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"I'll be fine. Thanks."
She heard him snap off the light and toss his clothes into the suitcase. When he eased onto the other side of the bed, a nervous flutter skittered through Hope's belly. From his movements and the dip in the mattress, Hope could tell Drew was lying on his back and had pulled the sheet and blanket up to his waist.
Though they were nowhere close to touching, the heat radiating off Drew's big body still sent a shiver clear to her toes. Maybe sharing a bed, even as big as this one, wasn't such a bright idea. Sure, it was physically more comfortable, but with her nerves strung so tight she could have played a tune, Hope doubted any valuable shuteye was in her immediate future.
Maybe if they talked a little, it would help her relax.
"How long was Reese married before his wife passed away?" It might not have been the best topic, but it was a thousand times better than the radio silence stretching awkwardly between them.
"About eight years."
"I can't imagine how hard it has to be for him. First, to lose his wife, then trying to raise two small boys while running a horse and cattle farm the size of Lone Oaks."
"Both the farm and the boys are what keep him functioning at all. He can't even live in the house he built for himself and Olivia. That's why he and the boys stay at the main house with our parents."
"Grief can be a bitch." Hope could attest to that, and her heart ached for Reese and his boys. "Losing anyone is devastating, but someone in the prime of their life? I don't know how you'd get over something like that."
"Me neither." The sheets rustled as he shifted slightly. "I'm sure Pops will expect me to go with him on some calls tomorrow," Drew deftly changed the subject. "You're welcome to come along if you want, but I don't want you to feel obligated if you aren’t up to it."
"I'd like to tag along if you don't think your grandfather will mind." It'd be interesting to see the kind of work the elder veterinarian's practice entailed. And to also see a little bit of where Drew had been born and raised.
"He'll love it," Drew answered. "But if you're too tired..."
"I'd be working if I was back home," Hope reminded him, halting his need to stipulate.
"But you wouldn't have just ridden six hundred miles in one day either."
Hope rolled onto her back. "You're not going to spend the next five months worrying about everything I do, are you?"
Drew turned his head on the pillow to look at her. "Probably."
"Well, please don't."
He turned on his side to face her. The covers settled around his waist, leaving his torso bare. Skin still tan from the summer sun stretched across the muscles of his chest and abdomen. God, he was a beautiful man.
"In fact, since I have no firsthand knowledge when it comes to human pregnancies, I'm likely to be overly cautious and question everything." Reaching out, he brushed the back of his forefinger against her cheek. "You're going to have to be patient with me, okay?"
Hope's heart swelled, turning her insides to mush. "I'm not going to do anything I shouldn't do."
"Do you regret it?" Drew asked quietly, the weight of his gaze on her face.
Hope wasn't sure if he meant the pregnancy or the night they'd slept together. Not that it mattered, because if she hadn't invited him into her bed, she also wouldn't be pregnant with his child. Either way, there was no simple answer.
“Conflicted is probably a more apt description than regret.”
"About?"
“Everything.” At this point, the better question was more likely what wasn't conflicting her. "Being pregnant. Am I doing what I should for the baby? Am I mother material? Or rather, will I be like my own mother and wake up one morning to decide I don't want to be a parent anymore? And if I'm fortunate enough not to inherit her walk-away-and-never-look-back gene, will I be able to manage a veterinary career as a single parent?"
"You're not going to be a single parent, Hope. I'm going to be with you every step of the way."
Unless you decide to stay here, Hope thought but didn't dare say out loud. "I know," she replied instead.
"But?"
"But I'm sure this isn't exactly how you planned on becoming a father. You have to be as conflicted, scared, apprehensive, and overwhelmed as I am."
"Yeah. I am. But there is one thing I am one hundred percent sure about." He traced the edge of her jaw with his thumb. "Regardless of how this baby was conceived, there is no one I'd rather have as the mother of my child than you."
