Tate crosses his arms on his chest. He is the mechanic in Whiskey Run, and his sister is Violet, who owns Red’s Diner. They are good people, so I can’t really be mad at him. “Yes, I called and told him. Violet saw you when you came in, and that’s why she sent Lakelyn and me over here to see you and to call Aiden. She didn’t want you to be alone.”
I can’t help but smirk. That’s definitely Violet. She worries about everyone, and it’s just like her to want to make sure Aiden was here. She’s probably trying to do her matchmaking thing like she’s done with half the town, but it’s not going to work on me and Aiden. I really screwed it up with him, and he probably doesn’t even want to see me. But right now, I’m going to accept my fate.
“How is Violet? She doing okay?”
Tate nods. “She’s fine, and Josh Jr. is doing great too.”
If anyone deserves happiness, it’s Violet. “That’s great. I only got to see her for a minute, but she looked good... happy.”
Tate nods, and I can feel the pity from across the room.
I lift my chin. “When will Aiden be here?”
Tate sighs. “He’s parking his truck right now.”
I nod and look over at the woman that came in with Tate. She’s beautiful, and for some reason she looks familiar. “Lakelyn, I’m sorry we met like this, but for some reason, I feel like I’ve seen you before.”
She smiles softly at me and shrugs.
Tate reaches for her and grabs her hand. “She’s a model and has done some commercials. That could’ve been it.”
“Oh yeah, the...” But before I can mention seeing her in the clothing commercial I stop as another contraction hits me.
I’ve done really well at working through them, but this one is nothing like the others. My whole body flexes. Tate steps away from the bed as Lakelyn, bless her, walks closer to me, offering her hand. I grab on to it and listen to her soothing voice. “Breathe, Gracie. You got this.”
My whole body is drawn tight when there’s a loud knock on the door and it seems simultaneously the door swings open. There’s no way that Aiden was prepared for what he’s seeing. All the color leaves his body; even his tattoos look like an ashy gray instead of a vibrant black, and I swear he sways on his feet. This is definitely not the way I pictured it. I had hoped to look pretty. Instead, I’m in bed, big and swollen, drenched in sweat, and no matter how much I want to, I can’t erase the pain on my face.
He walks toward me, and even though I have so much I need to say to him, there’s no way I can start now. “Breathe, Gracie. It’s okay. Keep breathing.”
My eyes are on Aiden because I can’t look away. He’s upset. Most people probably wouldn’t notice, but I do. His jaw is set, and even though he’s regaining some of his color, he’s staring at me as if I have two heads instead of like I’m about to give birth to his child.
The pain starts to lessen, and I slowly start to sit back. I’m still gripping Lakelyn’s hand, and her fingertips are white from how hard I held on to her. I release her quickly. “I’m so sorry, Lakelyn.”
She shakes her head like it’s not a big deal, but I notice she’s rubbing her hands together as if she’s trying to get the feeling back. “No, it’s fine. That was a rough one. Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”
She’s looking at me, concern etched on her face. She’s completely ignoring the man that just walked in, and I sort of wish I could do the same. I’m still panting, but I’m able to get it out. “Ice chips... please.”
She nods and walks out of the room. Tate is standing in the corner, his eyes on Aiden, and I reluctantly look up at him.
Tate clears his throat. “I’m going to go help Lake. We’ll be back.”
But neither Aiden nor I acknowledge him. I’m too busy taking in all of Aiden. Fuck, how I missed him. I’ve thought of this moment a thousand times. He came to me in my dreams every night for nine months, but this is reality, and I can’t expect him to just forgive me in an instant.
“Were you going to tell me?” he asks.
His voice is thick, deeper than normal, telling me how much emotion is going through him right now. At least he didn’t ask me if the baby was his. That would have killed me. But surely he knows; I gave my virginity to him. There’s no way I would have ever slept with someone else.
I take a deep breath. “I was on my way to Whiskey Run to tell you, but I had to make a stop at the hospital first... I didn’t want you to find out like this.”