Page 46 of All in with the Maverick Montana

“Good thing Josh didn’t hear you say that. It’d go right to his head.”

“It’s not just the sex though.” Amy laughed.

“I know,” Faith said, sitting down next to her and patting her knee. “I get it.”

Amy smiled a bit. She probably did get it. Maybe she’d felt the same way with Caleb. It was like a giddy bubble had swelled in her chest, making her light and buoyant. Like nothing could bring her down. Until this morning. “If only I didn’t get sick!” Amy covered her head with the pillow. She wanted to scream. “Like, how embarrassing is that? You sleep with a guy and then throw up in his bathroom.”

Faith drummed her fingers against her lips. “Amy, what if it isn’t a stomach bug?”

Amy tossed the pillow aside, sitting up on her elbows so she could look at her sister. Faith was studying her, lips pursed, eyes narrowed, like she was puzzling something out. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Amy tilted her head. “What are you talking about?”

Faith cleared her throat. “I hate to even ask this. And please don’t take it the wrong way. But is it in any way possible… I mean… Do you think you could be pregnant?”

Pregnant? She huffed a laugh. Really? Pregnant? She shook her head. “No.” She sat up all the way. “No, I’m not. I mean, the last time I was with anyone was back around Christmas. We were careful, thank God,” she muttered. “And I took a pregnancy test weeks ago, just to be sure because things didn’t work out between us, and it was negative.” But by “weeks,” Amy realized she meant almost three months ago. She’d taken that pregnancy test back in January. Still, it wasn’t possible that she was pregnant with… Tru’s baby. Oh, son of a—

Amy stared at Faith, wide-eyed, shaking her head in disbelief. “It can’t… I can’t.”

“Oh, honey,” Faith said, taking her hand. “You know those tests aren’t always accurate. Or maybe you simply took it too soon or maybe it was a false negative.”

“No.” Amy couldn’t do anything but keep shaking her head.

“Think about it. It would explain all of your odd symptoms. Maybe it would even explain this bout of sickness that doesn’t seem to be a stomach bug or food poisoning.”

“Morning sickness?” Amy said. “But I haven’t been sick every morning.”

“No, but that’s not always the case for every woman. Maybe you’ve been really lucky so far. But there’s been other signs, Amy. Think about it. Maybe one-offs, but when you add them all up together—” Faith counted things off on her fingers. “That dizzy spell you had a few weeks ago in the store, and you’re always complaining about being tired. You’ve also been weepy, which is really out of character for you.”

Amy shifted to the edge of the bed, clutching the mattress as the pieces fell into place. She’d really thought that dizzy spell was because she hadn’t eaten. And of course she was tired; she spent every spare minute she wasn’t at the store with Josh. And she’d always chalked the weepiness up to being dumped by Tru. But then she thought about the fact her clothes had been feeling tighter too. Her heart galloped in her chest, the beat rushing by her ears like the crash of ocean waves.

What if Faith was right and the test had been wrong?

“Have you been getting your period?” Faith asked.

Amy shrugged. “With my birth control it’s virtually non-existent, so I wouldn’t even know. That’s why I took the test. To be sure.” As reality settled over her, terror set in, and Amy’s voice trembled. “God. Not now!” She covered her face with her hands. “Not when things with me and Josh are getting so good.”

“Okay,” Faith said diplomatically. She got to her feet, pacing in front of Amy. “Let’s not panic about anything. We don’t even know for sure yet. So, here’s what we’re gonna do. You’re gonna shower so you feel more like a human, and I’m gonna run out to the drugstore to pick up a pregnancy test. Then we’ll regroup, okay?”

Amy didn’t say anything.

“I’m gonna go now. Try not to freak out while I’m gone.”

Amy nodded. “Right. Okay.” A plan. She could handle a plan. The not freaking out part… Well, she wasn’t making any promises about that.

Faith left for the Tenacity Drugs & Sundries, and Amy got in the shower, scrubbing until she felt like herself again. Was that what this was? Morning sickness? Don’t think about it, she thought as a wave of panic launched up her throat. Nothing was confirmed, and until it was, she’d be freaking out for no reason.

When she was done in the shower, she dressed and brushed her hair. By then, Faith had returned. She handed Amy a bag full of tests.

“Isn’t this a little overkill?”

“Do you want to be sure or what?”

Amy took one of the tests, popped into the bathroom, and peed on the stick following all the directions. When she was done, she opened the bathroom door, and she and Faith paced, waiting for the results with bated breath.

It came back positive.

“No,” Amy said. She grabbed another test and took that one. It also came back positive and the panic inside her skyrocketed. Amy went to grab a third test but Faith stopped her. Stared at her.

“Amy,” she said softly.