“Did it occur to you that I might want to be there for you? For our baby’s doctor appointment?”

No, she thought. It hadn’t occurred to her. She’d gone into this thinking she was alone. Even after he’d said he’d be there for her and the baby, she thought he’d meant just financially.

He was only living here now because she might be in danger, not because he wanted to be with Erin. He’d made that clear last night. Given a choice, he’d be in his room over Joe’s, ignoring her when they saw each other in town. Sex was a perk, nothing more. Even as obvious hurt and frustration flashed in his expression, she couldn’t understand it.

“You don’t have to go through this by yourself. I’ll be with you today, and I want a list of future appointments. I’ll be going with you from now on.”

“Umm, okay.” Maybe?

She wasn’t sure how she felt about his proclamation. She doubted he knew either, considering the conflicting messages he was sending her.

No future. You aren’t alone. Two very different concepts, and her head was spinning, but one thing stood out. She’d hurt his feelings by not including him, but she’d never have thought Cole would be interested in the little things her doctor discussed with her about the baby.

She thought he’d . . . what? Hand her child support and walk away? Was that the kind of man she believed him to be? And if that was the conclusion he’d drawn, no wonder he was insulted by her assumption.

They finished eating and cleaned up in silence, Cole dealing with a mix of warring feelings. His emotional reaction to her doctor’s appointment caught him off guard. Way off guard. Since when did he want to be involved in things like doctor’s appointments? Where did these protective instincts for Erin even come from?

Yeah, he was the baby’s father, and he’d planned to do right by her and the kid, but even he hadn’t considered what that entailed. Maybe she hadn’t either, which meant he’d overreacted. But when her brother slammed him with what she’d gone through alone, something inside him had shifted, leaving him confused.

His head pounded and he decided he needed to talk to someone who could give him clarity, but who could he turn to? Not her brother, Mike. The man would likely throttle him. There was his stepfather, but he wasn’t ready to have that conversation with him just yet. Or with his mother either. And he sure as hell wouldn’t turn to his father. Cole let out a low laugh, knowing that the shit would hit the fan when his old man found out Erin was pregnant and Cole was responsible. He’d like to put that conversation off as long as possible.

Maybe his cousin Nick. The man was recently married, so he might have more of a handle on something like this than Cole did. He’d get in touch with his cousin soon. Because what Cole was feeling and what he was capable of giving were two different things. So was what Erin deserved. They might be completely compatible people on paper, and when they were together they were explosive, but Cole didn’t know how to live the family life Erin obviously craved. The one she’d grown up experiencing. The one she clearly desired—and he wanted her to have.

Eight

Dr. Reed squirted warm gel on Erin’s skin, then placed the ultrasound wand on her stomach. By now, the procedure was a familiar one, as he searched for the baby’s heartbeat. In a few seconds, the reassuring whooshing sound echoed throughout the room and Erin let herself relax. From the moment the doctor was able to let her hear the heartbeat, she held her breath each time the man did his scan.

“And that is your baby’s heartbeat, Mr. Sanders,” Dr. Reed said to Cole.

He sucked in a sharp, surprised breath and reached for Erin’s hand, squeezing it tight. His excitement was palpable, and she understood the feeling all too well. Unfortunately there were other emotions rushing through her too. Ones that made her feel fragile, raw, and vulnerable. With Cole beside her, Erin felt as exposed as her bare belly, his presence making her wish for things he’d flat-out told her she would never have.

At least, not with him.

Of all the reasons she hadn’t let herself think about including him in her doctor’s appointments, this overwhelming emotional pit in her stomach was the main one. Erin had dreamed of a family in her future, and one night had suddenly changed and complicated everything. She swallowed over the lump in her throat, determined to get through this with her dignity intact, and that meant no crying.

“Erin? Did you hear me?” the middle-aged ob-gyn asked.

Erin smiled at the man. He’d come highly recommended by her regular doctor, and so far Erin was pleased with his practice, his partners, and her choice.

“I’m sorry. Can you say that again?”

He smiled back indulgently. “You’re somewhere else today. I asked if you two would like to know the sex of the baby. You’re at the right time and my view is pretty good, so I’d say I can give you a pretty accurate answer. It’s up to you.”

Erin’s heart skipped a beat. In her excitement, she was about to answer when Cole’s voice stopped her.

“Can we have time to talk?” he asked the doctor, taking her by surprise.

“Of course. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He placed the wand in a holder and draped a paper sheet over Erin’s stomach before leaving them alone.

“This is overwhelming,” he said, taking her by surprise.

And, of course, with his admission, her heart melted. How could she keep him at a distance when they were sharing something so fundamentally important and deep?

“That’s how I felt the first time I heard the heartbeat and saw the baby on the screen.” She met his gaze, startled to find softness where there never had been any before.

“Makes me want to take a second look at myself. And a third and a fourth.”

The surprises kept coming. “Why?” she asked him. “I like what I see. We wouldn’t be in this situation if I didn’t.”

Tags: Carly Phillips Serendipity's Finest Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net