Chapter Eleven: Andrew

I wasn’t sure what possessed me to kiss Kelsey, but I wasn’t regretting it. I’d never felt so intoxicated by a woman before. In the kitchen earlier, I had an overwhelming need to taste her, to hold her. If her mother hadn’t called, I would have taken her against the kitchen counter, bum leg and all.

“Fuck,” I groaned against her mouth as I blindly tossed the invitation behind me.

My hands were itching to touch her and reached for her waist.

“Is that the only word you know?” she mumbled, her eyes still closed as if she didn’t want to know if this wasn’t reality.

I felt exactly the same way.

Chuckling, I shook my head and said, “No,” before devouring her mouth again. My tongue slipped between her lips, and my cock jumped in excitement when she moaned as our tongues brushed against each other.

The skin along her waist felt like the smoothest silk beneath my fingers. I took another step toward her, forgetting about my knee and wincing as I put too much weight on it.

I groaned in pain and instantly regretted it as Kelsey pulled back, but my fingers latched onto her hips to keep her from moving too far.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her gaze lowering to my braced knee.

Replying, “Yeah. Just this damn leg,” I knew instantly my fun was over for the time being, because her expression went into full-on medical professional mode. But it was endearing as hell.

Kelsey tried to get me to complete some new exercises for my knee, while I ignored her and tried to watch the football game. She gave up after ten minutes—clearly still weak from her battle with morning sickness, or she would’ve pestered me for much longer—and sat next to me on the couch, reading a book.

It all felt domestic, but my typical need to run from this feeling was nowhere to be found. Even with the kiss, things weren’t awkward at all with Kelsey. Other women would have tried to immediately throw a label on us after that, but not Kelsey. She was acting as if it hadn’t happened, and for some reason, that bothered me more than if she’d been awkward about it.

Those were thoughts I was going to have to examine another day, because she was dozing off beside me, her body curling up on the couch cushions as the book she was reading rested on her chest.

With a swift glance at the clock, I saw it was late enough to put her in bed. I was hoping to head to the farm for a few hours the next day and then do something special for the woman who had swiftly taken over my whole life.

Something that was going to force me into a situation I’d been avoiding for twenty years.

“Hey,” I said as I nudged her gently. The corners of her sleep-filled eyes crinkled as she grinned.

“Hey.”

“Game’s over. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Oh. Did we win?” she asked, and the innocent joke made my chest feel funny.

“Yeah.” I smiled.

She sat up, looked at the clock, then over at the spot where she used to store her inflatable bed. “I forgot all about the air mattress. I’ll just get the blankets, sleep on the couch, and figure it out tomorrow.”

“Yeah… no. That’s not happening. You’re sleeping in the bed,” I declared.

“But you can’t sleep out here.” She shook her head.

I rolled my eyes. “Clearly. We can share the bed again, Kelsey. It’ll be fine.”

I could sense she wanted to argue with me, as her eyes narrowed, but then she wisely thought better of it. There was no reason for her to fight me anyway, because I would have carried her to that bed to sleep—with or without the injury. She and the baby needed it.

“Thank you,” she whispered as she brushed past me and headed to the bathroom, while I stripped down to my boxer briefs and tugged on a pair of fresh basketball shorts. I typically slept in the nude, since I ran hot at night, but I was trying to be a gentleman. Something that was new for me.

When she exited, we switched places. By the time I came back to the bedroom, she was cuddled up under the blankets as close to the edge as possible.

This time, I actually remembered to turn the ceiling fan on high, since I wanted nothing more than to slip under those same blankets with her, and I did just that. Then I reached across the bed and tugged her closer.

“You’ll fall off if you sleep like that.”

She exhaled a puff of air through her nose and glared at me over her shoulder. “I would not. I barely move when I sleep.”

“Sweetheart, you can keep thinking that.” I had it on good authority, as in myself the night before, that she twisted and turned through most of the night. Luckily, once her tossing landed her in the middle of my chest, all it took was my arm around her back to still her movements, and I was able to catch a bit of shuteye.

The room was bathed in darkness from the closed curtains, and only a little light came into the room from a nightlight she put in the bathroom.

“Hey, Andrew,” she mumbled as I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling fan as it whirled.

“Yeah?”

She turned to peek up at me from her pillow. “I wanted to ask you about the wedding. It seemed like, before I found the invitation, you weren’t going to go. Why?”

