by Jayci Lee
“In a few more days.”
“I see,” Aubrey said, worrying her bottom lip.
Unlike the comfortable silence they’d shared a moment ago, a blanket of unease settled on them. Aubrey seemed to be miles away, and he wanted to join her wherever she’d gone.
“If you don’t mind staying for two more days, I’ll drive you back to Weldon.”
Landon forced the words out even though they cut him like shards of glass. He didn’t think he could stand being apart from her. Except there was no other choice. He would make it his top priority to find them a secluded place where they could meet as often as they liked without risk of discovery.
“I know you need to get back to oversee the expansion and relocation, but don’t expect me to stay away for long.”
“Landon?” Her voice was so soft he wasn’t sure she’d spoken.
“Yes?” He cocked his head to the side.
Aubrey cleared her throat and then met his gaze with a grin closely resembling a grimace. “Oh, nothing.”
“What is it?” His mouth suddenly went dry, and his heart pummeled his rib cage.
“Nothing, really.” Her eyes were wide and vulnerable, and she spoke with a tremor in her voice. “I just wanted you to know that being with you makes me happy.”
The tension flowed out of him, and he smiled at her with all the joy exploding inside him. “I’m happy when I’m with you, too.”
19
Early the next morning, Aubrey drove Landon’s Alfa Romeo into town. He wanted her to use it for the day since he could have someone drop him off at the villa after the shooting. She didn’t need much convincing. It was nice to be on her own for a while.
Landon had made love to her with undiminished passion last night … and this morning. He made her happy. Their shyly spoken declaration on the moonlit deck shrouded her in warmth, and she was glad she hadn’t mentioned the conversation she’d overheard. She trusted him, and that was that.
She is nothing to me.
But she couldn’t get his words out of her mind. Aubrey took a shuddering breath and fought to ease the constriction in her chest. She understood they had to keep their relationship a secret to protect their reputations, but they couldn’t sneak around much longer. Especially if she was pregnant. The more she’d thought back through the last three months, the more certain she became she was going to have a baby. Landon’s baby.
Aubrey was done with hiding. She loved him and wanted forever with him. Even if he didn’t return her love yet, he cared deeply about her and wanted more than a fling. She wanted to proclaim to the world that she was his and he was hers. There might be an initial uproar, but they could tell the public what really happened the day she’d created Frankencake. They had the truth on their side.
She wandered listlessly through downtown Bosque Verde until her feet throbbed. It was time to face the pink elephant that had doggedly followed her all morning. Maybe she was getting worked up for nothing. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been careful. They’d used a condom every time. Right. Stop being a chicken. Aubrey marched herself to the local drugstore before she could change her mind. The pink elephant trudged alongside her as she purchased three different brands of pregnancy test.
Every time her foot got heavy on the gas, she took a deep breath and slowed down to the speed limit. Wrecking Landon’s vehicle was the last thing she needed. Once she reached the villa, she sprinted to her bedroom and locked the door behind her. The elephant waited politely outside the bathroom as she peed in a cup and dipped each of the sticks into it.
She checked the time every five seconds, making the two minutes wait time stretch on like saltwater taffy. But when she reached the two-minute mark, Aubrey ran away from the sticks.
“I can’t look. Oh, God. No, I have to look.” She clasped her hands against her pounding chest and took baby steps toward her bathroom. Ha! Baby steps. Pun totally not intended. She choked down the hysterical cackle tickling her throat.
When she peeked at the results with one squinty eye, a shaky sigh rushed out of her.
Pregnant.
+
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Aubrey picked up all three sticks and shook them again and again. Still pregnant. She sank down to the cold marble floor and hugged her knees to her chest. She tasted salt in her mouth and realized she was crying. A baby? Landon’s baby?
She felt feverish and cold—afraid and elated. Aubrey wasn’t ready to be a mom. Comfort Zone needed her. It was a crucial time for the bakery. How could she raise a baby and run a business? But Landon would be by her side. Right? She had no idea how he would feel about the baby, but he wasn’t a man who would turn his back on a woman carrying his child.
