Katie’s Quest, Chapter One |

Eighteenyearold Katie Petersen had a skip in her step and a smile on her face as she headed for the bus stop one cold and clear February morning. Her school uniform was fresh from the dry cleaners, her teeth white and immaculate, and her strawberryblonde hair hung down to her shoulders and swayed with each step she took. Today was a special day, one she had been looking forward to. Now it was finally here, and Katie was so filled with anticipation that she’d had trouble sleeping. Her careful panning and careful preparation were about to come into play.

Katie came from a good family. Her father Gregory, after making his fortune in the business world as a young man, had gone into civil service out of a sense of civic duty. He’d entered law enforcement and risen to the rank of police captain before entering politics. Here too his ascent was rapid; he’d climbed the ladder to the post of governor, where he was widely popular and winning his recent reelection campaign with ease. Her mother Hannah was the school superintendent and headed several large charities and nonprofit organizations. As such, it went without saying that the Petersens were regarded as pillars of the community: wealthy, influential, and very highly thought of by just about everybody. Katie had known this from a very young age; being a Petersen meant the world was your oyster.

Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Katie’s parents made sure their daughter didn’t grow up a spoiled brat. From an early age they impressed upon her the value of hard work and selfreliance, and they went out of their way to make sure that Katie didn’t expect the world to be handed to her on a silver platter just because of her name. Katie took these lessons to heart. In fact, she took them to heart more than her parents could have possibly imagined.

For Katie had a secret. A secret plan, a secret longing, a secret desire.

Most young people her age had big dreams and goals in life. They had plans about where they wanted to go to college, what sort of career they wanted, when and whom they wanted to marry. Other girls might want to be doctors or lawyers or big industry executives, but Katie?

All Katie wanted was to get pregnant.

She wanted, more than anything, to have a child, and for two years now she had worked toward making that goal a reality. Ever since one of her cousins had gotten pregnant when Katie was 16, she’d known she wanted to be a mom, to have a baby of her own. Watching her cousin bring a new life into the world had lit a fire in Katie’s heart that had burned ever since. Everything she’d accomplished in her life so far, everything she’d done, had been in service of that ultimate objective.

Katie wasn’t ignorant; she knew that motherhood was a tremendous responsibility, and she had no intention of being a charity case or held up as an example of some irresponsible girl who got pregnant before she was ready. She embarked upon her quest with her eyes wide open, aware of the lifechanging implications her baby would bring. She wanted to care for her child properly and give it the life it deserved, so her planning was meticulous. There was so much for her to learn, and only a scant few years in which to learn it.

First, Katie knew she needed to get handson experience with kids. Thankfully, this part of her plan was the easiest. Even before her cousin got pregnant, Katie had built up a reputation as a skilled babysitter. She was great with kids, and her strong maternal instincts were honed from hardearned experience. All she had to do once she made up her mind to have a baby was ramp up her babysitting in order to care for as many children as possible. Her parents were pleased and impressed at their daughter’s entrepreneurial initiative and were happy to help, and soon Katie gained a reputation as the best babysitter in town. Her mother and father might have been less supportive if they knew what their daughter’s true goal really was, but Katie didn’t dwell on that.

At her request, they also helped her open a savings account into which she deposited every penny she earned, and over the years her babysitting became a small business in all but name. Katie’s strong maternal instincts and excellent childcare skills meant she could charge higher rates for her services, rates that many parents were only too happy to pay. You couldn’t put a price on peace of mind, after all. If you were going to leave your child in the hands of another, it was best to make sure they were in the best hands possible. Those hands were Katie’s. By the time she turned 18, Katie had already saved up thousands of dollars, and her parents set her up with a financial advisor and an investment account to help increase her earnings further. The advisor was very good at his job. Thanks to his guidance, Katie’s savings grew rapidly into several hundred grand. It was a considerable reserve of cash that she was going to put to good use when she got pregnant.

Katie never told her mother and father her plan. She kept it a closely guarded secret. She’d tell them when the time came and her pregnancy—how she was looking forward to it!—became impossible to hide but not before. She knew they would be upset at first. She understood that. She didn’t hold it against them. But Katie was confident that when she explained her reasoning to them, they would support her decision. Katie had always been a very responsible, very mature young woman. Her parents knew that she would never do anything rash, and this decision to have a baby was anything but. Once they understood that, everything would be fine.

In addition to babysitting, Katie began devouring all the material on childcare and pregnancy that she could get her hands on. She started paying visits to the local library and stayed for hours at a time, poring through one book after another and taking meticulous notes. Even after she got her first Kindle, she was still visiting the library at least once a week. Katie studied motherhood with the same drive and determination she showed in her classes, if not more, and she still refreshed her knowledge regularly with the most uptodate sources. By now, she was more an expert on such things than some women twice her age.

