Текст книги "Easy Charm"

Автор книги: Kristen Proby

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Текущая страница: 13 (всего у книги 14 страниц)

“I doubt it.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a jerk.”

“Oh, come on, sugar. It’s not like he knew you were pregnant and jetted. He didn’t know.”

“I trusted him, Charly. I trusted him with my son, with my heart. I let my guard down, and I don’t do that. I let myself feel something so big for him it consumed me. I knew he would leave eventually, so I put that on me. He didn’t make me love him, but I did all the same. He never said that he wanted to stay, but regardless, he didn’t say goodbye. He didn’t say anything. And I can deal with it when it comes to me, but not when it comes to Sam. Sam idolizes him and Rhys left as if Sam doesn’t matter at all. And that’s bullshit. So he can rot in hell as far as I’m concerned.”

“Gabby, you don’t know why he was called to Chicago, or even if he intends to stay there.”

“Why wouldn’t he stay there? That’s where his team is, his doctors, everything.”

“But until you talk to him, you don’t know. What if there had been an emergency with one of the other players or the coaches? Maybe someone died, or got hurt? Maybe he didn’t have a choice.”

“He hasn’t called once. All he had to do was pick up the phone and explain. He hasn’t. And he took all of his stuff.”

“Your phone has been off for the better part of two days, Gabby. You only turn it on to check messages, which is very unlike you. How do you know he hasn’t tried to call?”

“He hasn’t left a message.”

“Maybe—”

“Look, I appreciate that you’re playing devil’s advocate, but I don’t want to try to guess what he’s thinking. I’m not a mind reader, Charly. And if he’s not going to communicate with me, well, things aren’t going to work out anyway.”

“All I’m suggesting is that you should keep an open mind.”

“So noted.” Keeping my eyes pinned on the iPad, I hear a car driving up the driveway.

“Are you expecting anyone?” Charly asks.

“No. It’s Sunday. The guests are all gone. Someone’s probably lost. It happens all the time.”

The car stops and a man climbs out of it, and my whole world stands still.

“Oh shit,” Charly mutters next to me and is immediately on her feet, pulling her phone out of her bra. “Beau, we need you on the front porch now.”

“Hey, Gabby,” Colby says as he saunters closer. It’s been almost exactly eight years since I saw Colby, and little has changed about him, but as I stare at the man I once foolishly believed I loved, I can’t for the life of me figure out what I found attractive about him before.

“You need to get the hell out of here,” Charly says, her voice hard and mean. But Colby doesn’t even glance at her. He just watches me and continues talking to me.

“You look fantastic. You haven’t changed at all. Your body’s still smokin’, even after having a kid.”

“You’re such a piece of shit,” Charly growls, and suddenly, Beau is with us, coming through the front door.

“Call the police,” he instructs Charly, who steps to the side and does as Beau asks. Without taking his off of Colby, Beau turns to. His face is blank, but his whole body is tight with anger. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

“It’s nice to see you too, Beau,” Colby replies, but he’s still watching me. He’s trying to intimidate me, and eight years ago, it would have worked.

Today, he’s just pissing me off.

“There’s no need to call the police,” Colby continues. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“This is private property,” I reply, speaking for the first time. Thank God my voice sounds strong and unwavering, because I’m pretty sure my stomach is in my throat. My hands are shaking, so I clench them into fists. “My property. And I want you off of it.”

“Yeah, I heard you made this old place into a hotel.” He looks around and nods, as though he needs to give me his approval. “It’s real nice.”

“Cut the shit,” Beau snarls. “What the fuck do you want?”

“I want to see my kid.” Colby smiles innocently.

“You signed your rights away,” Beau replies. “You have no legal right to be here.”

“Yeah.” Colby nods thoughtfully. “I did sign that contract, but I was pretty young, and didn’t understand what I was doing. Especially with you and your bully of a father standing over me. I think I felt threatened. Coerced.” He smiles again, all innocence gone, replaced with nothing but menace.

“Bullshit,” Beau spits out between clenched teeth. “Your own lawyer was with you, you piece of shit.”

