She belongs here.
It’s just after lunch and I can’t take it. “Gus!” I call out. “I have to go. Can you lock up if I’m not back?”
“Sure thing, boss. Everything good?” he asks.
“Fine,” I assure him. “Just let the machine get the calls. I’ll handle them tomorrow.”
“Will do.”
Grabbing my keys, I rush to the Tahoe and head toward Maureen’s. I don’t care if her grandmother is there. She can come with me, or we can have this conversation in front of her. I can’t handle not knowing if I’m about to lose the love of my life.
The drive to Maureen’s is a blur. The Tahoe is barely in park before I’m pushing open the door and running up the steps. I knock on the door three times in quick succession. “Coming!” I hear Kennedy call out.
She pulls open the door. “Declan?” She gasps in surprise.
“What’s wrong?” I can tell that she’s been crying. Her hair is in a messy knot on top of her head. “Are you sick?”
“No. I’m not sick.”
“Tell me, Kens.” I step inside the house, kick the door shut, and pull her into my arms. She burrows into me. “Get your things. We’ll go to my place.”
“Grandma is at sewing club. She’ll be there until I go pick her up around five.”
That’s all I need to know. I lift her in my arms and carry her into the living room, sitting on the couch with her on my lap. I just hold her. Sobs rack her body, and my heart cracks wide open. I don’t bother trying to get her to talk to me. Instead, I just hold her as close as I can, rubbing her back, hoping like hell her tears don’t mean that she’s leaving me.
I don’t know how I’ll handle that.
When she’s finally composed herself, she stands and moves to sit next to me on the couch. I hate the distance, but if that’s what she needs to have this conversation, I’ll deal.
“Why are you avoiding me?” We both know why, but I ask the question anyway.
“Declan, there’s something I need to tell you. I need you to listen and let me get this out.”
“Okay.”
“The day I found out Grandma broke her leg is the same day that Lyle brought the divorce decree stating our marriage was officially over.”
“You told me that.”
She nods. “What I didn’t tell you was that I slept with him that night. It didn’t mean anything. I just thought of it as closure. It had been months since he’d moved out and months before then since we’d been together.”
I pull in a deep breath hating the thought of anyone touching her but me. “Babe, we all have a past. Lyle is your ex-husband. I’m your future. At least, I hope that I am.”
“Declan,” she breathes before she places her hand over her mouth, trying to cover the sob that breaks free.
“I love you.”
She smiles through her tears. “I love you too.” She takes a deep breath, and her next words rock me on my axis. “Declan, I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
“I’m pregnant.” She goes on to tell me about last night and the shocking revelation that she’s pregnant. “I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen, but this baby, I love this baby so much.” Her hands cover her belly, and I’ve never seen heartbreak and healing in one person at the same time, but that’s exactly what I’m witnessing. She’s racked with tears and sorrow, but her eyes, they’re happy. They show surprise and elation at the fact she never thought she would be able to get pregnant.
“Congratulations.” The word tastes bitter, but I know she wants this. She wants to be a mom. Her dreams are coming true.
“I never meant for this to happen.”
“Have you told him?” The asshole let her go. He tossed her aside because of her dream of being a mom, and now he gets to live it with her while my heart shatters into a million pieces.
“Not yet. I was getting ready to call him.”
I nod toward her phone on the table. “Call him. I’ll stay with you.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know you, Kens. You’re worried about what he’s going to say, and you need support. I love you. I’m going to be that support.” Even if it kills me, I’ll do whatever she needs. This is what she’s always wanted. I might be losing her in the process, but I’ll never feel anything for this woman but love. Even when she’s with him, I’ll love her.
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t. Call him, Kens.”
She nods and retrieves her phone. She surprises me when she puts the call on speaker. “I don’t ever want to hide anything from you.”
“Kennedy, hi. How’s Maureen?” a guy answers.
“Hi, Lyle. She’s good. She goes in two weeks for X-rays, and we go from there.”