ld anyone of her pregnancy yet. As she was only a little over three months along, she had a while before she had to tell anyone. She wasn’t ready. She’d shared enough changes with her family over the past few weeks.
No doubt they would be disappointed that she’d be a single mother. But they’d love her and support her in the months leading up to and following the baby’s arrival.
Other than missing Blake, her biggest concern regarding her pregnancy and the move was that the closest OB/GYN was thirty miles away. Still, that shouldn’t present a problem, since most first deliveries didn’t go quickly, and if it did there was always the calving barn.
As far as Blake replacing her, in the office and in his bed, well, she did her best not to think about that, as the thought of him with another woman hurt deeper than she wanted to admit.
So she’d focused on her new life. All she had to do was finish up the repairs and she’d be ready to open on October first, as planned.
She glanced out the window, catching sight of her brothers, Mark the vet, and Trey, down near the lake. Over the past few weeks, as their time had allowed, while she, Mandy and her sisters-in-law had worked on the inside of the house, the men had cleaned the yard, replaced the roof’s shingles, and painted the outside of the house. Now they were building her a new dock.
Just as Darby and Mandy were slowly rebuilding their friendship, Mandy and Trey were rekindling old flames. Darby couldn’t be happier for them.
“Hey, is that Blake with the guys?”
At Rosy’s question, Darby’s heart slammed into her throat and tried to pound its way out. Surely she was hallucinating. No way was Blake walking toward the house with Trey, Mark, and her brothers. No way.
But he was.
“Apparently, he’s not so busy in Knoxville that he can’t drop by for a visit,” Rosy snickered, giving Darby a knowing smile. “After all, it’s only six hours’ drive out of his way.”
Darby barely glanced her sister-in-law’s way, barely took in Mandy’s silence and inability to meet her eyes—had her friend known Blake was here? She reached up to check her appearance, realized she’d probably only managed to smear paint into her hair.
What was he doing here?
Why hadn’t he called first? Surely he should have called prior to making that drive? What if she hadn’t been home? What if she’d decided to go to Knoxville? Maybe Mandy really had known he’d be stopping by today.
Which would explain why her friend had fussed about her appearance earlier.
Darby felt light-headed and not from the non-toxic paint fumes or her pregnancy. All oxygen had disappeared the moment Blake stepped into the room.
His black gaze met hers, drank in the sight of her, and she had a flashback to how it had been between them the last time they’d been in Alabama. He’d held her, touched her, kissed her, loved her.
Only he’d been faking. So why was he here now?
Why was he looking at her as if he’d missed her?
As if he wanted to take her in his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless?
Blake wanted to take Darby into his arms and kiss her until they were both breathless, until they could only cling to each other and never let go.
Because he didn’t want to let her go. Not ever.
He was probably a fool, but here he was all the same.
In Alabama. His new home.
Not that he technically had a home. Not anymore.
Land, yes—thanks to the real estate Mandy had helped him purchase. Home, no.
But, looking at Darby, he knew he was a hell of a lot closer to home than he’d be anywhere else in the world.
“Blake?” She stepped toward him, realized every eye in the room was watching them, and paused. “What are you doing here?”
“You told me I could visit any time I was in the neighborhood.” Was she upset he was here?
“You were in the neighborhood?”