“Well, I saw a new attorney,” Colby begins and my blood runs cold. “And he seems to think that I have a case here. That I might be able to appeal and have that contract thrown out.”

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” Charly cries. “You weren’t coerced into anything. In fact, it was probably Gabby who was coerced into having sex with you.”

“Oh no, she was more than willing.” He winks at me, making my stomach roll.

I’m going to throw up.

“I’m going to kick your ass,” Beau says calmly. “Again.”

“I should have pressed charges the first time,” Colby replies. “You broke my fucking ribs.”

“You deserved worse,” Charly says. “I’d like to kick your balls into your fucking nostrils.”

“Wow, violence must run in the family.” Colby smirks. “I wouldn’t want my child to be raised in such a volatile situation. That can’t be good for him.”

“Oh, I’ll show you volatile, you slimy piece of shit.”

I can hear another car approaching, but all I can see is Colby and his cold eyes as they bore into mine.

He’s going to try to take my child from me.

It’ll be a cold day in hell before that ever happens. My family has enough money to destroy him, and Beau and Eli would do it without batting an eye.

A car door slams shut, and Charly whispers next to me, “Oh, shit.”

Now what?

I turn to my left and my gaze collides with bright green eyes.

Shit.

Chapter Nineteen

~Rhys~

I can’t reach her. Now Gabby’s phone is turned off, sending me straight to voice mail.

It pisses me the fuck off.

Chicago has been a flurry of activity since I got to town, and I just got to my hotel. I don’t know anyone else’s phone number, so I call Kate.

“What’s up, buttercup?” she asks as she answers the phone.

“I’m in Chicago,” I reply dryly.

“What?” I hear her chair creek as she sits up straight. “Why are you in Chicago?”

“I forgot about a charity thing I was signed up for and couldn’t back out, so I had to rush out of town, and Gabby wasn’t home when I left so I couldn’t explain.”

“Uh oh,” Kate mutters.

“I mean, I did text her, but now I can’t reach her.”

“What did you say in your text?”

“That I was needed in Chicago and I had to leave.”

She’s quiet for a long moment, and then she sounds exasperated as she says, “That’s it?”

“I’ve been trying to call her, Kate.”

“Idiot,” she mutters, making my jaw tick. “What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go out and see her, tell her what’s up?”

“No, that should come from me.”

“I agree.”

“I’m going to have some groveling to do, aren’t I?”

“Oh yeah. Are you sure you don’t want me to go let her know what’s up?”

“I’m sure. I just want to freaking talk to her, and I was frustrated, so I needed to vent. I’ll be back on Sunday and I’ll grovel.”

“Flowers. Flowers work. And things that sparkle.”

Things that sparkle.

“That’s an excellent idea.”

“Flowers are always an excellent idea.”

“No, the things that sparkle.”

There’s another pause, and then my phone is suddenly buzzing. Kate has switched to FaceTime mode.

“Hey.”

“Are you talking about a necklace, or earrings or something?” she asks with narrowed green eyes.

“Or something.”

“Define something.”

“I love her,” I begin and rub my hand over the back of my neck. “She’s mine, Kate. Forever. There is no one else out there for me.”

“You’re going to buy a ring?” she shrieks.

“Damn right.”

“Rhys, I adore Gabby, and I love you more than almost anyone, but it’s only been a couple of months.” She’s frowning the way she does when she’s particularly worried that I’ll do something to screw up, but I know in my heart of hearts that this is right.

“I knew the minute I saw her,” I admit softly. “It was like I was hit with a jackhammer. She’s everything I’ve ever wanted, Kate. She’s all I’ll ever need. The thought of being without her makes me fucking panic.”

“Wow.” Tears fill her pretty eyes and she gives me a goofy smile. “I’m so happy for you.”

I glance at the time and calculate the couple of hours I have before I have to be on set for the commercial.

“I have to go shopping.” I grin at the woman who’s always been more of a sister to me than anything else. “Love you, kiddo.”

“I want photos, Rhys O’Shaughnessy. You’ll need my input.”

“Good point. Okay, I’ll send photos from the jewelry store.”

