But that wasn’t the plan anymore, and she knew it. When she had gotten pregnant, she had chosen to prioritize the thought of having a baby over having romance. It was a choice she would make again a hundred times over. She wasn’t regretting anything. No, it was the thought of being here in the future with her child… and without Miles. It was him specifically that she wanted, not some unnamed man.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Why would she care so much about Miles being a part of her picture? She’d never meant for him to be.
I have to stop this. I have to get this idea out of my head, and fast.
She pointed to the Ferris wheel off in the distance. “We should go for a ride,” she suggested.
Miles raised his eyebrows. “That can’t possibly be safe.”
“Of course it’s safe. It’s only a Ferris wheel,” she encouraged. “You must have been on them before.”
“I’ve ridden Ferris wheels that were built with a lot of integrity,” he said. “Not ramshackle things like that, put up for a few days before being torn down and taken to the next city. I don’t trust it.”
“Oh, go on, Miles,” Silas laughed. “You two will have a good time. I know you’re not afraid of the Ferris wheel.”
Miles eyed it dubiously. Chelsea snagged his hand before she could think better of it. “Come on,” she urged, pulling him forward. “One ride. We’ll have fun.”
He came along with her willingly. By the time they’d reached the ride, Chelsea was uncomfortably aware of the fact that she was holding his hand, but she couldn’t seem to let go. If she did, she would draw his attention to the fact that she had taken it in the first place. There was nothing to do but to act as if she had hardly noticed what she was doing. Maybe he hadn’t noticed.
Oh, who am I kidding? He probably thinks I’m being ridiculous!
She couldn’t believe she even cared what he thought. Why did it matter if Miles Aspin saw her as foolish? This arrangement existed so that they could each get what they wanted — a baby. Nothing more.
She started to pull out two tickets for the ride operator, but Miles stopped her. “You got the food,” he said. “I’ll get this one. Two tickets?”
“That’s right,” the operator said. “Very chivalrous of you, sir.” He winked at Chelsea. “Good man you’ve got there.”
She felt heat flood her cheeks, but she didn’t bother to correct him. Miles didn’t say anything either, and it occurred to Chelsea to wonder how many times in their lives they might be mistaken for a couple.Once we’re raising a kid together, that’s bound to happen.
Miles had to let go of her hand to separate two tickets from his strip, and Chelsea used the moment to hurry forward and take a seat in the gondola. Miles boarded after and sat across from her, and the ride operator shut the door and started the wheel up again.
Their car was the last to board, and when the wheel started spinning, it took them all the way up to the top before stopping to let riders off. Chelsea’s nerves twanged as she looked out over the fairgrounds, avoiding Miles’s gaze. She was painfully aware that it was just the two of them up here. They were so close to one another, and she could hardly believe she’d put herself in this situation.
She still couldn’t get the ride operator’s words out of her head.Good man you’ve got there.He was a good man. But she didn’t have him.
She thought of Silas, down on the ground waiting for them, no doubt picturing them stealing a romantic moment up here on top of the world.
The gondola rocked slightly in the wind.
Miles looked over at her.
Their eyes locked.
Neither of them spoke. Neither one even moved. But Chelsea suddenly wondered whether Miles was thinking the same thing she was — and whether his hesitance to accompany her up here might have been entirely unrelated to the stability of the ride.
CHAPTER 13
MILES
“What are all these boxes?” Chelsea asked the next morning at breakfast.
Miles looked up. He hadn’t realized it had gotten so late — normally he left for work before she got up in the morning, so they didn’t see one another until evening. He had been uncommonly slow getting out the door today. “My dad had all these things sent over,” he said. “They arrived about an hour ago. I guess I lost track of time looking through them.”
“But what are they?” She helped herself to a plate of sliced fruit at the far end of the dining table, where a veritable feast had been spread out. A tureen of scrambled eggs sat between dishes of toast and bacon. That kind of breakfast had never been part of Miles’s morning routine. It was clear that the staff were already adjusting to Chelsea’s needs. The thought made him smile slightly. He liked knowing that she was well cared for, that she was getting the best his staff could give.
“Are you going to eat anything else?” he asked, gesturing at the food.
She glanced over at it. “I’m not sure.” Her cheeks colored. “I’ve told them they don’t have to do all that every morning, that I’ll let them know if there’s something I want…” She sighed. “I hate to see food get wasted.”
