Chapter Sixteen

They ended up heading into town with the three of them. David was going a little stir crazy in the house and Isabella would need to head over to the bar eventually anyway, so they offered to join Tatum. The latter thought it was too cute how David loved holding her sister's hand as they walked and that he wanted her to stay home a bit more. If she hadn't felt so crappy as her body got used to being pregnant, she'd offer to work a few longer shifts to let Isabella stay home a bit more.

"Izzy, can you do me favour though and not tell Sue?" Tatum said when they were about to split up. "I want to try keepin' it hush-hush until I've made 12 weeks," she added as explanation, which was more for David's benefit than her sister's.

"Of course, mum's the word," IIsabella said and couldn't help giving a chuckle when she realised the joke she'd made.

Her sister simply gave an eye roll as she started heading her own way. "David, I'll see you back at the house," the redhead called with a wave and made her way over to the general store. She was hoping to buy some Pregnacare vitamins or similar and crackers to see her through the next few weeks. She hoped her stomach would settle soon. She also hoped she would get through her trip without running into anyone, but that hope was dashed quite quickly when she spotted Vivian, Aaron and Sean about halfway through getting what she needed. Tatum did her best to ignore the three Millers and decided to get her Pregnacare vitamins first, so she could chuck all her other groceries on top to hide them.

Sean noticed the red-haired Tennant when she walked in and wanted to ask how she was feeling now but didn't think it would be a good idea in front of his brother and cousin, who were discussing what alcohol to get. "Guys, I'm just gonna get the milk for ma and some snacks," he told them, not putting in too much effort to get himself heard and made his way further into the store as inconspicuously as he could. Tatum had just made her way from the health care section to the biscuits and snack aisle. He walked up to her slowly, pretending to be perusing the crisps until he was just behind her. "How are you feelin' Tatum?" he asked softly, making her jump.

She dropped the box of biscuits she'd been holding in her basket, even though she had no intention of buying them, to hide her vitamins. "I'm fine thanks," she answered, trying to be nonchalant.

"You must be to want to eat those," he spotted the box of Oreos, thinking no one who was still throwing up would want those.

"They're for Izzy's boyfriend David," she fibbed. "I only came for these," Tatum reached past him to get the saltine crackers. He nodded, that made more sense. "Miss Thing asked you to carry her bags?" she asked, now spotting the clothes bags in his hand.

"Oh, eh no, not really. She forced me to go shoppin', to get new clothes for me," Sean answered a little embarrassed.

"Really? Why?" she asked without thinking as she took his outfit in. He looked okay to her.

"Apparently, I look too much like a cowboy," he chuckled awkwardly, not missing the blush on her face when she realised what her question would've sounded like.

"Hey look, over there. Is Sean talkin' to that Tennant girl?" Aaron suddenly noticed where his brother had gone. 

"Maybe he's puttin' her in her place," Vivian suggested with a shrug as she continued checking out the alcohol. That's what she would do.

"No, they both seem to be smilin'," her older cousin noticed. "Come on, let's go take care of this," he added and headed over to the snack aisle as well. "Well howdy Tatum," Aaron said loudly, making both of them jump. Tatum noticed Sean take an involuntary step back. "Still chuckin' up?" he asked nastily when he noticed the saltinewher basket.

"Ew gross," Vivian pitched in, but made it sound like she was talking about the girl herself rather than the action. "You know, maybe you should go shoppin' for new clothes too. You look like a hobo," she continued, giving her a fake smile of sisterly camaraderie.

"Better a hobo than a stuck-up bitch," Tatum smiled back, trembling on the inside. She didn't want to give them a reason to go through her basket and find out her pregnancy on pretty much the same day as she did. She was also starting to get annoyed to see that nothing had changed as far as Sean was concerned; he was still just standing by as his brother and cousin tormented her. She could forgive his teenage years for doing that, but as an adult it was a harder pill to swallow.

"I think you might be cruisin' for a bruisin'," Vivian said as she narrowed her eyes at her.

"Now, now. We don't hit women," Aaron corrected her with a somewhat smug smile, surprised when Tatum burst out laughing.

"Don't think that gives you the moral high ground. You might not hit women, but you're still just a bully, Aaron Miller," she set him straight and walked away to pay for her things before any of them could say anything else.