Her schoolwork was another factor that Katie carefully considered. She knew that raising a child wasn’t cheap, and she had no intention of asking her parents for handouts or becoming dependent on food stamps. She wanted to give her baby the world. To do that, she’d have to be financially stable and have a wellpaying job locked down, but that wouldn’t happen unless she got the best grades. This was why Katie threw herself into her academic studies with a ferocious intensity that caught even her parents a little offguard. Katie, always a bright and very intelligent girl, became a straightA student, class president and the pride of all her teachers, a pattern that she proudly continued right up until the present day.

All of this effort and hard work culminated in Katie securing an internship at a wellknown financial firm the previous summer. This, too, Katie had approached with singleminded determination. She knew that if she could turn this internship into a job opportunity, she would have more than enough money to provide the best life possible for herself and her baby. She had been almost beside herself with joy when the president of the company offered her just that. Despite her young age, Katie thoroughly impressed the man with her work ethic, adaptability, and eagerness to learn. How different she was from the other interns he’d hired in the past! Katie proved to be a tremendous asset to his firm, and he was keen not to let any of his competitors scoop her up. Katie signed the contract eagerly, though she’d paused for just a moment to make sure that pregnancy wasn’t cause for termination. There was no point in taking the job if they’d just fire her when she asked for maternity leave. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

Getting that job was one of the most important parts of Katie’s plan, but it wasn’t the only one. Katie knew that if she wanted to bear the healthiest baby possible, she needed to be a careful steward of her body and ensure she was in peak physical health. This was why she became active in as many extracurricular activities as possible as her body continued blossoming into young womanhood. She became a member of the local youth swimming team, became a cheerleader for her high school’s football team—eventually rising to cheer captain—and joined the local softball, soccer and tennis leagues as well as taking regular lessons in taekwondo. Here too she rose rapidly through the ranks, earning a fourthdegree black belt and winning several tournaments. Katie was not normally a very confrontational person and did her best to be nice to everybody, but she understood that it was a dangerous world out there and she needed to be able to defend herself. She didn’t want her body to be spoiled by some man’s unwanted advances. When Katie lost her virginity, it would be to the father of her child, and no other.

In addition to all of this, Katie also began entering beauty pageants and modeling competitions as her body matured and grew. She bloomed into an absolutely gorgeous young woman, with an athlete’s toned and curvaceous form, perfectly sized Ccup breasts, and a heartshaped face that was all too often split in a dazzling smile. Her hair was grown long and fell to the small of her back, and her posterior was likewise flawless. Through hard work, exercise, and careful dieting, she molded her young body into an almostunbelievable dream of womanhood. She put bikini models to shame, and Katie used that to her advantage. The prize money from many of those beauty pageants and modeling competitions was considerable indeed, and some rather less wellbehaved part of her enjoyed the attention. Katie put so much work into her body, what was the harm in showing it off a bit? Besides, each pageant she won meant more money in her savings account. If she could use her beauty to help further her plan and increase her ability to care for her baby, then she would.

The only downside to all this was that Katie’s insanely busy schedule precluded dating. This was a problem, Katie acknowledged. After all, it took two to do the babymaking tango. But between her schoolwork, her babysitting, her extracurriculars and her research, Katie barely had any free time at all. Still, she tried not to let it discourage her. Katie knew she was beautiful and was confident in her ability to attract a man. How hard could it be? Males seemed eager enough to look at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. Enticing one to go to bed with her would be easy, and Katie was hardly ignorant of what would happen when she did. Not all of her research was about biology; she went to great lengths to read about the act of , which positions were best for impregnation, and how best to please her partner. Only in theory, of course. Katie was careful not to get ahead of herself. When she became pregnant, it would be at a time and place of her choosing, with a partner she chose. And there would be a partner, make no mistake about that. The idea of going to a sperm bank was far too cold and impersonal and held no appeal for her whatsoever.

In all other respects, though, Katie’s grand plan succeeded beyond her wildest expectations. Never once in all those years did she even contemplate giving up. Her drive to have a baby influenced everything she did, and each course of action she took was with that goal in mind. Only someone with Katie’s drive, intelligence and ambition could have pulled it off. It was exhausting—but she knew it was worth it.

The hardest part of all, however, was the waiting. When Katie was in public, she always found herself staring at new moms and young children. The sound of a baby crying or a child laughing made her heart clench. Katie watched the tender way in which mothers interacted with their children and played with them in the park and dreamed of the day when she would be one of them. But those brief spells of melancholy never lasted long. Katie was never one to wallow in selfpity, and she reminded herself over and over that her time would come.

Now, finally, that time was almost here.

This, then, was Katie Petersen, aged eighteen years. The town darling. A star athlete, a gorgeous beauty, a model student, an ambitious careerbuilder, a meticulous saver with lots of money in the bank and a bright career on the horizon. She had seen her doctor recently under the guise of wanting to get pregnant someday (which was true) and her body’s fertility was confirmed beyond doubt. Now, with her new status as a legal adult—she had celebrated her eighteenth birthday just a few days ago—Katie could move on to the final stage in her plan: choosing the child’s father.

