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She turned back, and he instantly reached for her. “Sorry about my reaction,” he said. “I’m just surprised.”

She nodded.

“But I’d like to be with you when you take the test…if that’s okay?”

He wanted to be there? It shouldn’t surprise her. Trent was a great guy—kind, caring, supportive. No matter the outcome, she knew he’d be there for her…and a baby. Air trapped in her chest, and she fought the anxiety threatening to overwhelm her.

He pulled back and bent at the knees to look her in the eyes. “Will you wait for me? Tonight, after work, we’ll take the test together?”

Relief flowed through her as she nodded. “I’d like that.” For better or worse, “yes” or “no” on that tiny little display screen, she knew they were in it together.

And even in her panic, the thought gave her a sense of peace.


“I can’t do it,” Whitney yelled from the other side of the bathroom door in her house later that evening.

Trent stopped pacing the hallway and leaned against it. “What do you mean?”

“I mean I can’t pee,” she said.

“Try running the water,” he suggested. He waited and heard the sound of the water running in the sink, but a moment later, still nothing. “I’ll grab you a glass of water,” he said.

In the kitchen, he poured a glass with a trembling hand.

Whitney might be pregnant. In just a few minutes, he could learn that he was going to be a father. He knew most men would be freaking out after only a few months of dating, but Trent felt nothing but excitement at the possibility. His only source of nervousness was for Whitney. He knew she was career-focused and wasn’t ready to have a family just yet, so he worried she might not share his excitement if the test was positive.

But he knew he loved her and he was ready for whatever happened. He was back home, starting a new life, with a new business, and he’d found a woman he wanted to spend his life with. A baby might be accelerating the pace a little, but he wasn’t afraid. He had faith in them.

He carried the glass of water to the bathroom door and tapped on it. She opened it a crack, and he handed her the glass. “Thank you,” she said, sounding nervous.

She closed the door and, an excruciatingly long time later, he heard the toilet flush.

He held his breath as she exited the bathroom with the stick. “Now we wait,” she said.

Now they waited.

Sitting side by side on the floor in the hallway, the stick between them, holding hands and taking turns sneaking a peek at the test, they waited together.

Trent’s heart raced, and he could hear Whitney’s pounding just as hard in the silence as time ticked on. If only he could read her thoughts. He suspected she was contemplating the options, the next steps, possible new futures just as he was. So much hung in the balance.

“That’s time,” she said softly a moment later. “I can’t look.”

He squeezed her hand and held tight as he took a deep breath and picked up the test stick.

The word “no” in the display window had his heart sinking deep into his stomach. He hadn’t realized how badly he’d wanted the outcome to be different until that very second.

Whitney studied him, reading his disappointment wrong. “Oh no, I’m pregnant, aren’t I?”

He cleared his throat, shook his head, and put on a brave face as he said, “Nope. False alarm. All good.” Truthfully, this probably was for the best. They hadn’t been together long. She wasn’t ready. Still…

“Oh, thank God.” Her shoulders sagged in relief, and Trent fought his own conflicted emotions as he put an arm around her and pretended he was just as relieved as she was.

Chapter Seven

Now…

Scouting locations was one of the hardest parts of expanding. There were countless bars and clubs for sale along the coast and in the city, but finding one that he could transform into a Trent’s Tavern without too many costly renovations was the real challenge. He only had two locations so far, but he hoped to eventually get to ten, and with the exception of the Game Room location, he wanted them all to have a similar and familiar aesthetic.

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