The Real Deal (10)


Havilland was driving Harley crazy! It had been a whole month since she had come down for a visit and Harley didn't think that the woman would ever leave. Harley was sure that her mother was doing everything in her power to push her buttons when Mark wasn't around, but Harley did the best she could to ignore her. On the plus side her mother's extended visit was giving Harley more time with Mark.

Harley smiled as she thought about the man that she was unmistakably in love with. Over the past month they had made love more times than Harley could count and she had a feeling that she was pregnant with his child which when she thought about it both excited and terrified her. She wanted to have Mark's baby but she knew that he wouldn't be happy knowing that their temporary arrangement was about to become a full time job. Harley decided to hold off telling Mark about missing her period until she was absolutely sure that she was indeed with child. She had an appointment for eleven that morning which would give her a chance to see the doctor and still have time to prepare herself for the conversation she would have to have with Mark later that day when he got home from his shop.

"Harley, Dear, are you all right?" Havilland asked walking into the kitchen where Harley was preparing breakfast.

"Yes mother I'm fine," Harley said forcing herself to smile.

"You look very pale dear, are you sure you're fine?"

"Why mother you almost sound concerned," Harley said sarcastically.

"It's not nice to be a bitch to your mother dear," Havilland responded.

"Oh but it's perfectly fine for a mother to be a bitch to her child?" Harley snapped as she removed the toast from the toaster. "I'm sorry mother that was uncalled for," Harley said turning to look at her mother.

"Yes it was, you know Harley sometimes I just don't understand what gets into you. Your sisters never talk to me the way you do."

"That's because they are the good children and I'm the Cooper version on Cinderella," Harley said as she scrambled some eggs.

"That's just silly talk, Harley, I've never treated you any different that I treat your sisters."

"Yeah right mom you only make it your business to remind me every chance you get that I was your mistake, you and dad's oops baby and you love to throw it in my face that if not for me being born that daddy wouldn't have died. Growing up you made me feel like I was some burden on your life and even after I left for college you still talked about me as if I were some big disappointment to the Cooper family because I never married or had children," Harley said as the tears began to fall.

"But you are married now and with the way you and that husband of yours go at it you will be pregnant in no time," Havilland said with a smile.

"That's it? That's all you can say to me after I pour my heart out to you and tell you that you make me feel like trash? Do you really not even give a damn about me mother?" Harley cried as she pushed past her mother and left the kitchen.

Harley ran off to her room threw herself on the bed and cried. Why did she even try when it came to her mother? "You try because for some reason you love the old cow," Harley thought to herself as she sat up and walked to the closet. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a camisole and got dressed. When she walked out of her room she found Havilland waiting for her.

"I thought you would never come out of there," Havilland said.

"You could have knocked," Harley said walking around her mother and into the living room.

"I didn't think you would answer," Havilland answered honestly.

"You were right," Harley said picking up her purse. "I have an appointment be back in a few hours," Harley said walking out the door not giving her mother time to respond.


"So Deadman are things still going strong with you and Harley?" Shawn asked as he and Mark ate their burgers.

"Yeah things are good," Mark answered nonchalantly.

He wanted to tell Shawn that things were going great with Harley and that he was totally head over heels in love with her but he wasn't some gossiping female who spilled every single detail of his relationship with his friends so he left it with "things are good."

"Her mom still being a pain in your ass?"

"Of course but it may be working in my favor," Mark said with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

"Well as long as old Hav is around Harley is still snuggled up next to me at night."

"So you're just happy because you have a piece lying beside you at night?"

"No dumbass I'm happy to have Harley lying beside me at night," Mark answered.

"Wait one minute you love her don't you?" Shawn asked in shock.

"What are you talking about Michaels?" Mark asked trying to sound angry.

"Come on Mark I've been your friend for a long time and you have never admitted to liking having one woman beside you night after night not even when you were married," Shawn laughed.

"You're making something out of nothing," Mark protested.

"Sure I am buddy why not just admit it huh? I mean Harley is a great woman who really knows how to fill out a dress, if you know what I mean," Shawn said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Don't make me hurt you Shawn," Mark warned.

"Hey, I'm just saying Harley is a great catch but you don't have to worry about me going after her because I am more than happy with Laurel, but there are a lot of men out there Mark and if you don't wise up one of them may take her right out from under your nose," Shawn said as he finished off his burger, "I have to meet with Laurel in a few so I gotta get out of here, but think about what I said Mark, Maybe it's time this fake marriage became a real one," Shawn said leaving Mark alone in his shop with a lot to think about.


"Congratulations are definitely in order Ms. Cooper," Dr. Pruitt said as she reentered the examination room.

"Wow, I thought that I was pregnant but for you to confirm it…wow!" Harley said in complete shock.

"So this wasn't a planned pregnancy?"

"Not exactly," Harley answered as the reality of the situation sank in.

"But you are happy?" Dr. Pruitt asked.

"Oh yes, yes definitely just a little shell shocked I guess," Harley said smiling up at the doctor.

"Is this your first child?"

"Yes it is. I honestly never thought I would have children but this is amazing," Harley said as she placed her hand on her flat belly.

"Will the father be a part of you and the baby's lives?"

"The father? Oh well ummm that's a complicated situation at the moment."

"But you do have some kind of support?" Dr. Pruitt asked worriedly.

"Yes, I have support," Harley said thinking of her best friend, Laurel.

"Good, good. Well I am going to write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins and set you up a visit here in a few months so we can check your progress," Dr. Pruitt said walking towards the door, "And congratulations again Ms. Cooper," Dr. Pruitt said leaving the room.

Harley sat there with her hand still pressed to her belly and smiled. She and Mark had made a baby and she was happier than she had ever been in her life, but what if Mark didn't want a child with her? Would he expect her to abort the pregnancy? Give the child up for adoption? She would do neither and if Mark couldn't understand that then too bad for him. Hell he knew the risk of making love without protection and still he wanted to bed her so now he would have to take responsibility for his actions whether he liked that idea or not.


A/N: Sorry the chapter is so short but the words just aren't flowing like they used to but i'm going to try to update this again in the next few days the key word here being TRY lol.