8. Chapter 8

Chapter eight

Scottie

“I’m pregnant.”

Silence falls in the room as I wait for a reaction from the two most important women in my life, the reasons I moved back to Carrington Cove in the first place—because I knew I’d have their support. I just didn’t think it would be for this.

“Goodness gracious, Scottie.” My mother stares at me from across the couch in her living room. Gigi is sitting in a chair in the other corner, and I’m stationed on the loveseat across from them with my legs tucked underneath me.

I left Grady’s yesterday feeling uneasy about everything, especially leaving him with little explanation, once again. But I figured he needed time to process and so did I, so I went home and made dinner for Chase and me, then slept for ten hours before waking this morning knowing I couldn’t keep this from my mom and grandma any longer.

I’ve only been back in Carrington Cove for two weeks, and my life has already taken another turn.

Hey, universe? Yeah, it’s me, Scottland! I’d like to get off of this ride now, please !

“Yeah.”

“How are you feeling?” my mother asks, after a few minutes of processing.

“Nauseous and tired. It was the throwing up that finally made me question it. I mean, before Grady, I hadn’t had sex in almost two years. Andrew hadn’t touched me in forever, and the idea of sleeping with some stranger just didn’t appeal to me, you know?”

Gigi snickers. “Well, that Grady is walking sex on a stick, so it’s no wonder that he knocked you up on the first try.”

We actually had sex three times that night, but that detail isn’t necessarily relevant at this point. I roll my eyes and look back at my mom. “I’m about eleven weeks by my calculations, which puts me due in the middle of September. My appointment is this week, so I’ll know more then.”

Blinking, my mother stares across the room at me before snapping herself out of it. “First of all, you’re not alone in this, Scottland. Okay? Carrington Cove is home now, and Mom and I will be here in whatever way we can.” Gigi nods. “And second, have you talked to Grady yet?”

“I did yesterday.”

“And what did he say?”

I stare at my lap, picking at the hem of my sweater. “He was surprised.” I mean, we both were. We used a condom, and I know I’m not on the pill, but all I keep thinking is I should have kept taking my birth control after the divorce. It would have at least been another layer of protection.

“And what does he want? I mean, are you two…”

“No,” I cut her off. “I can’t go there, Mom.”

She glances at me sympathetically. “Scottie…”

“No. I tried to make things work with Andrew and look how that turned out.”

“Andrew Warner is a piece of shit who cares about no one but himself,” Gigi interjects, pounding her fist on the arm of the chair she’s sitting in. “You did what you could and what you thought was best at the time, Scottland, but he was never going to be the man you deserved. He’s a liar and a cheater. If it weren’t for the fact that he gave you Chase, I’d hunt him down and light his pants on fire myself.”

Letting laughter escape my lips, I stare at my grandmother. “Thank you, Gigi.”

“But Grady…” my mother chimes in.

“Is my friend,” I finish for her. “We are friends. ”

“Who bumped uglies,” Gigi says as my mother snorts. “Doesn’t sound like just friends to me.”

Sighing, I adjust myself in my spot. “Look, I blame it on the alcohol, okay?”

It wasn’t just his brown eyes, which felt like portals to the past, or his smile that made my vagina clench, or the way his arms bulged against the sleeves of his shirt, or how being in his presence again reminded me of how he used to make me feel when I was younger—seen and understood.

Nope. I couldn’t blame it on any of those things, either. Just the alcohol. That’s the story I’m sticking to.

“So how is this going to work?” My mom leans against the arm of the couch, resting her chin in her hand.

“We’ll co-parent. It’s not like I need a partner. Hell, I did this practically on my own the first time.”

“Is that what he wants?”

“I don’t know yet, since we haven’t talked about it, but I can’t see why not. I mean, he has his own life, his business to run, and a life here that I’m changing. I don’t need to upend it any more than I already have.”

My mother narrows her eyes at me. “Is that what he said?”

“We didn’t talk much. I told him the news, he was in shock, so I left him to process.”

