I looked up the beach where Sam and Max came closer. I turned back to her. "Lucy said because of the baby, I have time."
"You’ve had five years, Kate. In that time, your hurt and resentment and anger festered. How many more chances do you think you're going to have?"
I knew the moment Sam realized I was on the beach. He stopped, his entire body tensing. He said something, and Max turned to him in response. Was Sam getting the same pep talk I was getting?
I remained rooted where I was, not wanting to face him but not wanting to run away, either.
Eventually, they started walking toward us again. As they drew closer, Sam's eyes were hard as they watched me.
They finally reached us.
"Hello, Harper. Kate," Max said jovially.
Harper smiled. "Hello, Max. I see you're enjoying the lovely weather, as we are."
"We are."
"This is bullshit. The two of you set this up." Sam glared at his brother.
Max patted him on the shoulder. "You guys are going to sit on the beach until you work everything out. Hopefully, it'll end with a bunch of I love yous and you will go forward in bliss. But if not, you at least need to find a way to get along for the baby’s sake." Max looked at Harper. "Shall we?"
I gave Harper a pleading look, asking her not to leave me.
She smiled. "Open heart, Kate." She looked at Max. "I have some wine, if you'd like to join Noel and me. Mo might be up, but he's always good for a laugh."
"Don't mind if I do."
Harper walked away, leaving me alone with Sam. For a minute, I thought he was going to walk away, but then he turned toward the water, shoving his hands into his pockets.
My mind scrambled for something to say that might make him be less angry with me.
"The baby's due around July." I watched his profile. His jaw tightened.
When his head turned to look at me, I searched his eyes, hoping that somewhere in there was the man who not so long ago told me I was his one and only.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
Sam
What the fuck was Max doing? The minute I saw Kate on the beach ahead of us, pain and anger mixed in a deadly combination.
And it wasn't like I was feeling peachy keen at the time. I was fairly certain that the hole in my heart would be there for the rest of my life.
Just like Kate, Cupid wanted to punish me by leaving me with this gaping emptiness that only Kate could fill.
When she left on Thanksgiving, my heart had broken, but learning about the baby that she never told me about had blown it to smithereens. I knew Max had arranged for me to see her, and it was like putting salt on an open wound. Yes, all the metaphors for pain were happening inside my chest this minute.
I wished I were strong enough to walk away right now, not from my child, but from Kate and this conversation we were supposed to have. If I were lucky, she'd behave the way she always did when a heavy, deep, and real conversation was at hand. She deflected and dismissed anything involving emotion. At any time, she would say, “It doesn't matter now."
"The baby's due in July."
My head jerked to her. I hadn't expected that. Even more unexpected was the rush of emotion that filled my chest at the realization that in July, I'd be a father.
I was having a child with the woman I had loved nonstop since the day I met her on Halloween five years ago.
As angry and hurt as I was, her coolness and betrayal hadn't killed it. For the last few nights, I’d wished for my love for her to die. I’d begged for Cupid to release me from her.
And yet, here I was, too hurt and angry to reach out to her, and yet still too much in love with her to not hope there was a future.