“Tiffany,” she insists, pointing at me. “If it doesn’t come in a blue box with a white bow, we don’t want it.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Oh my God, you’re buying a ring!” She does a little happy dance in her chair.

“This is our secret, Mary Katherine.”

“Call me Mary Katherine again and I’ll slash your tires.”

“Promise me you won’t tell. Not even Eli.”

She sighs, blowing her lips together in a raspberry, but finally nods. “Okay, I won’t tell Eli, or anyone else. But make it quick.”

“I’ll see her on Sunday.”

I end the call and rush out of the hotel, catch a cab to Tiffany, and spend the next several hours searching for the perfect ring for my girl. I send several photos to Kate, but each time she replies with a simple no.

And I agree, none of them are right. Finally, the saleswoman, who has been exceedingly patient and kind, says, “Wait, I just saw something come in this morning that might be perfect.” She leaves for several minutes and then returns with the perfect ring.

Perfect.

“It’s vintage inspired,” the saleswoman begins. “That means it has an older feel, almost like an heirloom. As you can see, there is etched scrollwork on the sides, with diamonds, and the stone on top is a princess-cut. It’s three total karats.”

It’s so Gabby. She has such a love for tradition, for older styles. I can just see this on her hand.

“I’ll take it.”

“I didn’t even tell you how much it is,” she says with a chuckle.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s hers.”

***

It’s the second day of filming. I’ve had lunches and dinners and other meetings crammed between shooting short scenes for the commercial for the children’s hospital. And in between it all, I’ve taken time to actually sit with the kids.

They’re the best part.

And they make me miss Sam, and so damn thankful that he’s healthy and whole. Having a very sick child must be its own special kind of hell. I didn’t like it when Sam had the flu. I can’t imagine having a child with cancer.

I can feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but can’t take the time to answer it as I’m once again surrounded by fans and parents of the patients, wanting to say hello and get their baseballs autographed.

When the crowd thins, a petite woman about Gabby’s age approaches me with a shy smile.

“I’m sorry to bother you. My name is Fiona. My son is a huge fan of yours, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to say hi to him?”

“Of course,” I reply with a grin. “Where is he?” I glance around, but I don’t see any little boys nearby.

“He’s in room 432. He’s not well enough to come out here.” She bites her lip, looking hopeful.

“No problem.” I catch Melanie’s attention. “I’ll be back. I have a fan to go see.”

“We’re done here,” Melanie replies with a smile. “No worries.”

I nod and follow Fiona to her son’s room. He’s lying in the bed, hooked up to IVs and other machines that I’m not smart enough to know what their function is.

He’s completely bald. No eyelashes or eyebrows. But he’s smiling widely, and his dark brown eyes, rimmed with dark circles, are overjoyed.

“You talked him into it!” he exclaims.

“I wasn’t a hard sell,” I reply and shake his hand. “I hear you’re our biggest fan.”

“I’m your biggest fan,” he says and tries to sit. “Mom, will you push me up?”

“Sure, buddy.” She pushes a button and his bed inclines. “But you know you can’t stay this way for long.”

“Just for a little while,” he says. “Are you coming back next season?”

“Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“Thank God! They suck without you!”

“Andrew!” Fiona narrows her eyes on her son. “Be nice.”

“It’s okay.” I chuckle and shrug. “I don’t know what to tell you, kid. But I will be back in the spring.”

“Good.”

“How old are you?”

“Seven,” he replies. “I have osteosarcoma in my legs.”

Same age as Sam.

“It means I have bone cancer.”

The fact that a seven-year-old even knows the meaning of the word osteosarcoma makes me sick to my stomach. I sit with Andrew for a long time, talking about baseball and TV shows, and when his eyes are so heavy he can hardly keep them open, I say goodbye, then walk out of the room with Fiona.

“Thank you for that,” she whispers. “He’ll talk about that for the rest of his life.”

“Here’s hoping that’s a very long time.”

She nods, but looks sad when she shrugs. “They’re doing everything they can do. Now we wait and hope it works.”

“Will you keep me posted?” I ask without even thinking. “I’ll give you my email address. I’d like to know that he’s okay.”

