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“No idea.” He shrugs and my eyes snap back to the small screen propped on a towel. “Says it was a one-night stand. Doesn’t even remember the guy’s name.”

“That doesn’t sound like Bambi.” Some of the frantic energy curdling my stomach settles. She’s never been a one-night stand girl. She’s always been the long-term solid commitment type. Our short-lived tryst being the only time I’ve ever known her to sleep with someone without being in a solidified monogamous relationship. For her to be so careless is out of character for her.

“No, it doesn’t. But she told me herself. No one knew about it till she started to show. Except my lying sister. Hid it under those baggy overalls of hers she’s always wearing.”

Wait. Hid it? This isn’t a new development? Did she find someone as soon as I left? I guess I shouldn’t blame her. I did tell them all I was never coming back except for Izzy’s wedding, which is now loosely planned for August this year.

“How far along is she?” I ask because apparently, I want to torture myself with knowing how quickly she moved on.

“Almost six months, I think. I guess it happened right after you left.”

Or right before.My unhelpful brain supplies. Because knowing she was with someone else isn’t bad enough, my inner sadist decides her having my baby and not telling me is better.

Couldshe be having my baby? We didn’t exactly use protection that I know of. I assumed she was on the pill or something since she never mentioned it. But she would have told me about the baby. Wouldn’t she? I’ve been sending her postcards from every new place I’ve been to. I haven’t had the courage to call her, but I had to let her know I was thinking about her somehow. I even wrote as much on the postcards.

It has to be mine. The timing lines up too perfectly. Even with how mad she was at me when I left, I know my Bambi. She would never hook up with a stranger, let alone have unprotected sex with one.

The sudden realization that she’s carrying my baby and I’m going to be a father hits me in a rush I wasn’t prepared for. I fall back against the bench and stare off at nothing. I can vaguely hear Owen talking, but I have no idea what he’s saying. That is until I hear her name and the words, giant tits, in the same sentence.

“What did you just say?”

Owen grins at me and leans back holding his hands in front of his chest mimicking groping large breasts.

“Oh yeah, her boobs have gotten huge. I don’t know how I didn’t notice them before. Should have been an instant give away. Pregnant women always have the best knockers.”

“Say one more word about Bambi’s boobs and I’ll disown you and stop taking your calls.”

His face falls like a kicked puppy and he finally drops his hands from his chest. His head of blonde hair fills the screen as he leans in so close I can’t see anything else but his massive face.

“Aw come on man, I was just joking. Although they are massive.” He leans back and holds his hands up in defensebefore I can chastise him again. “Chill man, I’m just messing with you. What’s got you wound so tight? You used to be more fun.”

I rub a hand down my face trying to regain some sort of control over myself. I was already in a funky mood and learning about Bambi’s pregnancy_and that I’m most likely the father, even though no one else seems to know that little fact_isn’t helping improve it.

“I don’t know. Too much time at sea alone?”

“Then go to shore and find yourself a nice piece of ass and bring her back to your boat. Then you won’t be alone.”

I lift my head and pin him with a flat glare.

“Or not. Then come home if you’re so miserable. You know this is where you belong anyway. Also, I’m not sure I can manage all this estrogen on my own. Izzy planning a wedding, Rae having a baby. All they ever talk about now is color schemes, baby names, wedding dresses and birthing techniques.” He shudders and shakes his head like he’s trying to shake away an unpleasant image.

“Baby names? She’s already picking out names? Does she know what she’s having?”

“A boy. Thank fuck. I don’t think I could survive adding another girl to our already female filled family.”

A boy. She…weare having a boy. I’m going to have a son. I need to go back. As soon as the thought hits me, I realize now this is why I felt like I had to return. Something inside me knew I would need to go home and that I should be near to do so. If I had still been in Florida when he told me this, it would take me months to return and I might miss the birth. But since I’m already on the west coast I can be back home in a week if I push myself and the winds are in my favor.

I end my call with Owen abruptly. I need to start moving now. The winds are good and there’s still hours of sunlight left. I’ll sail in the fucking dark if I have to.

It isn’t until days later when I’m so close to seeing her again that a stray thought makes its way into my mind. Not once since I spoke to Owen and decided to come home, did I consider my parents. Not once did their presence alter my plans to return to Homer.

Chapter 15: Raelyn

Like the pig?

Now that everyone knows about my pregnancy the questions have started. Thankfully I’ve had months to prepare answers for all of them. My lie of a one-night stand is much easier to portray as reality, now that I’ve said it so many times. Not as many times as I feared. Gossip in a small town works like that. Spreading the news faster than an airborne virus.

I have had to clarify a few things when the game of telephone went awry. Nothing too scandalous though. Someone came up with the ridiculous story that I had been ravaged by a sea creature and was having a mutant baby. Probably one of the teenagers in town.