Heart Strings

“I’m going to give it my best.”

He linked our fingers. “Your mother called. Twice.”

“I had better call her.”

“Not tonight. I told her you’re resting. She plans to come over tomorrow.” He cleared his throat. “She, ah, is bringing dinner?” He lifted his eyebrows, looking askance.

“Dinner?”

“That’s what she said.”

That seemed odd for my mother. She didn’t bring dinner. She brought wine. Extravagant hostess gifts. Dinner was a mom thing to do. “Okay, then.”

We were quiet, watching the snow. Logan sipped a cup of coffee and crossed his legs at his ankles. “So, how attached are you to your office in the spare room?”

I turned my head, already knowing where this was going. “It can go.”

“Good size for a nursery.”

“I was thinking the same thing.”

He scratched his chin thoughtfully. “I don’t have a lot of my own stuff, but I have a couple pieces I’d like to bring with me.”

“Bring with you?”

He met my gaze. “You think we’re going to maintain two households for our child, Lottie?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead.”

“Wherever my child is, is where I’ll be.” He paused. “Wherever you are is my home, so I’ll be right here—with both of you.”

I felt a thrill at his words.

“They kept referring to you as my fiancé at the hospital.”

His hand tightened on mine. “I told them that so I had access.”

“I see.”

“As soon as possible, it will be a fact.”

Another thrill went through me.

When the doctor had examined me, taken some blood, and asked the routine question if I could be pregnant, something made me pause.

“I don’t think so.”

He had regarded me for a moment, and I asked the nurse about my purse. I always kept my pills there and took them at lunch. She had gotten it from Logan, and I pulled out the package, staring at it. I was a day behind and had never even noticed. I looked up at the doctor, who nodded. “We’ll do a pregnancy test right away.”

When he confirmed I was pregnant, I was terrified. As deeply as I felt for Logan and he for me, it was so soon. We were still getting to know each other. He was just starting on a new career. How was he going to take the news? The thought of him angry and walking out crossed my mind. I had no idea what to expect, and I was afraid to hope that once the shock passed, he would, like me, be excited.

At first, I had been unsure. He looked so stunned, and I had waited for his anger. Then, as if a light switch had been flipped, his expression changed, and the delight I had hoped for burst through. In one instant, he confirmed what I had secretly yearned for. He wanted this child too. From that moment on, his complete support only proved to me what I was already convinced of. We were meant for each other.

He had fussed and cared for me all day. The fact that he was planning on making it official really wasn’t a huge surprise. Nor was the fact that he intended to move in and us being a real family. It was something we both had missed out on, and neither of us wanted to waste this unexpected opportunity.

“I see.”

“Just saying what I’m thinking.” He lifted my hand to his mouth, kissing it. “You aren’t alone, Lottie. You won’t be alone. We’re in this together, and I’m not going anywhere. We’re going to have a great life together.”

“How did I get so lucky?”

He shook his head. “I’m the lucky one. Since the day we finally met, my life has gotten better.” He stood. “Now, you need to sleep.”

“Would you lie with me?”

He bent and brushed his lips over my head. “Yeah, sweetheart. I’ll lie with you. We can look at the snow and plan the future. Our future.”I stared at Brianna. “Excuse me?”

She calmly sipped her coffee, looking casual. Her words had been anything but.

“I said I bought a small coffee shop.” She held up her cup. “This one, actually. I love their coffee and their philosophy. All organic, fair trade. And a simple menu. You don’t need a different language to order a cup of coffee.”

I sipped the small cup I was allowed. It was delicious. I knew Brianna could afford to buy anything she wanted, but she already had a small business she loved.

“What about the boutique?”

She looked over my shoulder. “My manager wants to buy it, so I’m going to sell it to her—she deserves it. It’s her hard work that keeps the place going. Her daughter wants to do the purchasing, and frankly, I’m tired of traveling. I feel as if all I do is search for stuff for the store, for something solid in my life. I feel lost, Lottie. I want roots. I want to do something in my life I enjoy. Be more than just my money. I go to this place every day. When I found out she was planning on selling, I looked into it.” Brianna was curled up on the sofa with me, and she sat up, looking excited. “I could see some areas for improvement. Like her baked goods. She brought them in from outside, but if they were done in-house, it would make them unique and better.” She grinned. “That’s where you come in.”