“Hell, no,” I confirm with a sneer. I’m tired of the comparison.
Brett adds the items to the island and snags a cookie. “Then why doesn’t she look happy to be in your presence?”
“None of your business.”
Brett smirks. “Fair enough, but I’ll make it my business if you hurt her.”
“I’m a lawyer,” I tell him to cut his implied threats short, but he just shrugs.
“Good for you. I’m a cop, and Wes is a doctor. His profession didn’t stop him from abusing her. Is telling me you’re a lawyer your way of insinuating you’re one of the good guys because it doesn’t mean you are.”
Frustrated, I grip the island and lean in. “I’m not abusive. Stop implying it’s a possibility. I am one of the good guys.”
Brett doesn’t back down; he leans in with his eyes blazing. “Then fucking act like one and put the damn smile back on her face. Got me?”
He disappears without waiting for my response. I’m fuming by the time my vehicle is loaded up, and we’re heading back home. Celeste withheld life-altering information from me. The same information that Trudy, Ernest, and an outsider like Brett have known since the beginning, yet I’m the bad guy in this scenario for being upset.
Celeste wrings her hands as she stares out the window. We need to talk about the subject hanging between us.
“Celeste…” My phone rings. I see the office number on the display.Damn.
I spend the rest of the ride and the next few hours after on the phone, reading files on my laptop, and putting out fires for a major upcoming case. I saw Celeste disappear into the guestroom with Trudy’s pot roast and haven’t seen her since.
It’s a little after 10:00 PM when I’m done. The house is quiet. Celeste must be asleep. I roll some of the tension out of my shoulders as I prepare for my shower. Clean, I settle under the covers and attempt to get some rest. Just like the night before, my bed feels big and lonely now that Celeste is near. The statement that’s been repeating in my head all day starts again. This isn’t right.
Having her here the last twenty-four hours without talking has made me miss her more than the months apart. This isn’t us. My exhale is harsh as I push myself out of bed. I’m going to do what I should have done last night. I pause before I leave my room to stare at the package Trudy gave me.
I’d forgotten about it until now. I guess I was on autopilot when I placed it on my dresser. Curious, I rip it open and pull out the little packet inside. Something cold and silver falls into my palm. A keychain? I turn on the light to get a better look. One side has the image of a sonogram with a clear outline of the baby. The other side read: I can’t wait to meet you, Daddy!
I place my palms on the dresser and hang my head. ‘Today or tomorrow, depending on the mail…;
She wasn’t lying about telling me soon. It doesn’t undo the five-month-long secret, but it confirms she didn’t plan to keep the baby from me. My resolve to settle this discord between us firms.
I plod down the hall and stare at her door for a few minutes. I test the knob and find it unlocked. Letting my eyes adjust, I enter the room slowly. I see her lying on her side with her back to me. The moonlight outlines her body. Careful not to scare her I climb in next to her. Her scent settles me, yet I know she’s not asleep. I roll onto my side.
Looking at her back, I murmur what I should have said last night.
“Okay, Celeste. Let’s do this your way.”
Celeste
My breathing slowedthe moment my door opened. My nerves rolled through me when the other side of the bed dipped. I fight the urge to cry when he speaks.
“Okay, Celeste. Let’s do this your way.”
I sigh but don’t move. I’m relieved and nervous. I’m scared to get my hopes up for everything to revert back to a tense argument.
Beau moves again. His heat envelopes me when his arm snakes around my abdomen until his hand rests on my belly. I’ve missed this. The baby moves as if he can sense his dad nearby.
His lips graze my bare shoulder when he speaks. “Explain, please.”
“The first trimester is tricky.” I take a shaky breath. “I wanted to wait until the risk of losing him dropped. That’s around thirteen weeks, but the twenty-week ultrasound checks for possible birth defects, issues with the baby, or the pregnancy. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay before I told you.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want to freak you out for no reason. Plus, I knew you’d do what you just did.”
“Which is?”