My mom and Gigi share a look, then Gigi focuses back on me. “Scottie, I know this isn’t what you were looking for when you moved back, baby, but maybe this is all happening for a reason.”

I huff out a laugh. “Yeah, that I didn’t listen well enough in sex ed and I never should have gone off the pill when Andrew and I divorced.”

She shakes her head. “Children are a blessing, and regardless of how this works out with Grady, you know your mother and I are here. Please don’t forget that.”

Tears fill my eyes. “I know. I’m sorry, though…”

My mother stands from the couch and comes to sit next to me. “Why on earth are you apologizing?”

“Because history is repeating itself and I have no idea how I’m supposed to do this again. God, I just wanted a fresh start—for me and my son.” I wipe my nose on the sleeve of my sweater, curling into my mother’s arms, allowing myself to finally fall apart, although I could also blame that on the hormones.

I hate that I feel stuck between the past and present, like all my past choices are cycling through again. I’ve already visited this rodeo and it was chaos—a long road of figuring out that you can go into something with the best of intentions, but ultimately, life is going to work out the way it’s supposed to, and people will disappoint you no matter what.

That’s why I think it’s just better if Grady and I stay friends. If we tried for more and it didn’t work, I wouldn’t bounce back from that destruction. Our lifelong friendship has already shifted because we slept together, and now that we’re having a child, I think it’s safe to say nothing will ever be the same. But that doesn’t mean we can’t freeze where we are and just try to make the best of it.

It’s the only solution that doesn’t leave me vulnerable again. I barely feel like I’m back on solid ground after my divorce. I don’t need to step in quicksand once more.

My mom sways us back and forth, comforting me the only way she can. “You are not alone.” She takes a deep breath. “Grady doesn’t seem like a man that walks away from his responsibilities. You need to talk to him. Even if you don’t want to be involved with him romantically, he is your friend. You know him. Do you honestly think he would let you do this on your own?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t know him.”

My mother releases me and arches a brow. “Scottie, am I really supposed to believe that? All I can remember hearing from you back in high school was Grady this, and Grady that…”

“But it’s been seventeen years. We aren’t the same people we were back then.”

She brushes my curls from my face and wipes a tear from my cheek. “Then get to know each other now. You obviously felt comfortable enough to sleep with the man, so lean into that and see where it takes you. That man is not Andrew. I saw it in his eyes when he came here looking for you back in December, Scottie.” I look straight into her eyes, trying to grasp the truth of her words.

“What did he look like?” I ask, not sure I want the answer, but my grandmother interjects before my mom can answer.

Gigi clears her throat. “Was the sex good at least?”

“Mom!” my mother exclaims, glancing over her shoulder at my grandma as I sniffle through a laugh .

“What? If you’re gonna get knocked up, it’s gotta be worth it. I mean, I remember the night your father and I conceived you and my God, he rocked my world that time…”

My mother shakes her head as we share a laugh. “Gigi, it was…” I let out a sigh because there aren’t words eloquent enough to describe how Grady touched my body, how safe he made me feel, how sex with him was so intense that it scared the shit out of me.

She claps slowly. “Then the man did his job. And if he can do that right, there’s probably a lot more he’s capable of too.”

***

“Come to momma.” As soon as I open the door to Smells Like Sugar, which used to be the Sunshine Bakery when I was a kid, cinnamon and sugar assault my senses and intensify my craving, which is why I’m here before I head into work this morning.

Last night, as I went to bed, I got the strangest craving for something with cinnamon and apples, and when I woke up, the craving was amplified. So here I am, preparing to eat my weight in baked goods since it’s the only thing that sounds delicious at the moment.

“Oh. Hi, there.”

I glance up from the display case to find Astrid, Grady’s sister, standing on the other side of the counter. Seeing her just reminds me that I’m having a child with her brother, and she’s going to be my kid’s aunt.

Jesus, this is getting more complicated by the second.

“Hi, Astrid.”