Katie’s parents always taught her that babies were something you should do when you’re married, but Katie knew she would never be able to wait that long. What if she never got married? What if the marriage failed? Half of modern marriages did. She’d read that statistic over and over, so after lengthy consideration, she dismissed the idea. It just didn’t seem worth the risk. The idea of a bitter custody battle, or worse, losing such a battle and thereby losing her child, was too awful to contemplate.

Still, Katie was excited to choose the man who would get her pregnant. It was a thought that consumed her. Even as she’d celebrated her birthday with a huge cake and presents, it was all Katie had been able to focus on. She could hardly wait to put all the books she’d read about ual techniques into practice. filled her thoughts, stoking a fire inside Katie that only grew stronger with each passing day. She was excited to give some lucky guy her most intimate embrace, to take him deep within her and feel his manhood overflowing with gushes of warm, lifegiving sperm. Her whole body fairly buzzed with years of pentup ual energy just waiting to be unleashed.

The prospect of making such a choice, of pointing to a man and declaring, “I choose him!” was both thrilling and empowering to Katie. This was her decision to make and her influence to wield as a woman, and she would make it with the same forethought and caution she’d shown in every other part of her plan. Choosing the father was the most important and most critical step, after all. It wouldn’t do to cut corners or compromise her standards. Katie wanted someone strong and young and healthy, but neither she did want a player who would carve another notch in his bedpost and then move on like nothing happened. She wanted a guy who would look back on their time together with great fondness, the way she knew she would herself. She wanted someone reasonably attractive, someone with a good head on his shoulders and, frankly, the equipment to get the job done.

It was also important that whoever she chose didn’t freak out when she told them why she wanted them. Katie had no respect for women who kept such things from the men they went to bed with. Women who slept with men but didn’t tell them they wanted to get pregnant were almost as bad as those who slept with men to babytrap them and milk them for child support. Katie wouldn’t ruin some innocent guy’s life like that. She refused not to be honest with her man. He, whoever he was, deserved to know why Katie wanted him and that she expected nothing from him in terms of financial support. He deserved to know that she wanted a child and that she would always be grateful to him for giving her one. He—whoever he was—would probably feel nervous or even frightened at first, but that was only natural. Who wouldn’t, in that situation? But Katie was sure that when she explained her plan and made everything clear, she would easily persuade him.

But who would she choose? Who? Who? Who?

That was the milliondollar question, and it was why she had a skip in her step this fine morning. She was going to school as she’d done countless times, but today she wasn’t just going there to attend classes. She was going there to choose the father of her child at long last, and she even had the perfect opportunity to go to bed with him without anyone else interfering.

A month ago, Katie participated in a regional taekwondo competition. Apart from the prize money—which was considerable—the winner was awarded a threeweeklong trip to Disney World for themselves and one friend with all expenses paid. Katie immediately recognized the opportunity. She would take the trip, bring along the prospective father of her child, and use the first of those three weeks to get to know him better if she wasn’t familiar with him already. Then, when she was sure of her decision, she would make her move. Two whole weeks of —and she would make sure she had lots of it—would ensure she had a child growing inside her by the time she got home. The trip even coincided with the peak of her fertility cycle. It was as if fate itself was on her side, blessing her endeavor with good luck.

All these thoughts of pregnancy and sent a shiver down her spine. Katie felt it all the way down to the tips of her toes. She did not want to waste any more time. All the stars, such as they were, were now in alignment. She was in her prime, and ready to become a mother. Perhaps some would look down on her, or judge her for what she was going to do, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t a slut who slept around and got pregnant by accident. She was a young woman who, after years of hard work and preparation, was financially, physically and emotionally ready to have a child, a child she would love with all her heart and soul.

Katie clutched the textbook she was carrying tightly to her chest and gave a wistful sigh. She hoped it would be a boy. She would adore her baby no matter what, of course, but Katie was really, really hoping for a boy—a tousleheaded, rambunctious little boy with lots of energy. She imagined teaching her son to catch butterflies and ride a bicycle and reading to him on the couch while he sat on her lap.

Katie bit back a sigh of longing. Her hand strayed to her middle, feeling the taut smoothness of her toned, slender belly. It would not be slender for much longer.

First things first, she reminded herself firmly. Stay focused. Stay on task. Keep your mind on the mission. Observe, analyze, then act decisively.

As she got onto the bus, Katie did just that. Behind her cheery smile, her bright blue eyes scanned the male students sitting in the seats like a hunter seeking the most elusive quarry. She scanned, analyzed and dismissed each of them in a matter of moments. None of them stood out to her. Too smelly, too loud, too crude, that one over there doesn’t look like he’s even washed his hair in weeks…

Katie dismissed the lot of them with a mental shrug. She hadn’t really been expecting to find a potential candidate so quickly. There were hundreds of guys at her high school. Surely at least one of them would make the initial cut.

Katie hummed to herself the whole way, gazing out the bus window as it trundled along its familiar route. Several more students got on, including more guys, but they, too, were immediately ruled out. When the bus finally came to a halt outside Sunny Meadows High, Katie was one of the first out the door. Under the guise of rummaging through her locker, she mentally evaluated every guy that walked past her in the hallway. Some were too short, others too fat, others too young or too arrogant. Most simply didn’t register with her one way or the other. They just looked… boring.

