Millionaire Hero (Freeman Brothers 4)

“Come in,” I said.

“Thank you.”

I shut the door behind us and gestured for her to follow me into the living room. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I don’t want to take up too much of your time,” she said.

“I’m just going to make myself some tea,” I said.

My stomach was starting to ripple a little bit, but I couldn’t tell if it was from the morning sickness or just the nervousness and anxiety of being around Nick’s mother without him there as a buffer. I went into the kitchen and put the pot on to start warming the water. Searching around in my cabinet, I pulled down a box of raspberry chamomile tea.

When the tea was ready, I carried my cup into the living room with me. I had another cup sitting in reserve on the counter next to the teapot just in case she smelled mine and decided she needed some. Which was exactly what happened. By the time I brought her cup of tea back into the living room with me, Minnie was standing in front of my bookcase, examining the titles.

“Here you go,” I said.

She turned around and reached for the cup. “Thank you.”

“Come sit down,” I said.

She crossed back over to the seating area, but before sitting down, she offered the bag out to me. I hesitated, not knowing what to expect from it. Something she had to deliver herself might just be beyond my capacity to handle. But the colors didn’t look exactly bridal, and she didn’t have the mischievous, conspiratorial glint in her eyes she did when we were at the bakery. That was reassuring.

I sat down with the bag and settled my cup onto the table so I could remove the tissue. Inside, I found a few adorable newborn outfits in neutral colors along with a stuffed bunny. I pulled the bunny out, stroking its head and gazing down at it.

The bunny I held in my hands would be my baby’s first toy. He or she would touch it and hold it. They may even cuddle and sleep with it. This one little stuffed animal could become the favorite snuggly toy my child carried everywhere with them as they grew up. The emotion hit me hard, and I looked at Minnie.

“It’s my groveling gift,” she said. “I taught my boys to buy flowers, and I figured I screwed up worse than that. The idea of all four of my sons happily settled might have overridden my common sense. I’m truly sorry I upset you,” she said.

I drew in a breath and looked down at the bunny again to try to keep my emotions under control. “You know, I might need to buy Nick some flowers.”

She laughed softly. “Why is that?”

I sat the bunny beside me and took out the baby clothes so I could look at them more closely. The little sleepers seemed so incredibly tiny. It was hard to imagine in just a handful of months, I would have a baby small enough to put into these outfits.

“He didn’t know I was pregnant until he was standing there in the kitchen,” I said. “I hadn’t told him. In fact, I wasn’t even intending on telling you. I was still grappling with the whole thing, and I didn’t tell him as soon as I found out. I just tried to kind of deal with it on my own rather than letting him be a part of it from the beginning,” I said.

“How is he responding to that?” Minnie asked, taking a sip of her tea.

I looked at her quizzically. “He hasn’t talked to you about it?”

She shook her head, looking saddened again. “He was so upset with me when he came over for family dinner, he didn’t even stay. He told me he was angry about the way I treated you, then he left. I haven’t spoken to him since.”

“Oh,” I said, not really knowing how else to react.

“I deserved it,” she said. “It was completely out of line for me to send those deliveries here and put pressure on you. I didn’t know the details of what’s going on in your life. Not that it gives me an excuse. I hope you can forgive me. And when you’re ready, I would love to know everything about this new baby coming. And I want to know more about you, too.”

“Of course I forgive you,” I said. “Thank you for apologizing.”

Minnie nodded and stood up. “Thank you, Bryn. Come visit me at the compound anytime.”

I walked her to the door and waved as she drove away. When she was gone, I took the gift bag with me to what used to be Justin’s office. Now it was gradually becoming a nursery for the baby. I hadn’t gone too far, yet. A new coat of white paint brightened up the space with the intention of adding a border or a different color when I chose a theme.