Lucky Baby (Crescent Cove 11)

“We will.”

I expected her to argue. “Yes, we will. I want you there.”

“You do? I mean, of course you do.” I took advantage of the rare almost warmth in her voice and moved closer to kiss the top of her head.

“People didn’t know we were dating.”

“Is that what you call it? Me at your house almost every night?”

She ignored me. “Now look at us. Everyone keeps winking at me and congratulating me and saying that I landed the biggest player in town, har de har. I didn’t try to land you.”

“Exactly why you did. You act like you’d rather clean gum off your shoe rather than be seen in public with me.”

She came to a halt on the sidewalk and crossed her arms over her chest. She was shaking slightly from the cold, and I immediately started to remove my coat so I could drape it over her shoulders.

“No, wait. I’m fine. And that’s not true. I’m not ashamed to be seen with you. I’m not,” she insisted at my silence. “I just didn’t know where this is going, and if it wasn’t going anywhere, then we shouldn’t—Tingle, scram.”

Rhett flashed the peace sign over his shoulder and continued walking. Not very fast in my opinion, but I was curious what she’d say next too, so I couldn’t blame him.

“How are you feeling about that whole ‘where this is going’ thing now?”

She gazed up at me in the near darkness with snow gathering on her thick lashes and dusting her pale cheeks and my heart raced as if I’d just run a two-minute mile. So much hinged on her giving us a chance. Now more than ever.

“I like being with you.”

“Sorry, can you speak up?” I made a show of leaning toward her and cupping my ear. “Didn’t quite hear you.”

The corner of her mouth kicked up. “We have fun, Thor. But it’s all moving so fast. I don’t want you to regret anything when reality descends, and you see the stretch marks. Because they are coming, dude, and my cocoa butter cream can only do so much.”

“I will never, as long as I live, regret a single second I will spend with you or our baby. The only thing I’ll regret is the ones you won’t let me share.”

Lost in her dark gorgeous eyes, I almost missed how her lower lip trembled. But I definitely couldn’t deny the rush of relief as she stepped toward me and circled her arms around my waist. “I’m trying,” she whispered. “You probably can’t tell that I am, but I swear it’s true.”

I wound my arms around her so tightly that she gasped. “I love you. And I kinda love saying it. So, maybe let me love you tonight, and we’ll see how we both feel about it in the morning.”

She tipped her face up to mine and for an instant, I would’ve sworn a tear glimmered on her cheek. I smoothed my thumb over it and came back with a snowflake instead.

Nodding, she gave me a tentative smile. “I can do that. But I still want that railing.”

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It was so easy to return her smile. “I can do that.”

Twenty-Two

Everyone was having a darn good time at this reception. Other than me, and I was fully aware that was probably my own fault.

I wasn’t much of a drinker other than at social events where I was expected to talk and be friendly, usually with people I barely knew. Then a beer went down smooth and also gave me something to do with my hands other than tug at my hair like a girl on the sidelines at a junior high dance.

But that whole puking thing earlier along with the recent recognition of my enlarged breasts and absent period—a bit late there, Burns—had squashed my desire for a drink. Well, not the desire, but I wasn’t having one. I wasn’t taking any chances.

Sure, I might’ve just put on some early winter weight. Maybe my period was late due to stress. I could have the flu.

One that also made certain things smell really strange—like frosting.

“Here, have a cupcake. Look at the tiny Caleb and I.” Luna poked the little plastic figures atop the frosting and beamed so brightly that I didn’t have the heart to tell her the smell of that gooey white confection was going to make me hurl.

Then again, if I could avoid doing it on her wedding dress, that would be a win for us all.