“Hey, Katie!”

Katie looked up, jarred from her thoughts by the voice of her best friend, Hannah Mayes. A fellow cheerleader and longtime nextdoor neighbor, Hannah was a cute redhead with a freckledusted face and bright green eyes. “How was your weekend?”

“It was great!” Katie beamed. “My dad and I went out to the drivein theater for movie night. How was yours?”

“Can’t complain. Mike and I mostly hung out at his place.”

Katie felt her heart warm toward her friend. Hannah had been seeing Mike for almost a year now—longer than all her previous boyfriends, and she’d had quite a few. “It’s really getting serious, huh? I’m so happy for you!”

“Yeah.” Hannah’s eyes shone. “He’s so sweet, and he’s always so much fun. I really want to see where this thing with him goes. Honestly, Katie girl, you need to get yourself a guy!”

Katie suppressed the urge to laugh out loud. If only you knew! “I’m sure I will,” she said with a chuckle. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky.” And in more ways than one.

“I can’t understand why you haven’t even kissed a guy yet,” Hannah went on. “Do you know how many guys would kill for a chance to get with you? They’d probably fight to the death like gladiators in ancient Rome for it!”

“Oh, stop!” Katie gave an embarrassed laugh.

“It’s true,” Hannah said as they walked toward Mr. Benson’s homeroom. “You should give it a chance. Guys can be a lot of fun, once you learn how to handle ’em.”

“Oh?” Katie arched an eyebrow. “And how do I ‘handle’ them?”

Hannah replied without missing a beat. “Easy. When they misbehave, you smack ’em with a rolled up newspaper and make ’em sleep on the couch. You know, like with dogs.”

“That’s not very nice,” Katie said, though she took care to keep her reproof gentle. “Guys are people too, you know.”

“I know that! All I’m saying is, you gotta set boundaries and strictly enforce them. Oh, and here’s another tip: guys crave attention. They’ll never admit it, but they do. Show them even a little affection and you’ll have them wrapped around your finger.”

“Noted,” Katie said dryly. “Should I also keep a spray bottle of cold water if they get too clingy?”

Hannah snickered. “See? You’re catching on.”

Katie was about to reply, but a glance to her left as they passed one of the rapidly filling classrooms made her forget whatever she was about to say. For some reason Katie could not explain, her eyes were drawn immediately to a young man sitting in the middle row. He looked to be her own age, and was hunched over a textbook and a piece of paper, a pencil clutched in his hand. He wore a plain gray hoodie over his uniform shirt, and his messy black hair—which seemed a little too long—hung partly over a face that might have been boyish were it not for the serious expression it wore. His nose was straight, his eyes a dark shade of brown. His skin was slightly tanned, and from what Katie could tell, his body was lean and fit. To just about everyone else, he would have seemed rather plain and unremarkable.

Not to Katie. For some reason, she was immediately drawn to him. How could she have not noticed this guy before? How had he slipped under her radar for so long?

“Hello?” Hannah snapped her fingers under Katie’s nose. “Earth to Katie. Come in!”

Katie flushed, embarrassed. “Sorry. I, er, got lost in thought.” She wanted to ask if her friend knew who the guy was, but knew that Hannah would immediately start trying to play matchmaker. Her friend meant well, but Katie couldn’t afford outside interference in her plan. She would have to find out herself.

Something about the guy piqued her curiosity. There was a quiet thoughtfulness about him that intrigued her. He was also, Katie admitted silently, very cute.

When they reached Mr. Benson’s room, she plopped her books down and said. “I think I forgot something in my locker. I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Sure, just don’t be late for the bell. You know how Benson is about that kind of thing, the old tyrant.”

Katie rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. Once she was out the door, however, she headed back toward the classroom where she’d first seen her mystery male. All eyes turned to her when she walked inside. Katie was so used to it she barely noticed it anymore.

“Good morning, Mrs. Martinez,” she chirped.

“Good morning, Katie,” the teacher replied warmly. “What can I do for you?”

“I need to doublecheck the rolls. The school computer system has been glitching lately and putting students in the wrong classrooms, so Principal Morris asked me to help make sure everyone’s where they’re supposed to be. Do you have a copy of your roll call and seating assignments I could take a look at?”

Martinez didn’t even think to question any of Katie’s cover . “Of course,” she said, reaching into her desk. “Here you are.”

Katie glanced at it, seeing the names laid out in neat columns. “And this corresponds to the seating arrangement? From left to right?”

“Yes. Is there a problem?”

Katie discretely looked over the edge of the page, checked where the guy was sitting, and found his name on the chart. It didn’t escape her notice that he was one of the few males in the class who wasn’t staring at her. That marked him out from the rest in and of itself, but it was more than that. Something about him fascinated her on a fundamental level. Katie couldn’t articulate exactly what it was, but it was there, and she felt it. Something about this guy made him stand out from the crowd in Katie’s eyes. He was a puzzle waiting to be solvedand Katie was very, very good at puzzles.