Her friendly smile seems genuine, but I have no idea if Grady has shared our news with her yet, so I feel uneasy standing in front of her right now. But if I don’t get an apple fritter in the next five minutes, I might chew someone’s head off.

“I know about the baby.”

Okay then. No beating around the bush. I guess I have to appreciate her directness . “Um…”

She rounds the counter and comes out to the side I’m standing on. “Look, this doesn’t have to be awkward. In fact…” Her smile grows. “I’m really freaking excited because I get to be an aunt. I swear, I never thought Grady would ever have kids, especially after these past few years.” She rolls her eyes and pulls me by the hand, closer to the case. “But everything happens for a reason, right?”

My eyes must be bugging out of my head. “Yeah, that’s how the saying goes, isn’t it?”

She waves me off. “Anyway, just know that I’m here if you need anything, including sweet treats.” Pointing to the display case, she bounces her eyebrows. “I’ve got a little bit of everything. What is the baby in the mood for this morning?”

I’m trying to regain speech after her reaction, but I don’t get a chance to respond before the chime above the door rings out. A striking blonde woman waltzes in, looking like she just stepped off the cover of a magazine in her business attire and heels.

“Willow! This is Scottie,” Astrid announces to the woman, whose eyes immediately widen.

Willow’s expression mimics Astrid’s, and suddenly I’m very aware that far more people know about me and my situation than I anticipated. Turning to me, she plasters a smile on her face and then reaches out to shake my hand. “Oh my gosh! It’s so nice to meet you.”

I reciprocate her gesture as I stare between the two of them. “Likewise, although I’m sure you already knew who I was based on your reaction. ”

Astrid bumps her shoulder against Willow’s. “I told her I knew about the baby.”

Willow sighs, rolling her eyes. “You have to forgive my friend here, Scottie. Astrid is one of my best friends, but she is insanely excited about becoming an aunt. I haven’t heard her talk about anything else since she found out on Sunday.”

“My brother came to my daughter’s birthday party looking like he hadn’t slept and told us what happened with your son and…” She drops her eyes to my stomach.

My hand moves there instinctively. “Oh.”

“We’re not judging you,” Willow interjects. “Believe me. I swear, just looking at Dallas could get me pregnant, so I can imagine how hard it was to resist Grady.”

Astrid smacks Willow’s arm. “Ew, that’s my brother!”

Willow shrugs, still looking at me. “Sorry, girl, but the men in this town…” she tsks. “There must be something in the water in Carrington Cove.” I fold in my lips to hide my smile. I can’t speak for their men, but I know the second I saw Grady that night, all grown up and far more muscular than he was in high school, my ovaries started dry humping the air.

Astrid pushes Willow aside and glances back at the bakery case. “Anyway, what can I get for you this morning? Any cravings?”

“Actually, yeah. That’s why I stopped in. Those apple fritters look delicious. I’ll take two please.” Each one is nearly as big as my head, but I don’t want to risk not having enough.

Astrid nods, moves back to the other side of the counter and grabs a bag, reaching for the fritters and sliding them inside while Willow pulls my attention to her again. “So, you just moved back here, Scottie?”

“Yeah. I’ve lived in Georgia for the past fifteen years, but I got a job opportunity I couldn’t pass up, so my son and I moved here.”

“Your mom and grandma come in here all the time,” Astrid adds as she moves to the register. “In fact, weren’t you here with them back in December?”

“Yes, I was.”

“I thought so.” I hand her my card, but she waves it away. “Nope. Your money is no good here. These are for my future niece or nephew, so it’s on me.”

“Astrid, that’s not necessary.”

Willow places her hand on my arm. “Just let her. Trust me, you don’t want to argue with her. You won’t win.”

Astrid plasters an award-winning smile on her face and hands me the bag with my goodies. “She’s right.”

