Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 540(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Thirty seconds later, we pulled around the back of the bar into Brock’s driveway. Seeing a statuesque blonde at the top of the stairs, with her beautiful, long hair flowing down her back, put a dent in the cocky armor I’d slipped on only a minute ago. If Nina was that attractive from this view, I dreaded seeing what she looked like from the front.
Brock cut the engine, and the woman turned.
My jaw dropped immediately. And it wasn’t because she was beautiful.
Actually, she might’ve been Miss America for all I knew, but I never made it up to her face. Because her enormous belly stopped me in my tracks.
My throat grew tight.
Oh.
My.
God.
My heart had been speeding since I’d read this woman’s message in the truck, but now it pounded like it was trying to escape from my chest. I swallowed. “Brock, when did you two break up? How long ago?”
When no response came, I managed to unglue my eyes from the big belly long enough to look over at Brock. His face mirrored mine—pale with a gaping jaw. “We split up at the end of September.”
I used my fingers to do the math, and when my ninth finger went up, I felt my heart shatter into a million little pieces. “Brock…”
He shook his head. “It can’t be. It fucking can’t be.”
Tears filled my eyes.
He unbuckled his seatbelt. “I need to know what the fuck she’s doing here.”
But I already knew. And deep down, he probably did, too.
Brock opened the driver’s side door and jumped out. He looked back at me. “You still want to come with me?”
But all of my bravado had crumbled. I shook my head.
“You sure?”
A tear slid down my cheek.
Brock closed his eyes. “Don’t go there yet, Red. We need to stay positive. I’ll be back soon.”
CHAPTER 21
* * *
Brock
“Hi.” Nina smiled nervously as I walked up the stairs to my apartment.
“What are you doing here?” I asked as I reached the landing.
She looked down at the truck parked in the driveway. “Is she your girlfriend?”
“Does it matter?” I took a steady breath, trying to keep my tone even when all I wanted to do was scream my head off. But I couldn’t, not at a pregnant woman. “Why. Are. You. Here?” I asked again.
“Do you think we can go inside to talk? I really need to use the bathroom.”
I just wanted her to say whatever it was she’d come to say—namely, that it wasn’t my kid in her belly—and get the hell out of here so I could put this nightmare behind me and get back to my day with February. But Nina put her hand on her pregnant stomach, and there was no way in hell I could say no.
I unlocked the door and pushed it open for her. “You know where it is. I’ll be back in a minute.”
Once Nina went inside, I walked back down the stairs to the truck. I was relieved February was still inside. She rolled down the window, though she didn’t say anything.
“She needed to use the bathroom. I’m gonna talk to her inside for a minute, if that’s okay with you.”
February shrugged. I figured that was the best I could hope for under these circumstances.
“I’ll make it quick.” I turned back as I walked away. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
At least she nodded that time.
Inside the house, Nina was still in the bathroom. Oak paced back and forth outside the door. He looked as confused and upset as I felt, so I let him out the back door so he could go down to the fenced-in yard.
Nina came out of the bathroom and glanced around the living room. She smiled. “Nothing’s changed.”
I looked down at her stomach. “I’d say something has.”
She looked anywhere but at me. “Do you want to go for a walk or something? Maybe take Oak? He looked like he could use some air.”
“I’m not feeling much up for a stroll.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I snapped. “What the fuck, Nina?!” I yelled. “Whose kid is that?”
She jumped and started to cry. “Yours! It’s yours.”
It felt like someone had whacked me in the stomach with a baseball bat. I staggered three steps back. “How is that possible?”
“I’m due in less than a month, and we broke up a little over nine months ago. I haven’t been with anyone else since before I met you, so there aren’t any other possibilities.”
“If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me?”
“I’ve been trying to call you for almost a month. You wouldn’t return my calls.”
“A month? Don’t you think I should’ve known about this a little fucking sooner?”
She looked down for a long time. “I’m sorry. I really am. I didn’t find out until I was three months along because I have an IUD, and I don’t really get a period. When I took a test and it came out positive, I needed some time to figure things out. I never really wanted children, but I thought being pregnant would warm me up to the idea, that a little time would help me to settle into impending motherhood.” She took a deep breath and finally looked up. “But I haven’t, Brock.”