Love You, Baby Read online

  Her hand trembled slightly when she took it from him. “Thank you.”

  “Yep.”

  At his clipped response, her gaze met his for a brief moment. She looked away as she took a sip.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  “You sure? I can call someone if you need me to. An ambulance or—”

  “No,” she quickly denied. “I’m fine. I’ve had a couple spells since, um, since I found out, but it passes. Usually I can feel it coming on and sit down. This one came on faster than usual, that’s all.”

  He nodded, moved to sit on the coffee table in front of her, then shot back to his feet to pace across the floor. When he reached the fireplace hearth, he pivoted on the ball of his foot and paced back. He tried to figure out exactly what to say while he made another trip back and forth.

  “Will you please stop that?”

  The slight irritation in her voice made him halt and pivot to face her. Taking in her pale features as she sat on his black leather couch, he was struck again by how delicate she appeared. He’d never guess she was the CEO of a successful women’s construction company.

  What more proof did he need that appearances could be so damn deceiving?

  She took another sip of water, then reached to set the glass on the coffee table next to his empty to-go cup. She stilled for a moment, then swallowed hard as she sat back to rub her palms on her bare thighs.

  He vividly recalled how soft the skin of her inner thighs felt against his lips.

  “Merit,” she began, “I don’t expect—”

  “Is it mine?” In his desperation to keep from thinking about her enthusiastic responses to his hands and tongue two months ago, the question just popped out.

  Her spine stiffened and her gaze jerked up to lock with his. After a weighted moment of silence, she raised her eyebrows. “Are you kidding me right now?”

  He ignored a stab of guilt as he lifted his shoulders.

  She crossed her arms. “Tell me, Merit, why the hell else would I be here if it wasn’t yours?”

  Yup. He’d already known that was a dumb question, damn it. So on to the next. “We used protection.”

  Okay, so it was actually a statement, but the question was implied. Or it would’ve been if it hadn’t sounded like an accusation.

  “Clearly, it didn’t work,” she snapped.

  “Clearly.” He didn’t remember a condom breaking, but then again, he hadn’t looked, either. He started to pace toward the fireplace again, then swung around. “Did you plan this?”

  A look of incredulity shot her eyebrows skyward as color flooded back into her cheeks. “Did I plan to get pregnant from a one night stand with my best friend’s younger, womanizing brother-in-law? No. Definitely not.”

  His jaw clenched at the womanizing dig. And the younger. He was pretty sure there were only a couple years between them. “So you and Honor didn’t decide being pregnant together would be fun?”

  “Of course not,” she bit out. “There is nothing fun about this situation. Single motherhood is hard enough with one child, you think I wanted to add another?”

  His whole body stiffened. “You don’t want it?”

  The idea of becoming a father scared the shit out of him, but the thought of her not having the baby squeezed his chest so hard it hurt.

  The reaction caught him totally by surprise, and his heart thumped while he waited for her answer.

  Her expression darkened as she stared at him for a long moment. “That is not what I said. You asked if I planned this. I didn’t. I wouldn’t have chosen this outcome, but since I made the choice to have sex, I will take responsibility for the consequences. I am having the baby, and I will love it as much as I love Ian.”

  Relief left him slightly weak in the knees.

  Her gaze flicked toward the coffee table, then returned to his, hard and shuttered. “I don’t expect anything from you. I don’t want anything from you. I’m only here because I felt you had the right to know.”

  “You don’t expect anything from me? Last I checked it takes two to make a baby.”

  “Yeah, well, you’re not exactly the step up and be a dad kind of guy, now are you?”

  He reared back as if she’d slapped him. Holy shit, she really had a low opinion of him, didn’t she? Guess he could see why she’d ghosted him after the wedding.

  Just as fast, anger swelled. She didn’t know him well enough to make such a harsh judgment. And where had she gotten her information from? Honor? Asher? Pain lanced through his chest as he considered his own brother might hold the same low estimation of his character.

