A Better Man: A Small Town Surprise Pregnancy Romance (The Heartbreak Brothers Book 3)

by Carrie Elks

  His latest restaurant was a converted warehouse in the seaport district. On The Water overlooked the harbor, with views of the stunning Museum of Contemporary Art. Logan had already told her how long it had taken to convert, along with all the hoops they’d had to go through to get it ready to open. She looked at it with wide eyes, taking in the floor-to-ceiling wall of glass that allowed diners to enjoy the view while they ate upmarket American cuisine. Seafood and steak, is what Logan had described it as, but she knew there was so much more to it than that.

  “It’s beautiful,” she told him, turning her head to smile at him. “You must be so excited it’s nearly ready.”

  He grinned. “It’s been a long time coming. And we’re fully booked every weekend for the first two months.” He put his hand on the carved metallic handle affixed to the smokey glass door. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

  The interior was just as elegant as the outside. Soft lighting illuminated the designer chairs with their low curved backs and buttery-soft cream leather upholstery. The wooden tables were so dark that they almost looked black. Every detail was perfect, from the one-off design of the silverware, to the mock-pony skin covered menus that were propped up on the tables.

  “Wow.” Her smile widened as she caught Logan’s eyes.

  “You like?”

  “I love.”

  He grinned. “Come on, let’s go and meet everybody.”

  Courtney took a deep breath, trying to ready herself to meet Logan’s business partner and friends. He’d told her about them on the way here. Paris Northman, the main investor and his partner, Ryan Nolan, the head chef, not to mention all the other people he’d met over the years that he’d been involved with the Boston restaurant industry.

  For some strange reason, she felt even more nervous than she had meeting his family. At least they’d shared some common background, living in Hartson’s Creek. But here she felt like a fish out of water.

  “Logan! You’re here.” A tall, glamorous woman with gleaming dark hair walked toward them. She was wearing the highest heels Courtney had ever seen, but they had no effect on her confident gait. Her dress was molded to her perfect curves. Courtney swallowed hard as the beauty leaned forward to press her ruby red lips against Logan’s cheek. “Ryan’s been asking for you. He has a few questions about tonight. Can you go see him in the kitchen?”

  Logan smiled at her. “Sure.” He glanced at Courtney. “Will you be okay here for a minute?”

  “Of course she will.” The glamorous woman turned her beaming smile on Courtney. “I’m Paris. You’re Courtney, right? Come with me, I’ll introduce you to everybody.”

  She seemed nice. And stunning, too. “Sure,” Courtney nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Paris lead the way toward the large table in the center of the restaurant. Ten people were already seated, large crystal glasses of red wine in their hands, their voices loud as they chatted to each other.

  “Everybody,” Paris called out. The chattering quieted as they all turned to look at her. “This is Courtney. Logan’s friend.” She frowned. “Is friend right? I have no idea what to call someone who’s not really in a relationship but having a baby.”

  “Baby momma,” somebody called out.

  “Friend with benefits,” another shouted.

  “Let’s stick with friend.” Paris smiled at Courtney again. “And by the way, she has the most amazing accent. Remember how Logan sounded when he first came here?”

  “Ah, we rubbed that off him very quickly,” a woman, almost as stunning as Paris, said. “I’m Jorga.” She held her hand out to Courtney. “I used to work for Logan and Paris, but now I own my own place in Back Bay.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Courtney shook her hand firmly.

  “Ooh, you’re strong.” Jorga grinned.

  “That’s because she works on a farm,” Paris said, pointing at the empty chair next to Jorga. “You sit there, and I’ll be next to you. All girls together.”

  “Sure.” Courtney nodded, taking the seat that Paris was pointing at.

  “So, you work on a farm?” Jorga asked, her eyes wide. “Like with pigs and animals and stuff?” She sniffed, as though trying to see if Courtney smelled of farm animals.

  “I do. Though my father-in-law takes care of most of the livestock.” As soon as she said it, Courtney knew she’d made a mistake. Both Jorga and Paris whipped their heads around to stare at her.

