19
ISLA
“How are you feeling?” Locke asked, his voice gravelly as it echoed through the phone. It sounded like he’d spent the whole day talking, which he probably had with the sheer number of property meetings he’d been taking lately.
“Better now,” I admitted. I’d been finishing up my post-shower routine when he’d called. He usually tried to reach me in the evenings to catch up on our days before we both went to bed.
“Because you’re finally talking to me?”
I caught myself grinning in the mirror at his flirty tone. “Well, obviously. You know how I enjoy our evening catch-ups. But actually, what I meant was that I spent half my day with my head in the toilet because the baby was not happy about something. Thankfully, my stomach seems to have settled now, so I’m in much better spirits.”
I put the phone on speaker so I could unwrap the towel from my hair, scrunching out the last of the water. “I really don’t know why they call it morning sickness if it happens at all times of theday. It’s kind of a downer when you realize you’re still nauseated at three in the afternoon.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you had morning sickness when I texted you earlier?” Locke demanded. “I want to know these kinds of things, Isla. Maybe I could have?—”
“What?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” he sputtered. “Sent you ginger ale or ordered you toast or something.”
I smiled. “No need to order them all the way from Edinburgh when I have both of them at the inn.”
He huffed. “Well, I could have sent Lena to check on you at the very least. She would have been happy to do it, and it would have given me some peace of mind.”
I laughed softly as he trailed off, muttering. “I know you asked them to keep an eye on me, and that was very sweet of you. But you don’t have to bother her or Weston for a little bit of morning sickness. It’s a normal pregnancy thing. It’s not like I spouted gills and purple polkadots.ThatI definitely would have told you about.”
“I just don’t like hearing that you’ve been unwell all day,” he said.
Yeah, well, I don’t much like it myself,I thought but didn’t say. If I complained, Locke would try to fix the problem, and there wasn’t anything to fix here. My stomach was going to do what it was going to do. The only thing I could think of that would really make me feel better would be for him to be here—but that clearly wasn’t an option. Missing him sucked, but it sucked even more when I dwelled on it.
“I think we should just count ourselves lucky that it’s been so sporadic. Apparently, some women get it so badly and so constantly that they have to be hospitalized. But hey,” I said brightly, “if you feel like you’re missing out, you’ve still got the swollen feet, back aches, and indigestion to look forward to.”
Locke chuckled lightly, slightly more reassured. “I see many massage requests in my future. I better watch some tutorials.”
Long-distance massages?I didn’t see how that could possibly work, but I banished that thought as quickly as I had it. Locke would be back. I’d just seen him a few days ago for our first meeting with the midwife at the hospital in Aberdeen, which was the closest maternity care center to Braeburn. Sure, he’d walked in three minutes before the appointment started, eyes glued to his phone, and had to bail as soon as it was done to make it back to the city before a big investor meeting. But he’d still showed up, and that’s what mattered.
Right?
I stroked my belly beneath the oversized shirt I’d stolen from Locke’s duffle bag before he left, then I grabbed my phone, carrying it out to my bed. “How’s your day been?” I asked, changing the subject deliberately.
“Rammed with back-to-back meetings,” he said, sighing heavily. I could tell he was almost as tired as I was. “But all around productive.”
“That’s good, I suppose. Any property updates?”
“Tons,” he said. “We’ve finally confirmed a day for the topographic survey with the site engineer. So that was the big win for today.”
I perked up. That sounded like something that would bring him back to Braeburn. “Are you going to be in town for that?”
“Not this time. I’ve got that meeting with the environmental and sustainability consultant I told you about. Someone on my team will fly out to meet the engineer for me.”
Oh…
“Legal has started drawing up contractor agreements, though,” Locke continued, “so that’s been exciting.”
I set the phone on the nightstand as I pulled down the comforter. “Lena was saying Weston gave you the list of people they used for the camp renovation?”
“Yeah. That was a huge help. I wanted to use as many local businesses as possible, and I know I can trust anyone Lena’s vetted.”
“She’s great like that,” I agreed. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him when he thought he’d be back, and for how long, but I didn’t want to be that overly clingy girlfriend who couldn’t stand a few weeks apart. I just had to keep reminding myself the pregnancy hormones were making me extra emotional about the distance. I was strong and capable and used to managing things on my own. Plus, I had tons of support here—Cat and Lena and Weston, for starters.
