Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91286 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 456(@200wpm)___ 365(@250wpm)___ 304(@300wpm)
I nearly took a third test when I got home from the Sea Witch after an afternoon of bumbling through paperwork, but distracted myself with the garden instead. That led to sweating under the hot sun, which led to the need to cool down.
But none of these diversions change the fact that I’m as pregnant now as I was this morning.
What do I do?
Do I keep it?
That’s not a question I ever thought I’d be asking myself, but I always pictured reaching this milestone when I was happily married or at least in love, not accidentally and by a guy I barely know.
I need to talk to Gigi is what I need to do. She’s the least judgmental person in my life. She’ll have good advice. I’ll go tomorrow morning. I was planning to anyway.
Right now, though, I need to rinse the briny seawater and clinging sand off before I attempt to make a salad for dinner.
I follow the path to the outdoor shower at the side of the house.
And jump as I come face-to-face with Ronan.
“Hey.” His voice is deep as his gaze drifts over my bikini-clad body. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You didn’t.” I swallow against my suddenly racing pulse, fresh memories of what we did on the tiki cruise yesterday—what I allowed to happen out in public—hitting me like a forceful gulf wave. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought I’d stop in to see you since you didn’t respond to my text.” The corner of his mouth kicks up with amusement.
He’s direct, I’ll give him that. And with everything else going on, I forgot to call Ryan. Shit. I’m a terrible business owner. “I’m glad to hear Katie’s ankle isn’t broken.”
“Yeah. Flying home tomorrow might be a challenge, but she’s got crutches and help.” His pace slows until he stops next to the outdoor shower stall, his polished shoes sending loose gravel skipping. He must have come from work, but his dress shirt is unbuttoned to reveal the delicious ridges of his collarbone and his thick, columnar neck.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel when I ran into Ronan again, given the present circumstance. But now that he’s standing here, he’s as jaw-droppingly attractive as before. And I’m still feeling that physical pull toward him, the urge to be close, that keeps getting me into trouble. In fact, it might be stronger now, this connection I feel. Because we are truly connected, in a way he has no clue about.
What would Ronan do if he knew I was pregnant with his child? Surely he would not be looking at me the way he is—like he’s deciding which string to pull on this bikini. No, he’d likely hightail it out of here as if I were a ticking bomb. And I guess I am. Or rather, this cluster of cells growing inside me is—a bomb that will blow up Ronan’s life as he knows it.
I couldn’t really blame him if he ran—this is not what either of us was aiming for—and yet the thought disappoints me far more than it should.
A furrow wrinkles his brow. “You okay?”
“Huh?” I realize I’m staring at him. I’m always staring at him. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just … today didn’t go as planned.” My entire life just swerved toward an unknown and chaotic road ahead.
“Your captain spilled?”
I frown. What is he talking about?
“Your tiki captain, Jeremy. Did he tell the others they got blacklisted from the hotel?” he clarifies.
“Oh. No.” I pause with the reminder. I hadn’t given that a moment’s thought since this morning. “Jer promised he wouldn’t say anything, but Cody probably will. Who knows when.” Great. Now I get to worry about being pregnant and staffless in high season.
It’s shady beneath the canopy of the trees and beside the house, and a chill runs through me from standing here in a wet bathing suit. I duck past Ronan and drape my towel on a hook before stepping into the shower stall.
“Wish I’d had a chance to punch that fucker in the mouth yesterday,” Ronan murmurs as he sizes up the bamboo walls and river rock floor and the brass taps that give the outdoor shower an upscale feel. Frank cursed those stones while he was installing them like Gordon Ramsay berating his cooking contestants, but the end result is one of my favorite parts of the entire thing.
“Consider yourself lucky. Knowing Cody, he’d sue you. He’ll do anything for a fat paycheck. Trust me, I know. He tried to sell this place out from under me.”
A troubled look flashes across Ronan’s face. “Yeah, well, his source no longer works for Wolf.”
“You fired her? I mean, you figured out who it was?” Which poor, foolish woman joined the ranks of those who fell under Cody’s spell?
“Wasn’t hard. And yes, I did.” More to himself, he adds, “At least I can do that much.”