“That’s a loaded question, Kelsey.”

“You don’t have to answer it. Like I said, it’s none of my business. I’m just curious, and… your voice is comforting.”

Well, if that didn’t just make me want to reach inside my chest, pull out my heart, and place it right into her hands.

I rolled on the bed to face her and lifted my hand, running my fingers over her hair.

“Sadie reminds me of someone I knew in my past. Someone I’d rather forget.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I was really protective of Sadie when she came into our lives. I wanted to protect her from the hurt I’d been through.”

“Rory says her fiancé is a nice guy.”

“Mmhmm.”

She yawned then, and I stroked my hand from her hair, across her cheek, to her jaw, where I tilted her face up toward mine. I pressed my lips against hers but pulled away quickly, before things could go any further.

“Get some sleep, Kelsey,” I murmured, my arm going to rest along her hip—both so I could touch her and to keep her still.

“Goodnight, Andrew.”

***

“This is it?” Kelsey asked as she looked out the window.

I’d driven again, because I demanded it. “Yeah. I checked the address before we left.”

The clinic was tucked away in a nondescript building behind the new recreational center. Thankfully, there was a sign near the door that pointed out the Women’s Clinic was inside on the second floor. A pediatric office took over the entire first floor. I guessed it was good to have both places in the same building. Very convenient.

Pulling the truck into a parking spot, I was worried for the first time since I agreed—again, demanded —to join Kelsey. About 90 percent of the people in Ashfield knew who I was and would automatically assume that I’d been the one to get Kelsey pregnant.

Not that I didn’t wish the baby was mine.

It was all I thought about during the night. Along with trying to figure out where that feeling was coming from.

But her baby wasn’t mine, and at some point, we’d have to explain the situation to others.

Kelsey had shut down my suggestion to call Caleb and let him know. I was willing to have him join her at the appointment, though the thought left a nasty taste in my mouth. But she wanted to wait until the pregnancy was confirmed by the doctor, along with a signed statement of how far along she was, in order to have proof—in case he pulled the typical asshole card and tried to deny the baby was his.

Plus, she wanted to hold off until she was sure she was out of the woods. Apparently, many women didn’t tell a soul about a pregnancy until after the ten-week mark, in case there was a miscarriage. At that time, the chance of losing the baby that way significantly dropped. And Kelsey said she wanted to be 100 percent sure her math was correct by getting the doctor to check her work.

It was driving me crazy.

He or she wasn’t my baby, but I was ready to tell the world.

Because Kelsey was beginnin to mean more to me than I ever thought possible as each day passed. A single kiss and I was a pawn in her hand, ready for her next move. And the sweet little thing had no idea.

I followed behind Kelsey, using a single crutch to take the weight off my knee. It had been almost a month since the accident at the rodeo, and I was itching to get fully back on my feet. And back on a horse. I didn’t feel like myself without the rodeo. But as I held the door to the clinic open for Kelsey, and she smiled up at me warmly, I couldn’t help but consider that maybe my priorities were changing.

Except I had no idea if she would still leave when I was healed. We hadn’t talked about it, and I almost feared her response.

Because I’d already decided—Kelsey and this baby were mine.

We took the elevator to the second floor, and once the doors opened, we saw where a few women waited in line at the reception desk.

“I’ll get checked in if you want to sit down,” Kelsey suggested as a couple of the women turned around, eyed her, and then eyed me with heated stares. They weren’t even trying to hide their nosiness or ogling, and for the first time, being eyed that way made me… angry.

“Sure, sweetheart,” I said, and I leaned down and kissed her thoroughly, prolonging the kiss just to show the other women they didn’t stand a chance next to my girl, then walked away, leaving a shocked look on Kelsey’s face. I didn’t bother checking the others’ reactions. Hers was the only one that mattered to me.

Ten minutes later, she joined me in the waiting area, a smug smile on her lips, as she whispered, “Showing off?”

“Always.” I grinned up at her, then winked as she sat beside me.

Many of the people scrolled through their phones or read a magazine while they waited to be called back. Some even eyed us over their timewaster of choice. But we spent the time chatting about the farm and what I planned to do in the spring. She’d joined me at the farm yesterday, and instead of just sitting on the back deck sipping lemonade, she joined me as I checked over the property. Nash drove us in the four-seater UTV, and Kelsey smiled the entire time.

