Worship And Other Love Rituals

Chapter 26

When we arrived home, I was glad to shut out the craziness of the evening. All I wanted was a nice, relaxing glass of lemonade and some peace and quiet. But you know what they say - no good deed goes unpunished.

No sooner had I poured myself a drink than the doorbell rang, followed by an aggressive pounding that could wake the dead. "Alright alright...coming!" I grumbled as I shuffled over and yanked open the door.

On my front porch stood Ethan, looking like he'd seen a ghost. His hair was sticking up every which way and his eyes were wide. "Clara... you'll never believe - McKenna is pregnant! Just sixteen and with child!" he gasped, clutching his heart as if it might quit beating any second.

I dragged Ethan inside before the neighbors started gossiping. The last thing I needed was for Mark to see us and spread rumors that I was murdering people on my front stoop.

I shoved a glass of lemonade in Ethan's hand and plopped him down on the couch. "Now Ethan, take a deep breath before you collapse. Tell me slowly - how on earth do you know of this?" I said, patting his back with my free hand.

He inhaled deeply, then launched into the tale. "Well...you know I had that emergency at the winery..." Another breath, this one shakier than the last. "later...Maya just called in a tizzy about McKenna's fall. She told me you were there too...and...you know...I rushed right over, of course."

I raised an eyebrow, noting his inability to meet my gaze. "Funny how you found the time, considering your very important fermentation...issue."

Ethan grimaced. "Alright...it was an emergency.. of course- but... can you blame me for caring about that girl? Ever since she was in diapers." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "Anyways, at the hospital they did all sorts of scans and tests. And that's when they discovered...the baby."

"Oh my." I sat down hard, the wind knocked out of me by this latest bombshell. McKenna, a mother? It seemed too much to comprehend. "Does she say who the father might be?"

Ethan frowned into his lemonade. "That's the strangest part. For a teenage girl, she's unusually tight-lipped about it. Refuses to name names."

I took a slow sip of lemonade, mulling over this surprising development. "Hmm, that is strange. You'd think she'd want to tell anyone who would listen... that's what teenagers do." A thought occurred to me. "Unless...she has reasons to keep it private."

Ethan peered at me quizzically over the rim of his glass. "You think she's protecting the father? But who..." His eyes widened. "Not that buffoon who shoved her? Chase or whatever his name was?"

"Chase Williams," I supplied, finally recalling the no-good troublemaker.

I gave a noncommittal shrug. "It's possible. Teenage hormones combined with ...drunken bravado could lead to all sorts of poor decisions. The example is in front of you-"I stopped.

Ethan harrumphed, clearly still seething over McKenna's accident nearly hours later. I patted his arm consolingly. "Try not to work yourself into another state... What's done is done, and worrying won't change a thing. The most important thing now is McKenna's health and happiness going forward."

He closed his eyes, taking a few calming breaths. "You're right, Clara. As always." A small smile broke through his distress. "What would I do without your level head, hmm?"

I waved off the praise, returning his smile. "You'd manage, I'm sure. Now, is there anything else I should know about young McKenna's prognosis? Baby and mother both alright?"

"As well as can be expected, all things considered," Ethan replied. "Doctors said it was a mild fall, thank heavens, and the wee one's heartbeat is strong. As for her leg, it's a clean break they've set in a cast. Barring any complications, she'll recover just fine in a few months' time."