David nudged an empty glass toward me, tapping the bottle beside it with one hand.
I shook my head again. “I’ll pass. I’m tired tonight. I don’t need anything to drink.”
I saw the flicker of curiosity in Tish’s gaze, but I ignored it. Not that I drank much anyway, but she knew how much I loved anything with berries.
Someone called for David from the kitchen, and he stood with a quick wink. “I’m sure I’ll see you around, Tori.”
When he walked off, Tish was still smiling at me. “What is it?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Nothing.”
“Are we thinking big thoughts tonight?” I teased.
She laughed softly before her gaze sobered. “You know, when I moved here, I was in kind of a panic. I was pregnant and all alone. The father was ignoring me, and I didn’t know what to do. Now, I feel like I belong here,” Tish continued. “To be honest, that’s not something I’ve experienced much in my life.”
“What do you mean the father was ignoring you? Griffin’s really involved,” I pointed out.
Tish shook her head quickly. “Not Griffin. He adopted Teddy.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m referring to Teddy’s sperm donor before Griffin and I got serious.” When my brows hitched up in question, she added, “We were dating, but he ghosted me before I found out I was pregnant.” She shook her head, as if to herself. “I was so stupid.”
“What do you mean?”
“Unplanned pregnancies and all that.” She gave a wry smile.
My words slipped out without any thought. “Tell me about it.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What do you mean?”
I wanted to play it off, but the need to talk to someone overrode everything else. With a blush heating my cheeks. I sat down with a thump in the chair across from Tish. “I’m pregnant. And, I’m completely freaking out.”
Tish immediately reached for both of my hands, curling hers around them and holding firm. Her grip was warm and steady, and I could feel the strength she was trying to lend me.
I blinked rapidly, trying to hold myself together, but my tears spilled over anyway. “If you didn’t know, birth control doesn’t always work,” I whispered.
She released one of my hands, snagged the box of tissues in the center of the table, and thrust it toward me. I took a handful, dabbing at my eyes and blowing my nose. “Yeah. So, uh, we used birth control, and I’m pregnant anyway.”
“It happens. I’m assuming Kincaid is the father?” she asked hesitantly.
I nodded slowly. “The only possibility.”
“Does he know?”
“Now that’s a loaded question, Tish,” I said dryly before I shook my head. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I know I need to talk to him. But first I have to decide what I’m going to do.”
She held my gaze for a few beats. “Look, if you decide to have the baby, yes, you need to tell him. But until you make that call, what you do is your choice.”
Her tone was calm and practical and slightly eased the anxiety churning inside of me. “I know. I’m about ninety-eight percent sure I want to have the baby.” I shook my head slowly, rolling my eyes as I lifted my hands and let them fall into my lap. “I’m still almost dismayed that I’m even contemplating this. If you had told me—frankly, minutes before I saw that positive pregnancy test—that I would want to keep a baby I didn’t plan to have? I would’ve told you no way. No how. Never, never, never. And yet...” I trailed off. “Here I am seriously thinking about it, and I can’t even believe it.”
“It’s okay,” she assured me gently.
“I know it’s okay, but what the hell am I thinking?” I muttered.
Tish tilted her head to the side, her gaze kind and understanding. “Honestly? I could’ve said any of the things you’re saying right now when I found out I was pregnant. In my case, it was a little more complicated because we started with a condom, and he stealthed me.”
My mouth dropped open. “Oh, my God. Are you serious?”
She nodded. “Oh yeah. It’s a crime in some states now. Not here in Alaska yet, though.”
“Oh, my God,” I whispered.
