He watched her suspiciously, but when she had brushed for entirely too long, desperately trying to remove the sick taste from her tongue, she rinsed her toothbrush and stepped back. “I hate being sick,” she said with a pout. “Now, what were you going to tell me earlier?”
He waved her off, standing up himself. “It can wait.”
“What do you mean? We’ve got nothing but time if we’re going to be cooped up in the motel room.”
“It’s just work stuff. An exciting opportunity for me,” he said simply. “Grizz is going to let me head up my own project.”
“That’s amazing, Finn!” she said happily, leaning on the sink for strength. She couldn’t explain why a sudden sadness washed over her. “I’m so happy for you.”
“Thank you,” he said, a small smile on his face. “Now, let’s get you to bed. I’m going to run to Norma’s, grab you some soup, and then head to Miller’s to get Gatorade. You just need to rest.”
“You don’t have to take care of me,” she said, though she didn’t protest when he held the door open.
“I know,” he told her, “but I like to.” He helped her into bed and kissed her forehead. “I’ve always liked to take care of you, Blythe.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“Yep, but it’s nice to hear it anyway,” he said, winking at her as he grabbed the car keys from the side table. “I’m going to call and let them know we’re keeping the car an extra day, too. I don’t want you to worry about anything except getting better.”
She nodded, finally giving in to the exhaustion she’d been feeling. “Thank you,” she called to him as he walked out of the room and she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Thirty-Two
When Blythe awoke, she was surprised to see the room was still empty. Finn hadn’t returned. She looked over at the clock on the bedside table, the movement causing her stomach to turn. It had been just two hours since he left, but she expected him back by now.
She stood from the bed slowly, holding her stomach as if it would make a difference. Don’t get sick. Don’t get sick, she willed herself. She opened the door, squinting in the bright afternoon sun. The parking lot held just one other truck, the one that she’d learned was Blake’s from the amount of time he’d been spending at the motel. She wasn’t sure where Hank was, but she suspected Blake’s presence had a little more to do with AnnaBeth than work.
She spied her phone lying on the desk to her left and picked it up. There were no missed calls from Finn, so she found his name in her contacts and selected it, holding the phone to her ear. The line rang three times before going to his voicemail. She left him a short message asking him to call and check in before sliding the phone into her pants pocket.
Her shoes were laying beside the door, and she slid them on her feet, hobbling out over the gravel and toward the office.
A little girl stood behind the counter. She couldn’t have been more than three or four.
“Hello there,” Blythe greeted her. “Who are you?”
“I’m two!” the girl announced happily, holding up her fingers to show her.
Blythe giggled but felt confusion fill her. AnnaBeth was a year older than her, but as far as Blythe knew, she didn’t have any children. She had two older sisters, though, so she guessed it was possible the little girl could’ve been her niece.
Before she could ponder the thought anymore, the front door opened and Blake stepped into the room. “Sorry!” he announced, rushing over to move the girl from the stool behind the counter. “Little Bit, what did Daddy tell you about staying on the floor?” He carried her a bit farther back where Blythe noticed a few toys and a mat laying on the floor. “Sorry,” he apologized again, finally looking up at Blythe with a sigh. “I just stepped away for a second, and I must’ve missed you. Is everything okay?”
“I was just looking for Finn. Have you seen him?” She watched the girl playing with a stuffed reindeer behind his back.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “Sorry. Did you try to call him?”
“Yeah,” she said, biting her lip.
“Well, AnnaBeth just ran to town. I’m happy to text her and see if she has seen him around?”
“That would be great,” she said, starting to feel a little worried. Just what had that phone call been about earlier? Things had seemed fine, but was she just too preoccupied with her sickness to notice? She leaned against the counter as Blake typed up a message.
“Sent.”
“Thanks,” she said. “So…is she your only one?” Blake looked her age, so in a small town, she wasn’t surprised to discover he had children. She wondered if he was married, though he wore no ring. Wouldn’t AnnaBeth be disappointed if so?
“Yeah,” he said, “that’s Tuesday. She’s two.”
“So she told me,” Blythe said. “That’s a unique name.”
He rolled his eyes slightly. “Yeah, it was her mother’s choice. It grows on you.”
“She’s adorable.”
“Thanks,” he said. “Do you have any?”
“No,” she said quickly. “Way too early for that. I want to be married and settled before I ever even think about kids.” The words left her mouth before she realized what she was saying. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean anything if you aren’t…”
He smiled. “No worries. I was married, though not settled. Tuesday’s mom passed away when she was six months old.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said again. “That’s terrible.”
“Thank you,” he said. “Tuesday was a bit of a shock, but she’s the best thing either of us has ever done.” He looked back at the girl fondly. His phone buzzed and his cheeks flushed red as he picked it up quickly. “AnnaBeth says he was at the market ten minutes ago.”
Blythe felt her shoulders fall with relief. “Thank you.” She placed a hand on her chest.
“No problem,” he assured her. “I’m happy to help. Anything else I can do for you?”