Sighing, I take the bag from her. “Well, thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know, but it’s my business so I can do whatever I want.” Her eyes soften. “And I want you to know that I’m here if you need anything. I know that we don’t really know each other, but I remember how close you and my brother were, and I know he’s taking this seriously, Scottie. Grady isn’t the type of man to walk away from his responsibilities, okay?”

“I know that.”

“And you can trust him. Hell, I’d trust him with my life.”

I want to trust Grady. I want to believe that this will all work out easily, but my past has proven otherwise. “I appreciate that. In fact, could I get his phone number from you by chance? We haven’t exchanged that information yet. Our last two conversations were a little strained.”

She pulls her phone from her back pocket and sends me Grady’s number via text after I give her mine. “And now I have yours too. ”

“Thank you.” I make a mental note to text him later and then check the time. “I need to get going. Work calls, you know?”

Willow and Astrid nod. “It was really nice to meet you, Scottie,” Willow says.

“Likewise.”

“And I’m serious. Reach out if you need anything. We take care of each other around here and you’re practically family now,” Astrid says.

“If you don’t reach out, she will probably hunt you down and insert herself in your life anyway,” Willow adds. “That’s what she did to me when I moved to town.”

“Hey! Don’t act like you didn’t appreciate my offer of friendship,” Astrid admonishes, making me laugh. “And I’m pretty sure you were the one with the addiction to blueberry muffins, so you hunted me down first.”

Willow walks over to her and pulls her in for a hug. “I’m just kidding. Of course I did, Astrid. It’s because of you, and Dallas too of course, that Carrington Cove started to feel like home.”

This town hasn’t been my home in years, but being back here again, seeing how people interact, and being surrounded by family has reminded me of what home should feel like. Georgia never felt like that. Sure, we had friends and coworkers we hung out with, but Andrew’s family was never truly welcoming, and as our marriage dissolved, I felt more and more alone.

“Thank you. Both of you. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.” With a nod of my head, I exit the bakery feeling overwhelmed by my reality. Astrid seems genuine and she and Willow obviously have a strong friendship, but my focus right now needs to be on how to navigate my relationship with Grady. Oh, and telling my boss that the employee she just hired will be going on maternity leave in roughly six months .

On the drive to work, I inhale one of the apple fritters, moaning with every bite. My stomach is finally happy, but my nerves are still going haywire. Let’s just hope today goes by quickly and smoothly without any other surprises for me. I don’t think I could take any more at this point.

***

“Okay, well…”

“I’m sorry, Alaina.”

My new boss shakes her head at me, tapping the desk in front of her. “Don’t you dare apologize. You’re having a child and should be celebrating that. Hell, at least you’re dating. I can’t remember the last time I spent a few hours alone with a man.” Her eyes bug out. “Oh god, I can’t believe I just said that. That was unprofessional, wasn’t it?”

“Not at all. I get it. That’s how I ended up in this situation, unfortunately. The father and I…we’re not romantically involved. It was just…unexpected, obviously.”

“I see.” She brushes her bangs from her eyes. “Well, it’s okay. We can work around this. You’re not due until September, so we’ll just start the new year in August with someone to fill in for you temporarily, and then you can return later in the fall.” She brushes her hands in the air. “See? No big deal.”

Hearing her talk about the future that’s only a matter of months away just reminds me of all the decisions I need to make and haven’t even begun to think about yet.

“That sounds agreeable. ”

“Of course. In the meantime, business will operate as usual. Just let me know if you’re not feeling well or need a break, and we can work around that too.”

Standing from the chair opposite her desk, I reach out to shake her hand. “Thank you for being understanding about this. The last thing I wanted to tell you after you just hired me is that I’ll be leaving again in a few months.” Shrugging, I say, “I guess I won’t be employee of the year any time soon.”

Alaina ignores my outstretched hand as she laughs, rounds her desk, and pulls me in for a hug. “Scottie, you’re having a baby. It’s a beautiful thing and all that matters right now is that you take care of yourself.”

Inhaling deeply, I say, “I’m trying.”

