“Just Lainey.”
Her eyes caught his again. “She was there when I took the first test.”
“I wish I’d been there.” The words came without any thought. She blinked in surprise.
“You can come to the appointment I made for next week if you want,” she told him. “But I guess with you being in Boston it’ll be hard.”
“I’ll be there,” he said firmly. “When is it?”
“Next Thursday at two.”
He had an all day meeting on Thursday with the chef of their new restaurant. He and Paris were due to go through the menu, tasting every item, and approving what worked. She was going to be pissed.
“I’ll fly back in on Thursday morning,” he told Courtney.
“You don’t have to come to everything. I know how hard it’ll be to try to juggle work and all this stuff.” She gestured at her stomach. “I can ask my friend to come with me.”
“No.” His voice was firm. “I want to be there for every appointment.”
“Let’s talk about things like that later. It’s not going to be easy with you in Boston. And that’s before we even start talking about custody. I have absolutely no idea how people deal with having a child while living in different states.” She gave a little shiver, pulling her thin grey coat tightly across her. “It’s getting cold.”
“I should let you go,” he said, doing everything he could to stop himself from reaching out to warm her up. “Before you get sick again.”
Her lips curled up. “Oh, I’ve been sick most days. Another little joy this baby brings.”
“Did you drive here?” he asked.
“Yeah, my car’s in the town square.”
He felt a flash of disappointment of not being able to drive her home. “I’ll walk you to it.”
“That’s not a good idea,” she told him. “Not yet. People will talk. But just so you know, I’m planning on telling my in-laws about the baby tomorrow. I figure once we go to the prenatal appointment everybody will know, and I’d rather they hear it from me first.”
“Do you mind if I tell my brother?” He needed to talk to somebody.
Her gaze was as soft as the clouds above them. “I don’t mind at all. This is your baby, too.” She went to stand, then lurched toward him, and he reached out to catch her. Half-standing, he wrapped his hands around her waist, steadying her against him.
And damn if she didn’t feel good in his arms. Her breath caught in her throat as she gazed up at him, eyes wide. The same way she’d stared at him that night when he’d slid inside her, and they’d made a baby neither of them agreed on.
His baby, now growing inside of her. His eyes immediately dipped to her stomach. It was covered by her coat.
But one day it would swell and grow to accommodate his child. How would he feel watching her like that? Part of him wanted to hide away. And the other? It wanted to grab her and run somewhere that he could keep them all safe. Protect them from the storm he knew this pregnancy would unleash in this town.
“Sorry. I keep getting dizzy.” She angled her head up at him, and for a moment all he could think about were those lips. Soft, warm, and welcoming. It would take only a second to dip his head and press his mouth against hers. Just a moment to taste her again.
And then he’d be fucked. Because everything about her was alluring. But she didn’t want him, not like that. If she hadn’t made that clear two months ago, she sure did today.
“I should go,” he said quickly. He needed to get away from the floral aroma of her. To breathe fresh air again. “Are you sure I can’t walk you to your car?”
“Not this time.”
“Can I call you?” he asked.
“Of course. I guess we have things to talk about. And I’ll see you on Thursday, right?”
“Yeah.” Another mess he’d have to work through. “But I’ll call you before that. Before I leave.”
“You’re going back to Boston in between?”