“Does he know?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Has he?—”
Her question was cut off when Vance burst into the kitchen. “Something smells amazing,” he began, but drew up short when he saw me. “Emily, what are you…” His voice fell away when he took in my tear-streaked face. His confused gaze bounced between me and Delilah before it narrowed in recognition. His jaw clenched, and his teeth ground together. “I’m going to fucking kill him.” He turned on his heel and marched out of the kitchen. Delilah rushed after him with me hot on her heels.
“Wait!” she called as he shrugged his coat on and reached for the door. “He’s not home. He’s in Boston."
He turned toward us slowly, a rage like I’d never seen burning in his eyes. “What?” he gritted out.
I quickly explained the situation to him, leaving out the part about missing Donovan in my bed, and the tension slowly left his posture. “I just didn’t want to be there alone,” I admitted, my teary eyes and trembling voice giving away just how much I’d begun to rely on Donovan in such a short time.
Without hesitation, Vance pulled me into a hug. I felt safe in his embrace. He was my brother in every way that mattered, andhe would always be my shelter. Once I calmed down he released me, giving my arms a reassuring squeeze.
“He’s a damn fool if he takes that job. I don’t care how often he visits; he’s going to miss out on so much,” Vance said, shaking his head with disappointment.
“It’s a done deal,” I replied, pain spearing through my chest. Vance cursed as he dragged a hand down his face.
“I’m sorry, Emily. If I had known you were interested in him, I would've warned you to stay away. Donny doesn’t do relationships, hasn’t since college. I could’ve saved you a lot of heartache.”
I offered him a sad smile. “It wouldn’t have changed anything. I never intended to fall for him or to become pregnant. Both were unexpected. But I wouldn’t take back what happened between us. Erasing the pain would also erase the joy.” His shoulders slumped, and defeat replaced the anger in his expression.
“Besides, this may be the only chance I’ll get to have kids. I wasn’t sure I wanted any, but now that I’m going to be a mom, I can’t wait for the moment I get to hold my little one in my arms for the first time.” My hand instinctively went to my lower belly, cradling the precious life that was growing inside.
“You’re going to be an incredible mother,” Delilah said softly.
“I hope so. I’ve had some amazing examples to study through the years.” My throat grew tight as I thought about my sister, Sarah. She’d been the most loving, caring, and gentle mother, but she was taken from us far too soon. Delilah had filled that role like no one else could. It was serendipity that she and Vance ended up falling in love since she was Charlie’s biological mother. It had been an act of pure selflessness when she’d allowed Vance and Sarah to adopt Charlie, and even though she regretted missing out on the first few years of her life, she’d been making up for it ever since.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Delilah asked, cutting into my thoughts.
“I’d love that,” I said, wringing my hands together nervously. “Would it be okay if I also spent the night? I don’t want to go back to an empty house,” I admitted.
“Of course,” Vance said without hesitation. “You’re always welcome here,” he said, and I detected a deeper meaning in his tone. I didn’t have to go back to Donovan’s if I didn't want to. And I was starting to think that was for the best.
28
DONOVAN
Relief washed over me when I finally pushed through the front door to my townhouse. I’d hopped on the first flight out of Boston after my meeting this morning and rushed home, only making one pit stop so I could pick up a surprise for Emily.
I’d gone into that meeting with the weight of the world on my shoulders, but now I felt lighter and wanted to celebrate.
“Emily,” I called, when I didn’t find her in the main living area. Walking down the hall, I peeked into my office where she sometimes set up her laptop for work. Usually if I didn’t find her at the kitchen table or kicked back on the living room couch, she was perched behind my desk on a conference call. But she wasn’t there either.
Loosening my tie, I continued on to my bedroom. It was the early afternoon, and sometimes she opted for a nap during her lunch hour. The first trimester had been rough on her, and she was frequently tired during the day. I pushed open the door only to find the empty bed still made. Where could she be?
Unease prickled my skin. My steps grew frantic as I crossed to the bathroom only to find it empty, too. I called out to her again, a little louder this time, but got no response.
Glancing over, I noticed the door to the closet was ajar and the light was on. Pushing it open, I scanned the room for any sign of her and froze. Several hangers where her clothes had been hanging were now empty, and her suitcase was missing. My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor. She was gone.
Tears stung the backs of my eyes, but I pinched them closed to stave off the flow. I needed to keep it together and keep my head on straight so I could find her. It was obvious she’d grown tired of me failing to make a decision about the job and about us, and now that I had, I couldn’t even tell her.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail. I let out a curse and tapped on her contact again with the same result. There were only two places she would’ve gone. Her apartment was far from ready, so she either had to be at her parents’ house or Vance and Delilah’s. If I knew her as well as I thought I did, then I had a good guess at where she’d chosen to go.
I pulled up to my best friend’s house and prayed I was right.And that he wouldn’t deck me the moment he opened the door.Looking around, I noticed his car was gone and figured he was still at work. That was good. I might leave with the cartilage in my nose still intact.
I drew in a deep lungful of air and released it slowly before getting out of my truck and striding to the door. After a few quick raps against the wood, I waited impatiently as a voice from inside drew closer. The door swung open, and Delilah’s gaze widened as she took in my disheveled appearance. Too late, I remembered my tie sat askew and my hair was a mess from pulling my hands through it several times.
