Roger came in with a tray of saltines and sat down next to her on the sofa. “I’m really glad you said yes to dinner.”
“Thanks for inviting me. I’m not exactly sparkling company at the moment.” Not even close. More like miserable, overwhelmed, and missing Josh even more than she’d feared she would. She grimaced and took a bite of a cracker she really didn’t crave but hoped would settle her stomach.
“How are you feeling?”
She placed her hand on her belly in what was quickly becoming a habit, and smiled. “Not too bad. I won’t complain about a little nausea, because I am really happy about the baby. I wish the rest of it wasn’t such a mess.”
“Well, I wanted to talk to you about that, too. Mel”—he let out a breath and took her hand—“I think we have some unresolved issues, and they’re preventing you from working things out with Josh.”
“You can’t take the blame. The painful truth is Josh and I want different things—”
“No, you don’t. You want the same things—each other, this baby. You’re just scared of compromising…because of me.”
“Roger.” She squeezed his hand. “I know why we didn’t work out. It had nothing to do with how much we accommodated or failed to accommodate. At the end of the day, we weren’t meant to be together. It took us both a long time to accept the truth.”
“In your head, you know that, but in your heart, you think you made a mistake trusting me every time I said, ‘I love you, but I need…’ which in my case was always more time. You always agreed to give me more time.”
“Yeah.” She sighed and looked out the window. The barge was gone. “I did.”
“And things didn’t work out. Now Josh is saying, ‘I love you, but I need you to move to Cincinnati,’ and that’s sending up every red flag you’ve got. How can I convince you that compromise—even on big stuff—isn’t a sign of a doomed relationship? In fact, I’m pretty sure you can’t have a successful relationship without it. Trust him. Take a risk. Everything might just work out.”
“I don’t know. I feel like we’re very far from working out. None of this is happening the way I pictured it.”
“You’re focusing on the wrong part of the picture. You’re hung up on the scenery. Move your eyes to the foreground. You’ll see a man who wants to marry you and share a life with you. There’s
a baby who’s relying on both of you for love, security, safety, support…everything…the best possible upbringing you can provide.”
The responsibility was already a familiar weight in her chest. “And you don’t think that best possible upbringing is in Bluelick, where we have friends and family who already care about this child?”
He shrugged. “Maybe it’s Bluelick. Maybe it’s Cincinnati. Maybe somewhere else entirely. Your friends and family here are going to love and care about all of you, no matter where you live. That part of the picture will never change. You know that, right?”
“I do.” She did, and yet the weight in her chest lifted a little as she said the words. “I just—”
“Compromise can be scary. Change is scary, too, and Josh is asking you to accept a big compromise and some major life changes, all at once. It’s no wonder you needed time to think, but don’t let fear distract you from what’s really important.”
“You’re saying I got scared when Josh told me about the job, and the move, and I freaked.”
“Yes, but in a totally understandable way. He accepted a job in another state without discussing the opportunity with you first, even though he expected you to come with him. Sounds to me like he knew you’d have issues and decided it would be easier to ask forgiveness than permission. On the other hand, he didn’t know his decision had impact beyond the two of you, because he didn’t know about the baby. I think you both freaked. But now you’ve had a few days to get your head around everything. Time to stop hiding under the covers and figure this out, because it’s not just about what you want, or what he wants, it’s about finding the right compromise.”
“I know.” She went back to staring out the window. The best thing for their baby would be to grow up with two parents, in a loving household—on that she shouldn’t compromise or sacrifice. Everything else was negotiable.
Chapter Twenty-One
Josh walked out of his meeting with Chief Warren feeling like a hundred pounds of gear had been lifted from his shoulders. Warren had accepted his change of heart gracefully, and commended him on not letting ambition blind him to other important considerations. Then again, a man in the chief’s shoes understood better than most the importance of those other considerations. Josh refrained from telling him the decision had actually been simple once he’d pushed ego and expectations aside and thought about what he wanted. He already had everything he wanted back in Bluelick.
Or he hoped to, soon.
He ticked off his mental checklist as he climbed in the truck. Operation grand gesture was nearly complete. His conversation with Buchanan earlier in the day had also gone unexpectedly well. Not only had Buchanan sold him the cottage for a song, he’d apologized for interfering in Josh’s efforts to do his job, and committed his full support moving forward. Josh suspected public opinion more than sincere regret inspired the mayor’s about-face, but he had a deed in his pocket and a promise of no future interference, so he walked away satisfied. The only thing left to do? Call Melody, ask her to meet him at the cottage, and convince her they were on the same page.
To that end, he pulled out his phone to call her, and saw she’d sent a text while he’d been in his meeting with Warren. Can we talk?
Good sign. He started the truck and noted the time on the dashboard clock. Nearly six. She’d be finishing up her afternoon at work, trying to get the last patients out the door. He texted her. Yes. Meet me later?
She texted back quickly. When and where?
He smiled and tapped the digital keypad. If traffic wasn’t awful, he could make it back in a couple hours, and he could be on the porch of the cottage, sliding the ring on Melody’s finger as the sun set over the trees. Afterward, he could take her around to the overlook in back, spread a blanket under the stars, and christen their new home. 8:30. Your favorite place. Then he put the phone aside and started driving.
The traffic gods took his side, and he made it to Bluelick with time to spare. He parked in the cul-de-sac to leave the driveway open for Melody. With the ring tucked into the pocket of his jeans, he grabbed a blanket from the back of the Yukon and walked to the house.