She tilts her head to the side, and suddenly she’s in my arms, hugging me tight.

“I will gladly let you know how he’s doing.”

“Thank you.”

When I’m out of the hospital, I pull my phone out of my pocket and find that I missed a call from a Louisiana number that I don’t recognize. When I check my voice mail, I hear Charly’s voice.

“This is Charly. Call me back.”

She doesn’t sound particularly happy with me.

I sit in the rental car and dial her number.

“It’s about time.”

“It’s been a busy day. What can I do for you?”

“You can go straight to hell,” she replies, her voice full of ice. “You’re a real asshole, Rhys O’Shaughnessy.”

“Hold up.”

“No, you hold up. You left without even saying goodbye to either Gabby or Sam. That was an asshole move, Rhys. We all trusted you with them. We believed that you’d be good for them. My brothers let you live.”

“Nice of them,” I mutter, but she doesn’t even hear me; she just keeps going. She’s in ȕber protective sister mode, and she’s on a roll.

“But even more than that, Gabby trusted you. Do you know how hard it is for her to do that? Because she doesn’t do that. And she let you in. She and Sam both fell for you, and you just walked right out of their lives without even a backward glance. I sure as fuck hope you’re a better father than you are a fuck buddy, I’ll tell you that right now.”

“Wait. What?”

Better father?

“Because she doesn’t deserve what she got last time this time around.”

“Charly, stop taking.”

“Don’t you tell me to stop talking! You’re not the one who’s been consoling her since you walked out. How could you do that?”

“I didn’t leave for good! Jesus, is that what she thinks?”

“Of course that’s what she thinks! What do you mean you didn’t leave for good?”

“I had to come to Chicago for a charity thing, Charly. I forgot about it, and had to leave unexpectedly. I’m coming back down tomorrow.”

“Well, thank God. You need to work on your communication skills, Rhys.”

“So does your sister,” I reply. “And what did you mean about the father thing?”

“Oh.” There’s a long pause, full of her mumbling about being stupid, except I think she’s talking about herself this time. “Look, you need to just get back down here as soon as possible.”

“Charly—”

“Seriously. This isn’t my story to tell, Rhys. But you need to be here.”

“I have a breakfast thing tomorrow that I can’t get out of, but I’ll be on a flight right after it’s done. I’ll be there by early afternoon.”

“Good.”

“Is she okay, Charly?”

“She will be,” she replies, her voice much more calm now. “And she would be without you, too. Trust me on that. But I think she’s better with you.”

I’m so much better with her too.

***

It’s a beautiful day in Louisiana. I’ve driven this road a hundred times now, yet it feels like it’s taking me forever to get there.

I need to see her.

When I finally pull into the long driveway, I see Gabby standing on the porch with Charly and Beau, and a strange man standing just off the porch, his hands on his hips, talking to them.

Beau’s hands are fisted, his face tight. Charly is simply scowling.

And Gabby looks terrified.

What the fuck is this?

I rush out of the car and around the house to the porch, my eyes immediately on Gabby. She raises her face to meet my gaze, and she freezes, her eyes widening. She looks shocked to see me.

And not exactly happy.

“What’s going on?” I ask as I climb the stairs and stand next to Gabby.

“That’s the sperm donor,” Charly says, nudging her chin toward the stranger.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, glowering. Beau is almost quivering with rage.

“Who are you?” Colby asks.

“None of your fucking business,” I reply calmly. “But I can be your worst nightmare if you don’t tell me what the hell you want.”

“So many threats around here,” he replies with a smirk. “The judge will love hearing about it when I go to get custody of my kid.”

“What is he talking about?” I stare down at Gabby, then Beau and Charly.

“He’s talking out of his ass,” Beau replies.

“I don’t know why everyone is so surprised I’m here,” Colby says with a shake of his head. “I’ve been telling Gabby for two months that I was coming to see my kid.”

We all stop cold and turn to look at Gabby, who looks ready to tear Colby’s head off.