  Jorga’s brows knitted together. “Logan’s dad runs a farm?”

  “I didn’t know you were married,” Paris said almost at the same time.

  “I’m not.” Courtney inhaled sharply. “I mean, I was. But my husband died, a couple of years ago.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Jorga sounded genuinely sad. “That must have been awful.”

  “It’s okay. It was a while ago.” Courtney glanced at the kitchen door, willing Logan to come back.

  “But still, losing a husband like that must have had a huge impact,” Paris added, her eyes narrowed as she took Courtney in. “And now you’re pregnant. Another big thing to deal with.”

  “Yeah, I guess it is. But I’ve had time to get used to it,” Courtney told her. “I’m ready to be a mom.”

  “Well that’s good,” Paris said, giving a little laugh. “Because I can’t see Logan being the best dad.”

  Her words felt like a slap to the face. “What do you mean?” Courtney asked.

  Paris grimaced. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It’s not my place.”

  “She’s right though,” Jorga leaned in. “He’s such an alpha male. So in control of his life. I can’t even picture him holding a baby.” Her eyes widened. “Imagine spit up on one of his designer suits. It’ll drive him crazy.”

  “He’s a neat freak,” Paris agreed.

  “Right? Have you seen his apartment?” Jorga asked Courtney. “It’s like a double page spread in Boston Life.”

  Courtney tried to ignore the twist in her gut. They weren’t saying anything she hadn’t already noticed. “Babies change us all, I guess.” She pressed her lips together. “He’ll get used to it.”

  Paris plastered a smile on her lips. “Of course he will. It’s just a shame that he has to leave this behind. He’s worked so hard to build up these restaurants. I’ve never seen a guy who loves his job so much. He eats, drinks, and lives the hospitality business.” She sighed. “There’s going to be a huge hole in his life.”

  Courtney closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the excitement on his face as they walked inside this restaurant. He looked so alive it had warmed her heart.

  Could he really leave all this behind to move to Hartson’s Creek?

  “Can I get you a drink?” one of the wait staff asked her. “We have a wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon I can recommend.”

  “I’ll just take some water please,” Courtney told him.

  “Sure. We have sparkling, semi sparkling, still, and still with a twist of lemon?”

  “Just tap water is fine.”

  “You can’t have tap water,” Jorga protested. “Not with food like this. Bring her a Perrier on ice and a slice of lime.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t really like fizzy water.” Courtney wrinkled her nose.

  Jorga bit down a smile. “I haven’t heard it called fizzy for ages.”

  “I’ll bring a bottle of still and sparkling for the table,” the waiter said, as though he felt sorry for her. “Then you can decide.”

  Courtney nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Everything okay?” Logan asked, walking up from behind. She hadn’t heard the door to the kitchen open, or his footsteps as he approached. No wonder she jumped when he pressed his lips against her cheek.

  “Everything’s fine,” she told him, her voice low.

  “Great.” Logan smiled, pressing his palm to her shoulder. “We should be bringing out the first courses in a moment. I want you to try a taste of everything. Be honest about what you think, okay? The feedback’s important. We need
to get the menu just right.”

  The way he was looking at her made her feel better. Like a cool balm to her heated anger. “Of course.” She smiled.

  “Everything all right?” Logan frowned.

  “Yeah, I just need the bathroom.” She glance down at her stomach. “Occupational hazard.”

  He took her arm and they walked over to the heavy teak doors on the far side of the room. “You sure you’re okay?” he asked her, pushing the ladies’ room door open. He slid his other hand down to her stomach, caressing her abdomen.

  Just that simple touch was enough to make her body heat up.

  “I’m fine. Just getting used to things, that’s all.”

  He glanced back to the table, where the starters were being brought out. “Okay.” He pressed his lips to her brow. “I’ll be back at the table. Unless you’d prefer me to wait here?”

  He was so damn sweet she could almost taste it. “I’m good. You have a lot to do, please don’t worry about me.”