She releases me and nods. “Good. Okay, we have that parent meeting in an hour, and then I have a few observations to complete today, so I’m going to get back at it.”

“See you soon,” I tell her before exiting her office and heading back to my own. When I close the door behind me and pick up my phone from my desk, I notice a text from an unknown number.

Unknown : Hey. It’s Grady. We need to talk .

Jesus, I haven’t even texted him yet, so this is a surprise.

Me : How did you get my number?

Unknown : My sister .

Astrid. Duh. I knew this was coming, but something about his message just makes my anxiety spike for the tenth time this morning.

Me : Okay, I agree we need to talk, but I’m at work right now.

While waiting for his reply, I program his number into my phone, instantly being teleported back in time when I did this the first time. Seems we’ve both secured new cell phone numbers since then.

Grady : Can we talk tonight then? I have a bunch of questions and my head is spinning. I need to know how this is going to work, Scottie .

Me : Tonight is fine. Can you come over to my house though so I don’t have to leave Chase?

I know my son can fend for himself, but since his breaking and entering incident, he does not have any privacy or trust from me.

Grady : Absolutely. Send me your address. I’ll bring dinner.

Me : You don’t need to do that. My address is really easy. I’m renting the house right next to my mom’s. Apparently, you remember where she lives .

Grady : Yeah, I do. What time works best for you?

Me : Six?

Grady: See ya then.

I stare at my phone, rereading our texts and trying to gauge how he’s feeling, but texts are so difficult at conveying tone and emotion. No matter how he feels though, I have to stand my ground. It’s like I told my mom and grandma, I can’t go down the same road twice. By ending up pregnant, I’ve already made the turn, but I’m not racing down the hill toward a delusional happily ever after again. That hill leads to nothing but a twisted up stomach, and the possibility of losing all control.

I set my phone to the side, wake up my computer, and get to work answering emails. I make a list of everything I want to accomplish today and start flipping through files for students I am scheduled to meet with to go over academic and behavior concerns. But before the first bell rings, signaling the start of school, my phone vibrates with a call.

I nearly drop my phone when I see who is calling.

Clenching my teeth, I toss the phone back on my desk and don’t even bother responding because I know damn well that engaging in that conversation will only make my blood pressure spike .

And I don’t have to answer to him anymore. I’m not his wife, and thanks to him, I may never want that title ever again.

***

“How many people do you think live here?”

Grady stands on the front porch of my house, his arms laden with bags. “This isn’t all food, but a lot of it is. We had a busy day at the shop and I’m starving. I remember how I ate as a teenage boy, so I know Chase can put away some food.”

I gesture for him to come into the house. “Well, thank you for bringing dinner, even though I told you not to. Guess you’re not as good at listening as you were back in high school.”

“You’re welcome,” he grumbles, casting me a glance over his shoulder from the kitchen as he sets the bags on the counter and heaves out a sigh. “Before I forget to ask, does Chase know…” His eyes dip down to my stomach and I cover the baby growing inside of me on instinct.

“No. I figured we should talk first before I let him know, especially given the fact he’ll be essentially working for you in the coming weeks.”

Grady nods, the scowl still on his face. “I think that’s smart.”

“He’s in his room. Should I call him out here?” Standing in front of Grady now, especially after our last two interactions, has made me nervous. But god, he looks so handsome, even though his grumpy disposition is off-putting. He’s freshly showered and wearing dark jeans and a plain black t-shirt, looking just as delectable, if not more so, than he did that night that changed the trajectory of our lives.

“Maybe we should talk first. I mean, what is your schedule like? I’d like to be accommodating to you both if I can, especially since I know he’ll have baseball practice starting next week. ”

“His tryout is tomorrow, right?” I ask as I lean against the other side of the counter. Since we moved here after the initial team tryouts, the coaching staff made an exception to give him a chance to play, especially because he’s a pitcher—like Grady was.

“Yeah.” Grady blows out a breath. “I’m supposed to meet with the coaching staff around noon, and then I guess I’m officially a coach as of tomorrow.”

