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She nodded and grabbed two bottles from the fridge. “I’m, uh, sorry about taking off before. I just needed to think.”
I nodded. “It probably was for the best. I needed a second, too.”
She handed me one of the bottles and looked around. “Can we just cut to the cheese?”
I nodded. “I think I would much rather do that.”
She nodded and tucked her hair behind her ear. “So, I’m pregnant, and it’s yours. If you don’t want Nugget and me, we’re gonna head to Wasilla to be Eskimos.”
I nodded and twisted the cap off my bottle. “Eskimos, huh?”
She nodded. “Yeah. I always love wintertime, and Eskimos seem like cool people. At least that’s what I’ve seen from the ten minutes of research I did.”
“Seems like solid reasons why to move.” I took a sip and then set the bottle down. “Though none of that is going to happen because the only way I’m not going to want you is if god strikes me dead right now.” I held my hands out, waiting to drop dead, but nothing happened. “I guess you’re mine, Missy.”
“But it’s not just me anymore, Charlie.”
“I accept Bandit, too.”
She rolled her eyes. She pulled her bulky sweater over her head and tossed it on the floor. “I am pregnant, Charlie Beck, and as much as I want to be with you, I don’t want you to be with me just because of Nugget.”
“Is that the name we are going with?” I asked. “I mean, Nugget Beck does have a certain ring to it, but I think the other kids in school might be dicks about it.” I looked over her curvy body and was blown away by her swelling belly.
My baby was in there.
“Uh, I don’t have any names in mind. I just call them Nugget because I don’t know what else to call them,” she explained.
“So you don’t even know if it’s or boy or girl?” I asked.
“Nope. It didn’t seem right to find out yet.”
I stepped toward her, and she moved back. “Can I...?” I couldn’t stay this far away from her anymore. I had missed the past twenty weeks of her body changing, and I wanted to fully inspect everything that had happened.
“I’m not scared,” she whispered. “It’s just been a while since...”
“Since I’ve touched you?” I asked.
She nodded and took one step toward me.
That was what I needed. I needed to see that she wanted and needed me as much as I needed her.
I closed the distance between us and laid my hands on her growing stomach. “I’ve never,” I whispered. “I’ve never touched a pregnant belly, let alone ever thought of touching one.”
She giggled and laid her hands on top of mine. “Same. It’s pretty crazy to realize I’m growing a tiny human inside me.”
I looked up, and my eyes connected with hers. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you.”
She smiled softly. “Pretty sure I had a hand in avoiding you, Charlie. It’s really hard to avoid someone in a small town.”
“Yeah?” I laughed. “Well, you did a pretty good job at it. I looked for you all of the time but never saw you. At least not until I fell asleep every night.” I stepped closer till her stomach touched mine, and I wrapped my arms around her waist. “My dreams were the only place I could hold you, Missy.”
“Charlie,” she wept. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”
I shook my head and wiped the trail of tears off her cheek. “I didn’t leave things great between us, Missy. I told you we were over and didn’t really give you much hope we would get back together.”
“No, you didn’t,” she sniffled, “but I still should have told you about Nugget. They are just as much yours as they are mine.”
“We gotta find out what you are having, sweetheart. I don’t think I can handle calling them Nugget for the next four months.” Nugget was not the name I had in mind for our baby.
