Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
GEORGIA
“Are you sure you don’t want to go out for dinner tonight?” Presley asks. “It feels like we haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I saw you out at the barn yesterday. Besides, my feet hurt and I’m ready to get home and get these boots off.”
“Ugh. Fine. But maybe we can do something next week?” she asks.
“That should work.”
“Okay. Love you, babe.”
“Love you too.”
I end the call and toss the phone into my front seat.
A wave of exhaustion rolls over me. I stayed far too late at the ranch tonight, finishing up my notes for my substitute while I’m out.
I’ll be meeting with them after the holiday and want to make sure they’re up to speed on all the kids.
It’ll be an adjustment for them, but I have a feeling they’ll like Gail.
Only seven more weeks to go. Not that I’m counting, but seven weeks.
I don’t know if I’ve ever been more uncomfortable in my life. I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen my feet, and the way this baby is dancing on my bladder at all hours makes doing anything impossible.
I start my truck and head to Grant’s. Ever since moving in with him, I feel like I see him less and less.
I think the stress of the baby coming is finally getting to him.
The past few nights he’s locked himself in the nursery.
I know he wants to make sure it’s perfect, but I don’t care about that anymore. I’d rather spend my nights with him.
I know he had a late meeting with his managers to discuss some offseason training, so I call the Emporium and place an order to grab on my way home. Thankfully, Amy picks up and offers to bring it out to me when I get there.
Getting in and out of the truck is the hardest. Nothing to make you feel bigger than you are than trying to squeeze in behind the steering wheel.
“I threw in some extra bacon for Grant, and an order of home fries for you,” Amy says, passing the bag through the window.
“You’re a saint.”
“You take care of that baby now. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Thanks, Amy.”
She hurries inside, and I quickly roll up my window as the cold nips at my face. I drive the short distance to Grant’s—well, our place now—and head inside.
Opening the door, I find Grant scrubbing at the countertop.
“Hey.”
His shoulders are bunched up near his ears. That can’t be good. “Hey.”
“Is everything okay?”
I toe off my boots before walking into the kitchen and setting the plastic bag down on the freshly cleaned counter.
“We need to talk.” A wrinkle creases his forehead.
“What’s wrong? Is Luke okay?”
“Luke is fine, but it’s about him.”
“Tell me,” I urge.
“He wants to go back to LA.”
The news settles between us as Grant stares at me. Luke was all set to leave next week for the holiday, but I have a feeling it’s going to be a longer trip than that.
One with no return ticket.
“What? Why? I thought everything was good.”
“I did too. But he said he talked to his mom and she won’t be traveling, so he wants to go back to his old school.”
“But the school year already started here,” I say, like it’s a done deal.
Why would he want to change schools in the middle of the year?
“He kept calling LA home.” The pained look on Grant’s face gives way to one of torture, like this is the worst possible scenario. “He wants to go back to his old school with his old friends.”
“Doesn’t he have friends here?” I ask. “He’s always going over to what’s-his-name’s house.”
Bad time to forget his name, but baby brain is real.
“Josh.”
“Right. Isn’t he friends with him?”
“Yeah, but he misses LA. I mean, what can I say? We’ve been here since the summer and he’s given this place a shot. He wants to go home.”
Ice spreads through my veins. “Okay. When would he leave?”
“We’d leave next week when he planned on going.”
“We?”
I suck in a deep breath, not liking where this is going.
“I can’t let him go on his own. I don’t trust that Kari isn’t going to pull some stunt on him and end up leaving again.”
“Have you talked to her?”
I drop down into the barstool, afraid my legs will no longer hold my weight.
“Briefly. She said she wants him home with her.”
“But why do you have to go?”
“He’s my son, Georgia. I can’t leave him.”
The wind leaves my sails. “And what about him?” I point to my belly. “Does he not count because he’s not here?”
“Fuck,” Grant mutters. “That’s not what I meant, Georgia.”
“Then what did you mean?”
I’m trying not to get annoyed with him, but I am.
“What if something happens when he goes there? I need to be there for him. He needs me.”
“I need you, Grant. We both do.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose, a pained look on his face. “Georgia, I don’t know what to do.”
“It seems like you’ve made up your mind.”
Grant walks around the counter and grabs my hands. “I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t let him go on his own.”
“How long would you be gone for?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t figured that out.”
“Would you be back in time for the baby?” I ask.
The thought of doing this alone scares me. I remember that conversation with him well. Not knowing if he would be in this with me or not. Back then, I was fine doing this on my own.
Now? I don’t know how I’ll cope if Grant leaves. More like when now.
“I hope so.”
“You hope so? Grant, you told me you were all in.”
“I am.” He squeezes my hands, but I pull them back. “But I have to make sure Luke is okay too.”
“What if it takes him longer to adjust than you thought? Are you just going to abandon your job here? Me?”
“I don’t think it will come to that.”
“But you don’t know.”
“Look, Georgia, I’m—”
“Save it.” I throw my hands up and shimmy out of the seat. “You told me you would be here for me, and you’re not. It’s fine. Your priority is Luke. But if you’re not going to be here, I have to make sure my priority is the baby.”
“Don’t do this, Georgia. You know I love you and the baby.”
“But not enough to stay.”
“What if something happens to Luke because his mom flakes? I can’t leave him stranded there.”
His words follow me as I walk back to put my boots on. A pain lances its way through my heart.
Grant told me he was all in. I believed him. He kept showing up for me when no one else in my life has.
Now, he’s backtracking just as fast.
“Then be there for Luke, but I can’t be here. Not right now.”
“Georgia, please.”
“I can’t, Grant. If you’re leaving, staying is only going to make things harder.”
“I love you, Georgia.”
Emotions are swimming in his voice, but I can’t pay attention. It’s taking everything I have to remain upright. When all I want to do is collapse into his arms and have him tell me it’s going to be okay.
But it’s not.
He’s going back to LA and I’m staying here.
Another person who is leaving me. The one person who said they wouldn’t leave me.
I have no idea what I’m going to do.