by Street, K.
Worry creased Easton’s brow. “It’s so fast. Is that normal?”
“Perfectly. The baby’s heartbeat is nice and strong.”
“Good. That’s good,” Easton commented.
“All right, young man, you’ll need to step into the hall while I examine Ms. Davenport. It will take just a few minutes.”
“Sure.” He met my eyes. “I’ll be right back.”
I watched Easton exit the room on unsteady legs.
When the door clicked shut, Dr. Wilson washed his hands again, snapped on a pair of gloves, and began his examination.
After he finished, he gave me a warm smile. “Everything looks great.”
All the emotions of the past months as well as the last several hours collided, threatening to pull me under. When I’d first found out I was pregnant, I had been terrified. Consumed with a million doubts and scared I would be just like my mother. Last night, when I came to after passing out on the kitchen floor, I realized I was nothing like her. Worry had clamped my lungs with a vise grip, and drawing in a breath had been impossible until I knew my baby was okay. Because my baby was all that mattered.
The relief I felt at hearing Dr. Wilson’s confirmation was almost too much. I forced back the impending tears and bit my lip to keep it from trembling.
I gathered my composure and then spoke, “Th-thanks, Doc.” My voice cracked.
“You’re welcome. I’ll have your discharge papers drawn up, and we’ll get you out of here.” He cleaned up and took the iPad from the nurse. “You can go ahead and remove her IV.”
The nurse patted my leg. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’d like you to take it easy over the next couple of days and call my office if you have any questions. If you start to experience any cramping or bleeding, come back to the ER immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
The nurse returned with supplies and got to work on removing my IV.
“All right, take care, Molly, and I’ll see you at your next appointment.”
“Bye, Doc.”
As soon as Dr. Wilson removed his gloves and washed his hands a final time, he and the nurse left. Seconds later, Easton came back into the room and sat back down in the chair he had vacated earlier.
His eyes met mine. “I’m such an asshole.”
If he was waiting on me to argue the point with him, he would be waiting a hell of a long time.
When I didn’t speak, he continued, “That’s why you came to Maplewood Falls and why you kept calling.” He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. “I’m sorry.”
“Well, now, you know, so you can go. I don’t need you. I’ve got this.”
He sat up straighter. “Go? What the hell do you mean, I can go?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m still pregnant.”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is, there’s nothing for you to do. I’m the one carrying the baby, and until it comes out, I don’t want or need anything from you. Once the baby is born, it’s your choice. You’re not under any obligation here. Nor do I expect a damn thing from you.”
My words were cold and callous, even to my own ears, but I didn’t give a damn.
I jumped when Easton angrily shoved the chair back and stood.
“How can you say that?” He stalked toward the window and then raked his hands through his hair in exasperation. “It’s my kid, right?”
“Easton! So help me God.”
“Answer the question.”
“Yes, it’s yours. You want to get a fucking DNA test to prove it?”
He turned around and crossed the space between us in two strides, pinning me with a glare. “I don’t need a DNA test. However, I’m not going anywhere. I’m going to be here every step of the way.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, and I needed a minute. Slowly, I put my feet on the floor and stood, taking my time.
“Where are you going?”
“To the bathroom. If that’s all right with you.”
He ignored my snark and gave me his back.
I reached for the bag Paige had brought and took it into the bathroom. Once inside, I unzipped it and rifled through the contents. Thankfully, Paige had thought of everything. Not only had she packed a change of clothes and my phone, which I didn’t bother checking, but she’d also thrown in a small bottle of shampoo and conditioner along with my body wash. I hung the clothes on the hook, put the bottles in the shower, stripped out of the hospital gown, and turned on the water.
When the water reached the right temperature, I stepped beneath the warm spray, letting it cascade over my skin for several long minutes before I reached for the shampoo bottle. It slipped from my grasp and hit the tiles. I bent to retrieve it. Just as I righted myself, the bathroom door was yanked open.
I dropped the bottle again and covered as much of my breasts as I could with my palms. “What are you doing? Get out.”
Easton’s eyes slowly roamed over my body.
My cheeks heated as he took in every expanding inch of me.
“I-I heard something fall,” he stammered.
“It was the shampoo bottle. Get out.”
“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He quietly closed the door.
I hung my head in mortification and reached for the shampoo bottle for the third time. I worked my hair into a lather and wished I could vanish down the drain along with the suds.
Thirteen
Easton
The vision of Molly in the shower sucked the breath from my lungs. Seeing her like that stirred a desire so deep and carnal that I couldn’t take my eyes off her. How her long, damp hair clung to her bare skin. The way water ran in rivulets over the heavy globes of her tits and onto the swell of her abdomen. I stood there, staring like a creepy voyeur until she yelled at me to get out.
Reluctantly, I closed the door. Then, I resumed my spot in front of the window. I mentally went through the periodic table, trying to rid myself of the semi I sported.
The door to Molly’s hospital room opened, and I turned my attention to the young woman in blue scrubs and the small stack of papers in her hands.
