Fate Interrupted

Six weeks later...

Evy flashed Dean a playful smile from the other side of the pool. He beamed back, keeping Shaun company at the grill, the sunlight casting dreamy sparkles across the water's surface, adding to the magical moment of it all. Kids raced about the yard between them, laughing and screaming but seeming a million miles away at the same time.

"I remember when Shaun used to look at me like that."

Evy jerked her eyes back to Carrie and smiled.

A wistful breath floated from Carrie's lips as she leaned back in a cushioned patio chair, the breeze running its fingers through her short blond locks. "Once you get married and have kids those looks become rarer than Bigfoot sightings in a city park."

Evy laughed. "Awe come on, I see the PDA with you two."

"When?"

"How about last weekend at La Fuente?"

"He was drunk on margaritas," Carrie flatly replied, taking a sip of wine.

Evy slid her chair closer. "So, tell me about Dean's ex-girlfriends."

Carrie swallowed and started choking. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and filled her lungs with air. "I can honestly say I have never met one of Dean's ex-girlfriends."

"Seriously?"

Carrie cleared her throat with a couple of coughs. "That's how I know he really likes you. He was always wary of commitment...until you came along anyway."

Evy's eyes slid over to Dean. "You sure he's not gay?"

Carrie busted up laughing, nearly spilling her wine. She took a deep breath and dramatically sobered. "Kimberly Ann!" she barked, scaring Evy half to death. "Let your sister play with that. It's Mindy's birthday, not yours!"

Evy turned to see a blond girl grudgingly hand a bedazzled pink microphone back to her shorter sister. Mindy snatched it back, glaring up at Kim through triumphant eyes, and started singing Call Me Maybe into the microphone, which amplified her high-pitched vocals for all to hear as she pranced about the yard. A steamy breath seeped from Carrie's lips. "I'm going to need more wine." She looked over at Dean and lowered her voice. "So what's he like?"

Evy followed her gaze, admiring the way Dean looked in his snug t-shirt and jeans. "Unlike anyone I've ever met before."

"That's great, honey, but I mean what's he like...in the bedroom?"

Evy bit her bottom lip to stop her face from turning bright red. It didn't work. "He's like the Energizer Bunny."

Carrie's eyes widened. She shook her head. "God, I envy you. Shaun used to be like that before we got married. Now, he's one and done, even when I'm wearing my naughty negligee."

"So you're saying don't get married."

"Not until you've had your fair share of days when it hurts to walk."

Evy wrinkled her nose and laughed, her eyes uncontrollably finding their way back to Dean. She wasn't sure if it was him or the wine making her feel warm and fuzzy inside but, either way, she loved it. Just like how she loved the way he ran his hand through his slicked back hair when the wind messed it up, or the way he never forgot she was there.

"Enjoy the solitude while ya can still nab a quickie in the bathroom without somebody pounding on the door because they have to go poop," Carrie said dully.

"Awe, but your girls are so cute," Evy countered, watching them spin with their arms out until they were so dizzy they collapsed into the green grass.

"Do you want kids?"

"I do. Someday."

Carrie smiled warmly. "It really is something you can't explain. You just have to learn to do things quicker. Luckily, Shaun never had a problem with that." They stared at each other for a moment and then cracked up laughing.

Dean smiled seeing Evy having a good time with Carrie. It was important she like his friends and they like her. She looked brilliant in the sun and he wondered what they were talking about.

"What the hell, man?" Shaun said with a quick laugh, pulling him from his thoughts. "Do you two ever stop eye fucking each other? Geez, there are kids around."

Dean laughed and took a drink from his bottle of beer.

Shaun stood over the grill and rubbed his bare belly, watching his daughters playing with their soda-fueled friends, spinning about the place like wound up tops. Off to the side of the yard, a clown stretched a brown balloon into a dachshund and handed it to an impatient little girl who took off running like a bat out of hell. The clown watched her go, a red smile extending across his white face. He took a quick drink of beer and got back to work on his next masterpiece.

"This is quite the party, man," Dean chuckled. "You know what we did on my sixth birthday?"

Shaun lifted his brow.

"Went to a McDonald's Playland."