  The peal of the doorbell made him flinch, and he jerked his gaze toward the door.

  When he didn’t move to answer, Mae rose to her feet. “Go ahead. I’ve said all I needed to say.”

  “I haven’t.” He strode forward, pointing a finger at her as he passed. “Wait right there. We’re not done.”

  Not by a long shot.

  His glare kept her at the couch, and he rubbed an agitated hand over his bare chest as he crossed the room. His sweaty T-shirt was on the kitchen counter, but he didn’t bother with the detour. He took a deep breath as he opened the door to get rid of whoever was on the other side. His forced smile froze when he met Lyssa’s sultry brown gaze.

  “Well, hello there, Handsome.”

  Fuck. He’d forgotten all about her.

  Chapter 5

  Those specific words in that flirty female voice made Mae’s stomach twist. Seemed Merit really did use his come-on line a lot. She’d bet any money the woman’s name was Lyssa. And she’d bet double she worked at Brew for You, the trendy coffee shop located only a couple miles away. Okay, so it was an easy bet going off the to-go cup next to her water glass, but she’d still take it.

  “Um, I’m really sorry, but something came up,” she heard Merit say. “I can’t do this tonight…”

  His low-pitched voice faded, and she glanced over her shoulder to see he’d stepped outside while pulling the door mostly closed behind him.

  Mae stared for a moment, then gave herself a mental shake. Forget the man’s husky voice and the way it made her stomach flutter. Forget his tousled hair and sexy good looks. And most definitely forget how it felt to be caught against his hard chest, his skin all hot beneath her palm, the sweaty, manly scent of him surrounding her as he swept her up into his arms like a romance book hero. In that mind-muddling moment, she’d wanted to lock her arms around his neck and never let go.

  But how stupid was that when there was another woman at his door right now. His date for the evening—or more likely a booty call.

  She forced her feet to carry her across the room and yanked the door open to find a tall, pretty brunette plastered against Merit’s bare chest.

  Booty call for the win.

  He pushed the woman away to arms length as Mae stepped out onto the flagstones.

  “Don’t mind me,” she quipped with a forced smile. “I was just leaving. He’s all yours.”

  “Mae—wait.”

  She didn’t stop. Didn’t even look back as she hurried to her red company truck.

  After backing out of his driveway, she made it about three blocks away before she had to pull over to the side of the road so she could fill her lungs with an effective dose of oxygen.

  She knew what kind of guy Merit was. She hadn’t expected anything different than what had just happened, so why was she so…

  Disappointed. Hurt.

  Stupid.

  Slumped in her seat, she lamented over nearly passing out at his front door, then painstakingly went over their conversation. Resentment rose up when his accusation resounded in her head.

  As if I’d plan something like this!

  Jaw clenched tight, she pulled out her phone and texted Honor to ask if she could stop by for a bit. She needed her best friend now more than anything, and blew out a breath of relief at the return text—Of course. Come on over—that came back moment
s later.

  She put the truck in drive, glad she’d planned ahead for her brother to keep Ian overnight and take him to summer school in the morning. She’d known it was going to be hard telling Merit, and this was going to be just as bad.

  When Mae parked in the driveway a few minutes later, Honor stepped out onto her front porch. She had her red hair up in a messy ponytail, wore a black tank top and gray yoga capris, with bare feet. And she looked happier than ever, her smile bright with lingering newlywed bliss.

  Delaying the inevitable, Mae glanced across the street as she joined her friend. “Has Asher decided if he’s selling or not?”

  “He’s listing it next week. Neither of us felt like dealing with renters living that close. He checked with Loyal and Roxanna first, but they found a house with a little more land between here and their parents’ place.”

  Place. The Diamonds lived on an estate complete with gates, mansion, pool, gardens, multiple garages, guest house, stables, and seemingly endless pastures.

