Midlife Baby (Small Town Lovers)

Carlotta stepped forward first. “Because honey, you’re a mess and you’re pregnant and we’ve come with reinforcements.”

I stepped back and motioned for them to enter. “What kind of reinforcements? And what makes you think I’m a mess?”

“Mama Claire told us,” Carlotta said as if she’d known the woman forever.

I should have known Claire hadn’t gone through that giant bag of yarn so quickly. “Claire asked you to come over.” They hadn’t come because they truly cared.

“No, Claire said you and Grady needed to be sorted out,” Valona clarified. “So here we are.”

“And we brought gifts,” Pippa said. “Perfect for a pregnant woman about to blow her life to pieces, plus a few adorable things for the baby.”

“Babies,” Carlotta clarified.

“Twins?” Lacey echoed.

I nodded. “Yes, twins. I’m forty-seven and I’m pregnant with twins.”

“Well damn,” Pippa grunted. “Looks like we’ll have to get two of everything.”

I looked at the women who were all smiles, happy for what they saw as my good fortune and I didn’t know what to do other than cry. “You didn’t have to do this,” I sniffled. “I haven’t been a good friend to any of you and I don’t deserve this.”

Lacey laughed and wrapped an arm around me as she guided me into the kitchen with the others right behind us. “Honey you’re a little uptight and distant, always have been but that doesn’t mean your friends won’t show up when you need them. You need us and here we are.”

I cried even harder at her words and shook my head. “I ruined everything with Grady. Before I even knew what was happening or what I wanted, I ruined it.”

“It can’t be all that bad,” Carlotta insisted and pushed my shoulders down until I was seated. “You’re here in his house which I assume means that he’s taking care of you.”

“He is,” I admitted with a sigh. “He’s great actually. He went to my house and got a bunch of clothes and toiletries for me, even my favorite pillow and some of my teas. He cooks meals all the time and when he can’t he sends food to make sure I’m eating. He made sure I had my laptop so I could work while I’m here.”

The women all looked at each other in confusion but Carlotta spoke for them. “Sound great. What’s the problem?”

“He put me in his guest room. We’ve been sleeping together regularly since we learned of the pregnancy and he put me in the guest room. That’s a pretty clear sign that I ruined things.”

“Ouch,” Pippa agreed with a frown. “He’s hurt.”

“Definitely,” Valona added with a nod. “If you want things back to the way they were or whatever you want, you’ll need to make it up to him.”

“Unless you’re just worried that this means he’ll leave you to do it all on your own,” Carlotta asked bluntly.

I shook my head. “He won’t do that. Grady wants to be involved in the pregnancy and the babies. He will be there for them until he takes his last breath.”

“So this is about him,” Val guessed correctly. “You care about him more than you’ve let on, probably more than you’re willing to admit to yourself.” Valona shook her head and pursed her lips. “He’s operating in the dark Margot which is unfair. You need to talk to him.”

“I know,” I admitted reluctantly and leaned back into the kitchen chair while Lacey and Pippa unpacked bags of food that included potato salad, a cheese and meat board, barbecue shredded pork and stuffed mushrooms. “I’ve tried. For two weeks I have tried to engage him in conversation but he doesn’t engage. He asks me how I am, how I’m feeling and what I want for dinner.” It was embarrassing to admit. “When I try to apologize for my behavior he tells me not to worry about it. Says I heard you loud and clear Margot and I’m giving you what you want but I’m not leaving my babies. What the hell is that?”

“You pushed him away,” Lacey guessed. “He resisted until it became clear to him that what you really wanted was this, him to be around to help out and nothing more.”

Valona nodded. “Operating in the dark until he figured out what you were doing. I tried that with Trey and he called me on it.”

“Then maybe that’s a sign that Grady doesn’t want me that way.”

Valona laughed. “Or it’s a sign that he shows his love in different ways. Just a thought,” she shrugged and reached for the bowl of potato salad.

Carlotta piled some of everything on a plate and set it in front of me before she took the seat closest to me. “His mama is here and if I were you I’d pump her for information that would help me get back inside his heart. But only if you’re ready to hand yours over and tell him those three words.”