Shaun smiled, using a long pair of tongs to flip the burgers and hotdogs covering the grill. His eyes narrowed as a plume of smoke drifted his direction with the breeze. "Had to hire a goddamn clown just to get out of going to Chuck E. Cheese again." He stopped flipping the charbroiled meat and looked up. "Hey! No running by the pool!" he yelled, making two redheaded girls with freckles slow their roll along the pool's edge. He took a quick look around to make sure somebody was keeping an eye on all of these kids. A blond lady, sitting on the end of the diving board with her feet dangling in the cool blue water, waved back. "Dam, that kid's mom is hot," Shaun muttered, flipping another all beef patty and making the flames lick higher.

Dean watched Shaun steal a glance at Carrie, who was busy going on and on about who knows what with Evy. They turned to Shaun and Dean at the same time and started giggling before returning to their own little slice of the backyard.

Shaun snorted. "They're talking about you right now."

Dean took a long drink, admiring Evy's sexy crossed legs, recalling when they were wrapped around him in Shaun's guest bathroom a half hour ago. He swallowed and wiped beer from his upper lip. "Could be you."

Shaun watched the hot dogs curl with the heat and took a drink from his bottle of beer. "Probably talking about how big your giant cock is."

A little boy in a swimsuit skidded to a stop between them, holding an airplane balloon up in the air. He cut his homemade sound effects and slowly lowered the plane, staring up at Shaun with his head tilted to the side. "What's a giant cock?"

Shaun swapped a quick look with Dean and turned back to the brown haired boy. "It's a chicken, Timmy. Hey, do me a solid and run inside and grab me another beer," he said, wiggling his bottle in front of him. "Make sure it looks just like this one. See my picture on it?"

The kid studied the picture of Shaun's smiling face and rapidly nodded, anxious to embark upon his new mission.

"Good boy," Shaun said, patting him on the head and sending him springing into action.

Dean watched the kid slide through the open French doors, flying his plane loud and proud through the sky as he disappeared into the kitchen. "Wow, you should probably not be around children. Ever."

Shaun drained his bottle and set it down on a table next to the grill. "World's too soft on kids these days, Deano. When I was a kid, I rode my BMX bike ten miles a day with no helmet or water. Nowadays, they wear helmets just to take a shit. And God forbid they ever have a can of soda. Now, what kind of life is that?"

Dean watched Shaun toss some slices of cheese onto the sizzling burgers. "I used to swing across twelve-foot-high monkey bars that dangled over rocks and broken glass."

"Those were the days," Shaun said with a wistful sigh, pulling up his swim trunks. "How ya liking that new brew?" he asked, glancing at the bottle in Dean's hand.

Dean turned the picture of Shaun's smiling mug, plastered across the bottle's side, to face him. "Aside from the creepy picture, it's really good. But I feel like we're about to make out every time I take a drink."

Shaun chuckled and turned back to the grill. "Decided to try my hand at brewing my own IPA this time around. Three bottles of that shit and you'll be whistling Dixie with your pants around your ankles."

Dean grunted. "Maybe I should switch to Bud Light."

An offended laugh spit from Shaun's mouth. "You know we don't carry that cat piss around here."

"I don't know what's stopping you from opening your own brewery."

"I'm scared."

"But you hate being a dentist."

"I know."

Dean took a drink of Shaun's homemade beer and swallowed. "Speaking of free beer, no Jon today?"

A warm blast of air ruffled Shaun's lips. "Who do ya think's in the clown suit?"

Dean's brow folded. His eyes flicked over to the raggedy clown. "Shut the hell up."

"I'm serious," Shaun said, gesturing with the tongs. "All these hot moms out here in bikinis," he whispered, surveying the pretty ladies frolicking in the pool. "He wouldn't miss this for the world. Plus he gets free food and beer."

"I walked right by him and he didn't say a word."

"Part of the deal is no talking no matter what. Plus, I think he's kind of embarrassed by the whole thing, being low on cash and all."

Dean watched some kid reach up and honk Jon's big red nose. "Wow."

"I bought the suit online; figure I can use it this Halloween, cover myself in blood and go as Pennywise from It."

Dean opened his mouth to speak and hesitated.

Timmy bounded back outside with the bottle of beer and skidded to a stop.

"Atta boy, Timmy!" Shaun smiled, taking the beer and tousling the kid's hair.

"Jimmy," the kid corrected in a high voice.

"Good ta know," Shaun muttered, watching the kid take off to join his friends in the yard. "Remind me to have Jon scare the crap outta that kid later on."

