He released Raoul and turned on her. At least she knew she wasn’t in any physical danger. She willed Raoul to run, but the kid was too honorable. He just stood there.

Hawk’s eyes blazed with fury. “How could you not tell me? She’s my daughter. I had the right to know.”

“Believe me, I’m not happy about any of this, but I found out she was pregnant and they asked me not to say anything. I agreed to keep quiet until Brittany could tell you herself.”

“Where do you get off doing that?”

She understood that he was angry and that none of this seemed fair, but she felt a little temper of her own stirring.

“You’re the all-knowing parent,” she told him. “You’re the one with the special bond with your daughter. I told you they were probably sleeping together, but did you listen? Was it possible I was right? Of course not. Because I don’t have children of my own, I’m not privy to the secret and special code.”

His gaze narrowed. “This is a hell of a time to throw that in my face.”

“You can’t have it both ways. Either I’m one of you or I’m not. Besides, why are you so upset? Brittany is only trying to relive your perfect life. You’ve told her and told her that this is exactly how things were for you and Serena. You’ve practically carved it in a gold tablet. I said it might not be a good idea to paint the past so damned perfect, but once again, I was wrong. You knew it all. So here’s the result. She’s pregnant and now there’s a really big problem.”

“There’s no problem,” Raoul said. “I love your daughter, Coach, and I want to marry her.”

Nicole groaned. The kid was not helping.

“I’ll kill him,” Hawk muttered. “Get him away from me.”

Nicole pointed to the front door. “Go inside. I’ll deal with this.”

“I don’t need you to fight my battles.”

She wanted to scream. “You’re all so stubborn and convinced you’re right. None of you are willing to look at anything rationally.” She pointed at Hawk. “You were so determined to teach your daughter a fairy tale. Why? So what if it was hard? You and Serena loved each other and you had a great marriage. Isn’t that what matters?”

Hawk started to speak. “Shut up,” she snapped. “I’m not done.” She turned on Raoul. “And you’ve bought into the fairy tale. Yes, you’ve had a hard life and you don’t want to give up your child, but you’re setting yourself up to fail. You’re not being realistic.”

Sheila whined again and pushed her nose into Nicole’s leg. Nicole glanced down at her. “This is not a good time.” The dog whimpered and walked to the front door.

Just then another car came tearing around the corner. Brittany parked behind her father’s truck. Nicole groaned when she saw the coupe was overflowing with what looked like a lot of personal belongings.

Hawk swore. “I told you to stay in your room. What are you doing here?”

“I hate you, Daddy. You’re mean and I’m never going to forgive you.”

Nicole closed her eyes and prayed this wasn’t what she thought. Apparently God was busy.

“I’m moving in with Nicole and Raoul,” the teenager announced. “Raoul loves me and Nicole might not get it, either, but at least she’s willing to listen.”

“You will get your butt back home this minute,” Hawk told her.

“No, I won’t, and unless you’re going to drag me there by my hair, you can’t make me.”

“I can and I will. You’re not seeing Raoul again. Do you understand me?”

“Barn door? Meet horse,” Nicole muttered.

Hawk turned to her. “You’re not helping.”

“How surprising.”

Brittany climbed out of her car. “Daddy, you don’t understand and until you do, I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“You can’t stay here,” Hawk told her. “I won’t allow it.”

“You don’t love me. If you did, you’d be happy for me.”

“Happy that you’re throwing your life away? Oh, yeah, this is great. All my dreams have come true.”

Raoul stepped toward Hawk. “You won’t talk to her that way.”

“What are you going to do about it, kid? Take me on. You think you can win?”

“Yes.”

“Stop it,” Nicole snapped. “Neither of you are helping.”

Sheila whined again.

Nicole moved between Raoul and Hawk. “There is a lot to consider here and no good solution is going to come from beating the crap out of each other. Besides, if anyone gets to be violent tonight, it’s me.”

“There’s nothing to consider,” Brittany said, sounding whiny and stubborn. “Raoul and I are getting married and we’re going to be very happy together.”

“You’re not getting married,” Hawk growled. “You’re still seventeen.”

“Why not?” Brittany asked, pushing Nicole aside and standing up to her father. “What’s the big deal? You did it and it was fine. Or were you lying? Why are you so upset, Daddy?”

Nicole saw the trapped look in Hawk’s eyes. While she was annoyed for how he’d ignored her before, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him now. Besides, she loved the man.

She took a deep breath. “We all need a little time and space. Brittany can stay, but only until everyone cools off.”

Brittany stuck her tongue out at her father.

“That was so mature,” Nicole muttered and held up her hand before Hawk could explode. “In Jesse’s room. If I catch either of you trying to share bed space, you’re both out. Is that clear?”

The teenagers looked at each other, then reluctantly nodded. Nicole moved in front of Raoul.

“I want you to look me in the eye and give me your word,” she said.

He drew in a breath. “I give you my word I will not sleep with Brittany under your roof.”

“Raoul!” Brittany stamped her foot.

“We have to do the right thing.”

“I’m not giving my permission for this,” Hawk muttered. “Brittany needs to come home.”

“What are the odds of that happening?” Nicole asked.

“You’re saying I can’t control my daughter?” he demanded, then shook his head. “Don’t answer that.”

“I won’t.” She touched his arm. “At least we’ll know where they are. Raoul gave me his word. I believe him. Do you?”

Hawk nodded slowly.

“You two, go upstairs,” Nicole said. “You can get Brittany’s stuff later. Raoul, see if Sheila’s hungry.”