  He kissed her again and walked away, grinning at a tall man who stopped to shake his hand. Her stomach flipped again. He was so relaxed yet in control at the same time. It was a different side of him. One she didn’t get to see in Hartson’s Creek. Logan was in his element.

  And he was leaving it all behind for her.

  Swallowing hard, she walked into the bathroom, waiting for the door to close behind her before she leaned her brow against the cool, tiled wall. How long did a tasting last anyway?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  It was past midnight by the time they finally left the restaurant. Logan circled his neck to try to loosen the knots that had formed from leaning over the menu, going through it point by point with Ryan, as they made tiny adjustments and notes, before agreeing on the final product.

  The air outside was bitter. A wind had picked up, coming in from the water and whipping against their faces. He slid his arm around Courtney to shield her from the worst of it as he unlocked his car, bending down to open the low-profile passenger door and helping her inside.

  When he climbed into the driver’s seat, he started the ignition, then leaned forward to turn the heat up to full blast.

  “You’re quiet,” he said. “Was it really boring?”

  She turned to catch his eye. Damn, she was so beautiful, sometimes it hurt to look at her. Especially when he needed two hands on the wheel instead of on her body.

  “No, not boring,” she said. “I was watching you, that was all.”

  “Should I be worried?” he asked lightly.

  She laughed. “I don’t think so. You’re very good at what you do. Everybody you come into contact with immediately relaxes in your presence. Did you know that?”

  He looked out of the windshield as he pulled into the road, a smile playing at his lips. “No, I didn’t.” He liked the way she said it, though. It made his stomach twist a little. “I guess I just enjoy what I do.”

  “You’ll miss it,” she said. It wasn’t a question.

  He nodded. “Yeah, I will. It’s been part of my life for a long time. It’s who I am. You can’t just shrug that off and walk away without it affecting you.” It felt so easy to be honest with her. He wasn’t sure he’d been this open with anybody before. Not even Cam.

  “Like with football,” she said softly.

  “What do you mean?” He turned left into the parking lot of his apartment building.

  “When you got injured and had to stop playing. That had been who you were, too. And you had to reinvent yourself, become this new person with new goals and ambitions.”

  He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was gazing out of the window into the darkness, her face heavy with thought. Swallowing hard at the memories of his injury, he opened the driver’s window and keyed in the code to the underground garage.

  “I guess there are some similarities,” he conceded as he drove into the dark lot. “But I’m older now. And there are a few very good compensations for changing direction.” He pulled into his space and put the car into park, turning to look at her. “Like you. And our baby.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “I’m worried you’ll regret it.”

  “Regret what?” His brows dipped.

  “Regret giving this up.” She waved her arm around. “Your life. Your job. Your friends. You can never have something like this in Hartson’s Creek. Sure, you can do something different. Like Dan and Ellie have. But what if you move back home and realize what you’ve lost? And wish you hadn’t.”

  “I’m not moving back to Hartson’s Creek to lose something,” he told her, his voice thick. “I’m moving because I want to gain something. You. Our baby. Watching him or her grow up. Don’t get me wrong, this is what I thought I wanted. And if I could have this and you, then I’d do that. But I can’t. I have to make a choice. And I choose you.” He pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’ve even been sent some houses to look at.” He reached for his phone. “Want to see?”

  “Sure.”

  He unlocked his phone and scrolled through it, bringing up an image on the screen. She recognized it immediately. “That’s one of the new builds on Creek Road.” She’d seen the prices, too. A cool million and a half for a house overlooking the water.

  “Yeah.” He nodded, pulling up the details. “I’m tempted. There’s enough room for about a dozen babies.” He smiled at her. “Plus us.”

  “Us?”

  “It would be weird for me to have a big house and for you to stay in the cottage. I figured eventually you’d want to move in.”

  Courtney looked down at her hands. “But I have a house. I work on the farm. It makes sense to live there. And where would I put the chickens in that postage stamp of a garden? Can you imagine the neighbors when they discover you have a coop in there?”