Dean's eyes landed back on Evy, unable to resist her call, enraptured by her natural beauty. She shot him a fleeting look and his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and grimaced. Megan. He silenced it and slipped it back into his jeans with a low sigh seeping from his lips. Her texts were bad enough. Her voice mails were haunting.

Shaun twisted the top off his beer with a low hiss and raised the bottle. "I'm happy for ya, man."

Dean clinked his bottle against Shaun's and took a long swig, his eyes traveling the length of legs spilling from Evy's summer dress. Those legs were all his and he still couldn't believe it. His phone vibrated again.

***

Dean's apartment was as quiet as a graveyard compared to Shaun's place. It felt good to kick back on the couch and not make small talk about the weather or where he worked. He stared into Evy's eyes, wanting to relax in those warm green pools forever. He shifted on the couch, her gaze making his head spin like some new designer drug.

"Thanks again for going to the party."

"I had so much fun, I love Carrie."

Dean grinned at her. "Shaun was lucky to find her."

"And according to her, I was your first guest at their house. Is that true?"

He sat up straighter. "I'm not sure, I'd have to Google it."

She cocked her head and pursed her lips. "What's the longest you've ever dated anyone anyway?"

His gaze lowered to her red nail polish. Five months wasn't much of an answer, more like a red flag, but those girls compared to the one sitting next to him right now were night and day. The question wasn't evenly weighted.

He shrugged. "I don't know, not long."

"Well, what's your record?"

"I don't keep records."

Her eyes thinned. "What are you hiding?"

He snorted and pulled a narrow box from the couch cushions, studied it for a moment and handed it to her. "This."

Evy's eyebrows dipped. "What's this?"

"Here's to new records."

She took it with uncertain eyes.

"Open it."

His watched her fingers run across the box's smooth shell, his heart beat speeding up. There was a light click when she cracked it open. She gasped. "Oh my God, Dean, it's beautiful."

"Put it on," he said, lifting the silver necklace from its red velvet confines.

"Dean, I can't accept..."

He shushed her and unclasped the metal end and held it out. Her smile grew as she collected her hair in both hands and he draped the chain around her neck. Dean stole a quick kiss on her neck before she let her hair down. He watched her run her fingers across the silver arrow. She was breathtaking. Her aura enveloped him, wrapping its lustrous vapor around him and lifting him off the couch.

"It looks beautiful on you," he whispered.

"Dean, you didn't have to..."

"It reminded me of you."

A wry grin pulled at her lips. "You mean the arrow I shot through your heart?"

"Something like that," he chuckled, pressing his lips to hers and kissing her passionately for what seemed like hours. They pulled apart and he stared into those eyes, star struck as her fingers found their way back to the necklace.

"So does this mean we're going steady now, Dean Jacobs?" she asked, batting her lashes and biting back a giggle.

"Somebody has to go to prom with me."

Her breath fled her like a speeding train, flying down the rails and out of sight around the bend before she even knew what happened. She took his hand in hers and squeezed, glowing like a harvest moon. It was ethereal and frightening at the same time.

Her face turned somber. "Why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Out of all of those girls out there, why me?"

He pressed his lips together and studied her through attentive eyes. "Because you're different than those other girls.

"Different how? Like a new flavor of the month different?"

His brow folded. He opened his mouth to explain but the words stubbornly clung to the tip of his tongue, so he kissed her instead, breathing her in with an ardor as alien to him as Japanese. They discovered each other all over again like teenagers in the dark. His heart swelled with something he couldn't explain and he wondered if it could kill him. Whatever it was, he didn't want it to stop. Ever.

They pulled apart and he looked her in the eye. "Different like that."

A coy smile parted her lips. "Point taken," she replied, glancing down at the necklace again. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

He smiled back, knowing she was the chosen one and nothing could stop them from being together. Fate's course was set, his path decided by a higher entity.

Evy pulled him back to her needy lips. His hand slid up her top and firmly cupped a breast, leaving her short of breath. Her hand felt its way into his lap, rubbing him with a longing that warmed his soul. He stiffened in her hand as their lips danced together like mating swans. Her cell phone rang, making them both flinch.

She broke their kiss with a sigh and dug the phone from her purse. "Brooke," she said, checking the screen.

"Go ahead."

