“What is it that you’re not saying, Rob?” Anne’s voice was gentle.
“What if she’s the one who doesn’t want things to change?”
The driver gave me a pitying look in the rearview mirror. Fantastic. He probably thought I was a wimp.
“Rob....” Anne’s tone was even gentler than before. “Your relationship is very new. During the girls’ evening we had, Skye was even wondering if inviting you to her brother’s wedding in December would be too much. This is an emotional time for both of you. Just take it easy and don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Any other advice?”
No answer. I was putting two and two together though. Especially since I had an inkling that Skye’s fears also had something to do with their dad taking off when she was a kid. And I planned to erase those fears. Every single one of them. She was mine, and I loved her.
“I don’t have advice, sorry. I’m just picking up the pieces after the divorce, so if anything, I’m the one who needs advice. Let’s focus on something positive. Are you excited?”
“Hell yes.”
“What do you want? Boy or girl?”
“I don’t know. I think I’d know how to handle a boy better.”
“You’re good with Lindsay.”
“That’s why you always give me shit?”
“No, I give you tips for improvement.”
Laughing, I realized I could visualize my future with Skye in greater detail than ever before.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Skye
I was jumpy the entire evening. Me and my big mouth. Why did I let it slip that I was pregnant? And then why did I go and make a mess of things? I’d meant it, I didn’t want him to feel pressured. But I couldn’t shake off the sensation that I’d hurt him. What if he didn’t want to move in together just because of the baby? We hadn’t even hinted at that before.
I knew family was important to him. I’d seen how much anguish Anne and Lindsay’s situation caused him. The last thing I wanted was for him to jump into this out of a sense of duty only to be unhappy later. That was a recipe for disaster.
“I see you’re not making any progress,” my sister teased. I’d declared that I wasn’t in the mood to face customers today, so I’d relegated myself to back-office tasks. We always had a million of those piling up, so I had enough to keep me occupied for the whole day.
“I’m a bit slow today,” I admitted.
Tess leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. “I think that what you need is to call it a night. We’ve just closed, anyway.”
“You can’t boss me into going home,” I said.
My sister smiled slyly. “True... but I know someone who can, and he’s right in the front of the store.”
“Ooooh, Rob’s here?” I looked past Tess’s shoulder, as if I could somehow see through walls. My entire body reacted to the news.
Straightening up, I ran a hand through my hair. I was sweaty and wearing old jeans and a washed-out boy-band T-shirt. It was my back-office attire. The air in here was stuffy, and the lack of natural light made me feel claustrophobic.
“I don’t have anything to change into,” I whispered.
“I don’t think Rob cares,” Tess whispered back.
“I look terrible.”
Smiling, Tess headed back toward the front.
“She’s all yours. Somehow even more stubborn than usual. Good luck,” I heard her say. The corners of my mouth twitched.