“You’re going to be an amazing coach, Grady,” I say, trying to decide if his lack of confidence is because of what’s happening between us and Chase, or because he honestly doesn’t think he’ll be good at it. But how could he think otherwise? The man was unstoppable on the mound. I’m sure the boys on the team will be stoked to learn from him and see the game from his perspective.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” Shaking his head, he gestures toward the bags. “I hope you’re in the mood for a burger. Dallas’s restaurant, Catch & Release, has some of the best in town, and their onion rings are freaking amazing, so I figured it was a safe bet.” He begins pulling containers out, popping the lids on them just as Chase comes out from his room and into the kitchen.

“Oh. I didn’t realize we had company.” My son and Grady lock eyes with one another as the energy shifts in the room.

“You remember Grady, right, Chase?” I ask awkwardly, as if the two of them could ever forget the night Grady pinned him to the ground and Chase ended up in handcuffs.

Chase’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “What’s he doing here?”

Grady clears his throat. “I’m here to discuss your schedule for working at my garage. I agreed to let you work off your debt instead of pressing charges.”

“My mom mentioned that.” Chase stares down at the ground, avoiding Grady’s gaze when he says, “Thanks. ”

“I remember being a teenage boy, so I know that your brain doesn’t work right most of the time. But I promise you, if there’s a next time, the next person won’t be as forgiving.” Chase nods, still staring at the ground. “And we’re going to be spending a lot more time together at baseball practice, so it’s best that we put all of this behind us.”

That last detail grabs my son’s attention. I hadn’t told him that Grady is one of the baseball coaches yet.

“What are you talking about? You’re a coach?”

“Yup.” Grady tips his chin, twisting to face my son head-on now as he crosses his arms over his chest. “And your mom tells me you’re a pitcher, so guess who you’ll probably be working with the most?”

Chase’s jaw tenses. “Just perfect.”

“This is why you shouldn’t do stupid shit, Chase,” I chime in. “Sometimes life can throw you a curveball and your past mistakes can come back to bite you in the ass.”

Are you speaking to your son, or yourself, Scottie?

“It’s going to be a learning curve for all of us,” Grady grates out, sliding a Styrofoam container across the counter toward my son. “I brought plenty.”

Chase’s eyes dart over to me, silently asking for permission.

“Go ahead, Chase. Grady brought us dinner, which you can thank him for as well.”

Chase reaches for the container, grabs a few sides of ketchup from the bags, then says, “Thanks,” before turning to me. “I’m going to eat in my room.”

Knowing it’s probably for the best so Grady and I can speak candidly about everything we need to, I nod as Chase scurries down the hall, shutting his door softly, leaving Grady and me alone again.

“I hope you’re ready to deal with teenage attitudes. I swear, sometimes I feel like I’m walking on eggshells in my own damn house. ”

Grady grunts. “Teenagers don’t scare me.”

I take a step closer to the counter and lower my voice. “Chase really is a good kid, Grady. I’m sorry that your first encounter with him was what it was.” Our eyes lock. “But now that you and I…” I gesture to my stomach. “It’s important to me that you two get along.”

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows roughly. “I’m in uncharted territory, Scottie, on all fronts.” I watch his eyes dip down to my stomach. “But I promise, I will do everything in my power to make sure I’m in my kid’s life.”

I’ve heard those words before…But talk is cheap.

Do you honestly think Grady isn’t a man of his word though, Scottie?

“Are you hungry?” He pushes a container toward me as the smell of charbroiled meat and salty french fries hits my nose, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Yes, which is weird since I’ve been extremely nauseous all week.”

We grab our food and head to the dining room table, choosing two chairs right next to each other. Grady’s body is almost too big for the chair, his knee hitting mine once he scoots in closer. We dive into our food, taking a few bites before he finally breaks the silence. “Practices should be done by five, so I was thinking he could come work at the garage one night a week for an hour or so, and then Saturdays. There’s plenty of grunt jobs that he can do that my technicians would be glad to have taken off their plates.”