“You emailed me one time,” she says, pointing her finger at him. “You called me one time, three days ago. I told you to stay away, that you’re not welcome here. Why for the love of Moses would I expect you to show up here? You aren’t welcome here!”

“Wait. You’ve been corresponding?” Beau asks incredulously. “You were told to never contact her again. It’s in the fucking contract!”

Colby shrugs as if it’s all of little consequence to him. I can’t stop looking at Gabby, wondering what the fuck is happening here, and why she never said anything to me.

Two cop cars pull into the driveway and Gabby visibly relaxes when four officers approach.

“What’s going on here?” one of the officers asks.

“This man is trespassing,” Beau replies. “This is private property and he’s not welcome here.”

“Is he acting in a threatening manner?”

“He’s not welcome here,” Beau repeats.

“Looks like you need to leave,” the officer says to Colby, who points at Gabby.

“She’s keeping my son from me.”

“That’s a lie,” Gabby says, hysteria on the edges of her voice. “He has no right to my child.”

“Is he the father?”

“He’s the fucking sperm donor,” Charly says again.

“Do you have a court order saying you can see the child?” the officer asks Colby, who shakes his head.

“No. We were just kids when she got pregnant, and then her brothers and father made me sign away my rights. I mean, they’re rich and really big, and made sure I knew that they’d make my life hell if I didn’t sign.”

“That’s a fucking lie,” Gabby repeats and Beau looks ready to jump off this porch and kick Colby’s ass.

I’ll happy join him. This is the loser who knocked Gabby up? What was she thinking? He’s a smarmy idiot.

“Without a court order, you have no business here. You need to leave.”

“Fine. I’ll go, but I’m taking you to court.” He points at Gabby, glaring at her, and I growl low in my throat. I want to pull his fucking balls out. “I want my kid.”

“You’ll never lay your fucking eyes on him,” Gabby replies firmly. She tilts her chin up, throwing daggers with her eyes. “He’s not your son. He’s nothing to you.”

Good girl.

Colby is escorted off the property and the policemen wait until he’s driven away. When everyone is gone, Charly breathes a huge sigh of relief, and Beau whirls on Gabby, his face furious.

“What. The. Fuck. Gabby.”

“This is not my fault,” she insists, going toe-to-toe with her brother. God, she looks magnificent. I’ve missed her so damn much. I want to carry her inside and protect her from all of this. I want to scoop her up and never let go.

“He emailed you!” Beau yells. “Months ago!”

I tuck Gabby behind me and confront Beau myself. “Don’t fucking talk to her like that. Ever.”

“It’s my job to protect her!” His eyes find Gabby’s, and as angry as he is, he also looks hurt. “I told you to tell me if he ever tried to contact you.”

“I know,” she says.

“Well, why didn’t you?”

“Because I’m not a baby!”

Chapter Twenty

~Gabby~

I can’t believe this is happening. Between Colby showing up, Beau being pissed at me, and Rhys coming back, my nerves are shot.

And I’m royally pissed.

“That’s it?” Beau asks and shakes his head. “You didn’t tell me that asshole was contacting you because you’re not a baby?”

“Stop trying to fix my life!” I stomp away, then back again. “I love you. I know that you think that you have to always swoop in and save the day where I’m concerned, but I’m a grown woman, Beau! I’m not the young girl who got in trouble. I’m a mom. I’m a business woman. I have my fucking shit together.”

“No one said you didn’t,” Beau replies as I walk past Rhys again. He’s leaning against the railing, watching the show. He looks almost casual, but his eyes are narrowed and every muscle in his body is tense, as if he’s ready to spring to my defense any second.

Another man who thinks I need to be rescued.

“Gabby,” Charly says, always the peacekeeper. “We’re a family. We handle these things together. That’s why we’re upset that you never told us that Colby had contacted you.”

“It was nothing.” I tip my head back in exasperation. “It was one email and one phone call. I ignored the email, and when he called I told him to stay the hell away from here. There were no threats.”

“I told you,” Beau begins, his voice calmer now, but he’s so fucking pissed. “I told you to tell me if he ever so much as breathed in your direction.”

