Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SAVANNAH
“Savannah Jane Parker!”
I turn around to find my very pissed-off best friend marching across Main Street toward me, a car seat in her hand.
“Becky, wha?—”
“A hospital? Really?”
I wince softly at her accusing tone. “It wasn’t like that.”
Becky raises her brow. “So, you didn’t end up in a hospital?”
“No.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “It was the ER.”
“Oh, well, now that makes me feel so much better!” Becky bites out sarcastically. She lifts her free hand and lets it fall, only to wince at the loud slap. Her gaze falls to the car seat, and she lets out a long sigh when she finds Jackson is still firmly asleep. “I guess you only don’t like sleeping at night, huh? You’re lucky I love you so much.”
Jackson purses his lips in sleep, and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. “He’s so big already.”
“He’s not shy when it comes to eating, that’s for damn sure. He’s his father’s son, through and through.” She turns her attention to me. “But don’t you go changing the subject on me, missy. Why didn’t you say something? I would have been there!”
So much for distracting her.
“I didn’t say something because you have your hands full with Jackson; you don’t need to worry about me. How did you find out anyway?”
“I ran into Mrs. Miller at the store this morning while I was buying a few things for my mom, and she asked me how you were doing. And when I looked at her blankly, she informed me of what happened.” Becky gives me a knowing look. “Apparently, your neighbor saw Blake carrying you to his truck, so she got worried.”
I snort. “So she went around and blabbed it to half the town?”
Seriously, sometimes I wished I just stayed in the city. Then I wouldn’t need to deal with all the nosy neighbors and all the gossip.
“You know how people around here are.” Becky waves it off, her face turning serious. “What happened? Are you okay? Like really okay?”
“I’m fine. I just fainted.”
Becky’s mouth falls open. “You fainted?!”
Sighing, I tell her everything that played out that day, the diagnosis I got from Dr. Gonzales in the ER, and my checkup appointment a few days later.
“So let me get this straight.” Becky shakes her head once I’m done. “You had a fight with Daniel, and you fainted, so Blake took you to the ER, only to find out that you have gestational diabetes, but you’re fine ?”
There is no missing the skepticism in her tone.
“I’m doing better,” I reassure her. “My sugar levels have been in the normal range for the last few days, and now I know what I’m dealing with and the reason I felt so shitty for a while now. So, while no, it’s not ideal, I’ll take it as a silver lining.”
“I guess when you put it like that…” Becky sighs and looks around. “What were you up to anyway?”
I tilt my head toward the hardware store behind me. “I really need to start working on the nursery.” The corner of my mouth lifts in a tentative smile. “Wanna help me pick out the colors?”
Becky rolls her eyes. “How is that even a question? What are we looking for?”
I pulled the door open for Becky and let her pass in front of me. The bell rings, and when I look up, I find Malcom Jamison glancing up from behind the counter, where he’s serving the old Mr. Timms. His smile grows bigger when he sees us, “Becky, Savannah, how are you ladies doing?” His attention shifts to me, his smile falling as he takes me in. “I heard about the ER. Are you okay?”
Freaking small towns.
Becky coughs and gives me an I-told-you-so look, which I pointedly ignore.
“I’m doing better.” I force out a smile. “I’m actually here to look at the paint colors you have.”
“Oh, sure.” He rubs the back of his neck. “They’re on the back wall, so you can check it out, and I’ll join you ladies in a bit.”
“Perfect, thank you.”
Shooting him a grateful smile, Becky and I make our way to the back of the shop, where the smell of the paint is the most intense.
“Do you know what you want? I’m guessing something neutral?”
I hum non-committedly as I take one of the sample sheets and flip through the colors. “I think so. I’m considering gray, maybe like this one?” I show her the color I have in mind. “Levi bought this adorable stuffed elephant for Munchkin, so now I’m kind of thinking of running with the theme since it’s pretty gender-neutral.”
“That’s so cute. Levi will be an amazing big brother.”
“I know, right?” A smile spreads over my lips. “He’s so excited about the baby.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. That boy is born to be a big brother. He’s a caretaker just like his daddy.”
The image of Blake’s serious face inches away from mine as he held me in his arms while I had a panic attack the other day flashes in my mind. He was a caretaker, all right. He made me feel safe, unlike anybody else. He made me want to let go and lean on him, although I knew better than to rely on others because, like it or not, people left, and yet…
I bite the inside of my cheek. I could see him, clear as day, the determination written all over his face, but then his eyes turned that stormy gray color, and I could have sworn that he was going to kiss me. And I wanted it. I wanted it so badly.
“So… How are things going with your baby daddy?”
“Umm…” I blink, pushing the thoughts of kissing Blake out of my mind. “Fine.”