His name on the chart read Kieran Callaway.

There. She had a name to go with the face. That was a start.

Kieran Callaway. The name seemed to roll off her tongue. Kieran Callaway.

“Katie? Is there a problem with the seating?”

Katie cleared her throat. “Not at all,” she said. “Thanks for letting me check!”

“Of course, sweetheart. Take care now!”

“You too! Tell your grandson I said hi, okay? He was so good the last time I babysat him.”

“I’ll make sure to,” Martinez chuckled. “He’s done nothing but ask when you can come babysit him again. You really know how to work with kids, you know that?”

Katie beamed. “I do my best! See you!”

She practically skipped back to homeroom. By the time she got there, she was already planning her next move.

Katie intended to find out everything she could about Kieran Callaway. And she knew exactly where to begin. The records for each student at Sunny Meadows High were stored in the main office, but Katie needed to wait until the secretary went to lunch before she could look up Kieran’s file. The secretary was not a very nice woman, and Katie doubted she would able to convince her as easily as she’d convinced Mrs. Martinez. She felt a pang of guilt at that, but quickly quashed it and focused instead on the object of her interest. What would Kieran’s records reveal? There was no way to predict what might be in there.

Again, she felt a stab of remorse. She was, after all, invading the guy’s privacy. She regretted that, but told herself over and over that it was necessary. She wasn’t stalking him or spying on him, she was simply doing research to make sure she chose the right guy to father her baby. She couldn’t just jump into bed with him blindly, after all. Nor did she have any intention of sharing or compromising anything she learned about him.

Katie squirmed with impatience for the rest of the morning. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Lunch seemed to take an eternity to arrive, but when it did, Katie made a beeline for the office. She even passed the secretary in the hall, on her way to eat lunch alone exactly on schedule. Katie smiled at her. The older woman pursed her lips and did not smile back.

The file cabinets in the office were locked, but Katie often worked as an office aide during her free periods and she knew that the secretary was sloppy. She often left her keys in her desk drawer, and the drawer did not have a lock. It was a simple matter for Katie to retrieve them, and a simpler matter yet for her to open the file cabinet marked “Student Enrollment, CH.”

Katie riffled through the files. It did not take her very long at all to find the one with Kieran’s name on it. She would have preferred to make copies of it, but she couldn’t risk the noise from the copier drawing anyone into the room and if she stayed to read it, she risked being discovered. Instead, she took out her cell phone and carefully photographed each document. Then she put the file back and carefully replaced the keys.

Katie was in and out of the office in less than five minutes. No one saw her enter or leave.

She ducked inside the nearest girls’ bathroom and locked herself into a stall. Then, and only then, did she allow herself to start reading.

Kieran Callaway, age 18.

Father: Sean Callaway. Mother: Audrey Callaway (deceased).

That gave Katie pause. So, Kieran was being raised by a single parent? How long ago had his mother died? Katie thought of her own mother and shuddered at the thought of losing her. She couldn’t imagine how hard that must have been.

Disciplinary record: Mr. Callaway has had several detentions for tardiness, but is otherwise wellbehaved.

That was also encouraging. Katie didn’t want her baby’s father to be a punk.

Mr. Callaway speaks when called upon and is otherwise quiet in class, a trait that has grown much more pronounced since the death of his mother several years ago. Several of his teachers have voiced concern about the effect this loss has had on him, remarking that Kieran used to be more outgoing before.

So Kieran had become more withdrawn since his mother’s passing. Katie couldn’t blame him. She might have done the same thing.

Nonetheless, Kieran maintains good rapport with his instructors and is polite when addressed directly by them or by his classmates.

Next, Katie looked at Kieran’s medical records. They were very thorough, but that was only to be expected. Let’s see…no hi of hereditary illness, no STDs, no major surgeries or operations over the past five years. An appendectomy when he was younger, but that’s about it. He seems healthy as a horse.

Slowly, she nodded to herself. Yes, her instincts were right. Kieran was a strong candidate indeed, but there was still one thing she needed to know: his relationship status. If he was in a relationship, she would have to take him out of the running. Katie refused to have any part in infidelity. But how could she find out for certain without tipping her hand too early?

Katie tapped her lips with a slender finger as she contemplated her next move. She was still mulling it over when the bell rang to signal the end of the lunch hour, but as she made her way to her next class, the answer popped into her head.

She searched until she saw Kieran weaving through the crowded hall, his head bowed as he listened to something on an antiquatedlooking Ipod. Katie, with all the bubbly cheerfulness she could muster, went right up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

Kieran took the earbuds out, turned, and nearly dropped them when he saw her. Katie fought back the urge to grin triumphantly. Apparently, he wasn’t immune to her good looks after all.

“Hey!” she said cheerfully. “It’s Kieran, right?”

Kieran looked a little nonplussed. “Uh…yeah. Is itis there a problem or something?”

