I was wrong.
I wasn’t showing. Nothing more than a small bloat that could be anything. Mostly, I dressed similarly to my usual style not to draw suspicion from anyone, unless I was around my brothers. Then it was a loose or slightly oversized sweater just in case they looked too close.
However, working on the remodel of the family ranch in itself kept me busy and away from prying eyes who loved to gossip and spread false rumors.
The only time I'd almost given myself away was when my brother Nash rode back into town and I threw up at the sight of him. That was fairly early on, and I was nearly passing my first trimester now. Luckily, Monty was clueless and would never have suspected I was expecting.
“I thought you’d disappeared too,” Jase said, startling me as he stepped out to join me, though his voice was soft, not the usual gruffness that made my knees weak. It’s as if he was being careful not to scare me away.
“I needed some air, seems to be the freshest out here,” I replied, still refusing to look his way. “And quiet.”
“You okay?” he asked, with a sincere interest in his tone. This version of Jase unnerved me because I didn’t know what to expect. I also didn’t know if it was genuine or if all he wanted was back in my pants.
I exhaled. “I don’t know how to answer that anymore.”
Jase moved closer, and my body immediately reacted to his nearness. Goosebumps covered my skin, and it had nothing to do with being outside. No, it was all Jameson King. “Want some company?”
My breath caught in my throat, while his intoxicatingly delicious scent made my knees weak as arousal spread to my core, forcing my thighs to clench.
I finally chanced a glance at him, but his expression was unreadable. “Depends,” I said. “Are you finally going to admit defeat and drop this ridiculous charade of asking me out you are stubbornly clinging to?”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and almost looked nervous, but the taunting smirk on his face was anything but. “For a moment.”
We stood in silence long enough to hear the crickets chirp beyond the hum of the music playing inside the bar, and I wondered if I had the courage to tell him the truth. I’d beendebating it for some time, unable to sleep at night, my guilty conscience keeping me up.
Though Jase surprised the hell out of me when he said it for me.
“I know.”
A flush crept up my neck, tingling and warm, and I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach. It was a dangerous mix of anticipation and apprehension that made my palms sweat.
“What?” I stuttered, my voice breaking as I swallowed hard.
“I know,” he repeated. “About the baby.”
Everything stopped. My heartbeat was drummed out by the utter shock that befell me. The world stopped spinning as Jase looked straight into my eyes and saw the truth buried behind them.
He looked away for a second, down at his boots, then up again when I neither confirmed nor denied what he’d said. His eyes were glassy but steady on me. “I’m not stupid, Monroe. You don’t drink. You look tired all the time. You’re avoiding me like I have the fucking plague or something. Besides, I’ve heard you a few times in the bathroom over the last few weeks when you’ve come in. It hadn't made sense before, but after the night you came into the bar, I knew something was up.”
This couldn’t be happening. Not here, not now. Not when I had no idea what I would say or do.
Sure, I’d replayed this exact moment in my head repeatedly, but I never expected it to occur when I wasn't ready. When I wasn't in control of the situation or my emotions, they were running wild. There was already so much in my life I'd lost control over, but this, this was the last straw.
A mental breakdown was coming. “Jase, I don’t know what you think you know, but I think it’s time for me to go.” My voice betrayed me as the lie caught in my throat. My desperateattempt at denial was useless. The truth was written all over my face.
He reached for me, his hand tightly wrapped around my forearm as he tugged me back. “Don’t try to deny it, baby. The look on your face gave you away.”
There was no point in further concealing the truth from him when I could see he wasn’t planning on backing down. So instead, I broke down, my guilt threatening to swallow me whole.
“I was going to tell you.”
He let out a sharp laugh, shocking me with the sudden hostility. “When? When you were in labor? Or when the baby turned eighteen?”
My throat was dry and constricted, nearly choking me as I gasped for air. My vision blurred, a wave of dizziness washing over me, each breath shallow and ragged, like my lungs were struggling to draw in enough air. A panic attack was typically what a doctor would call it. They were few, but were nothing I was unfamiliar with.
“I don’t know,” I mumbled almost incoherently.
“Why not?”
