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“Aren’t you?” He gave her a level look. “Because I think that’s what all of this is coming from. Not fear that something’s wrong. I’m sure you have that, of course. But I also think you’re worried what Mike will say. And Brianna. And how Chris will react.”
Kiersten blinked back tears. He was right. Damn him. He was always right, except for one thing. He seemed to think she was worth believing in…and he was wrong. She’d only let him down in the end. “Aren’t you a little bit worried? It can’t all be me.”
“Hell yeah. But I already told my boss, and he’s fine with it.”
She stiffened. “You told him?”
“Yeah, I did.” He frowned at her. “I’m not the type to hide it until I forget it exists. It’s real.”
“I know it is,” she snapped. “But what if they tell Mike before we do?”
“The school board isn’t going to gossip about the love life of a teacher.” He glanced over his shoulder at the house. “They’re fine with it. The only thing we have to worry about now, besides your family, is the basketball team.”
“You mean their parents?”
His shoulders sagged. “Yeah. Their parents.”
“They’ll say you favor Chris.” She took a deep breath, images playing out in her mind. “Chris is going to be benched because they’ll be jealous of him and you living together. Of you being his dad. He’s already got his uncle coaching him. Now he’ll have you, too.”
He laid his hands on her shoulders. “I won’t bench him. If it comes down to it, I’ll step down as coach until he’s in high school.”
What? Quit? He loved that team. Loved coaching. It was the joy of his life. Yet here he was, saying he would quit for Chris. “You’d do that for him?”
“I’d do anything for you guys. You’re my family now. If that’s what I need to do?” He shrugged. “I’ll do it. But I don’t think it’ll come to that.”
Her heart softened toward him even more than it already had, and she swayed toward him. Warning bells went off in her head when his lids drifted shut. As if… She stiffened and scooted back on the seat again. Where it was safer. No kissing. No affection. Platonic. “I hope not. I don’t want you to be forced to quit.”
A brief look of disappointment lit his eyes, but it left just as quickly as it came. “And I don’t want Chris to suffer because we’re a couple now.” He held his hand up when she opened her mouth. “Yes, I know we’re not really one. But it’s easier to just say we are to all the other parents. Don’t you think?”
She hesitated. It did make more sense than spending twenty minutes explaining their situation. “I guess. But I won’t lie to Chris. We’re always honest with each other, even if we don’t want to be.”
“Neither will I. I live by the honesty policy, too.” He squeezed her thighs. “Now stop worrying and get up. Time to go inside.”
“I’ll try not to.” She grabbed his hands, which were still on her legs, and squeezed tight. Even though she knew she should keep her mouth shut, she found herself saying, “What would I do without you?”
“You’ll never have to find out,” he said, his voice raw. And for once? She wanted to believe him. Wanted to trust him and put herself on the line. Dangerous thoughts. “I promise.”
She bit down on her lower lip, fighting back the words that wanted to come out. Words she wasn’t ready to say…and probably never would be. He’d always been her rock—and she’d always taken him for granted. It was time she stopped doing that. “Do you know what? I almost believe you. You make me want to believe you.”
To anyone else, that might sound like an insult. But Garrett knew exactly how hard it was for her to admit that weakness. And he knew it was a miracle. His eyes flashed at her, and for a second she saw behind the calm mask he’d been wearing in front of her. Leaning in, he brushed his lips across her forehead so softly that she almost thought she had imagined it.
When she leaned in closer, he pulled back. “By the time this baby comes out, I’ll make sure you trust me completely. Not just a little bit.”
He stepped back and helped her out of the car with gentle hands. He lingered over her slightly fuller stomach for a few seconds, then dropped his hold on her. She tried to remind herself that trusting him would be stupid. Sure, he’d never done anything to deserve her distrust…but eventually all relationships went to hell. Even the “perfect” ones, as she’d once thought her engagement to Pete had been. It was only a matter of time.
If she wanted this…whatever they had…to work out between them, for them to be some sort of weird, modern family, then they needed to keep a relationship out of this. Then they wouldn’t fail, and her baby would have his father in his life.
“Ready?” she asked all too cheerily, stepping out of his arms.
He nodded. “Yep. Did Mike bring Chris?”
“Yeah.”
Mike came out the door, hopped down the steps and strode down the walkway. “Ar
e you two ever coming in, or did you plan on a picnic?”
“Maybe.” Garrett grinned. “Would it get us away from you? Because if so, I’m in.”
