Hay Season

Chapter 14

Rylan

I became a nervous wreck and cried night and day and said, God, why me? ~ Susan Sanford ~

Why is it so hard for people to believe that two people, no matter their differences, can belong together? I don't dread telling my parents. They won't interfere. I know them, but they'll make us work for it on our own. Although I know they'll be there to help if we need it, they have always taught me that responsibility is gained with experience. My biggest fear is telling her father. I'm unsure how he'll react, but I know it won't end well. I don't have to be an intelligent man to know that.

~ Our Hometown of Dewbridge/Journal Entry by Thomas Ballerini

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I don't care what people think about me dating Mattie, but it seems Dewbridge cares an awful lot. Watching her flip through a magazine with Darby beside her, my heart does its usual flip. She's dressed comfortably in a faded pair of skinny jeans and a short-sleeved flannel shirt. Thomas is pacing the waiting room while Darby is calmly reading from a book. I catch the words Pregnancy for Beginners and smile.

"Dude, you're going to rub a hole in that carpet if you don't stop."

Thomas sighs. He surveys the room, although I don't know why. There's no one here. Rosemont may be larger than Dewbridge, but the town is still small.

"Ms. Jones."

A nurse stands at the door leading to the back. Looking over a clipboard in her hand, she studies the girls, clearly trying to figure out which one has been knocked up. Darby stands, holds her hand out to Thomas, and waits. The nurse frowns.

"No friends allowed."

Holding her head up high, she looks the nurse firmly in the eye and answers, "he's the father."

I move quietly to the seat next to Mack and lay my arm across the back of her chair. Thomas grips Darby's hand tight, and I see the resolve on his face for the first time since we arrived here. He loves her despite the look of disgust I see written on the nurses' face staring at them. She wants to say something, but her professionalism gets in the way.

"Follow me," she mutters before leading the way down the hall.

When the door closes behind her, the room gets quiet. I can hear the tick-tock from the wall clock behind us and the whispers from the ladies behind the glass window up front. Darby made a smart move coming out here for her first appointment. The scene back home would have been on a whole new dramatic level. The two of them need time to adjust and the chance to dish out the news before Dewbridge gets a hold of it.

"That went better than expected."

Mattie stares at the closed door when I draw her toward me. I've been taking it slow with Mack. She frightens easily, but I've noticed the determination in her eyes since her conversation with those two men at her grandmother's café. Seeing them next to her when I walked in bothered me until I realized who they were. Their pictures pop up on the front page of The Dewbridge Press monthly, listing the men's adventures in their military careers. The stories are gossip. Common sense tells me that their missions are kept wrapped up and details reserved for the unit, but people want to hear the news, and Trace Hastings is good at his job. He has to be. He's the only reporter our small newspaper has on their payroll.

My parents, or more specifically, my father, is having a hard time digesting the fact that I'm dating the girl next door. His reaction surprised me. Until now, he's never shown the slightest interest in my life outside of what he can gain from me in his career. He still wants me to take over the family business. I have no intention of doing so. He's why I've been held back from spending the time I want to with Mattie. I've missed her. A lot. I hold her, and we sit in silence, but it's a comfortable silence. Words have never been needed with us. It's one of the many reasons why I love her.

"I love you."

I speak the words I'm thinking and watch her turn toward me. Leaning over, I touch my lips with hers and let it take my frustrations away. I'll face my father eventually, but this is all I care about right now. I don't know how long we stay that way. My hand has traveled up, and I'm gripping her hair when a voice clears behind us. Pulling apart reluctantly, I'm pleased to see the blush gracing Mattie's cheeks. Thomas is smiling at us with a goofy grin on his face. In one hand is a length of pictures from the ultrasound. Darby holds his hand with the other.

"Looks like our peanut is going to be an April baby."

And that's precisely what it looks like, a peanut. I peer at the one on the bottom and laugh. Thomas narrows his eyes in my direction.

"You better not be making fun of my kid, man."

Standing, I give him a friendly slap on the shoulder before pulling Mattie to her feet.

"Easy, man. I'm just reevaluating my taste for boiled peanuts right now. I don't think I'll be able to eat one for a while without thinking about your kid."

Thomas studies the slide and chuckles. He's about to respond when Darby snatches the pictures before placing them in her purse.

"Enough poking fun at my baby," she says, although I don't miss the amusement in her voice. "We have to come back in a month for a checkup."

The smile slips from their faces, and we wait for them to continue.

"We've decided to wait and tell our parents then."

Mattie grips my hand hard, and I can tell her heart is going out to her friend.

"Do you think that's wise?"

Darby sighs. "I'm not sure, but that month will give me time to put back as much money as I can from my waitressing job, and Thomas was able to get on at the Piggly Wiggly in town as a bagger. Between the two of us, we're hoping to save up for a small place in case our news causes them to kick us out."

Thomas puts an arm around her shoulder and hugs her tight. He whispers in her ear while my mind takes me back to when I was little and my dad tried his hand at playing dad. He thought it would be fun to take me deer hunting. He made a big show of it, even moving a trailer to our property near Tolliver's Creek, the land owned by Missy Tolliver's parents. In fact . . .

"I think I may have a solution that will help."

When they all look at me expectantly, I feel the tension from earlier returning. I need another kiss. Only Mattie can take away the stress that is squeezing the fuck out of me. I won't be able to put that talk with my father off after all. I'm not the type of guy who walks away from helping a friend or taking on the problems of my teammates, but I'm realizing that growing up comes with a price. What happened to us? What happened to the carefree days when our only worries were scraped knees, popsicles on a hot day, and swimming in the creek? Adulting should come with a manual.