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“That one is for me,” I began, grinningly madly, “and the other is for the baby.”
“Oh, I see how it is,” he grumbled playfully, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not even a bite?”
“Nope,” I continued, taking another bite and closing my eyes. I was definitely being dramatic, but I moaned and rolled my neck.
“Sierra Gold doesn’t share food,” he said, smacking his lips. “Noted.”
“Pete Greenway believes this isn’t his baby, yet continues to try to boss me around and told all of his friends about the situation,” I chided.
He glanced down at me through narrowed eyes but I continued, “This is your baby, you know. I wouldn’t have come back here if I’d had any doubt about it.”
He said nothing, only crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his seat.
My chest felt tight as I set down the donut and squared up to him.
“I’m not after your money. I’m not saying this is your baby to get your attention or trap you in any way. I need your help, yes. But only to keep my family off my back until I can figure out what to do next. Where to go.”
“If this is my baby then you’re staying here.”
“I’m not going to play house with you, Pete. I know you don’t want this—”
“I didn’t want it to happen this way, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t wantthis. With you.”
With me?
A glimmer of hope ignited in my chest as I slowly met his eyes.
“I thought about you for a year, Sierra.” He leaned forward and rested his crossed arms on the table. “Seeing you again last month was an answer to a prayer I hadn’t realized I’d be asking for. And now, you’re back, and I don’t know what to do or say to you to go back to that… that…”
“Magnetic pull,” I finished for him, breaking from his gaze.
“Yeah.” He licked his lips and looked down at his arms, both of us falling quiet for a moment. “I didn’t even know your last name until you signed in at the doctor’s office today, you know. This whole situation has made me realize how little we know about each other.”
“I’m sorry. For everything.”
“I’m the one who needs to be apologizing. I… I trust you. I want to believe this baby is mine because it means that you and I, even if we’ve… ruined things, ruined what could have been, I guess…”
Ouch. I rested my hands on my stomach. Were things ruined?
“We might not have seen each other ever again, Pete.”
“I know. I’m just having a hard time putting this into words, all right? I’m hungry, and you’re hogging all the food.”
I slid him the remaining piece of donut and he popped it into his mouth, looking around as he chewed.
“If this baby is mine, I want to give this a real shot.”
“I understand.”
“With both of you, I mean. You and I.”
I met his eyes, searching for understanding. Had he felt the way I had for a year?
“But until then, it’ll be pretend?”
“Until we get your family off your back, yeah. We’ll pretend, and then we’ll figure everything else out.”
“And if the baby isn’t yours?” I asked, knowing that part didn’t matter, but I needed to know what he’d say.
