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“Dirty,” she said quietly, a sliver of embarrassment shading her voice. She sighed heavily and her footsteps sounded on the floorboards before she cracked the door just enough that I could see her face. “I need—”
“New clothes?” I finished for her with a smirk. “Yeah… That was on the list today, actually. Hold on.” I turned from the door and went into my room. She wouldn’t fit in any of the clothes I had. They’d swallow her whole, but I fished out an old sweatshirt from my closet and a pair of tight, thermal leggings I used to wear under my pants when I went hunting with my dad back in the day. I was shrimp in high school compared to now, and they’d likely fit her.
Memories of my dad washed over me as I carried the clothes to her room and handed them to her through the door.
“This is really embarrassing—”
“You have no reason to be embarrassed,” I interrupted firmly, giving her a look. “You fled a shitty situation with nothing but the clothes on your back, Sierra.”
“I know,” she replied softly, her gray eyes warm in the faint morning light. She held that smile as she closed the door again and got dressed. I waited for her in the front hallway, and a few minutes later she came out of her room, counting a small wad of cash.
“Go put that away—”
“I need to buy some things—”
“Yeah, well, I have money.” I waved her off, pointing to my room. “I have a safe in the closet. The combination is—”
“You really trust me with the combination to your safe?” She laughed. “After telling me you didn’t really trust me? And thought I was a drug dealer or on the run from a cartel—”
“I don’t keep anything of value in there. Just some extra cash and keepsakes. Four-Eight-Two-Seven. Put your cash in there and lets go. We’re already running late.”
She huffed a breath but moved to my room without another word.
I checked my watch and pursed my lips while I waited for her, and after a few moments she came out of my room looking entirely too smug.
“What?” I asked, and her smile grew.
“Baseball card guy, huh?”
I ran my tongue along my lower lip and glowered at her. “What’s it to you?”
“Just learning a thing or two about you,” she mused, a hint of warmth in her voice. “I think it’s cute.”
“Cute, huh?” I replied, another blush rising over my neck. Cute? I wasn’t cute. I was handsome as hell.
“I know you went through my suitcase so I thought it was only fair.”
Well, she got me there.
“Okay, are you ready?”
“I guess so,” she huffed, and I noticed the apprehension in her voice as she followed me outside onto the metal deck leading down the alley where I’d parked my truck. She didn’t say anything else until we were inside the truck and heading out into the crisp, late summer morning. “What if… What if something’s not right with the baby?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s so early,” she said quickly, swallowing hard before continuing, “I just worry that… I know this situation isn’t ideal for any of us but I honestly haven’t ever wanted something so much in my life.”
I glanced over at her and noticed the way her hands were splayed protectively over her lap and it damn near broke my heart. My protective instinct kicked into overdrive. She wanted this baby. I did too, if I was being honest, even though I had no idea how to be a father and no clue if it was mine.
“I guess I’m worried too,” I admitted, and whether it was instinct or just the need to touch her, I reached over and rested my hand over her thigh. She was warm to the touch, and I fought the rapid thrumming of my heart as her hand slid over the top of mine and squeezed.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“For what?”
“For… telling me that. I don’t feel so alone now.”
God, she was killing me. I squeezed her hand back and held it as we drove through downtown and out onto the highway. Suburban neighborhoods sped past in a blur of cookie-cutter houses and mini-vans. Was that our future?