“Fuuuck,” she groaned, burying her head in her arms. “What am I going to do?”
When she raised her head, the sun was dipping behind the mountains, and her bottom was frozen from sitting on the cold marble for so long. She wanted to lie down, but if she did, she wouldn’t have the strength to get off the floor. She had to do something. And she made a decision that was seriously counterintuitive for her. She called her mom.
“Aubrey?” Her mom’s voice was warm but held a hint of worry. “Is everything all right?”
“No,” she said, biting her lip. “I don’t know what to do, Mom. What should I do?”
“Why don’t you tell me what happened first?” Her mom was in her stone Buddha mode. She only did that when she was seriously worried—like the time little Aubrey was rushed to the hospital with appendicitis. She thought about hanging up. Do I want to dump all this on her? She has enough to worry about. “I’m here for you. I’ve always been. Tell me, baby. We’ll figure it out together.”
Aubrey wailed, furious at herself for pushing her mom away and regretting how she’d let so many years pass without doing anything about it. Her mom was there for her. It was time to let everything go and be her daughter. Maybe that was what her mom had wanted all along—to take care of her and for Aubrey to trust her enough to rely on her.
“Mom, I’m pregnant.”
“Oh, honey.” Her mom had to be shocked, but she held on to her calm. “Who’s the father?”
Aubrey nearly lost it again. Well, Mother. She inhaled until she couldn’t sip in any more air and then blew it out her mouth. “Remember the food critic who wrote that horrible review about Comfort Zone?”
“How could I forget that jerk?” Her mom stopped herself and continued in an even tone. “But you said he admitted the review was a mistake, and now you’re filming that cooking show with Aria Santini. I think I’ve almost forgiven him.”
“I guess that’s good? Because he’s the father.”
“What?” Her mom choked on air and went into a coughing fit. “You know the risks of being involved with him. Don’t you? How could you—damn it. I’m sorry. I have no right to judge.”
“You have every right. You’re my mom. It’s in your job description.”
“Oh, baby.” Her voice trembled for a second. “Well, I trust you. I do. If you chose to be with him, then he must be worth it.”
“He is worth everything. I love him so much. But I’m freaking out.”
“Have you told him? Does he know?”
“No, I called you right after I found out.”
“You are going to tell him, right?”
“Yes. Of course,” she said with false bravado.
“Does he know how you feel about him?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Do you want him to?”
“I want forever with him and the baby. But I’m so afraid he’ll break my heart.”
“Then fight for them. You fight for the people you love. You can’t give up without giving it your everything,” her mom said with steel in her voice. “My biggest regret is not fighting for you and your father. I lost both of you. I couldn’t stop loving him after his first affair. I thought he’d come back to me eventually, but he didn’t. I was ashamed and afraid, and it became worse with every
affair. I let my insecurities define me, and I pushed everyone away, even you, and I’m so sorry. But listen to me, Aubrey. Your father hurt me, but I’m the one who broke my heart. I’m the one who gave up without trying. I let myself disappear.”
“Mom.” Aubrey hurt so much for her mom. She had been so alone for so long. “You didn’t lose me. You could never lose me.”
“Oh, baby. I love you so much. You can do this. If he doesn’t see how damn lucky he is to have you, then he doesn’t deserve you. Don’t be afraid of losing him. It’ll be easier to bear than losing yourself.”
“I love you, Mom.”
After they hung up, Aubrey knew what she needed to do. She had to tell Landon she loved him and wanted forever with him. And tell him about the baby. Even if he wasn’t ready to become a father, he’d make a great one. What mattered most was whether he wanted forever with her. If he wanted her like she wanted him, they could figure out everything else together.
Aubrey was going to fight for them.
* * *
After a long nap, which she finally understood was a symptom of early pregnancy, Aubrey prepared for the battle of her life. She actually hoped it wouldn’t be a battle at all. She would tell Landon she loved him, and he would tell her he loved her back. Yay.