I introduced her to Thunderbolt, who became instantly smitten with Kelsey when she snuck the horse a few sugar cubes.

The saying “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” apparently crossed species.

Mom cooked us dinner—my request of her chicken alfredo, since it was delicious and because I thought it’d be light enough on Kelsey’s stomach—and demanded that since I was out and about now, we needed to attend the Sunday family dinners. I wasn’t sure Kelsey was ready for that crowd yet, but she accepted the invitation and narrowed her eyes at me when I tried to decline.

Kelsey seemed at home on the farm, more than I did when I first decided to come back, relieve Aspen, and take over running things.

“I love your mom,” Kelsey said as another couple was called back to an exam room. This couple were clearly expecting a child any day now, as the woman struggled to walk, wincing with each step.

“I know she feels the same about you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“I’m so envious of your family. You have no idea how lucky you are, Andrew.”

Leaning toward her, I let my nose brush against the shell of her ear, as I whispered, “I know that I’m lucky I get to take you home later.”

Her cheeks flushed as she tilted her head down. “Yeah?”

“Mmhmm…” I purred, letting my whiskers tease her soft flesh.

“Andrew,” she whimpered, and I was suddenly regretting my choices as my cock pushed against the zipper of my jeans.

Thankfully, I had time to readjust, just before the door opened once again.

“Ms. Davis?” a gentle voice called out. Kelsey nearly jumped out of her chair when her name was called, and I chuckled under my breath as I stood.

“Follow me, please.”

We were led back to a room with two large screens and an ultrasound machine. I’d been reading up on what would happen at this appointment since she took the pregnancy test. I vaguely remembered going with Mom on the special occasions when we’d find out if I was having another sister or if I’d get a brother that time. They all seemed to think I’d be sad each time the result was the same—a little girl—but really, I loved being the only boy.

Suddenly, a memory unlocked.

Nash sitting me down after we found out we were having Autumn—a baby sister for me, and his very first daughter.

Him saying that over and over—his first daughter , not his first child .

Him calling me “son,” which became his nickname of choice for me after that appointment, when before, he always affectionally called me “kid.”

Him telling me I’d now have a very important job, one I’d have for the rest of my life. My job as a big brother, to be his righthand man in keeping the little munchkin on her way to us safe.

Me hanging on his every word, because I loved the idea of being this big, strong, but infinitely kind man’s second in command.

The proud look in his eyes each time I kept Autumn from getting hurt as she learned to roll over… crawl… walk… run… climb….

And it was the same with all my little sisters.

I snapped out of the memory as the nurse asked Kelsey to verify her information. “Also, since you’ve already gotten a positive pregnancy test, we verify by doing an ultrasound, so just remove everything from the waist down and place the sheet over your lap.” She gave a couple more instructions, then turned to leave.

After she stepped out, I managed to keep from peeking at Kelsey by waiting by the door, so I could flip the switch that would turn on the light outside the exam room to let them know she was ready.

Almost immediately, leaving no time for things to get awkward between the two of us, the nurse came back into the room with an ultrasound tech, who introduced herself. While she set up the machine, the nurse helped Kelsey get in the best position for the scan, and she directed me to a chair by Kelsey’s head.

The tech prepped the wand, and my girl startled when the woman squirted lubrication on the plastic-covered tip.

Her legs snapped closed, even while her feet stayed propped in the stirrups, as she asked, “What’s that for?”

“They do the first one as an internal exam,” I explained. “Just because the baby may be too small to see.”

“Oh,” she replied as she relaxed. “How did you know that?”

“I’ve been reading up.”

“You have?” she asked, surprise filling her tone.

“Yeah, you can find everything online. Maybe we can stop by the bookstore on the way home, and you can grab a couple.”

She twisted her head and looked over at me, her eyes shining. “I’d like that.”

“All right, just relax for me, and we’ll get started,” the technician said as the nurse slipped out of the room.

A moment later, without the need for much searching, the room suddenly filled with the sound of those unlocked memories.

The baby’s heartbeat.

And to my happy surprise, Kelsey’s nervous and subdued demeanor of the past few days gave way to the overly excitable chipmunk I begrudgingly grew to adore. She peppered the tech with questions in a language only medical professionals knew, finding roundabout ways to get her to answer things after the first couple of times of being given “I’m only the sonographer. The doctor is the one who had to read the photos I take” as a response.