“Beau—”

“No. Stop talking and listen to me. Yes, you’re strong. And independent. And you’re a fantastic mom. But Gabby, you can be those things and still allow the people who love you to help you. To have your back.”

I shake my head and look down at my feet. Why don’t they understand?

“I’m so tired of being treated like a baby,” I murmur.

“We’re not treating you like a baby,” Beau says and shoves his hands in his pockets, reminding me of Daddy and Eli. “We would do the same for Charly or Eli. Hell, when Savannah’s world was turned upside down a few months ago, we all rallied around her. We didn’t treat her like a baby. We loved her.”

I blink at him, pissed to feel tears filling my eyes. He’s right.

“Don’t you understand that with one phone call, I can make Colby and all of his bullshit disappear?” Beau’s face is stone-hard. And not a little scary.

“I don’t think he needs to be killed,” I reply with a chuckle and wipe tears from my cheeks.

“We have the best lawyers money can buy,” Beau replies without blinking an eye. “This is nothing but an annoyance. There was no need for you to worry about this all these weeks.”

“I wasn’t—”

“We know you,” Charly says, shaking her head. “You’ve worried. And it wasn’t necessary.”

“We talk to each other,” Beau adds and finally pulls me in his arms for a tight hug, making me cry all over again. Jesus, I’m so fucking emotional when I’m pregnant.

Fuck, I’m pregnant.

“I get it,” I whisper. “I’ll let you know if he ever contacts me again.”

“Thank you.” He kisses the top of my head, sighs, and finally lets me go. “We love you, Gabby. And that has nothing to do with you being the youngest and everything to do with the fact that you’re our sister and one of the best people we know.”

“When you’re not a pain in the ass,” Charly adds. “I’m heading out. I’ll go check on Sam and Mama. I’m assuming you won’t be over for dinner.” She raises a brow and glances toward Rhys, who still hasn’t said anything.

I shake my head quickly. “Thanks.”

“I’ll go in with Charly.” Beau doesn’t move, he simply stares between me and Rhys, and finally says, “Do I need to kick his ass before I go?”

“No,” I reply and roll my eyes. “Just go.”

“Damn, I really wanted to kick someone’s ass today. I should have pummeled Colby before the cops showed up.”

“Goodbye, testosterone man,” I say and push him off my porch, then wave as he and Charly leave.

Rhys silently moves up behind me, but I can feel him. I’m always aware of exactly where he is. He grips my shoulders in his hands, then turns me around.

“We need to talk.”

“I’m all talked out.” I try to walk around him, but he grips my arm and spins me back to face him.

“We need to talk,” he repeats. “About several things. Let’s start with Colby. Why didn’t you tell me he’d been contacting you?”

“Not you too.” I roll my eyes and pace away. “Because when it started, I barely knew you.”

“You knew me pretty well when he called the other day.”

“I had other things on my mind then.”

“Gabby—”

He looks…pissed. “I don’t know why this pisses you off, Rhys. He’s just some idiot from my past.”

“I’m not angry, I’m hurt. Trust me, there’s a difference.”

“Look, I don’t know why you’re back, but I’m not doing this with you right now.” The tears are threatening again, and God, he looks so good I just want to jump in his arms and have him hold me for about a week.

But I’ll be damned if I do that.

“Yes, you are.” His voice is tender now as he cups my face in his big hands and smiles down at me gently. “Fuck, I missed you.”

“Then why didn’t you call me?”

Damn it, I hate that I sound so fucking needy.

“I called you over and over again and I went straight to voice mail. Either your phone was off or you blocked me.”

I shrug and pull out of his reach, not ready for him to touch me yet. “You left.”

“Didn’t you get my original text?”

“Oh yeah, I got it. And then when I got home all of your things were gone. You left.” The mad returns, boosting my confidence, and making me feel better. “You didn’t even say goodbye. You didn’t even say goodbye to Sam. What am I supposed to tell him? He loves you!”

“I love him too.”

Why does he sound so damn calm?

“Well you have a shitty way of showing it,” I reply.

“What about you, Gabby?”

“What about me?”

“How do you feel?”

I love you so much I can’t see straight.

