“I couldn’t help but overhear.”
I glanced around the café. Other than the new customers who’d just walked in, it wasn’t too crowded, so it was quiet enough to hear most of the conversation at the counter. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
“I figured,” she said dryly. “Look, it’s none of my business.”
“Oh, it’s definitely not,” I countered.
“I know it’s not,” she continued. “But as someone who has completely screwed up with people who mattered to me a lot, I might have more experience in understanding your situation than most.”
“I haven’t done anything like what you did,” I said slowly.
“Oh, no, no. That’s not what I mean. I’m talking about living with regret.” Her eyes were shining with tears. “I don’t know the answer for you, and I don’t really know Kincaid. He sounds like a nice man. What I do know is this: if I could go back and do it all over again and try to work through the things I was struggling with—my own marriage falling apart, honestly being envious of what your mom and dad had—I would’ve taken the time to find my way through it all. I totally understand why you don’t trust people. Your father betrayed you, and I betrayed you, and we both betrayed your mother, and both of our families.” Her voice caught. “I will live with that for the rest of my life, and I can’t fix it. I can’t change what I did. All I can do is own it and try to be accountable.”
She paused, drawing a shaky breath. “In no way is your situation like that. But there is a kernel in common: not knowing what to do with those painful feelings, and not talking it through with the people you need to talk it through with, when you have the time to do it. So maybe do that. Especially if you plan to keep this baby.”
I stared at her, the truth of what she was saying slamming into my heart. “Oh,” I finally said.
For a minute, I was angry because she was right and I knew it. But she wasn’t telling me anything that Casey and Luna hadn’t just told me. She was just sharing it from the perspective of someone who had lost a lot and had to carry that regret. “Thank you,” I finally said.
She let out a dry laugh. “You’re welcome.”
I started to turn and get up before I glanced back. “For what it’s worth,” I said, “I hope you’re okay, and I hope you and Michelle find a way to get back to a better place.”
“I do too.” Her smile was sad and a little tight.
I stood from the table and slipped by her. Stepping outside, I pulled out my phone and texted Kincaid.
I’m sorry. Unreservedly. I’m not sorry for waiting to tell you about being pregnant, because I needed time to process that, and you were out of town. But I am sorry for not being honest with you about how mixed up I am about trust. I do trust you. I do believe in you, and I do want a chance for us to make this work. Let me know when you’re ready to talk. I love you.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kincaid
I reread Tori’s text, and the last words blurred as I took them in.
I was standing in my mom’s small kitchen, waiting for her. She had gone to her bedroom to get her purse, and I was so emotionally discombobulated I didn’t even hear her come back in.
“Are you okay?” Her voice cut through my thoughts, and I spun around.
“Yeah.”
She tipped her head slightly. “What is it?”
I took a steadying breath. “We have a doctor’s appointment. Let’s go.”
My mother rolled her eyes but didn’t say more. She followed me outside. Once she was situated in my truck, I summarized Tori’s message. I’d already told her Tori was pregnant.
“Give her a chance,” she said without hesitation. “I know you’re hurt. But she’s been through a lot.”
“I know, but?—”
“Kincaid.” Her voice sharpened. “You were a stubborn boy. You always were, and now you are sometimes a stubborn man. She looked over at me, her gaze steady. “I was in her shoes once. I didn’t expect to get pregnant. But I did.” She paused for a moment, her tone softer when she spoke again.. “And, at that point, your father was already gone. It was before the era when cell phones were ubiquitous. I did try to find him, but it wasn’t easy. Give Tori an opportunity to talk. I raised you. You’re worth trusting. From what it sounds like, she knows that too. But given what you told me about what happened in her family, well…” She let out a breath. “That’s a doozy. It’s really hurtful. Two people who should have been some of the most trustworthy people in her life blew her world to smithereens.”
I stared at the windshield, my jaw tight. “Okay,” I said after a long silence. “I’ll talk to her.”
“I hope so. If she’s planning on having this baby, you’re going to have to figure this out.”
The mere thought of that nearly sent me spinning into a panic. A baby. Ours. And yet, despite that flash of panic, I still felt, well, stubborn and not quite ready to talk to her.