The entire exam took only a few minutes, and then Kelsey redressed and sat next to me in the padded chairs up against the wall. While we waited for the doctor to come to the room, we looked over the pictures the machine had printed.

I wasn’t sure what I expected, but seeing the shape of a distinguishable head and body in the black-and-white image was not it.

But it was the most beautiful set of pictures I’d ever seen.

“Hi, Ms. Davis, I’m Dr. Heller. I hear we have a baby on the way. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Her response was genuine, a smile on her face.

“And you must be the boyfriend,” she pointed out as she extended her hand toward me.

Kelsey and I hadn’t defined anything between us yet. It was too new, but I knew it was easier to just go with the title while I was here.

And the more I said boyfriend in my head, the more I liked it.

“Andrew. Nice to meet you. My little sister, Alex Easterly, had nothing but great things to say about you,” I told her, hoping the praise and referral—the Easterly name carried a lot of weight in Ashfield—would ensure Kelsey got the best care available.

Her eyes lit up. “Wonderful! Alex is quite the character. All of your sisters are. I’m glad to finally meet the big brother they always talk about. And it looks like y’all are expanding the family even more!” She gestured toward the photos in my other hand as she turned to smile at Kelsey, and then she seemed to catch herself. “But I’m getting ahead of myself here.”

I didn’t know what that meant exactly, but I leaned back in the seat and placed my arm along the back of Kelsey’s chair, feeling her relax against my side.

“I looked over your paperwork, Ms. Davis—”

“Please, call me Kelsey.”

She smiled warmly. “I see you’re measuring about ten weeks, Kelsey. Does that sound right?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Dr. Heller pulled her eyes from the chart in her hand and looked pointedly at her. “And we’re happy about that?”

“Yes.” Kelsey’s voiced pitched up at the question, then realization dawned on me and her at the same time, and I understood what Dr. Heller meant about getting ahead of herself. “Oh, yes! Yes. I’m keeping the baby.” She ran her hand across her stomach. Something I noticed her do more than once since she took the test at home.

“Good.” The doctor’s smile could have warmed a refrigerator. “Let’s go over a few things, and I’ll write you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. Your bloodwork from your previous doctor showed you have occasional low iron. So, we want something that will fix that.”

“Okay.”

The doctor threw out a bunch of information, and at one point, Kelsey grabbed my hand as it all overwhelmed her. I tried my best to absorb what information I could, but it was a lot for even me.

“Now, do you have any questions?”

“Lots,” Kelsey replied.

We all laughed, and Dr. Heller gave Kelsey a phone number she could call or text anytime if she had concerns. “It’s like a personal phone but for my patients. I understand how scary this all can be, especially for a first-time mom. I’m a mom of five myself. I try to make myself available whenever I can.”

“Thank you.” There was no denying the relief in her voice.

“I’m excited to be on this pregnancy journey with you, Kelsey. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need something.” With that, Dr. Heller left us to gather ourselves. Kelsey was quiet as we left the exam room, then the building, so quiet I started to worry.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” I asked as I opened the passenger door of my truck for her.

“Good. Just… overwhelmed, I think,” she assured, and I nodded, closing the door and making my way to the driver side.

When I was settled in my seat, I turned to look at her before starting the engine. “I get it.” Reaching across the center console, I grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’m here for you, Kelsey. And not just you. I’m here for anything the baby needs as well.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears as they met mine. “What are you saying?”

“You’re… special to me. I care about you. And I know this has all happened extremely fast, but… the fact still remains. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Her watery smile was the only response I needed as she said, “I care about you too, Andrew.”

I kissed her knuckles. “Now, let’s head to the bookstore to get you something else to read besides those thrillers you love so much, and I have a surprise for you.”

Her eyes lit up like a kid at a carnival. “Really?”

I nodded as I pulled away from the clinic and headed toward the center of town, but not before I snuck a message to my mom and sisters. I was going to need reinforcements for what I had planned.

Kelsey walked through every aisle of the bookstore as if each was a new cave of buried treasure for her to explore. I’d never been much into reading, a side effect from forced reading in high school, but even I found myself interested in a few autobiographies from World War II veterans.

After selecting my two novels, I went in search of Kelsey. It wasn’t until I made my way to the back corner of the shop that I found her surrounded by stacks of erotic romance novels.