“I’m fucking pissed off at you.”

“Obviously. Baby, why did you think I wasn’t coming back?”

“Don’t call me baby.” I glare at him, and the hurt in his eyes from my words makes me feel like a piece of shit. “Your things were gone, Rhys. You left. And men…” I shrug and look down.

“And men?”

“Men leave.” I raise my head and look him right in the eyes. “Men leave. I don’t trust that any man is going to stick around for any significant length of time, Rhys. Because they don’t.”

His eyes narrow.

“And you know what? I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“What?”

“I call bullshit,” he says and walks toward me. Slowly. Menacingly, and yet so fucking sexy I can hardly stand it. He’s tall, his light brown hair is messy from his fingers, and his green eyes are on fire.

I step back, just as slowly.

“You can call bullshit all you want, but it doesn’t make it false. I was fine before you got here, and I’ll be fine after you leave.”

“I’m not leaving.”

I stop and blink rapidly. “What?”

“I never left for good, Gabrielle. I had a charity thing that I totally spaced because I’ve been so wrapped up in you. I told you, you’ve pushed everything else out of focus for me. I had to rush out of here, and it absolutely fucking frustrated the hell out of me that I couldn’t reach you before I left. And then your phone was off, all fucking weekend.”

Oh. So, pregnancy hormones make me a tad bit dramatic.

Fuck.

He keeps advancing on me, and I continue to back away until my back hits the railing on the far end of the porch, and I have nowhere else to go.

Rhys props his hands on either side of me and leans down until he’s nose-to-nose with me. “I’m so fucking in love with you, Gabrielle.”

“You weren’t leaving?” I whisper, still processing the words that just came out of his mouth.

“That’s all you got out of that?” he asks softly, his eyes searching my face. He’s not touching me yet, and I so want him to touch me. “I’m not leaving you. Ever.”

“Say the other part again, please.” My voice is rough with unshed tears.

“I’m in love with you.”

I bite my lip as one tear falls down my cheek.

“Are you going to say anything?” he whispers and catches the tear with his thumb. All I can do is shake my head. He loves me.“Good, because I have more to say.”

He takes my hand in his and leads me to my swing, gestures for me to sit, then sits beside me. “I’ve done a lot of thinking this weekend. Hell, I’ve been thinking since I got here.”

He smiles tenderly and pushes his fingers into my hair behind my neck, then begins to comb it. God, I’ve missed his touch.

“I really hope you want to stay,” I whisper, so softly I can barely hear it myself. Why am I so scared to tell him what I want?

“I think stay is the most beautiful word there is,” he replies and kisses my forehead.

“But I feel so selfish too,” I admit.

He cocks his head to the side. “Why?”

“Because you’d be changing where your home is, just for me. You’d be changing your life.”

“Gabby, home is wherever you and Sam are.”

I blink at him, stunned. Has anyone ever loved us so fiercely? And how did I miss this over the past few weeks?

“What about baseball?”

“What about it?”

“You’ll be gone a lot of the year for it.”

He nods thoughtfully. “Yes, but the majority of the season is in the summer when Sam is out of school. We are fortunate in that we can afford for you to go with me a lot of the time.” He drags his finger down my temple, then hooks my hair behind my ear. “All you have to do is tell me what you want, and it’s yours,” he continues.

“I want—”

“What?”

I shake my head and look away, but he tugs my chin back, so I have to look him in the eyes. “What do you want, baby?”

“I just want you. And I don’t want you to get mad when I tell you this next thing.”

He exhales slowly, still looking me in the eyes. “I’m not going to be mad.”

I nod and take a long, deep breath. This so didn’t go well the first time. I’m scared to hope that it’ll go better this time, so I clench my eyes closed, terrified to look him in the eyes.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Look at me.”

I simply bite my lip.

“Look at me, Gabrielle.”

I comply and feel the breath leave my body. His green eyes are soft. Tender. And if I’m not mistaken, a little misty.

And his voice is so damn soothing.

“Why in the world would that make me angry?”

“This conversation hasn’t gone well for me in the past,” I reply. “It scares me.”