Eleven.
Maci
I roll over with a stretch, expecting to feel a hard chest beside me, but my hand hits cold, empty sheets. Did he leave? I strain to listen if he might be in the bathroom, but I don’t hear any movement. Sighing, I reach for my phone.
It’s just after nine, and I have an unopened text from three hours ago.
Duke: Good morning, beautiful. I’ve got some work stuff to take care of this morning. Shoot me a text when you wake up. xo
I smile, loving his cliché start to the message and the little ‘xo’ at the end. My joy, however, is cut short by a wave of nausea as I sit up. Ugh. Good morning to you, too, little one.
It’s a slow start getting ready for the day—staying close to the bathroom in case morning sickness decides to take over two days in a row. I manage to put on a pair of jeans and a low-cut, white long-sleeve. I tug Duke’s hoodie over my head for the third day in a row and flip my hair out around me. His strong, masculine scent wafts with the action, and I can’t help the smile that comes to my lips remembering last night.
Last night was…passionate. I’ve never felt so connected to someone. So lost in them in the moment. The way that man kissed me… It was like nothing I’ve experienced. And how he held me after? I hum in bliss just recalling his warm, hard chest under me. The way his arms locked around me, keeping me in place.
I truly felt like he never wanted to let me go.
I wonder if he’d be interested in doing it again? I mean, I did say ‘no strings attached.’ I didn’t say ‘one time only.’
Deciding I need to get out of this stuffy motel room for some much-needed carbs for breakfast—on top of buckling down to plan out my next move—I tug on my boots.
Look for a car? A bus ticket to Alaska?
Or maybe…a job and apartment?
Here?
I stuff my laptop cord inside the pocket of Duke’s hoodie and pull over my coat. I grab my purse, phone, and laptop, and head toward the coffee shop we went to yesterday, with a plan in mind.
It’s a little colder today. The crunch of icy snow beneath my boots is loud, and the crisp December air fills my lungs. It’s refreshing. Although, I can hear Duke now, complaining about me walking. I smile. The very thought of him sends heat to my still-aching core.
I arrive ten minutes later at the quaintest little brick coffee house at the center of town: Cup O’ Joe. I open the door with a classic chime of a bell above me to announce my arrival.
“Maci,” a vaguely familiar voice calls.
I lift my gaze to behind the counter. “Hey, Alison,” I say, walking toward her. It’s not as crowded as yesterday. A few tables full at the most. “You work here?”
“Oh, yeah, worked here for over two years now.” She points over my shoulder. “So does Cassidy, but she’s having a rough morning.”
I thought I recognized her last night, but I’ve never been good with faces. I turn in her direction to find Cassidy wearing a matching apron and work shirt, sitting at the table by the window with her head in her hands. I know that look. Heck, I just experienced it.
Cassidy lifts her head. “Hey, Maci,” she greets weakly.
“Nauseous?” I ask, and she nods. “Same. I’m here for carbs. Did you eat yet?”
She stands slowly, walking toward me. “I tried, but I got a whiff of the egg from the breakfast sandwiches and nearly vomited on a customer,” she tells me, and I bite back a laugh at the visual. “I don’t know if I have it in me today, Alison.”
“I told you to go,” Alison says. “I’ve got it covered here. We’re slow this morning. Call Butch and have him come pick you up.”
I stare at the rustic chalkboard menu on the wall behind her. “Do you have anything with peppermint in it?” I ask.
Alison points. “We’ve got peppermint tea, hot or cold. And a hot peppermint mocha, with or without coffee.”
I smile and glance at Cassidy. “Peppermint helps with nausea,” I tell her, and she perks up ever so slightly. “I’ll take a peppermint mocha frappe. Extra whipped cream and two blueberry muffins.”
“You got it, preggers,” Alison laughs.
“I’ll get the drink, Al,” Cassidy says. “I’m making two. I need to try this. ‘Cause if it works, Butch is buying stock in peppermint.”
I pay, then take the seat by the window to settle in and pop open my laptop.
Cassidy arrives a few minutes later with my muffins and drink, setting it beside me. She plops down across from me with her matching, steaming mug held close. “How are you feeling this morning?” she asks, taking a tentative sip.
