“Wait here a minute,” he said, and he went behind the counter and retrieved the two folding chairs there, gripping one in his right hand and looping his left arm through the hole between the seat and back of the second chair. He put them down and opened them up before the wide windows. An inch or two of snow had fallen and the town looked mystical as darkness began to creep over the harbor and Christmas lights began to come on.
She sat down and he sat across from her, close enough their knees nearly touched. He reached out and took her hands in his. She no longer minded the feel of his prosthetic. It was part of who he was, and that person was usually pretty great.
“You’re really doing better? Getting counseling?”
“Yes,” he answered honestly. “Jess, the reason I was so upset that night was because I felt so betrayed, like no one trusted me with my own life. Add into that my grief about my mom, my feelings of guilt about Kyle … it suddenly was too much for me to handle. It was like the people closest to me had gone behind my back because they were too afraid I couldn’t deal with the truth. The truth is, it’s going to take some time before I really sort out how it all fits together.” He looked into her eyes, utterly honest. “But I’m going to do it. I need you to trust that I’ll do it.”
Jess left her fingers in his. This was the Rick she’d fallen for. Honest and open with her, showing his heart. Maybe there was hope for them after all.
“I also have a new job for a few weeks.” He smiled at her. “I’m painting a mural for Bryce and Mary. She cornered me a few days ago and practically demanded. Stupid thing is I’m kind of excited about it. Painting a kid’s room, for God’s sake. After that, I’m thinking of spending the winter in my studio. Yeah, I was afraid at first of what people would say. And I was—and am—more afraid that if I make this my job, it won’t be fun anymore. Fun probably isn’t the right word. When I can’t sleep at night or when the stress gets to me, it calms me. It’s my therapy. If I make it my livelihood, will that part go away?”
She got that. She’d felt the same way before she’d opened Treasures. And yeah, there were times she missed the days when she could do things because she wanted to and not because bills had to be paid or commitments had been made or she was low on stock.
“It will be what you need it to be, I think,” she answered, amazed by the calm strength she sensed in him now.
“I hope so,” he replied, and he smiled at her, making her heart melt a little. “Anyway, Mary barged into my house with all these ideas and I found myself getting excited about it.”
“That’s great, Rick. Really great.”
And it was wonderful to see him so happy, so animated, without the lines of stress that had marked his face in previous weeks. Still, it was his next words that really set her pulse galloping, simply because it hit so very close to what she needed to tell him.
“Guess what else?” he asked her.”She let me touch her belly when the baby was moving. It was pretty incredible. It’s like a wave rolling underneath your hand. Coolest thing ever.”
She bit down on her lip. Just because things were coming together for him didn’t mean this could work … but it was a good sign, wasn’t it? Dare she hope? “You like babies?”
“I never gave them much thought before. I mean, I was in the sandbox for so long, and then when I came back I was trying to get back a life that didn’t exist anymore, dealing with the thing with Kyle and adjusting to my arm and stuff. But yeah, I think I like babies. Or will, sometime in the future.” He tugged on her fingers. “What about you, Jess? Do you like babies?”
There were a lot of things that could upset her today, but she hadn’t expected that that particular question would be the one to set her off crying. But it did. The emotion came up on her so fast she couldn’t guard against it. One moment she was looking in his eyes and the next she was weeping, because she wanted things to work so badly and she was scared to hope in case she got crushed again.
Before she could get her emotions under control, his arms were around her. He pulled her into his embrace and then somehow switched positions so he was sitting on the chair and she was in his lap. “God, Jess, what is it?” He kissed her hair and held her tightly. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She wanted to trust him so badly. He was doing all she might have asked of him and more. He’d even taken the step of getting professional help. Rick had dealt with one upheaval after another. She’d tested him time and time again and he’d passed with flying colors. And the one time things had gone wrong, he’d done everything possible to make amends. It was time to tell him the truth. She owed him that.
“Let me up for a minute,” she whispered. “I promise I’ll be right back.”
His arms loosened but didn’t let go completely. “You’re sure?”
She wiped her face with her palms, clearing away the tears that had streaked down her cheeks. “I’m sure. There’s something I need to show you.”
She went to the counter, reached underneath, and took out the carefully folded knitted blanket. The yarn was soft against her hands, and nerves—both the excited and fearful kind—raced through her as she returned to the duet of chairs by the window. Only the low display lights were on now, leaving the shop in soft, muted light. She sat across from Rick, the blanket placed neatly on top of her knees.
“You finally finished it,” he said softly. “It’s beautiful.”
“I did. And you remember how I said th
at when the time was right, I’d know who to give it to?”
“Yes. Is it for Mary?”
She shook her head, terrified to say the words. It would be real then. They’d be tied together forever no matter what happened. There would be no turning back. But there was no turning back for Jess anyway. It was unexpected, it was complicated, but she wanted this baby. He—or she—was already a part of her heart. The life inside her was a treasure to be cherished and nurtured—by both of them.
She picked up the blanket and put it on his lap. “It’s for us, Rick. It’s for our baby.” As his gaze locked on hers, she finally said the words. “I’m having your baby.”
“Ours…” His gaze snapped to her abdomen and back up. “Jess.” He let out a breath and his shoulders slumped a little.
“That first night when we didn’t use protection. I thought … the dates should have been fine … I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“A baby,” he repeated. His eyes met hers. “You’re sure?”