It was hard not to hope that there was something more behind his actions. As much as she’d tried to keep her feelings for him buried, they had only grown as he’d become more caring. And he’d also seemed to become more invested in the pregnancy and their son.
But the more she allowed those thoughts to surface, the more she had to remind herself of their arrangement. He had made it clear from the beginning that this was temporary. That after the baby was born, they would get a divorce and move on with their lives, only connecting because of their son.
The thought left her with mixed feelings. As anxious as she was to meet her son, she wasn’t looking forward to the end of her marriage. She’d come to enjoy Julian’s presence in the house… in her life.
Another tightening gripped her abdomen, making her pause in her rocking. This one felt a bit stronger than the others. She checked the time and entered it into the app, worrying a bit as a pattern began to form.
"Not yet, little guy," she murmured, smoothing her hand over her belly. "You need to stay in there for a couple more weeks."
When she heard a soft knock, Kiara looked up and saw Lucy standing in the open doorway. The bodyguard had taken to coming to check on her several times throughout the day now that pretty much everyone in the family was away from the estate.
Kiara hadn’t thought she’d come to appreciate Lucy the way she had. Early on, Annie had mentioned she’d clashed with Lucy whenever she’d guarded her, but Kiara had been so thankful for the woman, especially during the pregnancy. She’d offered information and encouragement that had helped put Kiara at ease.
"Everything okay?" Lucy asked, leaning against the doorjamb.
"I'm just having some Braxton Hicks," Kiara said, no longer entirely convinced that's what they were. "They're not painful, but they’re pretty regular.”
Lucy’s brow furrowed a bit as she pushed away from the door jamb and came further into the nursery. She hovered her hand over Kiara’s stomach. “May I?”
“Sure.”
Lucy moved her hand around, pausing when her stomach tightened again. Kiara picked up her phone and added it to the app.
“Have you had contractions like this before today?” Lucy asked.
“Not like this,” Kiara admitted. “They weren’t this regular.”
“I’ll probably stick around for a bit, just to see what happens.” Lucy walked toward the door, then turned back. “Do you want something to eat or drink?”
“I wouldn’t mind some berries and lemon water,” she said. “Everything is in the fridge.”
When Lucy left her, Kiara leaned her head back, wishing that Julian and Angie were there. If she was in labor, she was going to be facing it alone.
She’d prepared herself for that, though. Angie had insisted that it was Julian’s responsibility to be in the delivery room. Kiara hadn’t told her yet that Julian had declined to be there with her.
For some reason, Angie seemed to think that Julian would want to be there for the labor, and in her mind, it wasn’t just because he wanted to meet his son. Angie had been dropping hints that she thought Julian might have developed feelings for her. Kiara wasn’t sure what had led to that assumption, but it was wrong.
When her belly began to tighten again, Kiara frowned. What if this was for real?
She wasn’t ready.
The contraction had ended by the time Lucy returned with a bowl and glass. “Here you go.”
“Could you make a hotel reservation for tonight in Coeur d’Alene?”
Lucy froze. “Do you think it might be time?”
“I’m not sure, but I’d like to be closer to the hospital in case it is.”
“Okay. I’ll get it sorted out,” Lucy said. “How soon do you want to leave?”
“Half an hour?”
Lucy nodded, then left the room. Kiara ate the berries and drank some water, all the while thinking of what she needed to add to the bag she’d packed just a few days earlier.
When Lucy came back, Kiara took her offered help to get out of the chair. “I know that you probably have to tell someone where we’re going, but can you make sure that whoever you tell doesn’t pass that info on? I don’t want anyone to get worried in case it’s a false alarm.”
“I can do that,” Lucy assured her. “Now, where’s your bag?”
