She squealed, flinging her arms around me in a sticky hug that smelled like acetone and maple syrup. “That’s the best idea ever! Thank you, Dani.”
When I looked up, Brooks’s gaze was already on me, soft and unreadable but full of something that made my pulse stumble.
Carolina bounced on her knees, polish brush still in hand. “Does this mean you’re going to come to my party?”
Her earnest little face nearly undid me.
I blinked, stalling because I hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Um, when is it?”
“The last Saturday of the month,” Brooks answered quickly, his voice low but steady, eyes never leaving mine. It wasn’t just a date on the calendar—it was an open door. An invitation. A sign he wanted me there, too.
Carolina wiggled closer, grabbing my hand with glitter-stained fingers. “Please, say yes.”
That lump rose in my throat again, equal parts nerves and warmth. There it was, laid out as simply as blueberry pancakes—a chance to be part of something bigger than just stolen kisses and a surprise pregnancy.
“Yes,” I said softly, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll be there.”
Carolina squealed, launching herself into my lap, and Brooks’s chuckle rumbled low across the space between us. His eyes met mine over her coiled curls, and the weight of his smile nearly knocked the air out of me.
Because we both knew this wasn’t just a birthday party I was saying yes to.
I was already curled up against his headboard, pillow hugged to my stomach, by the time Brooks came back from tucking Carolina in. He shut the door with a quiet click, tossed his sweatshirt on the catchall chair in the corner, and crossed to the bed.
“She’s out,” he murmured, a soft smile tugging at his lips. “Didn’t even make it past the first page ofGoodnight Moon.”
I smiled faintly. “She had a big day.”
“We all did.”
He sat beside me, close enough that the mattress dipped but not so close that he crowded me. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me, but I kept my eyes trained on the pillow in my lap. There was already a seventy-percent chance—okay, ninety-five—that I might burst into tears at any second. At least this way, I wouldn’t have to watch him, watch me cry.
“Can I be honest with you for a minute?”
“Kitten,” he said softly, “you can be honest with me for as long as you need.”
The words clogged in my throat, but I forced them out. “I’m scared. About what happens when the baby comes, about us. I’ve fought too hard to build a life, a career, an identity—and I’m not willing to give all that up when I become a mom.”
I couldn't bring myself to look at him just yet. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, but I didn't back down. It was all the truth, after all.
“I think— Iknowthat there’s something here between us, but I don’t want to disappoint you. I’m not cut out to be a stay-at-home mom who only hangs out with the other baseball WAGs,so I need you to know that if that’s what you’re looking for, I might not be your girl.”
I finally worked up the nerve to raise my head, only to find him studying me like I was a puzzle he was determined to solve. His lips pressed together in a thin line as he seemed to work through his response.
“I don’t want you to give that up,” he started, leaning forward and bracing his forearms on his thighs. “Not for me or anyone.”
My heart squeezed, sharp and aching. The ache intensified when he reached forward, laying a palm flat on my stomach.
“The woman I fell for was already wholebeforethis baby. I wanted you long before I knew you were pregnant, Dani.”
I chewed on my lower lip. “But what if she’s the only reason you’re saying any of this?”
He reached for my hand and laced our fingers together. His thumb brushed over my knuckles, slow and deliberate, but then, he went quiet. Long enough that the back of my neck prickled.
“What?” I asked softly, trying to read his face. His jaw was tight, his mouth pressed flat like he was holding something back.
I couldn’t believe it. For the first time since we’d met, Brooks Bailey-Ward was nervous. And that made me feel even more uneasy.
“Just tell me, please. I can take it.”
