Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“I deal in worst-case outcomes.” Eric shrugged. He turned back toward home. Home. I’d wondered when the carriage house would start to feel like home, if ever. How fucking ironic to find a home just in time to lose it again.
I didn’t much know what to say to someone who refused to let even a crack of hope through the armor around his heart, so I followed him in silence.
“And I thought you were happy being single?” Eric waited until we were back on our street to speak, each word sharp and pointy. “What happened to no strings?”
“I met you.” I could be pointed too.
He exhaled hard as he paused two houses down, the fight seeming to leave him in a single gust, breath hanging in the frosty air. “I’m a lot.”
“Yeah, you are.” If he was in an honest mood, I could be too. “And so am I. Neither of us travels baggage-free. And I’ve always been a risk taker—travel, single parenthood, opening my own business. I want to take a risk on us.”
“I’m not—”
“Dad!” A shout from Eric’s front porch cut off whatever new way to refuse me he had come up with now. But I had no time to worry about his reply because John was standing on the porch, followed quickly by Rowan and Wren tumbling out the front door. “Maren’s having contractions. Come quickly!”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Eric
Nothing like a family emergency to underscore the silliness of my daring to consider dating. I needed to center the kids, not my own wants and needs. And since my brain seemed unable to settle on what those wants were, it was probably just as well that John had saved me from replying to Magnus.
Magnus wanted to take a risk on us. Funny how the bartender was braver than the paramedic. To him, risk meant reward, whereas for me, risk meant a fall I wasn’t ready to take. Reconciling those two viewpoints felt impossible. Instead, I charged into the house, intent on dealing with the situation at hand.
John led the way to the kitchen, where Maren was pacing back and forth, rubbing her lower back. Diesel walked behind her, doing something on his phone at the same time.
“Did you call Marissa?” I asked.
“She’s on the way.” Diesel held up his phone before gesturing at the back door. “And so is more snow.”
“It’s not the full moon yet.” Wren sounded genuinely perplexed as to why the baby might have a timetable of its own.
“Not helpful.” Maren pivoted on one foot to glare at all three of her siblings.
“How about John and I take Wren to the movies?” Rowan suggested, pitching his voice more soothing than usual. “We can walk in case the snow gets worse. But that would give Maren some privacy.”
Wren made an indignant noise. “I intended to document—”
“That sounds wonderful.” Maren gave Rowan a grateful smile.
“How far apart are your contractions?” I asked Maren as the other three kids prepared to leave, grabbing coats and gloves. I took a cue from Rowan’s gentle tone.
“Hard to say.” She waved both hands. “Some are far apart. Some are closer.”
“I’m timing with an app.” Diesel was only too happy to show off some sort of clock app on his phone. “Should I fill the tub?”
“Not yet. I don’t know.” Groaning, Maren stopped in front of me and let her head fall on my shoulder. “I think I just want to lie down.”
“Marissa’s here.” Magnus returned from the front of the house, followed by a bundled-up Marissa, curly hair poking out from under a striped hand-knit hat. I’d missed the doorbell in the flurry of the teens leaving. Somewhere in all the excitement, the dogs had flopped on their beds in the breakfast nook.
Even his dogs belong here. Magnus hadn’t given me an ultimatum, but we were at a tipping point. Either I released him from this fling, free to move on personally and residentially, or I gave him what he wanted and went public. Both options made me more than a little nauseous. The start of a headache pounded at my temples as Marissa greeted Maren.
“A rest sounds like a great idea.” She rubbed Maren’s shoulders as she steered Maren toward the basement stairs. “Let’s head downstairs, get you comfortable, and see where things are at.”
Once we were alone, Magnus stepped toward me. “Look—”
“We can talk later.” I held up a hand. If he touched me, I might shatter, and that mess was the last thing this day needed. “We need to focus on the kids now.”
“I’m sorry.” His mouth twisted. I hated how pained he looked, none of his usual good cheer.
“Don’t be sorry.”
“Well, I’m sorry for the timing.” Magnus rotated his neck from side to side like I was being especially tiring. “How about I start food? People are probably full from the party, but I could start a soup for later. Something that reheats well.”