“Will you let AnnaBeth know we’re going to be staying an extra night?”
He grabbed a pen from the black cup on the counter and jotted down a note on a yellow tablet. “Sure thing.”
“Thanks,” she said, turning around to the door. She spotted a small shelf with a few random items for sale. “This is new,” she said, walking toward it.
“Yeah,” he said. “AnnaBeth is wanting to try some things to really make sure our guests have the best experience. We thought maybe having a few essentials here for sale would prevent them from having to run across town.”
“It’s a really good idea,” Blythe told him honestly, eyeing the pink bottle as her stomach rolled again. “Could I buy a bottle of Pepto?”
“Of course,” he said, rushing forward and taking it off the shelf in front of her.
“Let me run to my room and grab some cash.”
He shook his head. “I’m under strict instructions not to charge you for anything.”
“Why not?” she asked. “We’re not paying for our room, the least we could do is pay you for this.” She gestured toward the bottle.
He handed it to her. “She said you need to be reminded how much this town cares about you.” He paused. “Or something like that.”
At his words, her eyes lined with tears.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she said sadly, though she knew she wasn’t. She glanced back at the shelf, seeing the box of tampons on the shelf. Shoot. No wonder she’d been so moody and exhausted. It was her time.
She glanced at the board on the wall announcing that the date was the eleventh. I’m late.
Tuesday ran around the corner of the counter. “Daddy!” she cried, handing him the reindeer and raising her arms to be picked up.
“It’s okay, Tue. I didn’t leave you.”
Suddenly, Blythe put her hands to her stomach, her eyes drifting across the shelf for the one item she now worried she may need. They didn’t have it.
The rental car
pulled into the parking lot, and she watched it through the window with a sinking feeling. What the hell am I going to do?
Chapter Thirty-Three
“What are you talking about?” Finn asked, sitting in the desk chair in their room. Blythe paced the floor in front of him, running her hands through her hair as she tried to piece it all together in her mind. Terrified didn’t even begin to cover how she felt. She swallowed again, her throat too dry.
“I…um—” Before she could say any more, cool tears collected in her eyes and she began to shake with sobs. How could this be happening? How could they possibly face this? She covered her eyes with her palms, jumping slightly when she felt his arms around her. He pulled her into his chest and she moved her hands, breathing in his warm, familiar scent.
He kissed her head. “I know,” he whispered. “It’s okay.”
She pulled away from his chest. “What do you mean you know?”
“I know what you’re going to say,” he whispered, his expression unreadable.
“How could you know?”
“Because I know you, Blythe.” He kissed her cheek. “I knew it the second we came here.”
“Wha—what are you talking about?” she asked, her head cocked to the side.
“You can’t leave Darlington,” he said matter-of-factly.
She started to shake her head but stopped. Was he wrong? Was she going to be able to drive away tomorrow with the possibility of never returning? What choice did she have? She had nothing here—no job, no family, no home, no Finn. She thought back to the words Blake had told her. At least she had AnnaBeth. She supposed a few others in town still cared about her. But who was she kidding? She was about to be a single mother in a town with a limited male population. And she loved Finn. She was incredibly in love with Finn, and he belonged in New York. She knew how much he loved it. She could see it in his eyes when he talked about it.
No one from New York could survive in Darlington. They’d die of boredom, if not heatstroke. She couldn’t lose him…but after the bombshell she was about to drop, would she have a choice?
“I…that isn’t what I was going to say. I do love Darlington, more than I realized, in fact. But I love you more. I want to be wherever you are.”
“Then what is it?” he asked, his expression darkening. “What happened?”
“I don’t think I’ve got food poisoning,” she said, closing her eyes as she said the words. Everything hung on this. Her entire future. What would he say? What could she expect him to say?
“What do you mean? What else could it be?” he asked, his tone hesitant. She could see his face changing as he seemed to understand.
“Finn, I—I think I’m pregnant.”
He blinked once, then twice, dropping his arms to his sides and staring at her in disbelief. “What do you mean you think?”
“I mean, I’m late…and I’m nauseous. I haven’t taken a test,” she said quickly. “But, I’m pretty sure I know what it’s going to say.”
“But you’re on the pill,” he argued.
“I know,” she whispered but added nothing else. She’d heard of this happening, but it always seemed so rare.
“Okay.” He ran a hand over his face. “Okay.” He bent down, his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths as he looked around the room with wild eyes. “What do we do?”
“Finn, I—I don’t know if you’re the father.” She spit out the words, feeling ill again as she bent down next to him. “I’m so sorry.”
“What? No.” He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s me, right?” he asked, a new emotion filling his face: sadness. “It has to be me.”
“It should be you,” she said, gripping his hands as fat tears poured down her cheeks. “I hope it’s you. But, technically, it could be either of you.”
“What do you want to do?” he asked, his face pale from shock.
“I—I don’t know. I love you,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d even make it this far into the conversation without breaking down.”
“Do you still want to be with me?” He stood up, pulling her to sit on his lap on the bed.