The dichotomy was evident. Kelsey came across as a sweet and innocent woman, with her hair in loose curls that hung down her back, and wearing a dark-orange T-shirt dress topped with in an oversized white-and-brown floral cardigan, and white Converse sneakers on her feet. Yet around her were books that depicted all sorts of sexual exploration within a relationship.

It left me wondering how much of Kelsey was innocent, and how much of her was willing to try new things.

“There you are,” I said, and her eyes lifted from where she was reading the back cover of a book that had a man’s bare, tattooed torso taking up the entire front. Squinting, I read the title as Before the Lie by KD Robichaux. I set my selections on a nearby chair and wished I didn’t have my crutch as I moved toward her, being forced to hobble rather than prowl like I wanted to. Once she was within reach, I wrapped my arm around her waist. It seemed that since the other day, when we shared our first kiss, I hadn’t been able to keep my hands off her, always needing to touch her somehow.

“Here I am. You found me,” she whispered, reaching high to wrap her arms around my neck.

She met my lips in a subtle kiss before pulling back slightly.

“Did you find what you needed?” I asked her as I moved my lips to her jaw, trailing kisses across her soft skin.

“Mmhm.…”

“Good. You know, ever since I was in eighth grade, I’ve always had a fantasy about making out in the dark stacks of a library.”

“Well, we’re in a bookstore,” she pointed out teasingly as she pressed her hips against me. And I knew she could feel my stiffening cock against her belly.

“Same difference.”

“ And in front of a window,” she added with a giggle.

“Fine.” I faked being put out, and she used her hand to pull me down for another kiss, this one more heated than the last.

Her tongue dueled with mine as my arm around her waist held her tightly against me. Kelsey’s moans of desire wrapped around us like a blanket until I could hardly hear anything but her and my own heart pounding.

I wasn’t sure how long we stood in the middle of the erotic romance section, kissing like a couple of teenagers, when a cough sounded, and a gruff female voice called out, “Excuse me. Can I help either of you find anything?”

Kelsey jumped back and used my body as a shield, while I turned to face the old bookstore worker.

“No, ma’am, we’re all good,” I assured.

With narrowed eyes, she replied, “It seems that way. We can ring you up at the counter.”

“Great. We’ll be there shortly.”

As she shuffled away, I heard her say, “Kids these days,” before she disappeared around the corner, making me laugh at the idea of someone still seeing me as a kid.

When I turned back around to check on Kelsey, her face was the same shade as the shelf of red-colored spines behind her.

“Oh my gosh, that was so embarrassing.”

“Calm down, it’s fine,” I told her as she mumbled to herself, fidgeting with the bottom of her cardigan.

“Everyone is going to know me as the woman who made out with an Easterly in the naughty-book section of the bookstore,” she whined, like it was the worst thing possible.

“Thanks.”

“Ugh. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that the Ashfield grapevine is legendary, and I didn’t want my first impression to be so… carnal.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I can guarantee it won’t be the first time you’ll be mentioned. If you haven’t been already.”

“What?” she said, shocked, like she didn’t know every mother with a single son had been scoping her out since she first visited, and now that she was single, she was the newest eligible bachelorette in town.

Well, until we made things official between us. Neither of us had denied the title when Dr. Heller called me her boyfriend, and she hadn’t made a joke about it afterward. But it was still something that needed to be clarified, so there was no question about what we wanted.

“Gossip isn’t really my thing. You’ll have to ask Rory about it. Or my mom. She’s the first to know everything.”

Suddenly, her demeanor changed, and she gripped my forearm. “Do you think she knows about the baby?” she whispered.

Probably. Not just because one of my sisters added a pregnancy test to my shopping basket, and another gave me the number to her OBGYN, but because anyone who saw Kelsey walking into the clinic this morning probably said something to someone. Especially by walking in with “Marisol’s boy.”

News traveled fast, but in Ashfield, it was at lightning speed.

I leaned against my crutch and let my hand cover hers. “If she knows, I can guarantee she won’t say anything to you or anyone else without you mentioning it first.”

“Okay,” she breathed, no more questions asked, fully trusting me at my word.

As he checked out her books, I snuck a quick peek at my phone and saw my sisters and mother replied to my earlier text. Grinning, I helped Kelsey carry our books to the truck. Her five pregnancy-and-delivery books were stacked underneath two romances and one thriller. With how much she read, I knew she’d go through those in a week.

