Yeah, she was starting to feel as if this was home. LA seemed so far away, as if a lifetime had passed since she’d been in her spacious condo. Just the thought of going back to the lonely space depressed her. She’d never fallen in love with a place—or the people—she’d visited on location before like she had at Stony Ridge. Part of her never wanted to leave, the other part had to be realistic and see that she couldn’t stay forever. Her job didn’t allow her to set roots.
So how could she raise a baby with a man who lived here? How could she leave the man she’d fallen for in such a short time?
Tears pricking her eyes, that tickle in her nose and clogging of her throat had become all too familiar sensations lately. Her hormones were raging all over the place, just like everything she’d read said they would. She sniffed, turning to glance out the window so Nash wouldn’t see her sniveling like some crazy, unstable woman...which she was, but still.
“Hey.” He reached across the truck console and gripped her hand, giving a reassuring squeeze. “You all right?”
Lily glanced over, catching his quick look her way before he concentrated back on the two-lane country road. “I love it here,” she found herself saying. “I mean, it’s so nice, so laid-back. And today I felt like a normal person.”
Nash’s soft chuckle filled the cab. “Sweetheart, you’re going to have to clarify that last part.”
Staring down at their joined hands, his so large and tan and hers so delicate and pale, she tried to find the right words to make him understand.
“I’m always treated like a celebrity everywhere I go,” she began. “I don’t mind the pictures, the autographs, that’s all fine and comes with my job. But that’s just it. I do a job and that’s what it is to me. I don’t see myself as someone on a level above anyone else. Today everyone treated me like I was just a family friend, they welcomed me into their home and I had a fun time without worrying about work or the pettiness that comes along with the industry.”
Nash continued to drive, not saying a word, and Lily started to feel a bit silly.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “That all probably sounds ridiculous. I’m already worried about the media hounding me when I return to LA. They hover all over, even going through my garbage to get any morsel of gossip they can sell. I have no clue how to resolve that unless I do what you mentioned and make an announcement during a live interview. But this town, these people are so amazing. I’m comfortable here and it’s just going to be hard to leave.”
There. She’d said it. She really wanted to know how he felt on the matter and it was past time they discussed where they were headed. She was kind of glad her rambling led them down the path to a topic they’d danced around for over a week. The uncertainty of her immediate future was starting to really cause more anxiety than she should be dealing with.
“Do you want to stay?”
That low tone of his produced the loaded question she’d been asking herself.
“I want to know what you want.”
Such a coward’s answer, but she needed to know where he stood, needed to know what was on his mind because up until now they’d only talked seriously about his past and they’d had amazing sex. That was all well and good...better than good, actually, but there was so much more to be brought out in the open.
“I want you to be happy.” He gripped the wheel tighter with one hand and continued to hold hers with the other as he maneuvered the truck around a series of S curves. “I want our baby to be healthy and I want us to build on what we’ve started.”
“And what have we started?” she prompted.
She wanted him to label their relationship. Okay, maybe that sounded immature of her, but baby or no baby, she found herself wanting to be part of his world, wanting to see what the long-term outlook could be for them.
Nash turned onto his road, then into his drive before he pulled to a stop, killed the engine and turned to face her. The porch light cast a soft glow into the cab of the truck and his bright eyes seemed to shine amidst those dark, thick lashes.
“You want me to lay everything out for you?” he asked, grabbing her other hand and holding on as if his life depended on this moment. “I want you to figure out what makes you happy. Do you want to go back to LA and have the baby? Do you want to stay here until the baby is born and then see what happens? I’m not asking you to choose between the baby and your career, I’d never do that. But whatever you decide, you better make damn sure I’m part of that plan because I want this, us, a family. I’m going to take what I want and I’m not backing down.”