Aubrey cooked balsamic-marinated chicken breasts and tomato bisque, planning to serve them with crusty bread. She wouldn’t be eating much, so she kept the menu simple. She washed her hair and dried it with care and put on light makeup to boost her confidence. Then she squeezed into a soft, pink dress and waited for Landon to come home.
The wax from the candle had melted and dripped into globs at the base of the holder. The minutes ticked by, and their dinner grew cold. And Aubrey’s dress grew increasingly uncomfortable. She checked the wall clock for the seventh time in fifteen minutes and jumped when her cell phone binged. A text from Landon.
Landon: Please have dinner without me. I’m putting out a fire. I’ll be back late.
The unexpected delay deflated her like a punctured balloon, and her hands started to shake as the adrenaline faded from her system. Aubrey blew out the candles and put away the dinner with the speed and agility of an unoiled Tin Man. Once that was done, she found herself pacing around in the quiet house, unable to settle her nerves.
For a change of scenery, she climbed up the stairs to pace in her bedroom. After slipping out of the torturous dress, she took in a nice full breath and sighed, unconsciously placing her hands on her stomach. She’d only known for hours, but she loved the baby growing inside her.
Aubrey wanted Landon to know how much she loved him and how happy she was to be pregnant with his child. Even if he didn’t love her in return, she wanted him in their child’s life. If he didn’t want anything to do with either of them, she would have the baby without him. The thought petrified her, and a part of her still wanted to run away—to give up without a fight. It would hurt less than having him tell her he didn’t want her or the baby.
Tired of all the pacing and the endless what-ifs, Aubrey went out to the balcony with a thick robe wrapped around her and plopped down in a chair to gaze at the stars shining down on her.
The sound of a car crunching up the driveway jolted Aubrey awake. She must’ve dozed off, which seemed to happen whenever she wasn’t standing. Rubbing the chill from her arms, she walked inside and glanced groggily at the clock in her room. Past midnight.
It was too late for them to talk. She was half-asleep on her feet, and he had to be exhausted after such a long day. The sound of the front door opening made her squeak in alarm. She was too nervous to act normally, so she slid under the covers. She didn’t need to pretend to be a sleep for long. Thanks to the baby, she fell asleep soon after Landon came to bed and wrapped his body around hers.
The next morning, her eyes opened at the crack of dawn, and she didn’t wait for Landon to wake up. She sneaked out of bed and headed for Landon’s unoccupied room, grabbing some clothes on her way out. Once she was washed and dressed, Aubrey set out for a long walk down the hills.
All the courage and strength she’d scrounged up last night seemed to have evaporated into thin air. But she had to tell him. They were leaving Bosque Verde tomorrow, and she needed to know where they stood before that happened. She had to know she wasn’t his shameful secret. That they could build a real future together.
She was blind and deaf to the beauty surrounding her, barely conscious that her feet were moving. When a hand grasped her arm, she jolted back to reality with a startled scream.
“What was that for?” Landon looked more alarmed than she felt.
“I didn’t hear you coming. You scared me.”
“How could you not hear me? I called out for you loudly enough to scare the birds out of the trees.”
“Well, I didn’t hear you.”
“Fair enough, and I didn’t mean to startle you.” Landon raked his fingers through his hair, standing shirtless and barefoot in front of her. He must’ve scrambled out of bed to catch up with her. “Now, do you want to tell me why you’re avoiding me?”
“Whatever made you think that?” Aubrey asked with a guilty flush creeping up her neck.
“You were pretending to be asleep last night. I wanted to talk to you in the morning, but you weren’t in bed. I saw you walking down the driveway, so I ran after you. And you know the rest of the story.” He heaved a deep sigh and mussed his hair some more. “What’s going on?”
Aubrey stared at the ground and drew little circles on the dirt road with her Vans-clad toes. She wasn’t ready to talk. Fear clamped its teeth into her, and she wanted to run. Coward.
“Damn it, Aubrey. Just talk to me. Something’s been bothering you since your final shoot,” Landon said. “Please don’t shut me out. I need to know what’s going on.”