“He doesn’t usually have a ton of homework, so that should be good,” I reply as I pop a fry in my mouth. “Oh my God, the batter on these is heavenly.”

Grady juts his chin toward the bags on the counter that he didn’t open. “I also brought a few apple fritters for you.”

My head spins toward the kitchen and then back to him. “How did you… ”

“Astrid told me,” he says, his eyes locked on mine. “When she told me you asked for my number and shared yours with me, she also shared your latest craving.” Shaking his head, there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “My sister is a little excited about the baby, just an FYI.”

“Oh, I’m aware. I got a dose of it today when I stopped in the bakery.”

Grady pinches the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. I can only imagine.”

“It’s okay.” I pick up another fry. “Babies are supposed to be celebrated. A new life is coming into the world.” As I stare down at my food, I can feel Grady’s eyes on me. “I just…”

Grady’s hand envelops mine, drawing my eyes to his. “I want this, Scottie,” he says, the deep rasp of his voice coating me in warmth. “Please don’t think otherwise, I just…it’s a lot to wrap my head around and I have so many questions.”

Taking in a deep breath, I put the fry down and turn to him. “Okay. Well, let’s talk about it.”

“You sure you’re not going to run away again?” The corner of his lips lift, but I don’t blame him for asking. My track record isn’t the best.

“You’re in my house, so there’s not really anywhere for me to go.”

His eyes bounce back and forth between mine. “Then tell me how this is supposed to work. What do you want from me?”

As I stare into his eyes, I ask myself that same question. I know what I can handle from him, but what I want ? That’s a question I’m not willing to answer—because if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that what I want isn’t a factor in what I get.

“I want you to be as involved as you want. This is your child too, so…”

“I’m going to be a father, Scottie,” he says with conviction. “The last thing I want is for my kid to grow up not knowing who I am or not being able to count on me.”

Tears threaten to fall, but I manage to say, “Okay.”

“But that means that we’re going to be spending a lot of time together and I need you to talk to me and stop running away. I want to be involved in everything.” He points a finger at the table, emphasizing his point. “I’m going to be at doctor’s appointments, and I want us to make decisions together. I want us to be a team.”

Oh my god. My hormones can’t handle this .

Before I burst into tears, he stands from the table and goes over to the bags. “I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’m not above admitting that, all right?” He reaches in one bag and pulls out three books, one of which I recognize instantly because I own the same one—only mine is probably a few versions outdated.

“You bought What to Expect When You’re Expecting ?”

He holds up the book. “Yeah, but this one is for dads.” I squint and see the subtitle on the cover. “And then there’s another two that looked informative, so I’ll read those once I get done with this one.”

“Grady…”

“I also brought you some of these.” He holds up a small plastic bag of ginger candies. “The lady at the store swore these helped with nausea, and I remember you saying that you weren’t feeling great, so I figured it couldn’t hurt to try them.”

One tear slips down my cheek. “Wow.”

He drops the bag on the counter and walks back over to where I’m sitting. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you sure? You’re crying… ”

“It’s the damn hormones, Grady,” I snap a little too harshly, but my body feels possessed. I forgot how quickly my mood can change. Poor Grady is in for a treat as this pregnancy progresses.

Wincing, he walks back over to the counter and pulls out the familiar pink box that I know is from Astrid’s bakery. Bringing it over to the table, he pops open the lid and rips off a chunk of an apple fritter, offering it to me. “Do you need some sugar?”

Laughing through my tears, I grab it from him and take a bite, chewing through the emotions that are overwhelming me.

Andrew never cared this much when I got pregnant with Chase. He was more focused on finishing college so he could get a job and support us before our son was born. And back then, I admired that, but that was before I realized that it was his selfish side shining through, definitely not selflessness. He worked so he didn’t have to accept that a child was going to change his life. He never once asked me how I was feeling, worried about doctor’s appointments, or cared about decisions that I made about our son. He said he would. He said a lot of things in the beginning I should have questioned more.

