Page 22 of Billionaire Hunt

“Come on, Lacey, you can tell me.”

“Well, I just wonder what type of mother I’ll be. I don’t know much about being a mom. My own mom didn’t even stick around to raise me.”

I shook my head. My experience as a child made me never want to have children of my own and Lacey’s experience as a child made her doubt her ability to raise a child properly. Maybe instead of spending all our money on ice cream, we should have spent it on therapy. I said so and Lacey laughed.

“Naww, that ice cream was a good investment.”

We sat there in silence for a little while and then I finally said, “Sorry I couldn’t be more helpful.”

“It’s fine. It’s my problem to figure out.”

“Yeah, but I’m your friend. I should have had something better to offer besides the trite ‘Don’t worry. Everything will be okay’ response.”

“You listened and didn’t judge...that’s plenty.”

We sat there in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. “I feel so guilty,” Lacey finally said, “so guilty for feeling anything but happy about this pregnancy. So many people are trying for babies and can’t get pregnant and all I can think about is how I’m probably the most unfit person to have a baby, and yet I’m pregnant.”

“You’re not unfit. Never say that again,” I said angrily.

“Well, not unfit, just ill-equipped.”

I sighed. “No one is the perfect parent and no parent gets everything right. You’re being too hard on yourself and you’re overthinking it. All you have to do is love her. Or him. That’s all that it takes to be a good mom.”

She nodded. “You’re right.” She then turned and hugged me. I held her tight. “Thanks, thanks for listening to my craziness.”

“Anytime.”

She pulled back and then said with a twinkle in her eye...” So tell me what’s going on with you and Erik?”

I sighed. “I thought pregnant women were supposed to be forgetful.”

“Pregnancy brain hasn’t gotten the best of me yet,” Lacey said happily.

“No kidding,” I looked at her and asked, “How did you even know?”

“Eavesdropping. I heard Erik and Jude talking and your name came up.”

I looked at her with raised brows. “What exactly did you hear?”

“I overheard him asking about you. Like stuff about your divorce.”

I groaned. “And what did Jude tell him?”

“Just something about how much of a jerk Wyatt was toward you...I didn’t catch the rest of their conversation.”

“You’re a terrible eavesdropper,” I joked, feeling a little vulnerable knowing that Erik had spoken to Jude about me. We were just friends with benefits. Why did he need to know my relationship history? Hmm...interesting.

I heard my phone beep and looked down. It was a text from Erik. I didn’t want to look at it just then, especially when I noticed Lacey staring at it. She looked up at me expectantly and gave me a huge smile.

I made a face at her and said, “It’s just a text message, Lacey, not a marriage proposal.”

She continued to smile as she said, “Not yet, at least.” She started her car and pulled safely into traffic. I tried to not visibly seem relieved, but I was nervous for a second there that she might cause an accident. I also found myself thinking about what she said. Marriage was the furthest thing from my mind. I didn’t want to get married again, especially not to someone like Erik.

I teased her. “When did you become such a romantic? Trying to pair everyone up.”

She shook her head. “You know I’m not a matchmaker, but I don’t know, I think it could work between you and Erik.”

“There’s nothing between me and Erik,” I lied, feeling bad about not telling Lacey the truth. But technically, there wasn’t...right? It was just sex.