Chapter 7
Reagan couldn’t believe how fast things had changed in the course of a few hours.
Indio showing up at the carousel and being so dang sweet was just what she needed to take the weight off her shoulders.
She’d literally just discovered her pregnancy that morning, but she’d been torn about what to do with that knowledge.
And talking to her mom had been a bust, of course, but she’d expected that.
What she hadn’t expected was Indio’s response to the news.
The one thought that had fleetingly passed through her mind as she’d driven to the park with her cousins was that Indio might just stick around with her because of the baby.
And she didn’t want a guy to be with her out of obligation, she wanted him to want her , and for the baby to be a sweet surprise.
Turned out to be exactly how Indio acted. He’d sought her out, not because he wanted another tumble in the proverbial sheets, but because he wanted to be with her.
She could practically feel a connection between them, which was strange. She’d never felt so close to a guy she hardly knew before, but it felt like they’d known each other forever.
After dropping off the monsters, she picked up a few things at the grocery, deciding to go all domestic-goddess for the evening. Cooking for other people was one of her favorite things to do, and she was excited for a chance to cook for him.
She put a small chicken in the oven to roast, then fried potatoes and made a pan of cornbread. After putting a pot of green beans on to cook, she cleaned up and put on her favorite pair of jeans and a fitted top that made her boobs look really good.
If she did say so herself.
There was a knock at the door right at six and her heart jumped into her throat.
She glanced down at her belly and smiled.
And then she opened the door.
Her breath actually caught in her throat. She didn’t know that was a thing.
He looked amazing, and seeing him in person made her realize how much she’d actually missed him. Not just the few hours since she’d seen him at the park, but how much she’d denied the feelings she’d had about him since the day they met.
“Hi, beautiful,” he said.
That’s when she noticed what he had in his hand: a very large jar of pickles with a red gingham ribbon.
“You remembered the pickles?” she asked as he handed the jar to her.
“Of course,” he said. “It’s not every day I sit with someone eating a pickle, cotton candy, and peanut butter combo. In fact, I also got you something else.”
He drew his other hand from behind his back and showed her a plastic container. She blinked, unsure if she read the label right.
“Peanut butter and jelly cotton candy?” she asked. “Is that a thing?”
“Turns out, yes, it is,” he said with a laugh. “I mentioned to my mom about your cravings and she told me about a candy shop that sold this kind of thing, and so I went on a hunt and made some calls and found this on one of the beach boardwalks.”
“Holy crap,” she said. She stepped aside. “Come on in. I can’t believe you did that.”
“Finding you cotton candy?”
She shut the door and shook her head. “Yeah. No one’s noticed my weird cravings, but you did right away.”
“I noticed everything, Reagan.” His voice was sincere and she genuinely loved how he said her name. Like it was his favorite word.
She brought him into the small kitchen and set the pickles on the counter, then watched as he opened the cotton candy.
The immediate sweet jelly and peanut butter mixture made her smile, and the taste was incredible.
“It’s like an extra-sweet PB she just watched him move around the kitchen like he intuitively knew where everything was. Then she started talking and she didn’t really stop.
She told him about her busted-up family and her mom’s insistence that all men were dogs and how the baby was less blessing and more burden, which made her wonder if her mom had seen her as a burden.
She certainly didn’t have a relationship with her mom where she considered her a friend.
She was a parent, and the first one to make Reagan feel bad about anything good.
She was thankful for Darla, thankful for her grandma who she missed dearly, and thankful for her friends who’d stepped in as family for her.
He finished the dishes and covered a plate for Darla with plastic wrap.
“Listen,” he said, turning to face Reagan.
“Your mom has a sour look on love because she didn’t get her happily ever after.
But you’re not your mom. And I do believe you would have come to see me about the pregnancy, but you didn’t have time.
It’s not like you’ve known for months and kept it from me.
And the one person in your life—besides me—who should have celebrated your news made you feel bad.
But I won’t do that. I’m so happy. I’m just…
so very happy to be with you right now, and to see you smile and spend time with you.
What happened between us in the park a few weeks ago—the timing was perfect because it brought us together.
You wanted me and I wanted you, and we’re two consenting adults.
I’m not ashamed that my soulmate is a sexy, gorgeous woman who makes me think about the future. And I hope you’re not ashamed of me.”
She rose to her feet and practically threw herself at him.
Emotions rioted inside her, but mostly she was just thankful he was a good guy.
He could have been mad at her, shunned her for the silence of the last few weeks, but instead, he embraced her and welcomed her into his life like they’d never been apart.
She’d never had acceptance like that outside of her best friends.
It was damn special.
“I’m not ashamed of you,” she whispered.
He kissed her forehead. “I wanted you from the moment I saw you, and I still do. You’re the one I want, Reagan, no one else. The baby—our baby—is a sweet bonus, but I’m here right now because I’m already crazy about you.”
This time she did tear up, and she didn’t try to stop them from flowing.
“If I wanted to see you tomorrow morning?” she asked with a rough voice as he brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“Name the time.”
“Eight.”
“How about I pick you up for breakfast?”
“Perfect.”
He kissed her cheek and said goodnight. She watched him until she couldn’t see his SUV anymore, and then she grabbed the plate of food he’d put together for Darla and hustled over to her house.
“I saw you had a handsome visitor,” Darla said when she opened the door.
“He’s very handsome,” Reagan said.
She followed her into the house and set the plate in the microwave to reheat, then put it on the table for her friend. As Darla sat down at the table to eat, Reagan filled her in on everything that was going on, including all her worries and her mom’s behavior.
“Well,” Darla said, cutting up the chicken, “I just want to tell you congratulations first. A child is a wonderful blessing and I’m so happy for you. I’ll knit you a blanket! Whatever colors you’d like.”
“Thanks, Darla.”
“And as far as your mom goes, she’s jaded on love. Your grandma always said so. Some people can get over broken hearts and find new love, but your mom is living in the past and that’s her burden to bear, not yours. So you just take everything she says with a very large, huge grain of salt.”
Reagan chuckled. “I will.”
“And as far as your handsome gentleman caller—and the father of your baby—goes, you’re glowing, honey, and it’s not the pregnancy.
It’s okay to let love come as it will. Fast, slow, sudden…
it’s all good. Don’t fight it. Kick that voice in your head telling you things will fall apart into the corner and tell it to be quiet.
You can have love, you can have a happily ever after. You deserve it, Reagan.”
She reached across the table and covered Darla’s frail hand with her own and smiled. “I really needed to hear all of that, thank you.”
“You know,” she said with a secretive smile, “Darla is an excellent name for a baby girl.”
“What if it’s a boy?”
“Dar lo .”