The kids went inside.

Nicole waited until they’d left, then turned to Hawk.

“This is all your fault,” he muttered.

She glared at him. “How is that possible? Brittany got pregnant on your watch.”

“You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”

“In what? Their lives? Raoul was living in an abandoned building. Was that okay? I’m thinking it’s where all the trouble started.”

“I don’t want this,” he said, not looking at her. “Any of it.”

Did that any of it include them? The night got very cold.

“Hawk,” she began, but he shook his head.

“I can’t talk about this now. You wanted them, you got them. I need to think.”

He walked toward his truck.

“Wait,” she yelled. “You can’t just walk away.”

“Why not? It’s done.”

Was he crazy? They hadn’t even begun.

She started to go after him when the front door burst open.

“Hurry,” Raoul called. “It’s Sheila. She’s having her puppies.”

“THE CIRCLE OF LIFE is a whole lot messier than I’d realized,” Nicole said several hours later as Sheila licked her sleeping puppies. The birth had gone smoothly and now there were three tiny, blind newborns nestled against their mother.

Sheila had handled it all like a pro, asking for nothing more than a little company as she delivered her litter. She’d allowed Nicole to move her to a clean bed and had accepted a light meal.

Raoul and Brittany huddled together on the side of the box Nicole had prepared.

“You did good,” Raoul told his dog. Sheila looked up, her eyes half-closed. She thumped her tail once, then was still.

“You have babies,” Brittany whispered. “That was totally incredible.”

Nicole had to agree.

She looked at the teenagers sitting across from her on the floor. Were they even ready for the responsibility they were facing? Did it matter? One way or the other, in about eight months it would be here.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

HAWK WAITED UNTIL the next afternoon to return to Nicole’s house. He figured everyone could use the time to calm down. He ignored the fact that the person who probably needed the time most was himself.

He hadn’t slept the previous night—he’d barely stopped pacing. He couldn’t shake the anger and sense of betrayal directed toward everyone involved.

Brittany had lied to him. She’d looked him in the eye and flat-out lied. How was that possible? They’d always been close. He’d given up his career to be with her when they lost Serena. She’d always seemed like she had it together, but that wasn’t true. And if she’d lied about sleeping with Raoul, what else had she lied about?

He couldn’t think about Raoul without wanting to strangle the kid. Being Brittany’s boyfriend was one thing, but sleeping with her was something else. Still, he knew he couldn’t talk to Raoul until he could imagine the conversation without wanting to beat the shit out of the kid.

Strangely the one who bugged him the most was Nicole. She’d known and hadn’t told him. What the hell was up with that? She was the adult in the situation. She should have handled things better. Okay, sure, they’d asked her not to say anything, but so what? He was Brittany’s father and he had the right to know.

He pulled up in front of Nicole’s house and stared at the structure. What he didn’t want to admit was the person he was most angry with was himself. This had happened on his watch. He’d always prided himself on being a father who was involved, who knew the truth. He’d secretly pitied those parents who weren’t as cool, as involved. But it had all been a giant joke on him. Where had he screwed up?

When he couldn’t find an answer, he left the car and walked up to the front door. Nicole opened before he could knock.

She looked tired and apprehensive. Despite the raging emotions inside of him, he found himself wanting to pull her close and hold her. He wasn’t sure if the action was supposed to make her feel better or him.

“I figured you’d drop by,” she said, stepping back to let him in. “You missed the big excitement. Sheila had her puppies.”

“How many?”

“Three. Two girls and a boy.”

He nodded, then glanced toward the stairs. “I want to talk to Brittany.”

“I figured. Are you going to yell at her?”

“Probably.”

Nicole sighed. “Not a great way to start the conversation. You might try listening.”

“She has nothing to say that I want to hear.”

“Then why talk at all?”

He didn’t have an answer for that. Nicole shrugged, then headed upstairs. A few minutes later, she returned, without Brittany.

“She’s refusing to come out.”

“What did you tell her?” he demanded.

Nicole’s expression hardened. “Absolutely nothing, but please, feel free not to believe me. Go up and yell through the door. She’ll tell you herself.”

She turned away, then faced him again. “I swear, if I thought I was strong enough, I’d shake you. You do know that I’m on your side, right? Does it occur to you that I understand a little of what you’re feeling? I’m not the enemy here. I am not in favor of them getting married. They’re both too young and unprepared. I don’t even know if they should keep the baby. But hey, go ahead. Yell at me. I’m an easy target.”

He felt stupid and ineffectual. It wasn’t a comfortable combination. “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t expect any of this. She told me she and Raoul weren’t having sex.”

“And you believed her?”

He nodded. “She’s never lied to be before. I thought she’d tell me.”

“Not a smart assumption.”

“I know.”

She sighed. “So you’re done yelling at me?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.”

She still looked annoyed, but he had a feeling they were going to be okay.

She was nothing like Serena, who had always deferred to him. Nicole did things her way and didn’t take any crap from anyone. He kind of liked that.

She led the way into the living room and pointed at the sectional. “Have a seat. This is going to take a while.”

He shook his head and paced to the window. “At least I’m done having kids. I always told myself I was glad I’d had my family early and this only reinforces my opinion.”

Nicole smiled a wicked smile that had him bracing himself. “What?” he asked.

“You’re going to have to learn to like kids a little.” She paused. “You’re going to be a grandfather.”

He swore under his breath, walked to the sofa and sat down. He could feel his hair turning white as he considered what her words meant. “My baby is having a baby. How is that possible?”