“Tired. Nauseous. Hungry,” I say, blowing on the cup and watching the whipped cream melt for a moment before taking a small sip. “The usual.”
She holds her mug with both hands. “Were you okay after last night? I wanted to call you, but Butch said Duke had it covered.”
Oh, he had me covered, all right. “I was a little…caught off guard.”
“Totally understandable,” she says, “but don’t let that cloud your judgment on Duke. He’s an absolute sweetheart. Or Butch. He can be a bit intimidating meeting new people, and it didn’t help he was in a mood last night. Duke and him have been…strained this last week. Butch isn’t handling it well.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Cassidy waves me off, smiling. “Don’t be. You made last night so much better. Definitely lightened the tension between them.”
I take a bite of my muffin; not wanting to be rude, but also too hungry to care.
“So, how long are you in town for?” she asks.
“Wait. You’re traveling alone?” Alison adds, eagerly bouncing to the table to be a part of the conversation. “Where are you going?”
They stare at me with matching eager expressions. “Um, Alaska.”
Alison whistles lowly. “That’s a hell of a drive to be making by yourself. Oklahoma to Alaska? Sounds exhausting.”
I snort. It is—or was?
“What’s in Alaska?” Cassidy asks, leaning forward.
I try to wave them off with a shake of my head. “It’s a long story. I don’t want to bore you with it.” Truthfully, I don’t think I want them to know. Or anyone, for that matter. Well, maybe one person…
They whine in unison. “Please,” Cassidy begs. “I’ve been dying over here for hours. I need the distraction. One pregnant lady to another.”
It’s the third time she’s used that against me. I laugh and take another big bite of my muffin when my phone rings. It’s Duke. I hold a finger up to the nosey bodies watching me and swallow before answering, “Hey.”
“Where are you?” he bites out.
My smile fades at his tone. “I came down to the coffee shop for breakfast. Why?”
“Fuck,” he grunts. His voice fades and I hear him speak to someone. A loud, heavy slam of a door follows. “I told you to text me.”
“Sorry, I got—”
“You scared the fuck out of me, Maci,” he grits. “I’m at the motel now, been banging on the goddamn door worried something was wrong when you didn’t answer. Christ. You could’ve at least texted me you were leaving the room.”
“I—”
“And you walked,” he growls in frustration. “Dammit, angel. It’s below freezing out. There’s ice on the sidewalks, you could’ve—”
“Duke,” I snap. “Will you stop. I got sick this morning before I could reply to you. I was going to text you when I got here, but I got distracted.”
I lift my gaze to Cassidy and Alison sharing a look, beaming at each other. My brow furrows at the strangeness of it. Then Alison swats her friend in the arm, pointing out the window.
We all stare as Duke whips into the parking lot. He throws the truck in park and glares at me through the windshield. He hangs up the phone, kicks open his truck door, and stalks through the front door without taking his eyes off me.
“Hey, Duke,” Cassidy beams.
Alison stands. “Coffee? Two cream, one sugar, right?”
He doesn’t respond, his dark eyes locked on me as he growls, “I told you to call me if you needed anything. You shouldn’t be out walking in this cold, Maci.”
Alison giggles, scurrying behind the counter. “Get him an extra-large,” Cassidy sings, gesturing beside me. “Sit, Duke. Maci’s only been here for like ten minutes. She’s barely touched her muffins.”
Duke rubs his face, sitting beside me. Visibly upset I didn’t tell him where I was. What’s the big deal? I’m a grown-ass woman. If I want to leave my motel room and walk down the street to get a damn muffin, I will.
Is this about last night?
“I’m sorry,” I try again.
“It’s fine. Just…text me next time, okay?” His voice is strained, and his gaze flies over me from head to toe as if to inspect me for damage. “You all right? You got sick this morning?”
I shrug. “Just a little nausea. I’m okay now.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Cassidy chimes in, pulling out her phone. “I better text Butch and let him know I’m feeling better. Maci is a lifesaver, Duke. She told me about this peppermint thing that helps with nausea. The smell alone is helping.”
Duke throws his arm around the back of my chair and abruptly yanks me to him until my side is pressed against him. “Glad to hear it, Cass.”
