Her face brightened at his compliment. “I think so. I mean, it wasn’t planned, and it won’t be easy, but I can do this.” She placed a hand over her stomach, and her smile was genuine and warm.
Relief at her attitude washed over him. She’d obviously given this thought and was emotionally settled with the idea. “You seem at peace with this, and I’m happy for you.”
“Thank you. I’m still scared, but I’m good. I’ll have the summer off anyway. I’ll find a babysitter and figure it out.”
“I know you will,” he said, proud of her.
“Can I just get a small hug?” She stepped into him before he could reply, and he pulled her into a brief embrace.
“Excuse me.”
Dylan jumped at the sound of Olivia’s voice.
Shit, shit, shit. He grappled for an explanation, but he couldn’t begin to come up with the right way to justify what, once again, was just friendship. Even he knew it had looked like much more. If he’d seen her ex with his arms around her, he probably would have taken a swing at the man.
“Am I interrupting something?” Olivia asked in a cool voice, her gaze steady on Meg.
“It’s not—” Dylan began.
“What it looks like,” Olivia said, finishing his lame sentence. “I know. Or at least I hope I do.”
“Oh God.” Meg stepped up to her. “I know how it must look, but I was just telling Dylan I’m pregnant, and he was congratulating me. That’s all.”
“Pregnant?” Olivia asked, her shock as obvious as Dylan’s had been.
“Yep. By my ex.” Meg braced her hands on her still-flat stomach.
“Umm, congratulations?” Olivia said uncertainly.
“Thank you.” Meg smiled at her. “Look, I know we just met—”
“You met?” Dylan asked, surprised.
“In the kitchen, when I walked in,” Meg explained. “Callie introduced us.”
Dylan raised an eyebrow. “You knew I was here with Olivia, and you asked me for a hug anyway? Come on, Meg. That’s just all kinds of wrong.”
She stepped back, stunned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think—”
“And that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, but you told me about the pregnancy first, and I didn’t get a chance. You do need to think more. About the kind of guys you get involved with and about me, in general.”
Olivia grasped his arm. “Dylan, not now, okay?”
He glanced at Meg, who looked sad and small after his outburst. “I’m sorry, okay? I just don’t want to be pulled between the two of you. And I don’t want to have to make a choice, but if I do—”
“Dylan!” Olivia tugged harder. “It’s okay. We both get it now.”
He looked from Olivia to Meg, who nodded. “She’s right. We do. I need to stand on my own two feet and stop treating you like my boyfriend who’s at my beck and call,” she said in a low voice. “I just got used to you not being in a relationship at all
.” She met Olivia’s gaze. “I’m sorry.”
To Olivia’s credit, she smiled warmly at Meg. “Thank you. I’m sorry too.”
“Why?” Meg asked.
“Because I’ve been a bitch about you to Dylan, and that put him in an awkward situation.”
Meg blinked at the admission.