Katie shook her head and laid a hand on his arm briefly. Her big, blue eyes gazed up into his. Kieran stood nearly a foot taller than her. “No, there’s no problem at all! In fact, I’m hoping you can help me with something!”

“Me?” Kieran frowned. “I mean…I guess I could try”

“Great!” Katie said. She rocked back and forth on her heels slightly as she spoke. “Oh, sorry! I didn’t tell you my name. I’m Katie Petersen! It’s awesome to meet you!” She stuck out her hand.

Kieran hesitated, then took it in a firm handshake. It was the kind of handshake one would use to greet a colleague or coworker. It was a professional handshake, and Katie liked it. “Likewise. Though I hope you’re not offended when I say that I already knew your name. It seems like everyone does.”

“No offense taken! Anyway, the school newspaper is doing an article for Valentine’s Day next week, and they asked me to help them gather some stories about student romances that they could include in the ! Do you have anything you’d like to share? Someone as cute as you must have a girlfriend, right?”

Kieran flushed with embarrassment, as Katie knew he would. For a moment, his gaze met hers. His eyes were the color of molten chocolate. Katie felt herself go a little weak in the knees.

“Er, no,” he finally said, looking away hastily. “I’m not really seeing anyone right now. I’m sorry, I wish I could be more help.”

Yes! Elation flooded through Katie, and it took all her formidable selfcontrol not to keep it from showing. “Don’t apologize, Kieran! You’ve helped more than you know. I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Er…yyeah.” He inclined his head, giving her a small smile despite his obvious confusion. “See you, I guess.”

She watched him walk away. Had Kieran turned back to look at her, he would have been a little unnerved at the almost hungry gleam in her eye. Katie watched him go like a lioness watching an antelope it planned on eating later.

Soon, Katie vowed. Soon.

The rest of the day went by in a blur. For the first time in her life, Katie paid almost no attention to any of her classes. She tried, she really did, but it was impossible. All she could think about was Kieran and how cute he was, in his quiet, unassuming way. She thought about his chocolatecolored eyes and dark hair and wondered if her baby would take after him. She hoped so. She wanted to ask him to go on that Disney trip with her, but she knew that it wouldn’t be wise to push too far too fast. She would wait a week and build a friendly rapport with him first, get him more comfortable around her. That way, when she did make the offer, he wouldn’t be as likely to turn it down.

Katie sighed. More patience and more waiting. Ah, well. It can’t be helped, she thought resignedly. This has to be done right the first time.

She was still thinking about Kieran when the bus dropped her off that afternoon. Her mother was already working on dinner by the time she got home. Laura Petersen was the spitting image of Katie, though older. The crisp suit she favored at work looked incongruous when paired with the white apron she was wearing now.

“How was your day, sweetie?” she asked. “Anything interesting happen?”

Katie grinned over the rim of a glass of milk. Oh, Mom, you have no idea. “Yeah, I think I might have made a new friend. They seem nice.”

“Well, you can always use more friends,” her mother agreed. And nothing more was said on the topic.

That night, as she lay in bed, Katie reached her hand between her legs and began to pleasure herself. She thought of being in bed with Kieran, of his lean body against hers. She imagined what it would feel like when he filled her womb with his seed and

A soft moan like the coo of a dove escaped her and a wave of pleasure washed over her body. Katie bit her lip and reveled in it, but she knew it was only a shadow of what she and Kieran would feel together. His face was the last thing she thought of before she drifted off to sleep.

Kieran.

The next morning, Katie was out of bed before her alarm clock even went off. The sooner she got to school, the sooner she could talk to Kieran. She even took a few minutes to masturbate in the shower. She normally didn’t do that because she didn’t want to be late, but today she felt like indulging herself a little. Katie emerged from the steamfilled shower with a smile that could have lit up a dark room, her naked body dripping wet. She looked at her nude reflection in the bathroom mirror and grinned. Every guy at her school would chop off his right arm to see her like this, bared in all her nubile glory. That wasn’t a conceit; it was just a statement of fact. But Kieran was the only one who would get to see her this way. Katie was more and more certain she’d found the father of her child.

Katie’s hand strayed to her one of her perfect breasts and began playing with it, teasing and flicking the nipple. Her other hand slid between her thighs, and it sloshed and made wet slurping noises as she began to masturbate again, imagining Kieran her in every position she’d ever read about in her books. It didn’t take long at all for her to reach a heartstopping orgasm, and when she removed her hand from her womanhood, it was dripping wet and slick with her feminine arousal. Katie’s face was flushed, her breathing fast and shallow as she fought to catch her breath. She’d never cum that hard before, not ever. If just the thought of Kieran taking her to bed could make her reach such heights, how incredible the real thing would be!

Katie shivered in excitement, but a glance at the clock cut through the fog of lust. The distraction had been a pleasant one, but it had cost her time.

