Sunday

Alex rolled out of bed early Sunday morning. He tried to be quiet but as usual, Julie knew the moment he had awoken.
"And just where do you think you're going?" Julie said sleepily. He loved her like this, tussled from their night's play.
"I have to meet Nick at the airport."
Julie was suddenly wide awake. She sat straight up, the sheets exposing her bare breasts. She didn’t even seem to notice.
"What? He's coming?"
Alex nodded, unable to answer with words, his eyes locked on Julie’s bosom.
"Did you tell him?"
"No. I promised you and Kate I wouldn't."
Julie was suspicious.
"Then why is he coming all the sudden?"
"Because I said we should meet here, to visit you girls."
Julie wasn't satisfied but she knew she wasn't going to get any more information than that. She pulled the sheets back up to cover her skin.
"Do you want to take my car?"
"Thanks but I got a cab coming and I'll rent a car at the airport."

Alex had a shower and headed to the airport. He was an hour early to pick up Nick but he needed some time to think things thru. He got the keys to the rental and went to get a cup of coffee in the food court.
He hated for his friend to be broad sided with the news that he was going to a father but he knew that Kate had to tell him. He knew this was going to be hard for Kate but he had promised her he wouldn't tell.  He called Julie.

"Hey, handsome!" she said when she answered the phone.
"Hey baby, I was just thinking of something. I don't want to just drop Nick off at Kate's and be like surprise you’re going to be a Dad."
"Yeah I'm thinking that's going to go over like a lead balloon."
"Especially since I didn't tell Kate he's coming."
Julie waited for him to continue.
"So I was thinking maybe you should go over to Kate's and prepare her."
"That's probably a good idea." Julie agreed.
"I'm going to talk to Nick on the way over about how Kate would be there for him no matter what and he's been neglecting her."
"Ok."
"Would you ask Kate if she wants me to tell him? I will if it's too much for her."
Julie smiled. That's why she loved this man. He wanted to protect Kate. Nick is practically his brother and he's more concerned about Kate. Kate had told Julie about the garage conversation. She smiled thinking of "Uncle Alex".
"Ok I'll call her now. What time is Nick's flight arriving?"
"In about a half hour. So we should be there in about an hour."
"Ok. I better get a move on then."
"Thanks baby. I love you."
"I love you too. See you soon."

Julie hung up and immediately dialed Kate.
"Dude. It's Sunday!" Kate groaned.
"Rise and Grind, Sunshine. Get up I'll be at your house in 10 minutes."
"Why?"
"Nick's coming and we only have an hour to make you beautiful."
Kate sat straight up in bed.
"What?!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah. Apparently he wanted to surprise you. Fortunately Alex didn't think you needed that much of a surprise. Now get in the shower. I'm heading out to my car now."

Kate obediently got in the shower. She still managed to shave her legs, although it was getting more and more difficult. She wondered why she bothered. She should just stay in her jammies and tell him.
"He'll walk out the door and that will be the end." Kate thought.
She'd had enough nightmares about it. She'd been dreading this conversation. The longer he'd been gone, the harder it would become to tell him. Although, she had almost come to think that she wouldn't have to tell him. His texts and calls had become fewer and fewer, so she had starting to think that he'd just forgot about her.
She about jumped out of her skin when Julie said,
"Ok, are you a prune yet?"
"Holy cow, you scared me!" Kate answered.
She turned off the water, grabbing a towel off the rack and drying off in the shower.
"Ok. I'm going to go pick out an outfit." Julie said heading into Kate's walk in closet.

Kate pulled on her terrycloth robe. She couldn't just wrap in a towel anymore, they didn't reach. Julie had several articles lying on the bed by the time Kate got there.

"I don't know why you're bothering. After I tell him he's going right back to the airport and I'll never see him again."
"Well, aren't we just Mary sunshine this morning." Julie teased.

Kate sat on the bed pulling the towel off her head. She ran her hand thru her wet hair.
"So I'm thinking this shirt," Julie said, holding up the brown and turquoise tank top that Kate had worn to the concert in Kansas City.
"No." Kate said.
"Why not?"
"Because it's November and I have chores to do."
"You can change later for that. Don't you want to look beautiful for him?"
Kate looked up at Julie, tears streaming down her face. Julie came over sitting next to her. She wrapped her arms around her friend as Kate clung to her.
"You know what ever happens today that at least it’s over and you don't have to worry about it anymore. And Alex and I will be here for you."
Kate pulled back, wiping her eyes.
"Ok."
She allowed Julie to dress her and fix her hair. It had grown a lot due to the prenatal vitamins, reaching to her shoulder blades.
Julie dried and curled it but Kate refuse to wear make-up.
"I'll just cry it off." She insisted.

