The Truest Thing - Hart's Boardwalk

He sat forward on his seat. “I know that. You told me we’d talk later, remember?”

Relief flickered across her face. “Yeah. I just don’t want you to think I would keep this from you.” Anguish darkened her expression. “Now everyone will know.”

“Let’s forget about that for now. First … I’m sorry. I’m sorry for leaving that stupid note that—”

“Jack, don’t.” Emery stood, touching her temples like she had a headache. The pale-pink dress was the classiest bridesmaid dress Jack had ever seen. It was sleeveless with a high neckline, tied around the neck in a big bow that made a man’s fingers itch to pull it loose. The dress clung to her gorgeous figure, and all that was revealed of her skin was her arms and back. He wondered if those women realized when they picked this dress out for Em that it was sexy as fuck.

Her belly was flat. By Jack’s calculations, she was only seven weeks along. No sign of the baby yet.

Heat flushed through him. That possessive feeling he had about Em, the feelings he tried to stomp down because he didn’t want to act like a caveman dick, roared through him a hundredfold. When he saw her dancing with that preppy-looking asshole at the wedding, he wanted to rip the guy’s arms off.

If he’d known then that she was pregnant with his kid, Jack might have just done that.

And he didn’t know how to feel about it.

He didn’t like that side of himself.

But he couldn’t deny that Emery made him territorial as hell. Jack knew he had to work on softening the edges of those feelings or he’d push Emery even further away.

“Tell me what you want,” Jack coaxed, watching her pace the living room.

Em stopped pacing to face him. She wrapped her arms around her waist, almost protectively, and Jack wanted nothing more than to go to her and put his arms around her too.

He knew by the stubborn glint in her eyes that such a gesture would not be welcome at this juncture.

“I’m keeping the baby.”

Jack sagged with relief. Terror wasn’t far behind, but that was probably normal for any soon-to-be father. Right?

“You can be involved if you want, but I can take care of this child alone, emotionally and financially, so you don’t need to feel obligated to do so.”

It was like being sucker punched for the second time that night but this time by a fucking butterfly—you never anticipated the impact of a flutter of its wings. “What?” he bit out.

She looked uneasy. “I’m just saying—”

“I’m in this.” Jack flew off the couch, gesturing to her belly. “That’s my kid. Our kid. Fuck! I don’t need to feel obligated? What the fuck is that?”

“I just meant that you weren’t expecting this. So I don’t want to hold you to anything.”

“Oh yeah? Were you expecting it?”

“Of course not!”

“Were you the one who forgot to put on a condom?”

“Jack—”

“I was gone for you.” His voice grew hoarse as the memory of that night seven weeks ago filled his mind and his dick. “So lost in you, I didn’t even think. That’s on me.”

“It’s on us both.” She glared at him. “I’m a grown-up, Jack. It’s up to me to make sure I’m protected during sex too. I’m not on the Pill. I’ve never had to be. And then I didn’t … think.”

“Fine, we both forgot. Now we have a kid on the way.” He took a tentative step closer, not wanting to spook her. “I don’t know about you, but as much as I am scared shitless out of my mind”—he threw her a shaky smile—“I’m also excited about it.”

Her beautiful eyes grew round with surprise. “You are?”

“Aren’t you?”

She nodded slowly.

He wanted to touch her. He wanted to touch her so badly, but he quelled the urge. “I know we have things to work out, but I want to be with you. I want us to be a family.”

And just like that, a guard slammed down over Emery’s expression. Jack watched it happen with alarming trepidation. She retreated from him.

Shit.

“Jack … I’m sorry, but that will not happen.”

“Em—”

“I don’t trust you.”

Fuck!

“Em—”

“You can’t change my mind. And I-I can’t change that you’re the father of my baby—”

“You’d want to?” he cut in angrily. Hurt. So fucking hurt, it was like she’d plunged a knife through his chest and yanked it upward.

“I never imagined having a baby with someone I wasn’t in a relationship with.”

“That’s why I’m suggesting we get in a relationship.”

“Not for the sake of a baby.”

“Em, it’s not for the sake—”

“Jack.” She held up a hand to stop him. “No. I … I can’t take it anymore.”

He swallowed hard against the desire to yell, to be angry, to plead. “Explain.”

Emery shrugged wearily, and Jack hated it. He hated that she was not even thirty years old and she was weary. Because of him. “I feel like I’ve been left here to wait for you for nine years. And I know it’s not that simple,” she hurried to add. “I know you had your reasons and a part of me even understands them. But you’ve never prioritized me, Jack. And maybe you didn’t owe me that. But that’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for a guy who hasn’t used other women to push me away, to remind me of what we’re not … so many women”—her eyes glistened with hurt that killed him—“that I had to ask Jessica to test me.”