Her jaw dropped. “Of course I do, Finn. Of course. I didn’t know if you’d still want to be with me.”
He kissed her, his thumb rubbing away a stray tear on her cheek. “What if it’s mine? What if we have to tell the baby his father is a felon?”
“What if it isn’t and we have to tell the baby the truth about who his father is?” she asked, voicing a very real concern of hers. She held her stomach in fear. “Finn, I’m really, really scared.” She started to cry again. “What am I going to do?”
He held her tightly, rocking her back and forth and kissing her head as his own tears wet her scalp. It was the first time she’d ever seen him cry. The moment certainly warranted it.
When she’d calmed down, he pulled away from her. “Maybe this will help. Are you ready to hear my news?”
“News?” she asked, sniffling and dabbing her eyes.
“From the phone call this morning,” he reminded her. “I was going to wait to tell you, but,” he laughed nervously, “this seems like the right time.”
“Okay…” She was hesitant. Any news about New York was not news she needed at the moment, but she could see the excitement in his face. And at least he wasn’t breaking up with her. Or…was he?
“Grizz gave me a new job. A new team. We’re opening up a new branch in Austin.”
She blinked, shaking her head firmly. The idea was too good to be true. Was he joking? “Austin?”
“Our first project is a house here in Darlington.”
“What?” she asked, her voice powerless. She clutched her hands together, praying what he was saying was true. “Are you serious?”
“We’re building it from the ground up, Blythe. A little house on Dayton Street.”
She took a breath, one hand on her belly, the other on her chest, as she processed what he was telling her. “Finn…”
“I asked around town. Technically, you still own the land, Blythe. I can build it exactly the way you remember it.”
She covered her mouth, tears of a different sort falling from her eyes now. “Say it again,” she begged.
“We are rebuilding your parents’ house, babe. Your house.” He kissed her forehead. “Our house, if you’ll have me.”
She pulled him into a tear-filled kiss, laughing and crying all at once. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” he told her. “So much.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked, holding his face between her hands.
“Well, I’d be about the biggest asshole ever if I said no, now wouldn’t I?” he asked with a laugh. “But yes, I’m sure. I’m not saying we have to get married yet, but we already live together. Who cares what city that’s in? Darlington is your home. And you are my home.” He placed a hand on her belly. “And if you are pregnant, whether or not it’s mine, I will love this baby with absolutely everything I have, Blythe. As much as I love you.”
“How did I ever get to be so lucky?” she asked.
“I ask myself that every damn day.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
ONE YEAR LATER
“Are you ready?” Finn asked, kissing her fingers once more. Her hands were ice cold in his palms, mostly from nerves, but she’d never been more sure of anything in her life.
Together, they walked through the large door nearly identical to the one she’d walked through so many times as a child—her in a white dress, him in a tux. Their new life would start just as it had over a year ago, only this time she was dressed in white for him.
The preacher stood just below the staircase, Bible in hand. He smiled at them warmly as they walked toward him. To their left, AnnaBeth stood, holding their son in her arms. To their right, Jacob and Mona were waiting, smiles on their faces, though Blythe wondered if they held any resentment toward her.
They’d showed up for the child who h
ad been like a son to them on the most important day of his life. The ceremony was small, just those three in attendance. Blythe wore her mother’s green necklace around her neck and stood in the place where she and her parents had stood every year for a forced family picture.
In the home Finn had built, she felt closer to her parents than she’d ever dreamed possible again. It was a home they’d raise their son in. A home they’d make memories of their own in…starting with this one.
They said their vows, and Blythe mused on just how perfect the ceremony felt. It felt like hers, rather than one planned by people who were practically strangers. When the preacher said Finn could kiss his bride, he dipped her down like she’d told him her father often had her mother, and kissed her firmly, her heart filling so much she was sure it would explode.
When the ceremony was over, Jacob and Mona doted over the baby, kissing his cheeks and saying how much he looked like Finn. There had never been any doubt from the moment he was born which man he belonged to, but they’d had the tests done anyway. Beckett was theirs. Both of theirs.
Holding his son, she’d watched Finn cry for the second time. Now, today as he held her hand and vowed his heart to her for the rest of their lives, she saw a tear stroll down his cheek for the third.
Her husband was the toughest man she knew. He’d built their house from the ground up with very little help from his—at the time—growing team. He loved her fiercely and protected their son with everything in him.
Despite the trips to Austin he had to take for work, he made sure to be home every weekend and whenever she needed him. His dream of becoming a foreman had come true, and he’d in turn given her everything she’d ever dreamed of.
That evening, when Jacob and Mona said their goodbyes, they gave the couple the news that Asher had been arrested. They hadn’t spoken to him but a few times since the almost-wedding. They didn’t blame Blythe for leaving him and, in fact, thanked her for loving Finn like he deserved to be loved. They didn’t say it, but Blythe felt sure that Jacob had told Mona the truth about Asher’s crimes and Finn taking the blame. She held Finn extra tight when she gave him a goodbye hug.
The Better Choice Page 17
