Chapter 8

chapter

eight

Jared

My hands tighten on the steering wheel. I know she's crying and I don't know what to do about it. I could ask her if she's okay, but obviously she's not. Though I know she'd tell me that she's totally fine. She'd probably chalk her tears up to hormones or something.

Being around Audrey now is like having whiplash. Before our night together, we were friendly. I mean we bickered a lot, but I always secretly liked the way she gave me shit. Or really, just that she didn't put up with mine.

Then that night was more than I could have dreamed of. She'd been bold and needy and demanding and fuck, it was everything I'd wanted. We'd made a mess of each other, then fallen asleep on that old sofa.

I had fully intended to wake up earlier than her and sneak out to grab her breakfast—her favorite donuts and hot tea. Even though it had still been dark when I woke, she'd been gone.

We'd been closed that next day for work. By Monday when she'd come in, she was sorta her old self, only with less teasing. She'd been quieter; hadn't looked me in the eyes much either.

Despite the fact that I wanted to pull her into my arms and demand an explanation, I let her take the lead. Maybe she'd just been lonely, and she'd needed… what? For me to take her virginity in the back room of my store? Did she know that she essentially took mine as well?

I turn down the gravel road that leads to my house. It's a tiny, craftsman style farmhouse that's nearly a hundred years old. When I bought it five years ago, it had been empty for a while. I've slowly been renovating it: redoing the old pecan floors, updating the kitchen and that kind of thing. I've nearly completed the renovations, but I haven't added on any square footage. It never occurred to me until today that I might need more space. That I might have someone to share the house with.

Audrey has never been to my house. I've never had any women at my house except a couple of weeks ago when my cousin Felicity came by.

"This is your house?" Audrey asks, her voice breaking through my thoughts.

"Yeah."

"That little front porch is screaming for some lighted garland. Do you have any Christmas decorations?"

I just grunt in response because no, I don't. We never had much when I was a kid. When I would visit my Oma's house, she always had lots of decorations. And her house smelled of mulled spices and those zwetschgen knodel that she knew were my absolute favorite.

"I still don't understand why we're here. We could have this conversation anywhere," she says as she climbs down from my truck.

I don't say anything as I unlock my door and hold it open for her.

Lola comes running towards us, her fluffy tail in the air. She meows as she comes, probably complaining about the fact that I'm late getting home.

"Oh my goodness, who is this beautiful baby?" Audrey coos.

I pat my chest and Lola jumps into my arms. "How's my pretty girl?"

"You have a cat!" Audrey says.

I scratch under Lola's chin and she purrs loudly.

"And she's huge like you."

"She's a Maine Coon," I explain.

"Is she friendly?"

"Yes."

"She's beautiful." Audrey steps closer and pets my cat between the ears. "Why do you have a cat?"

"Cats are cool," I say. "And easier to have than dogs since I'm at shop so much."

"I bet you miss Daddy when he's gone all day, don't you, pretty girl?" Audrey asks.

Our eyes meet and Audrey realizes what she said.

"Daddy," she says again.

I nod.

Lola jumps down and heads off into the kitchen.

"Come on," I say.

Audrey follows.

"You hungry?" I ask. I feed Lola and refresh her water, then turn to face Audrey. I'm hit in the heart with how good she looks just standing in my kitchen.

"I know what you're planning," she says.

I raise my brows. "Interesting. Because I don't have any plans. Other than we need to figure this out together."

She nods. "Have you told anyone?"

"Haven't had a chance. I've been with you the whole time. Did you text your folks?"

"No. I think I want to tell them in person." She leans against my kitchen counter. "I was texting my girlfriends."

"You told them?"

"Yeah. I had to tell someone. That okay?"

I frown. "Of course." I stand in front of her and grip her arms, giving them a light squeeze. "This might not be how we planned things, but this is something to celebrate, kn?del. We're going to have a baby."

"Are you scared?" she asks.

"Fuck yes, I'm scared. My father was the worst, and he was gone by the time I was twelve."

"Who did you live with after that?"

"I bounced around a bit. Sometimes my Oma though. She was my favorite." My hands rub up her arms. I want to pull her to me, wrap my arms around her.

"I'm not going to marry you, Jared."

"I didn't ask you to."

"But you were going to," she says.

I shrug. "I might have at some point, but not tonight. We don't have to get married right now. But you will move in with me."

Her mouth opens. "What?"

"You heard me. A pregnant woman should not live alone. You will live with me and I'll take care of you and the baby."

"Jared, I don't think that's necessary."

I ignore her protest and point to her stomach. "Can I?"

"Of course."

I drop to my knees in front of her and do what I've wanted to do since we found out about the baby. I put my lips to her belly. Then I glance up at Audrey. "You think they can hear us?"

She nods, her eyes filled with tears. "Harper said Johnny talked to her belly the whole time she was pregnant with the twins."

"I'm going to love you so much, little one. You're gonna have the very best mama and I'm going to learn all I can to be a good daddy."