Kate’s looking toward the entrance, and her expression shifts.
“Speaking of ready,” she says. “I think your baby daddy just arrived.”
I turn. Jamie is standing at the host station, scanning the room. He’s wearing the dark blue cashmere sweater from last night, stretched tight across his belly now in the afternoon light. His face is flushed from the cold, his hair windswept, and he looks exactly like what he is: a very pregnant omega who’s had an extremely long twenty-four hours.
Every head in the restaurant turns to look at him.
For a moment, I see him consider retreating. His hand moves to his stomach in a that protective gesture. Then his chin lifts, and he squares his shoulders, and he says something to the host that makes the man nod and point toward our alcove.
Jamie walks through the dining room with his head high. People stare. Someone takes a photo. He ignores all of it, weaving between tables until he reaches us.
“Hi,” he says, slightly breathless. “Sorry I’m late. Laura wanted to strategize.”
“How did it go?”
“Better than expected. She’s already planning a follow-up piece. Apparently my ratings have never been higher.” He grimaces.
Kate makes a sound that might be a laugh. Jamie’s attention shifts to her, and I watch them size each other up.
“We meet at last,” Jamie says. He looks around, checking that no one is listening before he continues. “I feel like I already know you, after all our online conversations.”
“I think you do,” Kate says, sounding amused.
“To be fair, your family was already down. I just documented it.”
She slides over in the booth, making room. “Sit down before you fall down. You look exhausted.”
Jamie lowers himself into the booth beside her, one hand braced on the table for balance. He ends up across from me, close enough that I could reach out and touch him if I wanted to. I want to.
“So,” Kate says, looking between us. “This is weird.”
“Extremely,” Jamie agrees.
Kate shakes her head slowly. “I’m not sure there’s a Hallmark card for this situation.”
“There definitely isn’t. I checked.”
Kate laughs again. I watch her warming to Jamie. He has that effect on people.
“For what it’s worth,” Jamie says, “I never knew it was you, but I would have protected your identity regardless, but I genuinely didn’t know until Carter told me.”
“I know and thank you,” Kate takes a sip of her drink. “You defended me throughout. I appreciate that.”
“That’s how it works. Sources trust you or they don’t. If they don’t, you get nothing.” Jamie shrugs. “You trusted me. I wasn’t going to betray that.”
Kate nods. “So,” she says, breaking the moment. “What happens now? You two ride off into the sunset together? Live happily ever after?”
“We’re figuring it out,” I say.
“Day by day,” Jamie adds.
Kate’s eyes narrow. “You know the press is going to be relentless. And when Dad gets arrested—”
“When, not if?”
“When.” Kate’s voice is certain. “This is going to get worse before it gets better.”
I look at Jamie. He looks back at me. We’ve barely had twenty-four hours as a public couple, and already we’re facing the next crisis. But his hand finds mine under the table, and his fingers lace through mine, and I realize that I’m not facing it alone.