We walked a bit downtown and stepped into a newer restaurant that served different types of ramen bowls for lunch. Kelsey and I talked about her life in Nashville and her previous job, and the more I learned about why she had been let go, the more furious I grew. I understood from the team’s perspective, but her asshole of an ex deserved to pay for what he did. And when she disclosed that he was already engaged to a model, not even a full month after their breakup, I wondered if he had planned to throw her under the bus all along.

Beneath the table, I inched my leg closer to hers until our calves were touching. “Where do you think you’ll look for a job… you know, once I’m healed and can go back to working on the farm?”

“I don’t know,” she said, biting her lip as she glanced down at her empty bowl. She reached for her water and took a small sip. I wanted nothing more than to be the straw when her lips pursed around the plastic. “I’d like to stay in Tennessee. It keeps me close to my dad, you know?” she prompted, and I wasn’t sure if she was referring to his grave or his memory in general. Either way, I nodded, and she continued. “But if I had my choice, I’d stay here. I love this town. There just isn’t anything available for my line of work.”

I wanted to tell her there were options. The school. The small family medicine office. Or that she could open up her own clinic. With all the farmers and ranchers in the area, someone was always sustaining some sort of injury. Her expertise would be helpful in Ashfield.

But we were still new, and technically unofficially anything, regardless of the physical and emotional closeness we now shared, and I didn’t want to pressure her into anything.

“I’m sure something will come along. You’re welcome to stay at the house as long as you need to.”

“Is this your slick way of having me share your bed for the foreseeable future?” she asked with a smirk.

Laughing, I sipped my own drink and nudged her leg with mine, then said, “You caught me.”

My phone pinged on the table, and I glanced down to find the message I had been waiting for.

“All right, let’s go. I have somewhere to take you.”

“Really?” she asked excitedly as she jumped out of the booth and stood at the end of the table, bouncing on her toes and waiting for me to slide out.

“Yep.”

I walked past her, exiting the small restaurant while she followed closely behind. Not looking over my shoulder as I crossed the street and turned left down the sidewalk, I imagined she was anxiously waiting for me to tell her where we were headed.

“You’re not going to give me a hint or anything ?”

“Nope. Just another block,” I explained as we walked past the movie theater and town hall. I made a right down a small side street, where we passed the salon and made it to Second Street, which held a shop with a bright-pink-and-white awning.

Nicole’s Boutique was written in fancy lettering across the large front windows, and I peeked inside as I approached the door.

“This is where we’re going?” Kelsey asked apprehensively. “I realize we’re getting to know each other and everything, but you should know that I am not a big shopper.”

“I kind of already realized that,” I said as we stepped inside.

“You did?”

“Mmhm. That’s why I called for some help.”

I didn’t see my sisters or mom right away, so I took a moment to scan the store. What Nicole had done with the huge space was incredible. It used to be an old printing warehouse that went defunct when I was in elementary school. A few businesses came and went in the space, but it was vacant for a long time until about ten years ago, when Nicole took it over.

Word from my sisters was that she had the most beautiful clothing—both high-end and casual. Things for every price point.

“I’m just not sure what we're doing here, Andrew. I have enough clothes,” Kelsey said, pulling me out of my musings.

Reaching out, I tugged at a soft curl of her hair and watched it bounce up to her shoulder before falling back in place.

“Since you’re my date for Sadie’s wedding, I figured you’d need a proper dress.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened in astonishment just as the owner of the store came over to greet us.

“Hi, can I help you find something today?” she asked, her eyes glued to Kelsey before they peeped up at me. It was almost comical when Nicole did a double take. “Andrew?” She gasped, and I wanted nothing more than to run from the building and wait in the truck for Kelsey to finish, but my mother sidled up behind me and blocked me from moving.

Bashfully, I responded, “Hi, Nicole.”

I could feel Kelsey’s eyes darting between Nicole and me. Thankfully, Mom broke any tension as she moved around me and hugged the woman wearing designer clothes. “Hello, Nicole,” she said, giving her a warm hug. Nicole returned it without moving her eyes from me. “I’ve been meaning to call to see if that jacket ever came in. With the weather getting chillier, I’d love to have it.”

The mention of clothing broke Nicole free from her stare, and she immediately apologized to my mother for not calling sooner, but the jacket had just arrived that morning.