Alison returns with Duke’s coffee. “Did you want anything else?”
He hands her cash. “I’m set right now, Alison. Thanks.”
She scurries away as a family of four strolls in the door dressed in heavy snow gear.
Duke lifts his chin to my laptop. “The Wi-Fi down at the motel?”
“No, um,” I hesitate, then sigh. No point in hiding it, I suppose. “I was going to start working out a plan. You know, figure out what I want to do with my car and…everything else.”
“Are you still going to Alaska?” Cassidy asks.
Duke’s gaze stays on me even as a heated scowl morphs his features. He turns to aim it in her direction. I don’t take long to study this odd change in his demeanor. He’s clearly bothered by his future sister-in-law asking me this. But why?
“I’m not sure,” I admit, watching for Duke’s reaction out of the corner of my eye. “I’ve got a few options, or ideas rather. I’m just waiting to find out how much the repair on my car might cost me.”
Duke sips his coffee. “I’ll have a quote ready for you first thing tomorrow morning.”
“What are your options?” Cassidy asks curiously.
I take in a deep breath. “Well, I’ve worked out a few… I can stay just long enough to fix my car, then hit the road. Or I can trade my car in and get something else, then go—and that’s assuming I still have a job waiting for me when I get there. Or…I ditch my original plan for a new one and go with fate deciding this is home.”
Cassidy gasps, her hands flying out around her. “Fate all the way.” She smiles brightly, glancing between Duke and me.
Duke snaps his head to me, brow furrowed, jaw tight. But his eyes are soft, filled with emotion. His strong neck works as he swallows thickly. “You…think you might stay?”
My eyes never leave his even as my heart begins to pick up a rapid beat. “I might. I mean, it’d all depend if I could find a job and apartment here.”
“Where were you going to live in Alaska?” Cassidy presses further.
“Extended stay motel until I signed the lease on an apartment.”
Alison scurries back to the table, plopping down beside Cassidy once the coffee shop is vacant again. “What’d I miss?”
“Maci’s trying to decide if she should stay here based on fate with her car breaking down, or keep her plan to go to Alaska,” Cassidy informs her.
“Oh, fate all the way,” Alison says in a duh tone.
“That’s what I said,” Cassidy beams. They share a laugh before eager eyes turn in my direction to await an answer, as if I have it already figured out.
“Like Isaid, I still need to sort out a car, job, a place to live.” I reach for my laptop. “It’s not as easy as it sounds.”
“Is your baby’s father in Alaska?” Alison questions.
I stiffen. My heart rate jumping at the very mention of…him.
Duke huffs in frustration, letting his strong arm drop from behind me to wrap around my waist. A firm clasp of his hand settles on my hip and ass. “You don’t need to answer that, Maci.”
Alison’s face heats from Duke’s burning glare. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“No, um, it’s okay.” I pause. How do I put this? “There was an accident, and he, um—” Guilt chokes me once again at the memory of the last time I saw him. I’ve never seen such anger before. At the time, I didn’t understand how a baby could cause such an uproar in our lives. It didn’t take long for the missing pieces to fall into answers the next day. “He’s…gone.”
Shocked expressions stare at me from across the table.
Duke’s grip on my hip tightens in a silent form of support, and I find myself leaning into him.
Alison holds a hand to her heart. “You’re so brave.”
Cassidy shakes her head. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I’m so, so sorry, Maci.”
My eyes sting as I look away. Their condolences shouldn’t mean as much as they do. I don’t deserve them. If they knew the whole truth, would they still say the same? And brave? I feel anything but brave.
I sip my mug, needing some form of distraction. “Life throws you punches every now and then,” I say, remembering what my grandfather used to tell me. “You have to decide which ones you let knock you down.”
Silence settles over the table for a long moment. “But you’re pregnant,” Cassidy starts, a question in her voice. “What about doctors’ appointments and health insurance? What about all your stuff? Is it already in Alaska?”
“I paid my health insurance through the end of next year, and I’m early enough that I don’t need to make another appointment until I’m thirteen weeks,” I say. “I’ll need to pay out-of-network fees until I officially settle somewhere, but it’s not much. And my belongings are in a U-Haul container, waiting for my call on where to send it once I’m ready.”