“Don’t push me.” She hated how petulant and pathetic her voice sounded. Where was her resolve and bravado now?
“You’re the one trying to push me away.” He stepped toward her. “Please tell me what’s going on. I can’t do this. I don’t want to leave you in Weldon and be on my way. I don’t want this to end. I want to be with you.”
“You mean you want to keep me as your dirty little secret.” The words flowed out of her before she could stop them. That wasn’t where she’d wanted to start. Not at a place of hurt and fear.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I heard you.” Her accusation hung between them. “I heard you talking with Stan after my last shoot. I heard you tell him that I’m nothing to you.”
“Goddamn it, Aubrey. You know why I had to say that. How could you even think I meant it?” His voice cracked over the last words. He took a deep breath before continuing, “I know I should’ve brought it up first, but I wanted to find a good time to talk to you. In a calm, rational manner. But I wish you’d told me you’d overheard us instead of hurting like this.”
“Are you telling me you’re ready to go public with our relationship?”
Landon drew back as though her words were daggers flying toward him. “What are you saying? You heard Stan. We could stop the crew from leaking the rumors, but this is our wake-up call. If people find out about us, it could destroy both of our careers. The whole point was to restore Comfort Zone without destroying our reputations. That has always been the plan, and it still is.”
“That was the plan before we got together. But now that we’re involved, we can’t go on hiding like this.”
“We have no other choice.” His lips pressed into an obstinate line, and his eyes snapped with frustration.
“Are you ashamed of being with me?” Her body trembled, unable to deny what he was telling her.
“No.”
“Then let’s go public.”
“Listen to yourself. You’re not making any sense. Our careers are important to both of us. Discretion is a necessary precaution to protect our reputations. Our future.”
“My future doesn’t involve being anyone’
s secret.” Holding her head up high, Aubrey spun on her heel and walked away from him.
Landon didn’t try to stop her.
* * *
Aubrey had gone back to bed after leaving Landon on the street. She was awakened from her fitful sleep by the insistent ringing at the front door. The sun was beginning to set, and she struggled to fall back asleep—to forget and escape. But whoever was at the door refused to go away. Dragging her leaden body off the bed, she trailed down the stairs, bumping into the rails on her unsteady legs.
“Aubrey!” Aria nearly shouted in her face, bubbling over with excitement. But she took a step back as her smile slipped. “Aubrey? Sweetheart, are you okay?”
“Come on, my dear. Let’s have some refreshments, shall we?” Lucien, who’d been standing beside Aria, exchanged a look with her and firmly took control. Aubrey followed him to the kitchen, grateful for his warm strength.
“What happened?” Aria prodded gently when they were settled in the cheerful breakfast nook.
Aubrey mutely shook her head and stared down at her fidgeting hands, and Aria didn’t push her. After sipping the lovely iced tea that Lucien placed in her hands, she began to regain some of her bearing. The first thing she noticed was that Aria looked absolutely radiant. Next, her sluggish brain registered Lucien was also beaming with happiness. While they looked at her with concern in their kind eyes, they gazed at each other with breathtaking tenderness.
Aria was sitting across from Aubrey, and Lucien was standing behind her with his hand on her shoulder. Reaching up, Aria placed her hand over his. Her left hand. Aubrey’s ears began ringing at the sight of the exquisite diamond ring on her finger.
“You two are engaged,” Aubrey said in a raspy voice.
“Yes,” Aria confirmed, beaming at Lucien. He bent his head and gently kissed his bride-to-be.
“We wanted Landon to be the first to know,” Lucien said picking up the conversation. “I have a lot to thank him for.”
“If Landon hadn’t talked some sense into him, Lucien would’ve pushed me away once and for all, making ridiculous excuses like our age difference.” Aria snorted softly and rolled her eyes. She turned to face Lucien and poked her index finger into his chest. “You being seventeen years older than I am doesn’t make me a child. I’m a grown woman, and I know who I love.”
