Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Lainey
I pulled into Ty’s driveway. His cruiser was parked out front, but I wasn’t sure if his personal vehicle was in the garage, so I got out to look. Peering inside the garage windows, I found an empty space where his small truck would have been parked. Damn it.
He wasn’t at work, but he wasn’t at home either.
I felt another flutter in my lower abdomen that nearly took my breath away. I wasn’t sure if it was the baby’s way of telling me I was doing the right thing, but when I saw a cardinal fly into the bushes next to Ty’s porch—
I pulled a small notepad and a pen from my purse and began to compose a short message. It seemed more personal, and offered proof I’d actually stopped by, to leave him a handwritten note rather than send a text. I’d just tuck it between the storm door and his front door.
As I was scrawling a few words, another car pulled in behind mine. But it wasn’t a truck.
I recognized Dr. Jones when she stepped out of her Mercedes wearing a well-tailored navy pantsuit with a white, blue and lime-green silk scarf around her neck. Her hair was slicked back, with a crown of dark corkscrew curls perched on top. She always looked so elegant.
“Dr. Jones,” I waved to her, “hi, how are you doing? Ty isn’t here apparently. I was just leaving him a note.”
“Ah, okay. I usually stop by on Tuesday evenings on my way home from work.” Then concern clouded her features as she looked at me. “How are you doing, my dear?”
My hand instinctively went to my belly. “Oh, I’m…uh…” A smile grew on my face. “Well, I think I’m going to be looking for a pediatrician in about five months. Know any good ones?”
She laughed. “I know one or two.” She gave me a wink. “I should have reached out to you sooner, Elaine. I’m so sorry about Noah. I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through. Ty is all sorts of torn up, and he wasn’t married to him.”
I bit my lip. “They were really close, though. They had a special bond.”
“I believe that.” She pressed her hand to her heart. “Why don’t I give Tykari a call and see when we can expect him? We can wait together.”
“Oh,” I shook my head, knowing I needed privacy for the talk I wanted to have with him—actually, her seeing me here wasn’t the best idea, “it’s okay. I can just come back another time, I—”
But she already had her phone out and pressed to her ear. Damn, she was fast.
“Oh, you’re at Diane’s house? Well, what a coincidence.” She paused and walked away, out of earshot.
As soon as she said “Diane,” my heart revved up. Did she mean by mother-in-law? I racked my brain trying to think if Ty had any aunts or other family members named Diane. I wasn’t coming up with anything.
After she hung up, she turned to me. “I have a key. Let’s go wait inside, shall we? I can make some coffee. Besides, it’s cold out here.” She shivered a bit and jingled her keys. Her gold keychain was engraved “Alana Jones, MD” with the caduceus medical symbol underneath.
There didn’t seem to be any way to get out of this now. Maybe we could just come clean to his mom. She was a reasonable person—or at least she seemed to be.
I didn’t know if the flutters in my stomach were the baby or nerves.
I supposed it didn’t matter—this was all coming to a head now.
And I wasn’t leaving without Ty knowing, no matter whose baby this was, I wanted him to be their daddy.
And my partner.
We’d figure out the rest later. Our families would just have to get over it.