She answered and spoke into the phone on automatic pilot, staring at him through star-crossed eyes, sharing a moment together they would never forget. Her dreamy gaze suddenly tightened. "Right now?" She frowned, making Dean's heart sink along with the bulge in his pants, and let her gaze wander around his condo, nodding her head and throwing in some disappointed moans.

"Okay, I'm on my way," she said dully, sealing his fate and hanging up the smartphone. She exhaled a tired breath that made her shoulders slump. "I have to go let a plumber into the cafe. He's running late and Brooke has tickets to see The Black Keys with Ben at The Eagles Club."

"Plumber?"

Evy threw the cell into her purse. "Yeah, the main sink is clogged up again."

His eyes darted around the room, searching for a simple solution. "Do you want some company?"

She rested a hand on his knee and leaned in closer, giving him an unabated shot down her shirt. "This could take a while, but I will make it up to you tomorrow night," she said with a mischievous grin. "I promise."

He watched her fingers run over the necklace without responding.

"Thank you so much for the beautiful necklace. I love it." She planted a quick peck on his lips and got up. "I'll call you tomorrow," she said, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

He followed her to the patio door, pulled the blinds back and slid the glass door open, allowing the night's heat to mingle with the air conditioning inside. "Be careful, and make sure that plumber has the proper credentials before you let him in."

"Credentials?"

"Yeah ya know, plumber's crack, mustache, dirty joke book, stuff like that."

She laughed and pressed up against him, a blissful sigh escaping her from somewhere deep down inside as her lips found his. They kissed for all of the neighbors to see, and, with a heavy reluctance, they separated, staring into each others' eyes.

"Looks like I got pretty lucky, too," he whispered.

"You better say that," she grinned. "Let's do movie night at my place tomorrow. You pick up the movies and I'll make dinner."

He studied her face, his eyes getting lost in hers while they still could. "Waffle dogs?"

Evy planted one last peck on his lips and turned to go. He watched her walk away, wishing it was tomorrow night already. She stopped at her car, looked back to see if he was still watching, and flashed him a quick smile.

Dean waved as she sped off, his heart deflating in her absence. He shut the door and blinds, rested his hands on his hips and scanned the room where her sweet smell lingered behind. He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the ephemeral scent like a fine bottle of wine. The TV suddenly seemed like an exercise in futility compared to what he was feeling inside. Nothing could captivate his attention like she could.

His world was on fire and he couldn't remember ever being happier, even when he had won the Tolson case last spring. He started pacing the room and let his mind wander. She was his and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. The framed picture of he and his parents, with the snow covered Rockies behind them, looked so real, like he could walk over and tell them everything. They would grin and nod and tell him how happy they were for him. After his parents' accident he never felt like he belonged anywhere in particular but things were different now. Now, he belonged to her and her to him, and nothing could ever take that away.

A soft rap on the patio door stirred him from his thoughts. He stopped wearing out the carpet, his heart fluttering with excitement. She was back. Probably to steal one last kiss to get her through the night. He yanked down on the chain. The blinds whooshed back. His heart plunged off a cliff as he unlocked the door, using more energy to pull it back than ever before.

"Hi sexy."

"Megan," he sputtered blankly, the color draining from his face.

She adjusted her shirt so the v-neck was lower, giving her ample cleavage the due diligence it so rightly deserved. "Don't you know it's poor manners not to call a girl back?"

The coyness in her voice irritated the shit out of him. He glanced behind her to the parking lot basking in an orange glow from the spattering of tall lights, terrified Evy could show up for that last kiss at any second. This wasn't a game. It was all he could do to keep from slamming the door in her smug little face.

"What are you doing here?" His bluntness produced a frown upon her face that gave him a glint of satisfaction.

Megan pressed her lips together. "Glad to see you, too, Dean."

"I'm seeing someone now," he blurted, deciding this was no time for kid gloves. "And this," he said, using his index fingers to circle the plot of land she was currently invading, "isn't cool."

Her eyes welled with tears. "I'm pregnant."

His pulse pounded, making it difficult to think. Her face blurred with a wooziness washing over him like a nest of hornets. He swayed in his stance, his heart beating out of rhythm. "What?"

She replied with a somber nod, blinking a lone tear down her tanned cheek. "I just wanted you to know," she said softly, forcing a smile. "I thought you deserved that much."

He cringed. He didn't deserve any of this, especially now. He took another quick look over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that Evy was watching everything from inside her car. "Come on in."