She dressed in a hurry and almost ran down the stairs, pausing just long enough to snag some toast from the kitchen on her way out and kiss Mom and Dad on the cheek. Then Katie was out the door in a swirl of strawberry blonde hair. Katie chanted Kieran’s name softly as she waited for the bus to pick her up, and spent most of the ride browsing on her phone for potential names for the baby. She eventually decided on Connor if it was a boy, and Deirdre if it was a girl. Kieran seemed to be of Irish ancestry, so she wanted their child to have an Irish name as well. It was Katie’s way of honoring him.

He doesn’t have red hair, though, she thought. Maybe his hair and eyes are from his mom?

Katie remembered what she’d learned about Kieran’s mother and her untimely death. Her heart squeezed again with sympathy. I’ll have to make sure to be extra gentle and nice to him, she thought. I really want him to feel comfortable around me so that when I ask him the big question, he won’t run away.

She wondered briefly if she was getting an actual crush on him but quickly put the idea out of her mind. If she was attracted to her chosen partner, what of it? Mutual attraction would just make things easier. There was no question that Kieran found her attractive. By now, Katie recognized the way males reacted to her: the dilation of pupils, the quickening of breath, and the way their bodies went all tense and stiff. Kieran seemed sweet, but he was also an 18yearold male.

Katie found him at his locker, exactly where she knew he’d be. His locker number had been in his file along with his home address and cell phone number, but Kieran didn’t need to know that. If he knew she had that information, he would probably freak out, and Katie couldn’t blame him. She’d probably react the same way.

“Hey, Kieran!” she said, waving.

He pulled his head out of his locker, saw her, and jumped. Surprise was all over his face.

“Katie?”

“Yup, it’s me! How are you this morning?”

“I’m…good, I guess?” He brushed some of his dark hair away from his eyes. Katie itched to do it for him. “How are you?”

She beamed. “I’m doing great, and even better now that I’m talking to you! Did you get enough sleep? Sleep’s important, you know.”

Kieran looked away. “Honestly, no. I didn’t. But I’m used to it.”

“Why?” Katie took a step forward and placed a hand on his arm. The compassion in her voice was sincere. “Is something bothering you? Can I help?”

Kieran stared at her hand as if unable to comprehend its existence. “Uh…”

“Was it one of those things where your brain just won’t shut off?” Katie pressed. “That happens to me sometimes too. It sucks!”

“Tell me about it,” Kieran said fervently. “I”

Whatever he was about to say was cut off by the sound of his stomach growling. He flushed with embarrassment. “…Sorry. I didn’t have time to eat before I left the house. Stupid alarm didn’t go off.”

“That’s okay,” Katie said. “I’ve got some food in my bag. I could share with you if you like.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely! After all, I’m the class president. It’s my job to make sure my fellow students are able to maintain peak performance.” She unslung her backpack and began rummaging through it. “Let’s see…I’ve got an orange, an apple, and some granola bars. I don’t have any muffins or sweets, though.” She grinned a bit ruefully. “I’m a bit of a health nut, so I don’t really eat a lot of that stuff.”

“I can tell.” The words were out of his mouth before Kieran was able to stop them. “Oh, God,” he groaned. “I, um, I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be a creep or anything, I swear. It’s just that you’re so pretty andah, dammit!”

He glanced at the floor. “If a hole opened up in the ground and swallowed me right about now, I wouldn’t complain.”

Katie laughed. She couldn’t help it. His awkwardness was just so adorable! “It’s okay,” she said, when she was able to catch her breath. “I’m not laughing at you, I swear. You don’t have anything to be embarrassed about. I know that guys like to look at my body.”

“And it doesn’t get on your nerves?”

“You get used to it.” Katie’s tone was wry.

“How do you get used to something like that?”

Katie snorted. “The same way you get used to anything else. You just learn to ignore it until it doesn’t bother you anymore.” She paused, tilting her head as she studied him. “You’re really nice, you know that? I’d really like to be your friend, Kieran.” Katie stuck her hand out. “What do you say?”

Kieran did not hesitate to shake her hand this time. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that too.”

“Neat! So…wanna hang out after school?”

Kieran blushed again. “Ssure. Do you want me to come over or…?”

“Actually, I’d love to come to your place. If that’s okay with you, of course.”

Suddenly Kieran looked reluctant. Warning sirens began going off inside Katie’s head. “What is it?” she pressed. Did I push too far? Dammit!

“My place isn’t really anything special,” he confessed. Something like shame colored his words. “It’s just me and my dad so it’s often messy. You probably won’t like it.”

“Why?” she asked, folding her arms over her chest.

“Well…” Kieran paused, and she sensed that he was choosing his words with care. “Because it’s a step down from what you’re used to. Like, you’re the town princess or something, you know? You’ve probably got a huge house and at least a dozen cars in the garage and”

“And you think I’ll look down on you,” Katie finished for him. She felt irritated and even a little hurt, but tried not to let it show. Remember, be gentle. Don’t take it personally. Yeah, he made an unfounded assumption, but look at it from his point of view. He probably has rich assholes coming into the shop all the time. It may not be fair for him to assume I’d act the same way, but I can understand where he’s coming from.

“Kieran,” she said after a moment. “I don’t care about any of that stuff. I really, truly don’t. What I care about is spending time with my new friend and getting to know him a little better. Okay?”

