AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you fucking kidding me?!” I hollered so loud that if anyone was near, they would assume I was talking to someone on the phone.
The pregnancy test wants to tell me I’m pregnant. I swallow a lump of anxiety and do what I said I’d do.
Take another test.
Again, it is positive. I want to throw the whole world away. Better yet, I want to dispose of the past thirty days. I wish I could rewrite my plane trip and schedule for it after that storm. If I had done something as simple as checking Evergreen’s weather, I would’ve had enough time to come later. I would’ve never needed to pull on that side of the road. I would’ve never met that sexy single grumpy Dad who stared at me with intense gray eyes. I wouldn’t have been turned on by his stature, confidence, food, and adorable bond with his son. I wouldn’t have been so horny to open my legs to cum on his hands. I wouldn’t have thought about it all the next day until our bodies demanded each other. None of that would’ve happened if I had taken a little time to look at the weather.
Just that.
That was all I needed to do.
I wash my face with cold water as my tummy twists in knots. As much as I want to run into my Nonna’s arms and cry about the obvious, I don’t want to tell her. I’m not sure what to do. I also don’t want to tell Hannah. She’d drive me up the wall with more extensive anxiety. What are my options? Will I have to leave to go back to California? Should I head to Chicago?
As much as I know this is my decision, I want to tell Joaquin. I feel compelled to tell him, and that’s not for him to decide about this, but he needs to feel my anxiety. I prefer we figure this out together since I do not like to wait for anything. I know what I’ve got to do.
Get dressed and head to the Side of the Road Abodefor iced tea. Wait, can I even have caffeine?
Chapter 14
Joaquin
Thedoorswingsopen,the bells set a jingling, and I’m delighted to see Nadia. Her expression is tightly wound, and the simmer in her eyes isn’t sultry. She appears aggravated. I wonder if her grandmother told her something about her past that she wasn’t expecting or if it’s something totally unrelated. Either way, I feel it’s nothing to do with me, but I probably shouldn’t jump to that conclusion. I know that I haven’t done anything to be the source of whatever problem she’s wearing on her pretty face.
Dressed in a white summer dress, I appreciate the honey tone the summer’s sun is doing to her toned legs and arms. I have a couple of patrons in my cafe at the moment. Ms. Smith, a children’s book author, and Henry, the jolly green giant lumberjack living a mile off the trail. Henry is reading the local paper as I steam his latte milk.
Nadia sits at one of the comfortable chairs, and other than lifting her eyebrows, she has yet to come to the counter and greet me. She doesn’t need to, but since she hasn’t already, it makes me worry about what’s happening.
Once I’m finished making Henry his latte and placing it in his hands, I go to Nadia.
She clears her throat and tucks her hair behind her ears.
“Hey. Everything okay?” I bend down to set a small kiss on her forehead.
It’s warm, almost hot, as if there’s been a lot of thinking.
“Well. I have some news, but I should tell you when no one’s around.”
My heart should be racing the way hers does. I wonder if she’s leaving sooner than later. I hope it’s nothing to do with that. As much as I’ve gotten my mind mentally prepared to accept, there’s no forever with Nadia but a sweet “for now” I don’t want that “for now” to be earlier than expected.
“She’s not leaving for another hour.” I nod my head at Ms. Smith.
Nadia bites her bottom lip and forces a nod. She pulls out her laptop and tells me she’ll do some work. I let her be and started flavoring coffee beans.
Forty-five minutes later and five other customers have been in and out. One stays to slowly eat a scone as soon as Ms. Smith packs up for the day. My blood is rumbling now because I’m getting the itch to flip my open sign to close or set up my “I’ll be back in” sign.
Fortunately, it’s a couple of minutes after Ms. Smith leaves, the loner driver tosses his scone napkin into the trash, sends me a wave, and heads out to his pickup.
“Nadia!” I holler at her as she jumps up. She started to doze, which tells me that whatever was on her mind probably kept her up last night.
I flip the open sign to close.
“You don’t have to close your shop to —”
“Not now, Nadia. I’ll do anything for you.”
Her eyes grow heavy, and tears start flowing. Oh, no. As soon as I head to her, she stands up and wraps her hands around my body. Her grip is tight, affirming with promise and, dare I say, love.
“Whatever is going on, it’s going to be okay? You hear me? It’s all just fine.” I reassure her.