She smiled and stepped inside, dusting him with a potent dose of a flowery smelling perfume that smothered what was left of Evy's scent. He closed the door and locked it. "Have a seat," he said, drawing the blinds and trying his best not to sound rude.

"That's why I've been calling you," Megan said matter-of-factly, sinking into the armchair that suddenly wasn't as bright as it was two minutes ago. "I saw my doctor this past week and...I'm pregnant."

He stood over her with his hands on his hips and his mouth collecting flies, the taken aback silence making his ears ring. "What makes you think it's mine? I mean, I used a condom."

She shook her head fervidly, spilling more tears down her face. "Condoms aren't a hundred percent foolproof, and I wasn't with anyone else during the time of conception. Only you."

The crushing blow drove the air from his lungs like a sledgehammer to the gut. White specks floated across his vision as the room twirled around him. He plopped down onto the couch before he could fall. She was lying. Had to be. He had used a condom. "What?" he repeated, at a loss for words.

She wiped tears away with her hands. "I'm so sorry to spring this on you, Dean. It took me a few days to even know what to do and I'm still not sure." The dam gave under pressure, unleashing salty rivers down her face. "I'm so sorry," she cried, her breath hitching in wheezy gaits. "I'm just scared."

His mouth opened but nothing came out. This wasn't happening. Couldn't be happening. Evy flashed through his mind, ripping the necklace off and throwing it in his face, telling him she never wanted to see him again. He shook his head, dazed and confused by the heavy blow.

He stumbled into the bathroom on heavy legs and glanced in the mirror, shuddering at what he saw. His reflection already looked different. Aged. His stomach churned and he turned away.

"Here ya go."

"Thank you," she sniveled, taking the box of tissue from him and plucking one from its core. She tried flashing him a reassuring smile as she dabbed at her eyes and nose but there wasn't anything reassuring about any of this. "This isn't exactly the summer I had planned."

He inhaled deeply through his mouth, avoiding her stinging scent at all costs. "I still don't get what makes you think it's mine."

"Because I'm not a whore, Dean!" she barked, startling him. "That's how! I know who I was with during the time frame the doctor gave me for conception."

Dean wasn't sure which made him wince more: her sudden outburst or the return of the word conception. It made his skin crawl and he wished she would stop saying it.

Megan released a weary breath and lowered her voice. "I'm sorry." She looked up at him with watery eyes. "Believe me, I didn't want to end up getting pregnant, especially out of wedlock. My dad is probably going to throw me out on the street."

"So...what are you going to do?"

"I'm keeping it," she answered way too fast for comfort, plucking another tissue with a swoosh and blowing her nose. A short laugh escaped her, sending a shiver down his spine. "My dad would kill me if I aborted. That goes against everything his campaign stands for."

Dean's eyebrows drew together, meeting in the middle of his wrinkled forehead. "Campaign?"

Mascara ran down her face. "He's on the city council, remember? I told you he was running for mayor."

Dean slowly nodded, even though he remembered nothing she had said that drunken June night, which now seemed so long ago. Nothing outside of the ski mask thing anyway.

She cleared her throat and sat up straighter. "Look, I don't expect anything from you, but I would never stop you from wanting to be a part of this child's life."

He watched her dotingly rub her smooth belly, her acerbic words cutting him to the bone. Her absolute assumption he was the father was unnerving to say the least. "What I want is a paternity test."

She smiled thinly. "Of course. I asked about that and the earliest they can do it is during the tenth to twelfth week of pregnancy.

His eyes narrowed as he did the math in his head. "Which is when?"

Even her shrug annoyed him. "Another month or so."

"Wow," he murmured bleakly under his breath.

"I know, but like I said, Dean, I wasn't with anyone else during the time of..."

He shot a hand up into the air. "I get it," he said, cutting her off before she could utter the dreaded c-word again.

She nodded faintly, blinking more black tears into her lap.

His mind reeled, desperate for a way out. His ship was sinking and time was of the essence. The air conditioner kicked on, pushing the ear-ringing silence from the room like a big bully. They stared at each other while cool air washed over them. The tension was thick. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed, unwilling to even begin accepting such a ridiculous claim. How could he be the father? Because she wasn't with anyone else during the time of conception? He called bullshit.

"Won't be long now before I'll really be showing." She patted her stomach and looked up to meet his petrified gaze. "I'm going to tell my family tomorrow but I wanted you to know first."