  She ran her gaze over the lot that went with Asher’s four bedroom ranch house. The front yard was twice the size of her hers, and the back was double, too. For a moment, she dreamed she and Ian and the baby could live there, but she knew she couldn’t risk stretching her budget too thin. The business was doing well, but not quite well enough for this neighborhood.

  “Come on in,” Honor said, drawing her back around. “Where’s Scoob?”

  “Zach and Bryce took him camping.” Her brothers were great about spending time with their nephew, and she was happy he had strong male figures to help make up for no father.

  “In that case, I’ll pour you a glass of wine.”

  “Oh, no, I better not. I have an early morning.” Her pulse skipped as she paused at the door and glanced past her best friend. “Is Asher home?”

  “He’s just finishing the dishes.” Honor raised her eyebrows.

  And he chose that moment to walk into the foyer with a towel and plate in his hand. “Hey, Mae. What’s up?”

  I’m pregnant with your brother’s baby.

  Oh, God, this was going to suck.

  But she couldn’t tell him. It wasn’t her place to tell him, only Honor. Because she had to talk to someone who wasn’t going to judge her and make her feel horrible for her one night of fun with lifelong consequences. She’d get enough of that when she told her parents.

  “Hi, Asher. Sorry to barge in on you guys like this. I just needed a few minutes to talk to Honor.”

  “No problem. I was about to head upstairs to get some work done, so I’ll leave you two to it.”

  She gave him a smile of appreciation and noticed the quick glance he exchanged with his wife as he handed her the plate and towel. Not a word more was said, though, as he headed up the stairs.

  “Did you eat already?” Honor asked on their way into the kitchen. “Because we have plenty left if you—”

  Mae held up a hand, her stomach too queasy to think about food. “No, thanks. I’m good.”

  At the island counter, she set down the plate and then turned to face Mae, her expression full of concern. “What’s going on? You’ve got me a little nervous here.”

  She took a deep breath as she parked her butt on one of the island stools, and her friend did the same. She wasn’t quite sure where to start, so she figured she’d rip off the Band-Aid just like with Merit.

  And like with him, she had to swallow hard and force the words out. “I’m pregnant.”

  Honor’s eyes widened, and her eyebrows rose with her confused smile. “Um…last I checked you have to have sex to get pregnant.”

  “Yep.”

  The smile slipped. “I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

  “I’m not.” Sudden tears pricked the back of her eyes, and she blinked them away. She hadn’t expected this rush of emotion.

  “Oh, no, what happened?”

  Honor reached to squeeze her hand, and Mae glanced up to see her concerned frown. “Nothing dramatic or bad,” she assured her. “This is all on me.”

  “O-kay.”

  She blew out a soft sigh. “The night of your wedding, I, ah, kinda hooked up with someone.”

  Honor sat back in her chair. Her eyebrows arched up again and a tiny smile tugged at her lips. “You got pregnant off of kinda?”

  The gentle teasing broke the tension, and she was able to breathe again as she smiled in return. “It was just the one night, and we used protection, but lucky us, we hit the two percent failure jackpot.”

  Her sarcasm sobered her friend’s expression. “When did you find out?”

  “Thursday.”

  “And you’re just now telling me, four days later?”

  “I had to process, and we were both busy with the holiday weekend.”

  “I’m never too busy for you. Certainly not for something like this.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You doing okay after processing?”

  “I am.” Tears swelled again, and she dashed them away. “Ignore these. I really am okay. It’s going to be hard, but I’ve done this before, so I know I can do it.”

  “I know you can, too.” Honor leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. Mae held on tight as her best friend whispered, “I love you. I’m with you all the way on this. You know that, right?”

  “I do. Thank you.” She sat back, praying it wouldn’t change once the final bombshell dropped. Her stomach bottomed out as she met Honor’s misty gaze and saw her smile. “About the guy—”

  “I have something—”

  They both broke off at the same time.

  Burning curiosity lit Honor’s green eyes. “You first. Who’s the guy?”

  She took another deep breath. “Merit.”