“Just fine?” Becky arches her brow, her grin growing wider. “Because a moment ago, you had that look that would suggest something’s going on.”
Shit, I was so caught.
“You’re imagining things.” Color starts rising up my cheeks, so I turn my back to her and shift my focus on the samples once again. “We’re just two friends trying to figure out how to navigate this mess we’ve created. What about this one? Maybe the first one was a bit too dark.”
“Savannah…” Becky starts but is quickly interrupted by Malcom.
Thank God.
“Did you ladies find what you wanted?” he asks, glancing between the two of us.
“I think so.” Becky’s eyes narrow, letting me know this is far from done, but I’ll take any reprieve I can get. “I’m debating between these two shades of gray. I worry the darker one could be a bit too dark for the nursery, then again, the furniture is white so…”
“Did you think about adding wallpaper, maybe?” Malcom waves us over. “We don’t have many options for children’s rooms, but I can show you what our supplier has available online, and we could order some for you.”
We follow him to the front of the store. He turns his laptop and opens a browser, pulling up a page, so I move closer.
“They have some really amazing options,” Malcom explains, his shoulder brushing against mine as he points at the screen. “Do you know what you want? They have stuff for both girls and boys so?—”
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “I actually don’t know what I’m having.”
Malcom glances at me, his brows raised. “Really?” He winces and shakes his head. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to probe. My sister was pregnant a couple of years ago, and she had this big ass party to find out with all of our family. I didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, but hey, she was happy so…”
“No fussing over here.” I rest my hand on my bump. Munchkin was quiet, then again, this baby was a night owl. “I just want Munchkin to be healthy; that’s the only thing that matters.”
“Munchkin, huh?” He grins at me. “That’s a cute nickname.”
“Thanks.” I glance at the laptop. “Do you think we can find something neutral? Maybe with elephants?”
Malcom blinks and quickly nods. “Elephants, sure, let’s see… How about this?”
The bell rings as I lean down to look at the small details on the image. Elephants were scattered around in the sky in different poses, some were sleeping, others playing, and one even had a balloon tucked in its trunk.
“This one is adorable,” Becky says, just when I feel a hand slip around my waist.
“What is?”
The familiar, deep voice has the hair at my nape prickling at attention.
“Blake!” I look over my shoulder, and my heart does a somersault when I find Blake’s face only inches from mine. “Wh-what are you doing here?”
Blake’s eyes take me in quietly, an unreadable expression on his face. His palm slides over my bump, and almost immediately, I can feel a soft kick. And I’m not the only one.
The corner of Blake’s mouth tips up as he rubs his thumb over the spot, almost in a greeting. “I guess somebody missed me.”
His excitement is palpable, and I can feel the warmth spread inside my chest. How could anybody take this away from him? I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it.
“We went to get ice cream, but then—” Levi chimes in happily, but Blake interrupts him quickly. “Then I saw the store, and I figured I’d grab some sandpaper and check out what colors they have for that dresser you wanted repainted for the nursery.”
My lips part in surprise. “Oh, that’s…”
“No.” Levi shakes his head before I can finish, drawing my attention. “We saw Sav through the window, and you?—”
“Wanted to say hi,” Blake finishes once again. “Which is good because look at this, she found elephant wallpaper.”
Becky snorts loudly. My attention darts to her to find an amused expression on her face at Blake’s clear attempt at distraction. But what did Levi have to say that Blake wanted to hide? It didn’t make any sense.
“I wanna see!” Levi exclaims as he rushes for the counter.
Before I get a chance to move, Blake’s hand around me tightens, my back plastering to his strong chest as he pulls me out of the way.
Just friends? Becky mouths, her smirk growing bigger.
I press my lips together, feeling the heat rise up my neck, but I don’t say anything. What was there to say? We were friends. We certainly weren’t a couple. It didn’t matter that my body got all tingly at even the smallest of touches and that I dreamed of him kissing me again. It was these damn pregnancy hormones. That’s all.
Besides, starting something more would only make this whole situation even more complicated, and we have enough complications as it is.
“They look like the one I got for Liam!” Levi’s whole face lights up.
“Liam?” I repeat, my brows pulling together as I glance to Blake, who just shrugs, clearly as clueless as me.
“My baby brother, duh.” Levi rolls his eyes exaggeratedly, making us all burst into laughter. Levi blinks. “What? You said I can pick up the name.”
“You get to help pick out the name,” Blake corrects.
Levi crosses his arms over his chest. “Liam is a nice name. Like Levi.”
“Don’t listen to them.” Becky ruffles his hair. “Liam is a kickass name.”
“You said ass, Aunt Becs!” Levi giggles.