I pointed to the bathroom door. “She’s in the shower.”
“That’s fine. Once she signs the discharge papers, I’ll call down for a wheelchair.”
The bathroom door opened, and Molly stepped out.
“Oh, good. You’re done. If you can sign these, we’ll have you and your husband on your way.”
Molly opened her mouth like she was going to correct her, but for some reason, she let it go. Instead, she scrawled her signature on the pages and listened as the nurse rattled off instructions.
The nurse walked out, leaving the two of us alone.
“Easton.” She paused before continuing, “You really don’t need to stay. I can call a car service to take me home. We’ll talk in a few days and figure everything out.”
I kept my tone even. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”
“Suit yourself.”
* * *
I pulled away from the hospital with Molly in the passenger seat of my truck. The tension between us was damn near suffocating. She barely spoke on the way home, except to ask me to stop at Wendy’s and to give me directions to her place.
Once we arrived at her house, I killed the engine and then walked around to her side to help her, but she was already out before I could.
Molly dug into the bag Paige had packed for her, withdrawing her purse and grabbing the keys.
I took the bag from her hands. “I got it. Why don’t you go unlock the door? I’ll grab this stuff.”
She relented and walked toward the door while I grabbed her stuff and the food. Then, I followed her inside, closing the door behind me. I dropped her stuff just inside the doorway and trailed her into the kitchen.
“You all right? Can I get you anything?” I asked, setting the food on the counter.
“I’m pregnant, not helpless.”
“Damn it, Molls.” My tone was harsher than I’d intended. “Would you just stop?”
She rummaged through the bag, pulling out the baked potato she’d ordered. “Stop what?”
“Pushing me away. Acting like you’re alone in this.” I raked my fingers through my hair.
“I am alone in this, Easton! You slammed the door in my face twice. You had Helen lie for you. I tried to tell you over and over. Then, you show up at the hospital and practically accuse me of being a whore.”
The hurt in her tone made me wince. That was exactly what I had done. When I walked in, any sense of relief I’d had went up in smoke the moment I saw her stomach. I had been so pissed that I couldn’t think straight.
“I know. I’m—”
“But that’s just it. You don’t know,” she cut me off. “You weren’t the one out of their mind with fear. Terrified that you were going to lose your baby. Or consumed with guilt because the baby you were scared of losing, you weren’t even sure you’d wanted it to start with.” Her whole body shook as the words fell from her lips. “You have no idea. So, don’t stand here, hovering over me, like you have a right to. I don’t need you to save me or take care of me or whatever the hell it is you’re trying to do. I learned not to need anyone a hell of a long time ago.”
Not only did her words cut deep, but they also pissed me off. All I had ever done was love her. The indignant part of me wanted to remind her that she was the one who had broken us.
But I couldn’t.
The woman before me was barely holding it together. She was raw and vulnerable. A tapestry of frayed edges, and the slightest tug on a single thread would cause her to unravel. Concern for her and for my child she was carrying overshadowed everything else I felt. My fingers itched to touch her. I wanted to wrap my arms around her, cradle her to my chest, and comfort her.
Molly furiously ripped the rest of the food out of the bag. “Is it really too much to ask for the people filling the orders in the drive-through to remember to put the damn forks in the bag?” She attempted to move around me to put space between us.
I reached out and caught her by the wrist.
“What are you doing?” She glanced to where my fingers wrapped around her wrist.
“Come here.”
She tried to pull from my grasp.
I gently hauled her closer and drew her into a hug.
Molly’s clenched hands pressed against my chest. Still, I didn’t let go.
“I’m sorry I was an asshole.” Whether or not my reaction had been warranted didn’t matter.
She relaxed a fraction.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you. Had I known …” She stiffened in my arms as I trailed off. “I can’t change the past, but I’m here now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“We’ll see.”
She didn’t hug me back, but some of the tension she carried fell away.
When I released my hold, Molly walked to one of the kitchen drawers, withdrew a fork, and then grabbed her food along with the drink she’d ordered. “I’m going to watch Gilmore Girls and eat. You can do whatever the hell you want.”
Clearly, she was still pissed.
I had no interest in watching the show, but there wasn’t much else I could do. So, I grabbed the burgers, fries, and drink I’d ordered and then followed her into the living room, taking a seat on the opposite end of the couch.
We ate in tense silence while we watched the first episode.
When it was over, I stood and gathered the wrappers and containers littering the coffee table. “Do you need anything?”
“No,” she practically barked. Her tone softened when she added, “Thank you.”
I nodded and then went into the kitchen to throw away the trash, and I walked back into the living room. “I’m going to run out to my truck to grab my stuff.”
Molly gave me a quizzical look. “Your stuff?”
“I’m going to crash here tonight.” It wasn’t open for discussion.
“So, what, you’re here to babysit me?”
“In case you’ve forgotten, you just got out of the hospital. Call it whatever you want, but I’m not leaving.”
“Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”
“I brought my computer. I can work from here.”
