Page 31 of No Regrets

“Well, we need to start getting ready to go to Aunt Teresa’s if we’re going to be there by one.” Brianna stood, grabbing her coffee cup from the coffee table.”

“You’re not planning on taking her sick, are you? I mean we just got back from ER like five hours ago.” Kaden rolled the ball to Shiloh then looked up at Bree.

“Kaden, please don’t. She needs to see her family, and they all want to see her.” It seemed like every time they had something to do with her family, he didn’t want Shiloh around them, but when his family called, he was ready to go.

“Brianna, she’s sick. She has double ear infections and a low-grade temp. I don’t want you carting her around out in the cold.”

“You’re not going to tell me what I can and can’t do with my own child. I pushed her out of my uterus, so I think I damn well have the right to take her to see my family for Christmas.”

Brianna picked up Shiloh, ignoring Kaden’s annoyed look, and carried her to the nursery to get her ready. If she had to sit through four hours of his family gathering together for Christmas, Kaden deserved the same with her family. Fair was only fair.

Shiloh started crying because she missed playing with Kaden, and Brianna did her best to ignore it. They’d go, get back and she’d be perfectly fine in the comforts of her home. She dressed her in a red velvet dress and put a little bow in her hair. She’d be fine.

She carried her back to the living room where she put her in the playpen and started down the hall to get herself ready. Kaden was in the shower, door wide open so she could see everything. He made her so mad most of the time, and so hot the rest.

She stared a bit longer than necessary, until he caught her looking. He scowled, slid the shower door open, and grabbed a towel to wrap around his waist.

“Where’s Shiloh?”

“Playpen.” She took her stuff into the bathroom, closing the door in his face when he turned around to say something else.

The last thing she needed to deal with was Kaden’s bad behavior. After she showered and got ready, she opened the door to see Shiloh playing on their bed while Kaden got dressed.

“Bree, why can’t she just stay home? I gave her, her medicine, but it’s going to take a day or two until she’s back to normal again.” Kaden buttoned his royal blue shirt, leaving half of them undone to show his chest.

“Because Kaden. All you want is for her to be around your family and not mine. Well, I’m sorry my family isn’t as rich and snotty as yours, but they love her and have done nothing but be there for her ever since she was conceived. We’re going to my family’s Christmas gathering. End of discussion.”

Brianna grabbed clothes off the rack, oblivious to Kaden playing with Shiloh on the bed. She dressed, choosing a red sweater to go along with her faded jeans. She combed her hair and put a minimal amount of makeup.

“All right. Are you guys ready?”

Kaden grunted, holding Shiloh in his arms. She laid her head against his chest sucking on her hand. Brianna could tell he was pissed at her right now. That he wouldn’t look at her said it all. Normally she couldn’t get his eyes off of her, and now he was giving her the cold shoulder.

They walked to the car silently, Brianna with Shiloh’s bag and her purse and Kaden with the baby wrapped in his arms. He strapped her safely in the carseat and slid behind the wheel. Brianna climbed in beside him, unable to take the cold shoulder any longer.

“Kaden, stop it.”

“Stop what?”

“Being this way. If we were expected to be at your family and she was sick you’d still be going. Why is mine different?”

“One—I wouldn’t cart my child out sick and in the cold for anything but to see the doctor. Two—Why are you picking fights with me? You’re constantly bringing up the past or you’re reminding me how much you hate my family. I get the picture, Bree. You don’t have to keep shoving it in my face when you don’t get your way. And last, I never once thought of your family lesser than mine. Not in any way, so you can stop throwing that in my face while you’re at it.”

Merging with traffic, he pulled onto the interstate. Shiloh slept soundly in the backseat making it clear she was feeling all that well. Yeah, she may have been playing ball with Kaden in the living room, but that didn’t mean she was well.

“Fine, you win.” Brianna crossed her arms staring out at the passing cars.

“Win what?”

“Our fight. The one I obviously am trying to pick with you.”

He reached over and slid his hand along her thigh. “Let’s just make it through Christmas.”

They arrived at Teresa’s thirty minutes before they were supposed to eat. All were happy to see her and Shiloh, but excluded Kaden as if he were a leper. Shiloh stuck to him like bubble gum, never going too far and, when she wanted to go somewhere, making sure Kaden was right there with her.

“Well, what do you know?” Teresa mumbled nudging her head toward the living room as Kaden sat with Shiloh in his lap, rocking her. “He’s not so fearful now, is he?”

“Teresa, quit it. Kaden is a great father, and Shiloh loves him to death.” Brianna grabbed a piece of turkey and stuffed it in her mouth. “She’s actually turning out to be a daddy’s girl.”

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