything. At all.” Jasper grabbed Callahan’s discarded shorts from the chair under Jace’s ass. “After that night it was so clear Blake was yours. You started acting insane. And once she got here? You both lost your minds.” He pointed at the girl in question across the yard. “Callie has been here with me for a few weeks, and I’m still perfectly sane.” He gestured wildly, accidentally smacking himself in the head with her shorts.
“Yeah, you seem real put together.” Jace rolled his eyes.
“She’s not having any symptoms either. No sign there’s an incomplete bond.” His shoulders dropped, all the fight and energy drained out of him. “I know you all wish she was mine, and honestly, so do I. It would make all this a hell of a lot easier.” He left them there, stalking off across the yard to help Callahan get up and into the shade before her creamy skin turned any pinker.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Callahan
Callahan had never been so full in her life. Brisket, baked potatoes, beans, fresh homemade rolls, and more sweet tea than anyone should consume. She didn’t like a lot of sugar normally, but since she’d gotten pregnant, she craved it at least once a day. After the barbeque all the guys had gone on a hike. She wanted to go too. She told Jasper she really needed to move and burn off some of what she shoveled into her mouth. He’d been weird, almost shifty while he convinced her to stay in the house with Axie and Blake. He said hiking up the mountain at night was dangerous when you didn’t have the terrain memorized like they did.
Now she was curled up in bed, cozy after a long shower with three shower heads and an expensive face mask Axie had given her. This was how the other half lived she supposed.
She hadn’t grown up poor, but her parents gave most of what they had back to the church. Decadence was a sin. And that shower was nothing if not decadent. She hadn’t spoken to her parents other than to let them know she made it. She texted her mother a few pictures of the clinic, updating them as little as possible. She wasn’t lying, she really was volunteering her time to help people who needed it. It wasn’t a mission, and she wouldn’t be spreading the gospel. Oh, and she was pregnant. But other than that, not lying.
She sighed, snuggling down deeper into her large comfy bed. Decadent. Lavish. The sheets felt amazing against her skin and the fluffy comforter had a bit of weight to it, which seemed to calm her. And everything smelled like Jasper. Every night she’d feel him slide in beside her. They didn’t speak. It was simply the comfort of each other’s presence. Two people, going through the same thing, being there trying to be the best they could be.
Jasper told her he wanted to raise the baby, to co-parent. She was leaning toward that decision too. Which meant telling her mom and dad: disappointing them while inviting their opinions and guilt-inducing glares.
She didn’t have her own money, and she still had three years of school left. Would she need to quit and get a job? Where would they live? There was so much to discuss. She couldn’t seem to make herself bring it up though. She was afraid. What if they disagreed? Would he walk?
“You’re still up?” Jasper interrupted her thoughts, coming into her space and bringing that spicy scent with him. “Usually you’re snoring by now.” He glanced at his watch, a smirk on his lips.
She had more energy today than she’d had over the last couple of weeks or so. She’d had a short nap in the sun, which helped. She felt refreshed, more like herself. She was glad she was here in Haxton. Maddi was funny, smart, and didn’t take anyone’s crap. Callahan would learn a lot from Maddi, and from helping at the clinic.
“I don’t snore.” She scooted over, pulling the covers back and making room for him. “The baby snores, it just comes out through my nose.”
Jasper kicked off his shoes, laughing. “I don’t think it works like that. You need to take one of those biology classes Riley is insisting I pick up next semester.” He settled in beside her, reaching to turn off the soft lamplight bathing the room in a golden glow. “Speaking of pregnancy stuff, we need to make you a doctor’s appointment, huh?”
It’d been on her mind, and her to-do list. She got the name of the OBGYN all the ladies in Jasper’s family used. “Yeah, Maddi sent me the information for her doctor.”
Callahan wasn’t necessarily putting it off, but she hadn’t been ready. She knew seeing the baby, hearing the heartbeat, would make it all the more real. She could feel the changes happening inside her. The nausea, the sore breasts, the tightening of her stomach, the slight pull. She sighed, suddenly feeling a bit selfish. “I’m sure you’re anxious to get the confirmation, right? I’m sorry, I didn’t even think to—”
“No, it’s not that. I know you’re pregnant.” He turned on his side, his hand reaching out to rest gently on her abdomen. “I saw the test. I’ve heard you vomit.”
She mirrored his position, careful not to dislodge his touch. The heat from his hand, his scent, calmed her. When she was feeling queasy, a deep lungful of his sweatshirt or the feel of his palm on her helped. Not that she’d ever admit that out loud to anyone. “I’ll call tomorrow and make an appointment.”
“Can I come with you?” he whispered.
Jasper rarely whispered. He spoke like he knew exactly where he belonged in the world. Confident and in love with life. She envied that about him, and hearing him speak softly, almost like he was unsure of himself, upset her.
She put her hand on top of his. “Of course you can come.” She tapped him with her fingers. “First step in co-parenting, huh? Doctor’s appointments.”
“Is that what we’re doing? Is that what you’ve decided?”
Was that hope in his voice? She’d been busy helping Maddi, but what had Jasper been doing with his days? She knew he was working with his brother, and hitting the gym in the basement with Riley. She’d been so focused on herself, what she needed and trying to decide what she wanted, she forgot there were two souls waiting on her choices.
“Yeah. I think that’s what I want.” She shrugged, the large sleep shirt she wore slipping down to expose her skin. “That’s what you want, right?” He’d told her that a couple weeks ago. Maybe he’d changed his mind since then.
He smiled, nodding. “That’s what I want.” His hand moved to her hip, shaking her playfully. “Co-parents and shit?”
“Co-parents and shit.” She licked her lips, not sure why she felt so light in that moment. There was still a ton to figure out, logistics and cost. Her parents. Ugh, her parents. “I’ll call Monday when I get a break and make an appointment.”
“Let me.” His grip on her tightened affectionally. “You two will be swamped, a line wrapped around the building. I’ll call and make our appointment.”