Kieran studied her. “You really mean that,” he said at last. It was a statement, not a question.

“Yeah. I really do.”

“…You’re full of surprises, Katie.”

“You don’t know the half of it. And I know you’re probably going to apologize for assuming I’d be a snob or something, so let me save you the trouble. I forgive you and we’re cool. So, can I drop by this afternoon?”

“I could drive you there if you like. I have a car.” Kieran’s chest puffed out a little with pride. “It’s not much, but it’s mine. I worked for a long time to get it.”

Katie’s estimation of him immediately rose another notch. He’s someone who works hard to achieve goals he sets for himself. Just like me! “Where’d you get your car?” she asked.

“My dad runs an auto shop. It was first opened by my grandpa, and after he died Dad took it over. Dad says he’ll hand it over to me in another year or two.”

“He’s been teaching you?”

“Yes.” Kieran’s chest puffed out a little further. “For years now, actually.”

“You sound like you’re really looking forward to it!”

“I am. I can’t wait, Katie. I’ve got a bunch of ideas on how to modernize and expand the business and really help take it to the next level. If everything works out, we’ll be able to open up multiple shops instead of just one!”

Katie saw and heard the passion in his voice and was impressed. “Your grandpa would be proud of you,” she told him softly. “You really must love everything about cars.”

“Of course!” Kieran said. “You can’t do what my dad and I do and not love cars. Cars are…they’re not just machines, you know? A car isn’t just something you drive, it’s freedom. And there’s so many different ways to customize them and fix them and the way all the parts just fit…” Suddenly, he cleared his throat in embarrassment. “…I’m rambling, aren’t I?”

“Not all!” Katie laughed. “I like seeing you get this excited. You always look so serious and reserved, so I like seeing this other side of you! Do you think you could show me around the shop when I come over? I’ve never actually been in one before.”

Kieran smiled, the first real smile she’d seen on him so far. Katie nearly swooned to see it and her pussy instantly grew wet. “I’d really like that. I had no idea you were so interested in this stuff.”

“I like to learn new things,” Katie told him. “Think how boring life would be if we just stuck to our comfort zone. I’ve never been in a car repair shop and I have no idea how any of that works, so it’ll be interesting to learn more!” A thoughtful look passed over her face. “Hey, has my dad or my mom ever come into your shop?”

“No,” Kieran admitted. “But my dad heard from one of his friendshe works at a different shop closer to downtownand he said your dad took his car in to be repaired and gave a really big tip.”

“I think I remember him talking about that, actually!” Katie said. “Do car repair guys usually get tipped?”

“Nope. That’s what was so unusual. But your dad definitely made a good impression.”

Katie giggled. “He usually does. Hey, have I made a good impression too?”

Kieran smiled again. “Definitely.”

The bell rang then, bringing an end to their conversation. Katie sighed inwardly. “Hey, I don’t want to make you late and get you in trouble or anything.” Quickly, she whipped out a pen and grabbed Kieran’s wrist. Her slender, petite hand was dwarfed by his own, and she marveled at the difference between them. “Here’s my number,” she said, scrawling a series of digits on his palm. “Text me, okay? And here, take these too.” She took an apple and a granola bar and thrust them out at him. “Please eat them. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you’ve got to keep up your strength. Otherwise, you won’t have any energy at all!” You’ll need all your stamina for what I’ve got planned, she added silently.

He seemed a bit taken aback. Doubtless he’d never come across anyone as bold and straightforward as Katie before. “Yyeah, sure,” he said, taking the food she offered. “Of course. And…thanks for the food. You don’t really have to”

Katie brushed the thought aside. “I know that, silly. I’m doing it because I want to. So, I’ll see you after school?”

“Yeah.” He nodded. His timid smile, Katie noticed, grew a bit bolder.

She nodded vigorously and waved as she bounded down the hall. “Great! See you then!”

Kieran had no idea how much she meant it. She wanted to really get to know him. She wanted to know his likes and dislikes, his favorite foods, what his hobbies were, everything. She wanted to deepen their relationship as much as possible before she invited him on the Florida trip. Kieran was genuinely interesting, and the more she learned about him, the more she respected him. He was thoughtful, intelligent, and much more mature than a lot of the other guys Katie went to school with.

With all the solemnity of a magistrate passing sentence, Katie weighed Kieran Callaway in the balance and did not find him wanting. He checked the right boxes and met almost all of her search criteria. Calmly, firmly, and decisively, she rendered her judgment and made her choice.

Yes, she thought simply. He is the one. I choose him. I choose Kieran Callaway to be my baby’s father.

In that moment, Katie knew the course of her life changed forever.

There were thousands of young men in the town, but only Kieran was worthy of her. He alone was worthy of taking her virginity and giving her his seed.

Katie resisted the urge to pump a triumphant fist. So far, everything was going exactly according to plan. By the end of the month, she would be well on the way to motherhood.

Prepare yourself, Kieran. I’m not going to hold back when the time comes!