Alex met Nick just outside of security. They gripped hands, bumping shoulders.
"How was your flight?" Alex asked, leading the way down to baggage claim.
"Early." Nick yawned.
When they had retrieved Nick's checked bag he noticed Alex didn't have any luggage.
"Wait where are your bags?" Nick asked.
"At Julie's. I got here a couple of days ago."

Alex led the way to the rental car lot. He followed the directions to his vehicles location. The car was a black Cadillac Escalade, just as he had requested.
"Nice." Nick said, "Must be planning on taking our ladies out in style."
"May as well." Alex agreed. "So why haven't you been out to see Kate?"
"My schedule is nonstop. Cd signings, concerts, personal appearances. I had a short time when I flew back to Nashville to film a video, but I really have been on the go ever since the tour ended. You know how it is. But I call her and text her all the time."
Alex raised an eyebrow at him.
"Ok. So not as much as I did at first but I do still talk to her more than I talk to anyone else." Nick confessed. "So if you've been here then you know what's going on."
Alex kept his eyes on the road not responding.
"Come on, man! Tell me."
"I can't. I promised her I wouldn't."

As they drove to Kate's house, Nick's mind went into overdrive trying to figure out what it could be. Maybe her mom was sick. He knew her dad had passed away a few years ago so it couldn’t be something drastic like that. But why wouldn't she tell him? Maybe she lost her job. Yeah that could be it. Maybe she didn't want to ask for money but she needed it. AJ had said she needed support. Maybe she had a sick animal, or she was going to have to have surgery on her wrist because of the horseback riding accident, after all.

Soon they pulled into the farm yard of Kate's place. Kate was sitting behind her kitchen table a cup of cocoa in her hands. Julie sat next to her.
Alex knocked on the door before opening it, letting himself and Nick in.
"We're in the kitchen." Julie called.

Nick froze as he followed Alex into to kitchen. He had a sudden flash back to the intervention that his family and friends had arranged. His breathing quickened.
"What is it?" He asked, not bothering to say hello, or how are you.
Julie touched Kate's arm encouragingly, showing her support.
She took a deep breath and looked up at Nick's beautiful face.
"I'm pregnant." She said simply.
He felt like someone had hit him in the chest. He didn't see that coming. He turned and walked out the front door. He needed air.

Kate burst into tears. She ran out the back door and down to the barn.
"Well. That went well." Alex said sarcastically.
"You get him, I'll get her." Julie said, grabbing Kate's coat on her way out.

AJ found Nick on the front porch gripping the wooden rail. He was bent at the waist his head hanging between his arms.
"You ok?" AJ questioned.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Nick asked, his head still bowed.
"Kate asked me not too."
"If she didn't want to be with me anymore why didn't she just tell me?" Nick looked up at AJ, his blue eyes dark with despair.

It took AJ a second to register what Nick had just said.
"Dude, that's your baby!"
Nick wiped at his face, streaked with tears.
"If it's mine why didn't she tell me sooner?" he said angrily.
AJ was calm as he replied, "Because she was waiting for you to keep your promise."
"What promise?" Nick spat out.
"Uh, when you told her you loved her and that you'd come back for her."
"I do love her, but it can't be mine. We haven't seen each other since..."
"Since July? Yeah, that makes her 4 months along."
Nick did the mental math.
"But she would be showing, wouldn't she?" he asked more calmly.
"She is. You just didn't notice because she was behind the table."
"So it's really mine?" Nick asked hopefully.
AJ laughed, "You think I'd bring you here if it wasn't?"
Nick collapsed into one of the rocking chairs on the front porch.
"Oh man, I'm going to be a Dad," he said, the realization of it finally hitting him.
"What am I going to do?" he asked, looking up to AJ for advice.
"Well, if it was me, I'd go find the mother of my child before she freezes to death."
Nick looked confused.
"She ran out the back door after you walked out. She's convinced herself that you won't want her or the baby."
Nick stood up, hugging AJ.
"Thanks, brother. Dude, I'm going to be dad!" he said actually starting to get excited.