  Shock registered in her friend’s expression. “Asher’s brother?”

  “You know any other guys named Merit?”

  “No. Wow.” Honor raised a hand to her mouth. “Oh, hon…wow.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded her agreement, still shaky even after the news was out. “I know.”

  “Have you told him yet?”

  “I just came from his house.”

  “How’d he take it?”

  Like an ass. “Um…well, first he asked if it was his.”

  “What?” She looked offended for her sake. “Why else would you tell him if it wasn’t his?”

  Mae smiled grimly. “Right? After I set him straight on that, he asked me if I even wanted it—and I told him unequivocally that I did.”

  Green eyes widened. “He wasn’t suggesting—”

  “No. I don’t think so.” In fact, she’d thought he’d seemed relieved when she’d insisted she was having the baby, but more likely she was projecting her own relief at the absolute certainty resonating in her body when she answered his question. “Not that it would matter, as you know. But then, he asked if we planned it. We meaning you and me, though why he’d think we’d plan something like that, I have no clue.”

  Her friend cringe-smiled. “Well...I might have something to do with that.”

  “How?”

  “Because, as I was about to tell you before…I’m pregnant, too.”

  Her jaw went slack. “Seriously?”

  Honor’s red ponytail bobbed up and down as she nodded. The expression on her face told her it was good news.

  Great news.

  “Oh my God, congratulations!” Mae grinned and jumped up to hug her. “That’s so awesome. I didn’t even know you guys were trying.”

  “We weren’t specifically. The week before the wedding, we decided to stop using anything and let it happen when it happened—and it happened fast.”

  “I’ll say. When did you find out?”

  “Friday.” Seeing Mae’s arched brows, Honor quickly added, “We kept it to ourselves a couple days until we could tell his family this morning. Then we went over by my mom’s this afternoon.”

  “Let me guess. Merit was at brunch this morning, so he knew you were pregnant already when I told
him I was. That’s where his stupid idea of us planning this came from.”

  “Yes.” Suddenly her friend’s smile faded.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  She tilted her head as her stomach tightened with unease. “No, what?”

  Honor let loose a soft sigh. “He made a wise-crack after we told everyone. I heard him joke with Asher, ‘Better you than me.’”

  Disappointment swelled once more that Merit didn’t seem to be any different than Ian’s father. Which was stupid, because she already knew he wasn’t. The thing was, she’d only spent one night with Merit compared to six months with Patrick, so she shouldn’t have even a smidgeon of hope that she wouldn’t have to do this all on her own again.

  Hearing Honor’s words, even the smidgeon vanished.

  She straightened her spine. “It’s fine. I already told him I don’t expect anything from him.”

  “Still, maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. He was probably just joking around.”

  “I have no illusions about the guy, Honor. Especially since his booty call for the evening showed up just as I was leaving.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. Some coffee shop girl—or I assume from the name and phone number on his cup.”

  “Lyssa.” Her friend made a face as she explained, “I saw the cup this morning at brunch, but honestly, he didn’t seem all that interested.”

  “Well, she was at his house, so apparently, he was.” She glanced down at the counter, hoping Honor hadn’t seen her disappointment as she traced a vein running through the laminate. “The thing is, I knew who he was when I slept with him, so I can’t really blame him.”

  She said the words as much for her friend as to remind herself.

  “Maybe he’ll step up.”

  “I’m not holding my breath.”

  “You know, come to think of it, he has asked about you more than a few times since the wedding.”

  A spark of hope tried to ignite, but Mae squashed it fast. It didn’t matter if he’d asked about her after their one night stand. With the baby in the mix, she had to put it and Ian first. Plus, she’d had a hard enough time getting over Patrick when he deserted her. Even more so than Honor knew. She wasn’t going to set herself up for that kind of hurt again, and she was smart enough—when she wasn’t all stupid giddy on wedding bliss and champagne—to know Merit could hurt her bad.