“I’m going to kill her.” He pushed back off the counter, ready to march into town and blast the hell out of them for gossiping about Emery like this. She didn’t deserve it. They’d practically run his mother out of town because of their gossiping shit, and he wouldn’t let them hurt Emery.
“Don’t.” Emery reached over the counter, grabbing his arm.
He covered her hand with his, seeking contact.
“Jack, don’t.” She tried to let go, but he took hold of her hand and held on. “I just want to get through this without giving them anything more to be scandalized over.”
His heart beat too fast. He had pent-up aggression he wanted to dole out on someone. Preferably someone who had hurt Em.
“Please.” She squeezed his hand.
Taking a deep breath, Jack nodded.
“Can I have my hand back now?”
He shook his head. “Not until you tell me why you’ve been ignoring my texts.”
“Your texts?” Emery scowled. “I haven’t received any—oh my gosh.” She covered her mouth with her free hand, her eyes filling with sheepishness. She dropped her hand and grimaced. “I blocked you. When you didn’t call or text for weeks … I blocked your number.”
Disappointment and self-directed anger twisted his gut. He tightened his hand around Em’s, feeling her silver rings bite into his skin. “How about you unblock it now?”
“Of course. I’d do it now if I had both hands free.”
At her teasing, Jack released her. He watched as she pulled her cell out from under the counter and tapped on the screen.
“When is your next doctor’s appointment?”
“This week. It’s my first prenatal visit.”
“I want to be there.”
“Jack, it’s not a big deal. Why don’t you come with me for the first ultrasound?” She looked up from her phone and waved it at him. “Unblocked.”
He ignored that. “I want to be at every appointment.”
She sighed, sounding a little exasperated. “Jess says I’ll have an appointment once a month until twenty-eight weeks. And then it’ll be every two weeks and then every week. Do you really want to come to every single one?”
Jack leaned in, hoping proximity would somehow make the words sink in. “Every. Single. One. Every appointment. Every scan. And I’m going to be around, Em. I’m going to make you dinner. We’re going to hang out. We’re going to become the bestest fucking friends during your pregnancy, so help me God.”
To his surprise, her lips twitched with amusement. “The bestest fucking friends?”
As cute as her amusement was, Jack was deadly serious. “We’re going to raise a kid together, and you said you don’t trust me. I’m going to be the father of your child, Emery. I know you don’t want me the way I want you, but I have to earn your trust either way. For my kid. If you don’t trust me, you do realize our kid will eventually sense that. Do you want that? Because I don’t.”
Her eyes grew adorably round, her skin flushing a gorgeous pink. “I … you’re right. I don’t want that.”
Jack relaxed a little. “I can’t snap my fingers and say ‘Em, trust me.’ It doesn’t work like that. I get it. I get that I screwed up with you. But for the sake of co-parenting, please give me the chance to earn your trust. The only way I can do that is to spend time with you.”
She studied him before she asked, “Just friends?”
It took everything within him. In fact, Jack had to swallow down a growl of indignation at the mere thought. And then, for the first time, he intentionally lied to Emery. “Just friends.”
After contemplating him a moment, Emery gave him a small, tentative smile. “My prenatal visit is at Hartwell County General on Thursday at two o’clock.”
Jack mentally noted it so he could make sure his schedule was clear. “Where will I pick you up? Here or at your place?”
“Oh, we can just meet there.”
He glared at her.
Her lips twitched again. “Here. One thirty.”
“Good.” Jack flashed her a pleased smile. “Thank you.”
The pink staining her cheeks turned a delightful strawberry. Jack’s body reacted to her blushing. Seemed like a good time to get gone. “I’ll take two Americanos to go.”
While she busied herself making the coffees, Jack couldn’t help but watch her. She wasn’t showing. Not yet. But she had their baby growing in her belly. Tied to him forever through the beautiful kid they’d made. Jack was going to be a father. She would be his kid’s mom. The possession that was becoming so familiar roared through him. Heat built in his blood, traveling south with dangerous speed.
Trying to divert his thoughts, he said, “Don’t worry about the gossips. They’ll find something new to talk about it.”
“I’m not worried about the gossip.” She slid the coffees toward him. “I’m worried that people are so judgmental about this pregnancy that they don’t want to come through my doors.”