Becky leans down and whispers conspiratorially. “Don’t tell your dad.”
Levi makes the motion of zipping his lips, still grinning as Becky lifts her hand for a high-five.
“Corrupting my kids,” Blake huffs and shakes his head.
Becky rolls her eyes. “As if that’s necessary when they were surrounded by football players.”
“Do I need to put you two in time-out?” I raise my brow at the two of them. They were worse than a group of first graders.
Levi’s eyes widen. “Uh-oh, you’re in trouble.”
The corner of my mouth twitches at his serious expression, but before I can say anything, a throat clears, reminding me that we’re still in the store.
“You want me to order the wallpaper?” Malcom asks. “It might be a couple of weeks, though.”
“Sorry, yes, that should be fine. And I’ll get some of that gray paint we talked about.”
“Sure, you want me to deliver it to your place?”
“We can grab that now,” Blake interjects. “And I’ll need some of that sandpaper, primer, and some paint for wood.” He glances down at me. “Do you want to keep the original color?”
“Umm… Yes.”
Blake nods. His hand lingers on my stomach for a second longer before he pulls it back. “I’ll go and grab it. Where is the paint?”
Malcom takes Blake to the back of the store, Levi at their heels. Which leaves me alone with Becky, who’s grinning knowingly.
I shoot her a warning glare. “Don’t you start.”
Becky’s smile grows wider. “I didn’t say anything.”
I roll my eyes at her because we both know that’s bullshit if I ever heard one. There was no stopping my friend when she set her mind on something.
“I’ve gotta go now. Miguel’s in Austin, and I still have to stop to check in on Chase before this little one wakes up.” She pulls me in for a hug. “Tell yourself what you want, but there is nothing friendly about the way that man holds you, Sav. And he sure as hell didn’t come to pick out the colors. He came because he was jealous.”
Of course she couldn’t let it go.
I swallow hard as Becky pulls back and gives me one last knowing look before waving goodbye just as the footsteps come closer.
I turn around in time for Levi to come running back, his arms wrapping around my legs. “Daddy let me pick the color.”
“Did he?” I ruffle his hair and look up just as Blake and Malcom come from behind the shelves.
Blake’s eyes land on me, his brows pulling together. “No Becky?”
“She had to leave. Did you get everything?” I reach for my bag, but Blake’s eyes narrow, a soft growl coming from deep in his lungs.
“Blondie, I think I’ll need to put you in time-out.”
I open my mouth to protest, but the look he shoots my way has me reconsidering. Sighing, I let my hands drop. “Okay, okay. I’m not even going to look at it.”
Blake just stares at me for a moment longer as if he’s waiting to fight me, but when he realizes I’m serious, he walks around me, his body brushing against mine as he leans down and whispers, “Good girl.”
His husky voice has a shudder run down my spine.
If the man knows the effect he has on me, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he walks to the counter, where Malcom runs our order.
“Where is your car?” Blake asks as we leave the store.
“I took a walk.”
My doctor suggested that I should consider doing some light exercise since it helps with gestational diabetes, so I’ve been trying to go on a walk at least once a day.
Blake nods in understanding, his hand slipping to the small of my back. “Let’s get you home?”
His warm palm burns through the layers of clothes separating us as he guides me across the street where he parked his truck. He drops the paint in the bed, and we huddle inside.
The drive back home passes quickly, Levi’s cheerful chatter filling the space all the way back home.
“You go inside, and I’ll be back in a few. I’m just gonna drop these off at Savannah’s, okay, buddy?”
“But I wanna go with you,” Levi pouts.
“Well, you need to go home and take a shower since tomorrow is a school day.”
He huffs and stomps his foot. “I don’t wanna go to school if Sav’s not there. It’s boring.” Those innocent gray eyes turn toward me. “When are you coming back?”
“I’m actually returning tomorrow.”
“For real?”
A smile spreads on my lips. “For real. So I’ll see you then?”
“Yes!” Levi fist pumps excitedly. Before I get to react, his arms wrap around me in a quick hug, and he dashes into his house, yelling over his shoulder, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Blake shakes his head. “I swear that kid likes you more than he likes me.”
“He does not,” I protest as we go to my house. I pull out the keys and let him inside. “You can just drop them somewhere here. And once again, thank you so much for buying them.”
“You don’t have to keep thanking me, you know that?” Blake walks past me. “I’m doing it because it’s for us. Munchkin is our baby. Besides, remodeling keeps me busy.”
My gaze darts down his muscled back, watching the way his bicep flexes while he holds onto the can of paint—the way those gray sweatpants molded to his thighs and ass.
He shouldn’t look that hot doing something so mundane, right?