For a second, I thought she was going to argue or throw me out. It shocked the hell out of me when she did neither.
“Fine. Suit yourself.”
A little over an hour later, I finished a report I’d been working on, submitting it ahead of the midweek deadline. From the chair where I now sat, I set my laptop aside and studied Molly while the television played in the background.
Her long hair was partially tucked behind one ear and fell over the swell of her breasts. I saw a bit of the discoloration from the bruise on her forehead. Her clasped hands were tucked under her cheek. She still took my fucking breath away.
My gaze fell to her growing abdomen.
She was going to have a baby.
My baby.
I tried to let that sink in as I watched her sleep.
I thought back to the nights I’d held her in my arms. How I’d run my fingers through the silky strands of hair, picturing our life together.
Molly was a game changer.
Until the day we’d met, I had always been focused on work. The next project or closing the next deal. Sure, I dated, but there hadn’t been anyone serious since my college sweetheart, Jade.
After three years of dating, on the cusp of graduation, Jade and I had broken up. In the end, we wanted different things. She dreamed of traveling the world and putting her anthropology degree to use. My goal was to eventually open my own engineering and design firm. I wanted to put down roots in a town close to where I had grown up in Norcastle, Georgia. Much to my mother’s dismay, I became the epitome of a career-driven workaholic.
Until Molly.
She had been fresh out of college the summer I hired her at a local job fair. I knew from the first moment I met her that she would be my undoing.
The attraction I felt for her grew stronger every day, and so did the list of reasons I needed to stay away from her. I told myself she was too young. That getting involved with my employee was wrong on so many levels. But Molly was brilliant, and I loved the way her mind worked. She was beautiful and staying away from her became damn near impossible. Then, one night, Molly had quite literally knocked me on my ass. After that, there was no going back.
A wry smile tugged at my lips as the memory played out.
* * *
Molly entered my office with a cup of coffee in her hand as I was exiting. Even though the walls were constructed of glass, neither one of us had been paying attention. She slammed into me with the full force of her lean body.
Piping-hot liquid leaped from the cup, splashing the front of my blue button-down shirt.
“Shit,” I hissed, scrambling backward. My foot caught on the leg of an office chair, which sent me tumbling onto my ass.
“Oh my God. I’m sorry.” In an instant, Molly was in my space, extending a hand. “Let me help you.” Like she was strong enough to haul my large frame off the floor.
“It’s fine,” I said, rising to my feet.
She darted down the hall, returning with a roll of paper towels from the break room. She ripped off several and set the roll on the edge of my desk.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” She began blotting at the brown stain on my shirt.
I was too aware of the blood rushing to my dick to focus on the lingering burn from the coffee. “I’m fine.”
Molly’s hair curtained her face. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I can’t believe I did that. I’ll just get this dry-cleaned first thing in the morning, or I can buy you a new one,” she rambled, barely taking a breath.
Her eyes met mine, widening in horror as she realized her hands were all over my chest.
The corner of my mouth tipped up in a smirk.
&nb
sp; “Oh my God!” Mortification painted her cheeks. She lowered her head, avoiding my gaze.
I lightly gripped her wrist. “Hey,” I whispered. “Look at me.”
When she refused, I hooked a finger under her chin and tilted her face.
Her emerald eyes met my stare. The air around us crackled.
“Molly.”
“First, I dumped coffee on you, and now, I’m practically molesting you.”
“Molly,” I said again, a bit more forcefully.
“Hmm?” Her eyes dropped to my lips.
I inched closer until our mouths were merely a breath apart.
“Whatever’s going on between us … tell me you feel it, too,” I gently demanded, my tone husky.
“Um … I-I do.” Her gaze met mine.
“This is probably a bad idea.”
She swallowed hard. “The worst.”
“We shouldn’t do this.”
“Absolutely not.”
I ran the pad of my thumb over her bottom lip. “Tell me not to kiss you.”
She licked her lips. “I can’t.”
“Why not?” I pressed.
“Because I really want you to kiss me.”
My mouth brushed over hers, featherlight, merely a whisper to test the waters. She tasted like coffee and cinnamon sugar.
She leaned into my hard chest. A quiet little sound came from the back of her throat.
I cupped her face, slightly angling her head. My mouth met hers once more. I trailed the tip of my tongue over the seam of her lips.
She invited me in, and my tongue twirled with hers. Tasting her sweetness.
I took the kiss deeper.
Her hands tugged my hair, pulling me closer still until we were completely consumed.
In that moment, I knew I wanted to kiss her for the rest of my life.
* * *
Molly softly snored on the couch. If the dark circles beneath her eyes were any indication, she hadn’t been sleeping well for a while.
We had so much to figure out. We both had hurt each other, and we would have to find a way to get past it. Deep down, beneath the layers of hurt, I still loved her. She didn’t share my feelings, and somehow, I had to find a way to move beyond it. Having a baby together didn’t erase the past. A child wasn’t going to fix what was broken between us.