“Wonderful. Now, I see you’ve met my son’s girlfriend, Kelsey. She’ll be attending a wedding as his date and needs a dress for the occasion.”

Seems everyone was on the same page as the doctor, assuming Kelsey and I were an item. I looked over at her at the mention of her name and found her frowning as our eyes met.

“Mom,” I said as I started pulling Kelsey aside. “Why don’t you go see where the girls are? Alex was coming straight from her shop, but everyone else is meeting us here.”

“Of course, dear.”

I didn’t care about Nicole’s reaction as I tugged Kelsey toward the exposed brick wall with a gentle hand on her arm.

“Look, I’m sure you have questions,” I said immediately once we were out of anyone’s earshot. There were a few other shoppers in the store, who I didn’t want to overhear our conversation.

“Clearly. I mean, her reaction said enough.” Kelsey tried pulling away, but I wasn’t letting her go anywhere. Even though I released her arm, I stepped into her space.

“Look, I’ll make this short, and we can talk about it in more detail later, but Nicole is… complicated. We dated in high school, and then she dumped me the night of our graduation. I didn’t take it well and had sworn off relationships ever since.” I swallowed thickly. “Until you.”

She seemed too agitated to take in the significance of the last part I said and focused on the part where Nicole was my ex. “And what? We’re shopping at her store now?”

“Yes. I know none of it makes sense. Hell, nothing in my life made sense over the last year. Not until you came into my life. I promise I will tell you the entire sordid, embarrassing story tonight, but I promise you that I would not bring you here if I didn’t believe she has the best clothing in town. She works with actual fashion designers, Kelsey. I want you to wear the best dress money can buy, and that’s here.”

“It just… feels weird. That’s all.”

“I know. I get it. But that’s why I recruited backup,” I said as I glimpsed over my shoulder to see my sisters waltzing in like they owned the place. They probably did, considering how often they shopped here. Alex had her arm looped through Autumn’s, walking with a bit of a waddle even though she still had ten weeks left to go in her own pregnancy. They waved when they noticed us. “I want you to enjoy yourself today. My sisters are dying to play dress up with you.”

“Oh God. You’re throwing me to the wolves.”

I chuckled. “Pretty much. And just remember, you’re the one coming home with me.”

Kelsey’s hazel eyes disappeared behind her lids as they rolled. “That’s because I live there.”

Leaning closer, I brought our lips within inches of each other. “Is that the only reason?”

Just before I could kiss her again, Rory stepped into our bubble. “Break it up, you two. Ready to get started?” she asked her best friend, but her eyes were on me. I had a feeling she could tell there was something more happening between me and Kelsey than we wanted people to know.

“I suppose,” Kelsey answered through a sigh as I released her arm. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m meeting Nate at the bar down the block while the twins are in school.”

“What? Why can’t I go with you? This will be torture.”

Ignoring her statement, I took a step back and headed for the door. “Have fun,” I said, but Rory was already pulling her away.

Just as I tugged on the cold metal door handle, a soft voice I would have recognized in my sleep called out, “Andrew?”

I closed my eyes in an attempt to shut out any memories that sprang forth. Everything Nicole and I had was rocky at best, but I had a severe case of puppy love back then. She had been all my firsts. First kiss, first round of bases, first homerun, and first heartbreak. It took me years to get over the betrayal. So coming face-to-face with her was not something I would have done for anyone by choice. But Kelsey deserved it.

“Nicole.”

“How are you?” she asked hesitantly, probably just as nervous as I was.

“I’m good,” I replied with a quick peek down at my leg as I held the crutch under my arm. “The store looks nice.”

“Thanks. It’s… everything I ever wanted.”

“I’m glad. Sorry to run out, but I have plans with my brother-in-law. Let that woman get whatever she wants. She’ll try to pay, but Mom has my card.”

Nicole looked across the store, where Kelsey stood wide-eyed as my sisters held up dresses against her front and then threw them into her arms to try on.

“You got it. She’s special, huh?”

“Definitely.”

“Well, I’ll make sure she’s taken care of.”

“Thanks,” I replied as I made an effort to push open the door and leave the Pandora’s Box of memories that were exploding in front of me.

“Hey, Andrew, it was really good to see you.”

Nodding, I left the boutique, sending Nate a message that I was on my way and to have a beer ready. Because after today, I was pretty sure I deserved a few.