AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Beth muttered a curse, lifted her hands, and pulled his mouth down on hers.
And he finally let the pleasure consume them both.
Chapter 13
Beth sat in Finn’s truck as he drove them both into Brightwater’s town center and tried to ignore the nervousness roiling in her gut.
She didn’t even know why she was nervous.
Actually, no, she knew why she was nervous. She and Finn were going into town to let everyone know that not only was she pregnant but also that she’d be moving in with him, and oh hey, they were getting married as well.
A surprise, sure, but no big deal.
They were going to visit the gallery first so she could tell Indigo and Izzy, then go on to HQ to inform Chase and Levi, then…whoever else was around, she guessed.
Izzy would be thrilled at the thought of her marrying Finn, and Indigo would be too, no matter how snarky she’d been earlier. Chase and Levi? Who knew? And the rest of the town…what would they think of her marrying one of their own? Sheri had grown up here, had been one of them, but Beth wasn’t. She was an outsider, an interloper. Would they accept her? And more important, would they accept her and Finn’s child?
“Don’t be nervous.” Finn gave her a quick glance before he looked back at the road. “Everyone will be okay with it.”
“I’m not nervous,” Beth lied, rubbing her hands on her thighs. “I’m fine.”
One corner of his mouth curved. “Sure you are.”
Damn, but he was gorgeous with that half smile of his.
He was gorgeous all the time, of course, but particularly when there was a tantalizing glimpse of that smile.
Not that it was his smile that had made her say yes to him the evening before, or even the way he’d teased her and given her the most intense pleasure. Sure, the sausage rolls he’d fed her after they’d come back downstairs had helped, and the eclairs he’d given her for dessert after she’d filled up on the delicious casserole he’d cooked had made her feel good about her decision, but she’d already said it by that stage.
She’d said yes because it was clear to her that he needed her to. He’d been so fierce when he’d asked her, his dark eyes full of intensity. It had been important to him—she could see that. Important that his child have his name, that they be a family.
Plus a small part of her had been thrilled when he’d told her she was the first woman he’d been with in five years—then been even more thrilled when he’d told her she was special.
She hadn’t known she’d even wanted to be special to him until that moment.
You’d better not be hoping for more of that.
Oh, she wasn’t. He’d been very clear about what he could give her, and she was fine with that. Sex and support, blankets and delicious food, and the odd endearment—what more could a girl want?
Of course she’d said yes. And if he’d said he didn’t love her, then what of it? She didn’t love him either, so it wasn’t an issue. You could marry someone without loving them. You totally could. Just as you could love someone without marrying them.
After all, she’d thought she loved Troy and they’d talked off and on about getting married, but he’d never actually asked her. Not even after she’d gotten pregnant. In fact, she’d been debating bringing it up with him, since even though her parents’ marriage had been dire, she’d still wanted it for herself.
She’d wanted to have the kind of family she’d dreamed of when she was younger, of parents who loved each other, no one criticizing or hurting each other. A family where a child could grow up without feeling suffocated by all the negative emotions that lingered in the air or feel as if they were being judged and picked at.
Finn wouldn’t be a parent like that, she knew already. Even though they weren’t in love, he wouldn’t vanish suddenly like Troy had, without a word. Finn was up-front and honest, and he’d made it very clear that he took his responsibilities seriously.
She could do worse than marry him. It would make it easier with the town too. Marrying a local would ensure their child would be totally accepted.
I don’t love you. That’s why it works.
No. She wasn’t thinking about that again.
“Okay, so I might be a little nervous,” she admitted. “Indigo and Izzy will be fine. It’s the rest of the town I’m worried about.”
“You shouldn’t be,” Finn said. “They’re all desperately concerned for my well-being, and me getting married and having a kid will be a weight off their minds.”
Beth thought of the gossip she’d heard about Finn from various people around the town and the look in their eyes when they spoke of him. “I guess so.”