  “I wasn’t thinking you’d bring the chickens.”

  Her lips parted as she stared at him. “But they’re my chickens.”

  “They can stay on the farm, can’t they?” He couldn’t understand why she was so worked up about the damn hens. Half the time they drove her crazy. “And you can’t expect me to live in the cottage. That’s where you lived with Shaun.”

  Courtney’s eyes shone. “I haven’t asked you to do that. This is just a surprise, that’s all.”

  Logan sighed. “I didn’t mean to shock you. I’m just trying to find a way for this to work for both of us. I want a place that we can both feel comfortable.” He sighed. “I’ll ask Tanner to send me some places with bigger backyards.”

  She was still worrying at her lip with her teeth. “Yeah, I guess…”

  “You do want to live with me, don’t you?” he asked her.

  She brought her gaze onto his. “You haven’t actually asked me. You’ve just assumed.”

  He gave her an ‘oh really?’ look. “I lay in your bed at the cottage and have told you I want to be with you. We’re having a baby, Court. I just assumed that would mean us living together. And if you want me to ask you, then I will.” He turned so he was facing her in the car, cupping her jaw with his warm hand. “Courtney Roberts, will you do me the honor of throwing your clothes all over my floor every night? Because you’re the only woman in the world I can see myself being with. I want to be with you and our baby so much.”

  She stared at him silently, and he wondered what she was thinking behind those cloudy eyes. His mouth felt dry. Had he said the wrong thing? Put too much pressure on her?

  He watched as she pressed the seatbelt clip, unhooking it and shrugging the restraint from her body. Her expression didn’t move an inch as she slowly turned in her seat, then hooked her leg over his, climbing across until she was straddling his thighs.

  Her sudden movement took him by surprise. His mouth fell open as she cupped his jaw with both her palms, before she pushed her lips to his, her kiss hot and demanding. “You’re so damn amazing. Do you know that?” she whispered, sliding her hands around his neck. The way she was wriggling on his lap was enough to make him in
stantly hard. He slid his own palms down her back, fingers feathering her spine until he reached her behind, loving the way it felt so full and heavy.

  His lips brushed hers, and he groaned softly as she slid her mouth to his neck, sucking at his skin. Then she was unbuttoning his shirt, sliding her hands along his chest, her fingers grazing his sensitive nipples.

  “Court…” It was a sigh and a plea. Her lips curled against his throat as she shuffled again.

  “You’re gonna need to move the seat back,” she murmured.

  “Here?” he asked. She never ceased to surprise him. Or amaze him, either.

  “Here.” She nodded.

  He didn’t need telling twice. Leaning down to capture her lips with his once again, he reached for the seat button with his left hand, pressing it until the chair was fully back and reclined.

  Then he unbuttoned his pants, groaning again as she slid her hand inside, her warm fingers curling around him.

  Any coherent thoughts he had rushed from his brain, leaving only the need she always gave him.

  And when she wriggled her panties off and took him inside her sweet, sweet body, he knew he could never get enough of this.

  It was almost seven in the morning. Courtney lay on her side, her legs pulled up, her cheek resting on her clasped hands, as she stared at Logan as he slept. She’d been awake for almost an hour. Another side effect of pregnancy nobody had warned her about. Even in the second trimester her sleep was disrupted by sudden wakefulness in the middle of the night, followed by a three a.m. walk to the bathroom that happened like clockwork.

  And now she was wide awake, her mind whirring as she thought about last night. Her worries about pulling Logan away from the one thing he loved, and the sweet sound of his words as he told her he chose her over everything else.

  His job. His home. His city. His friends.

  It still weighed heavy on her. Because the truth was, he wouldn’t be returning to Hartson’s Creek if it wasn’t for her and this baby. She felt guilty, and afraid that he’d decide he’d made the wrong decision. Sure, he said he hadn’t, but who knew how he’d feel in a year’s time when they were knee deep in dirty diapers and somebody had to walk out in the snow to feed the chickens?