Alison gapes. “Wow, you thought of everything.”
“Not everything.” I shake my head with a forced laugh. “I didn’t exactly plan for my car to die on me.”
Cassidy smiles wide. “You could’ve broken down anywhere, and you ended up here. If that doesn’t screamfate, I don’t know what does.”
“There are two things you don’t mess with in life: Mother Nature and Father Fate,” Alison sings, like some all-knowing wise owl.
“Did you just make that up?” Cassidy laughs as Alison nods.
A small smile ghosts over my lips when I lift my gaze to Duke. He’s already watching me with dark, avid eyes. Warmth spreads throughout my chest, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. Does he think I’m crazy letting fate decide? I feel a little crazy even considering it.
The bell chimes as Butch walks in the door.
Cassidy beams at the sight of him. “Aw, honey, you didn’t need to come. I texted you.”
He goes right to her, leaning down for a kiss. “I was already on my way. Are you feeling any better?”
“Yes.” She smiles, gesturing to me. “Thanks to Maci.”
Alison gets up. “Sit, Butch. I’ve got some cleaning to get done,” she says. “You got the front for a bit, Cass?” When she nods, Alison scurries away to the back room.
Butch sits, his gaze flicking between his brother and myself. “Nice to see you again, Maci.” His tone way friendlier than last night. He shifts his attention beside me. “What you got goin’ on today, man?”
Duke glances at me with a slow grin. “Don’t know yet.”
I bite my lip to keep from smiling. “Well, do you have anything you need to do later today?”
Duke leans back in his seat. “Whatever you’re going to ask me will end up what I’m doing. What do you got?”
I scrunch my nose. “Laundry,” I say, and he groans. “I need to get some things from my car, too. But the laundromat is a little far, I didn’t want to walk—”
“No,” he cuts in sternly. “No more walking around today. Not in this cold. Matter of fact, do you own another coat? There are some wind reports coming in for mid-week with a dip in the temp. That worthless coat you got now isn’t going to cut it.”
This man and his vendetta against my coat. “I only have time for one task today after I finish a little research on Whitetail, Montana before my afternoon nausea kicks in. So it’s either laundry or coat shopping.”
“All right.” He scrubs a hand over his scruffy jaw. “We can take your laundry to my mom’s. She’ll do it while we find you a good winter coat.”
Butch chuckles and Cassidy bursts with laughter.
“You’re kidding, right?” I say in disbelief. He can’t actually think that’s a solution. “Duke, I am not taking my dirty underwear to your mother for her to wash for me. I don’t even know her. And please, please tell me you don’t still take your dirty clothes to your parents’ house.”
He scowls across the table at the laughing duo. “There’s no washer and dryer at the rental cabin,” he adds in an attempt to defend himself. “So, yeah, I take it to Ma’s so I don’t have to pay at the laundromat. She doesn’t mind. Folds it and everything.”
I raise a brow. “Seriously, Duke, how old are you?”
“He’s thirty-three.” Butch chuckles deeply. “He’ll be thirty-four in February.”
“Shut it, Butch,” Duke huffs. “You used to wait until you didn’t have a single clean piece of clothing left before you did yours, then Cassidy came around to do it for you. You’d go out and buy a whole pack of new boxers just so you didn’t have to wash any. And don’t even act like you didn’t, ‘cause you told me that yourself.”
Butch glares at his brother.
“Aw, babe,” Cassidy coos, leaning into him. “And you tried to give me a hard time that first day we lived together. Like you really wanted to do it yourself.”
Duke scoffs. “He fooled your ass, Cassidy. He was more excited about you doing his laundry than you cooking dinner.”
“All right, that’s enough,” Butch grumbles. Cassidy laughs, pecking him on the cheek. The second she does, his scowl diminishes, and he’s wrapping an arm around her like she’s the most important woman in the world. And to him, she probably is.
I sigh at the sight.
Duke tugs at my hip, and I look up from his side. His rough, manly cologne floods my senses and sends a dampening heat right between my thighs.
And at the crooked grin on his lips, I know what—or who—I’m doing later.