AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come with me, Emily. It looks like you need someone to talk to.”
He gestured toward a nearby café, keeping his hand on my arm as we made our way over and entered. I was still in something of a daze, and Roberto did all the work of finding someplace quiet to sit and ordering us something to drink. When the barista came over, she placed a latte in front of Roberto, some tea in front of me.
“That’s green tea,” he said. “Good for the nerves. Take a sip, take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.”
I couldn’t get over how kind and accommodating Roberto was being. Like Logan, he was a big, tough-looking man who concealed a heart capable of great empathy. I did as he asked, sipping my hot tea, taking a slow breath, and speaking.
I told Roberto everything, told him about how I’d been sleeping with Logan—this wasn’t a surprise to him—and that I was nearly certain that I was pregnant, thatwasa surprise. When I was done, I felt drained, like I needed rest.
Roberto smiled warmly. “A child is a wonderful thing. And if you ask me,jefeis due for something like this to get his priorities straight. The love of a good woman and a baby can do just that.”
“Do you have a family?”
He nodded. “I do. He took out his phone and scrolled a bit, showing me pictures of a stunning woman with fair skin and red hair, a pair of twin toddlers on her lap.
“That’s my wife Marie, my twin boys Jacob and Noah.”
“They’re beautiful, all of them.”
“Gracias. My line of work doesn’t lend itself to a normal family life, but Logan takes good care of me, which means I can take good care of them, visit for a month or so at a time when I can. It works.” He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “I like to throw wisecracks at Logan about his bachelor life, but deep down I think he knows that it’s time for something real, something that’s not seventy-hour weeks at work. And I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that Marianne would love a little niece or nephew to spoil.”
The idea of Marianne spoiling my child was enough to warm my heart, to push aside the anxiety running through me, if only for a moment.
“But what will Logan say?” I asked. “How do I know he won’t kick me out?”
Roberto laughed. “Well, if he ever tried anything like that, I’d have him laid out on hisculobefore he even finished the sentence. Logan can handle himself in a fight, but I’ve got a few moves he doesn’t know about.”
He leaned forward, his smile turning into a more serious expression.
“Logan isn’t like that. He’s a hard man, but he’s that way because he needs to be. He’s been looking out for his sister for years, knowing that he’d always be responsible for her.Nothingcomes between him and those he cares about. He might be surprised, he might be unsure of how to react. I have no doubt, however, that he’ll do right by you, Emily.”
He placed his hands on the table. “Let’s go take this test,si? You find out the truth, then we go back to the boutique. If it’s positive, we can talk about what to do from there. Ok?”
There was something about the easy way he spoke, his calm tone, his reassuring words that made me quickly feel better.
“Yeah. Let’s do it.”
We took our drinks to go and left the café. Together, we walked to the CVS on the corner and I purchased a few pregnancy tests.
“We can always wait until we’re back at the penthouse, Emily,” he said as I made my way to the bathroom.
“No. I want to know now.”
He nodded, standing guard outside of the bathroom as I went inside. The test didn’t take long at all, and within five minutes I knew my fate.
I was pregnant.
Chapter 29
Emily
It was the night of the gallery show, and I was in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom. I’d spent the previous night with Logan, the two of us making love late into the night.
I hadn’t told him. The secret was between Roberto and me only for the time being. I’d cursed myself for not saying anything, but I had no idea where to even begin. Not to mention that tonight was about Marianne.
After the show, that’s when I’d tell him. We had plans for later that evening after the gallery showing—we’d be taking a late dinner up on the rooftop, the food provided by the Michelin-star restaurant in the lobby of the building.Marianne would likely be worn out from the events, wanting to go to bed fairly early.
It’d be the perfect time. Until then, I had to keep it to myself.