“I actually wanted to talk to you about something.”
Blake turns around to face me. My cheeks heat under his watchful gaze at being caught staring.
“Umm, y-yes. Sure.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “What’s up?”
Something about the way he was looking at me had the hair on my neck prickling at attention.
“I’m leaving?—”
I blink, unsure if I heard him correctly.
He’s leaving?
My pulse speeds up as I just stare at him, his mouth is moving, but I can’t hear a word he says from the buzzing in my ears. There is only the loud echo of my frantic heartbeat in my eardrums.
Where?
Thump-thump-thump.
When?
Thump-thump-thump.
He couldn’t be leaving.
Thump-thump-thump.
He said he’ll be here for me and the baby.
He promised.
People lie.
“Blondie.” Calloused palms cradle my face, snapping me out of my thoughts. Blake tilts my head back, his serious eyes fixing on mine. “What’s going through that pretty head of yours?”
“Nothing.” I look away, or at least I try to, but Blake’s not budging. “It’s fine. You can go. I was determined to do this on my own any?—”
“On your own?” His brows pull together. “What are you talking about?”
What am I talking about?
“You leaving. It’s fine.” I nod decisively, pressing my lips together. I will not break. Not yet, anyway. So what if he was nice this whole time? Trying to convince me that we’d find a way to make this work, and I started to believe him. I shake my head. “I’ll be fine. You can leave.”
“I hope so, but if something happens, I want you to call me. I’ve been pushing this trip off, but they’ve been riding my ass trying to get me to come. I don’t like the idea of leaving you after the hospital scare from last week, but it’s just a couple of days, and I’ll be barely two hours away, so if something is wrong, call me .”
“Two hours—” I blink, my cheeks flaming hot in mortification as his words settle in. “ Oh .”
He was leaving.
To Austin.
Because of work.
Can the earth open up just about now and swallow me whole?
“Blondie?” Blake’s eyes narrow. “What did you think I was saying?”
“Nothing,” I mutter, trying to pull back, but Blake’s hold on me tightens.
I can see the realization slowly dawn on him. His lips press into a tight line, a muscle in his jaw ticking. He’s clearly unhappy, and there is no escaping the twinge of guilt inside my stomach.
I was the one responsible for putting that expression on his face, and I didn’t like it. The last few weeks he’s been trying so hard to make this thing between us work, to help me overcome my fears, and reassure me he is here for me and our baby. And what did I do the first chance I got? Let my past take over and jump to the conclusion.
Tears burn my eyes, so I bite the corner of my mouth.
Blake’s calloused fingertips slide over my cheek, snapping me out of my thoughts. His expression turns gentler. “I’m here for good, but I have to do this.”
“Of course. You didn’t have to push it back on my part. I’m fi?—”
“Hell, yes, I did,” Blake grits, some of that temper rising to the surface. “Dammit, Savannah. You’re more important to me than work, don’t you see that? I’m falling for you.”
My heart skips a beat, my lips parting as his words echo in the quiet.
He didn’t say what I think he just said…
But he did.
I could see it. It was written in the determined set of his brows and the taut line of his mouth. He meant every word.
“Blake, I…”
I’m falling for you.
“Fuck, I didn’t want to say it like that.” Sucking in a long breath, he shakes his head and leans down. For a second, I wonder if he’ll kiss me, but he just presses his forehead against mine. “You don’t have to say anything back. Just… Just listen, okay? I’m not going to leave you alone after you’ve been in a hospital. Not simply because you’re the mother of my child but also because the thought of leaving you makes me physically ill. The idea that something could happen to you, and I’m not there… I get that you’re afraid, and that people disappointed you in the past, and it’s something that you won’t get over so quickly, but I need you to give me the benefit of the doubt. Okay, baby?”
“I know.”
Rationally, I knew it.
I believed him.
But my mind, my heart…
Maybe I’ve just been burned one too many times.
I’m falling for you.
Would he mean it if I couldn’t get over this fear? Would he stay if I unintentionally pushed him back one too many times because I’ve been hurt by other people?
“I don’t think you do.” He pulls back, his lips brushing against my forehead. “But it’s okay. I’ll repeat it as many times as I need until you actually believe me. Better yet, I’m going to show it to you.”
I swallow hard. “A couple of days?”
“Yeah. I have to do this commercial stuff and check in with my accountant and real estate agent. I’ll probably stop by the facilities to see the team since it’s been a while.”
“What about the boys? Are they?—”
“The boys are staying here. Mrs. Maxwell will be with them until I come back, which will be in no time.”
No time, right. Because it’s just a couple of days.
Two days.
And then he’ll be back.
“Two days, Blondie.”
“Two days.”