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She shook her head. “I have to stay focused.”
“What are you saying? That this is it?” He tossed out the question before considering that she might reply this was it, and then scrambled to ward off a negative reply. “Come on. Single mothers date and have relationships all the time.”
She stopped what she was doing and faced him directly. “Ian comes first. And the baby.”
“I understand Ian’s father isn’t here, but I am, and I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. Or two-time, if we’re counting the wedding.”
“What you want isn’t the most important thing here.”
“Of course it isn’t, but what we want is still important,” he countered.
Her chin rose in defiance. “Who says I want a relationship?”
“You prefer to be alone?”
She averted her gaze, but not before he saw the yearning in her eyes. “Come on, Mae, why not give this a shot? I like you. A lot.” Her gaze shifted back. “And unless you’re really good at faking it, I’m pret-ty sure you like me, too. A lot.”
She shook her head, but the fact she also turned away to hide the smile he glimpsed on her shiny lips gave him hope.
“Oh, my God,” he exclaimed with fake outrage. “Were you faking it?”
“Stop it.” Color infused her cheeks as she fiddled with a dish towel on the counter. “You know I wasn’t.”
He moved up behind her and slid his hands around to flatten his palms over her belly while resting his chin on her shoulder. “Then why in the hell don’t you want to do it again?”
“That’s not it at all.” When he nuzzled right below her ear, she tilted her head to give him more room as she murmured, “Do you even have a clue what a relationship is?”
Instead of being offended, he tossed it right back at her. “Says the woman who hasn’t dated since her ex left seven years ago.”
“Closer to eight, actually, when you count the months I was pregnant.” She turned around in his arms. “Seriously, Merit, neither one of us knows what the hell we’re doing.”
He read the uncertainty in her eyes and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “We’ll figure it out as we go along.”
The frown returned to her brow. “I have to be careful with Ian. I don’t want him to get hurt.”
“No matter what ever happens between you and me, I’m here to stay for the baby.” He cupped her jaw, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “I’ll be here for Ian, too, if you let me.”
Her gaze searched his for a long moment, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, before she finally drew in a deep breath and released it with a faint, wobbly smile. “Okay.”
He lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head in silent question.
Her smile strengthened. “Let’s give it a shot.”
“Okay.” He reached up with both hands to hold her head as he kissed her forehead. “Now, let’s get the baby fed. What can I do to help?”
He ended up standing beside her feeling useless while she cooked. Last night, he might as well have been wearing blinders as he’d focused on Mae, so this morning, he took the time to look around the small house with its open kitchen, dining area, and living room. There were the two bedrooms and one bathroom, and a tiny utility closet off the kitchen that housed her washer and dryer.
It was cluttered, but clean. Small but cozy. And yet, for its positives, there wouldn’t be much room at all once the baby came. He had more than enough room at his house, and yet a suggestion for her and Ian to move in would be idiotic at this point. Way too early. And who knew, maybe she already had other plans.
As they sat down to eat, he asked, “What are you going to do once the baby’s born?”
“What do you mean?”
“This place is small.”
“So?” she bristled, pausing mid-reach for the syrup. “It’s our home.”
He held up a hand and backed off. “Just making an observation, that’s all.”
