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How could she not? In the years they'd known each other, Drew hadn't ever been anything but kind to her. Even when she'd refused to go out with him, he'd respected her decision to keep their professional and personal lives separate. Despite their mutual attraction, they managed to build a strong working relationship together.
Drew also hadn't allowed anything to become awkward between them after they'd slept together four months ago. Hope didn't know what she would have done without his unwavering support during her father's illness and death. He'd been her rock. Never more than a phone call or text away. His strength sustaining her through the darkest moments of her life.
Even after she told him she was pregnant and was considering adoption, Drew hadn't made any irrational demands. Instead, his only request had been that they discuss all their options and decide what to do together.
Though Drew never pressured her, he wasn't averse to subtle nudges. Like inviting her to come home with him for the holidays by pointing out she shouldn't be alone for her first Thanksgiving and Christmas without her father. He'd been right, of course. If she'd stayed in Kentucky, Hope would have been miserable. Hell, she probably wouldn't have bothered with a turkey or a tree.
Drew made sure she had both.
And so much more.
No wonder it had only taken a few days of being in Virginia with Drew and his family for Hope to realize she never really wanted to give up their baby. She may not have any immediate family left, but Drew did.
The more time they spent with Drew's family, the more Hope realized he was where he belonged. Here at Lone Oaks, surrounded by the people who loved him wholeheartedly and whose influence had shaped him into the man he had become. Where he could work alongside his grandfather and take over the practice when the elder vet was ready to retire. Where he would be close enough to lend his father and brother a hand or give them a break from the grueling twenty-four seven, three hundred and sixty-five days a year commitment the farm demanded.
Here, Drew would be close enough to support Reese as his brother worked through his devastating grief and help him return to the land of the living again.
Yes, Lone Oaks was exactly where Drew belonged.
And if it is, where does that leave me?
Good question. One she and Drew had successfully avoided discussing since the Friday after Thanksgiving.
Despite working, eating, and sleeping together, they hadn’t talked about their feelings. No declarations of love. No mention of their future. As if by some unspoken agreement, neither dared to say anything that might break the spell they'd cast around themselves.
Yet, with over half their time in Virginia already behind them, the luxury of remaining silent waned. Sooner rather than later, decisions needed to be made, starting with where Drew wanted to continue his veterinary practice. And because of the baby, that choice alone would invariably set into motion a domino effect of decisions affecting the rest of their lives.
That was what being a parent was all about, though, right? Making sacrifices. Putting the needs of the family first. Making decisions based on what was best for the child rather than their own wants, needs, and comfort zones.
For them, it all boiled down to Kentucky or Virginia and the six hundred miles separating Louisville and Beaumont. Though Drew clearly belonged at Lone Oaks, Hope knew being a full-time father to their child would supersede all else. So, wherever their child resided, so would Drew. And that meant one of several things could happen.
One, Drew would ask Hope to relocate to Virginia with him. Although she very much liked Beaumont, and Drew's family couldn't be any more welcoming, Kentucky was her home. And despite everything she'd endured this past year, Hope wasn't sure she could leave it all behind.
Two, if she refused Drew's request to stay, he would return to Louisville with her and accept Neil Wakefield's partnership offer. Though he would be near their child, and his successful career was bound to continue no matter where he practiced, Lone Oaks was his home. And not being where he truly belonged would inevitably lead him to resent her.
Three, Drew could remain in Beaumont and petition the court for joint custody.
No. Hope shot that choice down without any further consideration. At. All.
With only three weeks till the new year, Hope realized the time had finally come for her and Drew to break their silence and make some decisions, no matter how difficult.
A tap on the door jolted Hope from her thoughts. Setting down her coffee, she opened the door to Drew's mother. "Mrs. Blackwood. Good morning."
"It's Anna," she reminded Hope with a smile. "And good morning to you too." Her smile widened. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Considering the path her thoughts had taken, Hope was grateful for the reprieve. "Not at all." She opened the door wider and stepped aside. "Please. Come in."
Once Anna was inside, she pulled off her brown leather gloves and unzipped her dark fleece jacket. "It's pretty chilly out there this morning," she declared, unwinding the bright red knit scarf from around her neck and draping it along with her coat over the back of a kitchen chair.
"Can I get you some coffee?"
"Yes. Please."
As Hope waited for the drip to finish, Anna took a seat at the table. "How do you take it?"
"Black is fine."
With mugs in both hands, Hope carried them to the table and joined Anna. "I guess the boys are still in school."