But when Chase was born, he smiled proudly and smoked a cigar with his dad outside of the hospital like we were living in the 1950s. I should have known then that nothing was going to change.

“Thank you,” I manage to say as I finish chewing.

Grady takes his seat again. “I want to be here for you.” He reaches for my hand, intertwining our fingers like he did that night at Ricky’s—the night I realized that, while time and distance can change circumstances, they do nothing to diminish unresolved feelings. “I just need you to let me.”

“I’m used to doing things on my own, Grady,” I squeak out. “I have for a long time. ”

“Well, get used to me being around because I’m not going anywhere.”

Can I believe him?

I guess only time will tell.

“And Chase will be okay. He still has time to pull his head out of his ass.”

God, he has no idea how much my son needs a male role model to look up to, how coming here was the best way to distance him from disappointment.

“Don’t go easy on him, Grady. I know having someone like you to look up to could change his life.”

Grady shakes his head as his eyes meet the floor. “Not sure he should aspire to be me, but I can at least teach him the value of hard work.”

“You’re the type of man I can only hope my son turns out to be,” I whisper as our eyes meet.

Grady swallows and then clears his throat. “I have another question for you.”

“Okay…”

“What about us?”

My heart skips a beat. This is exactly the conversation I was dreading, but the determination in Grady’s eyes tells me that he’s not brushing past it. “Uh…”

He scoots his chair closer to me as he reaches up to brush my curls from my face. The smooth trail of his finger down my jaw has me clenching my thighs together. “Us, Scottie. That night…” He trails off, shaking his head. “You can’t tell me you didn’t feel that.”

I did. I felt everything, which is why I ran.

“Grady, we’re…friends. ”

“Yeah, and even you said we unlocked a new level of friendship.” The corner of his mouth tips up, but his eyes drop to my mouth as he licks his lips.

“That was before…”

“And what about now?”

Is he saying what I think he is? That he wants more with me?

I know I’ve dreamt of it, wondered and longed for another night with this man, especially after the last. But it’s just like I told my mom and Gigi—I can’t go down this path again. My heart has to stay out of this.

“Now we’re friends who are having a baby together,” I reply, watching the expression on his face morph from playfulness to confusion and then acceptance. “Friends who support each other, friends who have agreed to give my son a chance to right his wrongs and learn from his mistakes.”

He clears his throat, drops my hand, and leans back in his chair. His stoic demeanor is unnerving, but there’s too much at stake to cross that line again. My son needs to be my focus right now, and this baby growing inside of me.

Grady clears his throat before a knowing smile crosses his lips, and it makes me even more uneasy. “Okay then. Friends it is.”

Not wanting to watch his jaw tick from the boundary I just erected between us, I stand from my chair and head into the kitchen, grabbing a ginger ale from the fridge and popping the top, sipping on it to ease the churning in my stomach. When I was pregnant with Chase, ginger ale was always in my house because it helped with the nausea, but I also just really love the taste of it. And I can’t drink wine right now, which is what I would normally reach for given the tension-filled atmosphere.

The screech of a chair across the tile floor has me spinning around. Grady pushes in his seat, taking his take-out box to the trash and moving back to the counter to collect his books. “I guess I’ll leave you to the rest of your night, then.”

“Okay.”

“Text me the details of your doctor’s appointment, please, so I know when to be there.”

“Sounds good.”

“And maybe next week we can talk about living arrangements.”

My stomach drops. Oh God, I didn’t even think about that. I lived with Andrew after Chase was born. We were married. Does this mean that Grady wants us to live together?

“Uh…”

When his eyes finally meet mine again, he flashes me a smile that is almost placating. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure that out too.” He kisses me on the temple and then moves for the door. “Have a good night, Scottie. Get some rest and keep growing our baby.”

And then he leaves without saying goodbye, acting like he didn’t just scramble my brain with unanswered questions.

This is going to be way more complicated than I thought.