He bit his tongue to keep from saying something he might regret and responded with a shallow bob of the head, indicating an understanding that couldn't be further from the truth.

She sensed his disinclination and got up, stuffing the wadded balls of Kleenex into her Coach bag. "I should go."

He followed her to the patio door, praying Evy wouldn't be standing on the other side when he pulled back the blinds, her green eyes just as broken as his heart. He swallowed hard and tugged on the plastic chain like a band aid, sending the slatted shades noisily colliding against each other. Relief spilled over him when he saw the patio chairs. He slid back the glass door, beyond ready to get Megan and her pungent perfume out of his condo.

She stopped in the doorway and turned to face him. He glanced behind her to the parking lot and she moved her head to block his view. "Can I call you if I need a ride to the doctor's office or...peanut butter ice cream or something?" she asked, trying to smile.

He sucked in massive gulps of air that tasted like sterilized medicine, trying to round up a response that wouldn't lock him into anything. "Sure," he lied.

Her face brightened. "Thank you, Dean," she said softly, leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

It caught him off guard and he hesitated before pulling away. "Don't," he said sternly, holding her at arm's length by the shoulders.

Her eyes violated his considerable frame from head to toe. "I'm sorry," she blushed, fighting a grin. "It's just that being pregnant makes you so horny." Her sultry voice fanned the flames of his irritation. He wasn't sure which threw him for a bigger loop: her ridiculous kiss or the hand suddenly on his dick. He jumped backwards, holding his arms out to intercept any further attacks. "Megan, I have a girlfriend now!"

She laughed sharply, flipping her straight blond hair over a shoulder. "You? Yeah right! You can't even commit to a second date, let alone a girlfriend. Don't think I haven't heard about you."

"Megan, listen, you are a very pretty girl, but this is..."

"Stop objectifying me!"

Dean blinked blankly, a nearby air-conditioning unit humming in his ears. "What are you talking about?"

She stepped closer and softened her tone. "I can be different, Dean."

"Not like this."

"I can be whatever you want me to be," she whispered, placing a hand on his chest.

His brow crumbled.

She took advantage of his confusion and pressed her lips against his with foolish resolve.

He pushed her away, wiping the red evidence from his lips. "Megan, no matter what happens...you and I will never be together."

Megan sharpened her stony gaze. "You don't believe me, do you?"

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to!" she snapped, her chest heaving. "You think I don't know who was inside of me six weeks ago?"

He cringed with the rise in volume and shushed her.

"Don't shush me!" She pointed to the parking lot and spoke through gritted teeth. "You think I've fucked so many guys out there that I can't even keep track?"

"Jesus Christ, Megan," he groaned, glancing around the other patios and balconies. "You're putting words into my mouth."

Her face soured like someone had just slapped her. "Oh I get it," she said, feigning a smile. "You're too good to get locked up with Megan Crawford, is that it?"

"No, that is not..."

"Well, you should've thought about that before fucking me!"

Dean glared at her in the thunderstruck silence that followed, speechless in the face of such a horrific outburst, his chest swelling. Someone across the way peeked out between their blinds and quickly disappeared back into their living room. Dean pictured Evy crying with the unsettling news, lashing out at him like Megan was now.

Megan's long blond hair fell over her shoulder when she cocked her head to one side. "I'm sorry, Dean, I...shouldn't have said that."

"You should go."

She nodded with a sniffle. "I didn't come over here to fight with you. Must be my hormones starting to go bat-shit crazy already." She flashed him a thin smile and stood there looking at him through watery eyes for what seemed like minutes. Finally, she turned for the parking lot, her heels skittering across the patio as she stormed off with her nose held high. He watched the taillights on her red Mitsubishi fade from sight and exhaled a low breath, an orchestra of crickets and locusts buzzing his head with their constant drone. "Sonofabitch," he muttered, going back inside and barricading the door behind him like flesh-eating zombies were on the loose.

He took a steadying breath, his mind flipping through scenarios like a digital bill counter. Was it really his kid? How would Evy take it? What if he and Megan were joined at the hip for all of eternity? How would Evy take it? Should he tell her? How could he hide it? He couldn't. Not for long. His cell phone caught his attention. Dean grabbed it and scrolled through his contacts, wondering if he was cursed. He ran a hand through his hair, took a deep breath, and hit the call button.