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Jamie appreciated the offer of Callum’s car, even if it wasn’t as fun as Nerea’s, but when he reached the garage it was blocked in behind a half dozen other vehicles. He decided that getting air would be better for thinking through everything at hand, so instead he dragged out Callum’s bicycle.
Finding the village wasn’t hard. He’d been there before, and Nerea’s map was clear. Focusing on the directions gave him something to do other than panic. Because if his parents were angry with him now, the part where he was going to have to explain that his girlfriend was pregnant — possibly with his baby, possibly with her husband’s baby — was only going to lead to something worse.
As Jamie walked into the pharmacy the few staff working turned to look at him as he made his way to the counter. Which was probably about the lack of business on the holiday and his being an unfamiliar face, but he couldn’t help feeling that they all knew exactly why he was here. Embarrassing was an understatement.
He’d made Nerea write out the Spanish he would need, but he couldn’t make out her handwriting. He ultimately sighed and passed the note over to the girl behind the counter. She looked wildly amused but didn’t ask him any questions as she rang up the transaction.
“¡Feliz navidad!” she said, waving merrily, as he collected the bag and his change. The same people who had stared at him as he walked in, watched him walk out as he awkwardly tried to shove the bag with the test into his jacket pocket.
Heading back to the house would be easy. He’d gotten this far; surely he could retrace his route. But when he went to retrieve Nerea’s map from his pocket, it wasn’t there. Nerea had written the Spanish he’d need on the other side of it, and he’d accidentally left it with the girl at the counter. Jamie didn’t think he had the nerve to go back for it. No matter. He could find his way.
Or so he thought. Although Jamie was fine for the first few turns, the green barn that was supposed to be one of his landmarks never materialized. Jamie turned around and attempted to retrace his route, looking for the missing turn.
Twenty minutes later he had to admit that he was totally, utterly, lost. He fished his mobile out of his pocket and prayed that there would be a signal strong enough to consult the mapping feature. No luck. But there was — barely — enough to make a call. The ring back tone was weak and staticky. Jamie bounced anxiously on the balls of his feet hoping one of them would pick up.
“Jamie?” Callum sounded worried.
“Hi. I got the pregnancy test but now I’m lost. Help?” Jamie said in a rush, afraid that at any moment the call would drop.
“What do you mean you’re lost?”
“I mean I took your bike, lost the map, my smartphone isn’t being smart, and I’m pretty sure I’d have to ride through a garden and over the top of some warehouse to even have half a hope of getting back,” he concluded desperately. “Come fetch me?”
“It’s a good thing we like you,” Callum said.
* * *
JAMIE DIDN’T FEEL LESS embarrassed when Nerea screeched up twenty minutes later in her convertible, the top up in the December chill. She yanked her door open and marched around to where he was standing on this random bit of Spanish countryside with Callum’s bike. He braced for her to start scolding him, but all she did was rip the bag from the pharmacy out of his pocket and shove her car keys at him.
“You’re driving,” she said and then marched off behind a bush.
Jamie was just about to open the boot of the car to see if he could get the bike in when he realized what the plan was.
“Oh my God, no, we cannot do this here.”
“We can’t do it in my house,” she said and kept going.
To be honest, Jamie didn’t see why not. But now was not the time to ask.
Jamie opened the boot, got the bike in with a bit of wiggling and prayer, and then slid into the driver’s seat. He folded his hands on the steering wheel and pressed his head against them. He was possibly hyperventilating. And he was definitely, absolutely, going to panic. However, as he forced his breathing to even out, Jamie was conscious of a different set of emotions.
In his prior relationships, he’d always been careful to use protection for the sake of everyone’s health but also to avoid a moment just like this. He’d always imagined that if he ever did end up waiting for a woman’s pregnancy test to show a result — and he wasn’t married to her — he’d feel nothing but dread and regret. But despite the adrenaline pumping through his system, Jamie felt no such thing. Terrified? Yes. Overwhelmed? Definitely. Nervous? More so than ever before. But for all that uncertainty, he also felt excited. There might be a baby. The prospect was wonderful.
“Don’t say anything,” Nerea hissed when she got back to the car, slamming the door after her.
Jamie turned his head to her but kept it pillowed on his arms. He cracked an eye open. “Well?”
“Well, we have to wait three minutes. And you’re not allowed to react.”
Outside a car whizzed by. “Earlier you wanted me to react.”
“Earlier I was worried you were going to pass out. But everyone has to have their own feelings about this without feeling pressured by anyone else.”
Jamie rather thought she sounded like the book she and Callum still teased him about. “What are we going to do, write notes to each other?”
“Yes,” Nerea said softly, staring at the little plastic stick in her hand.
“Seriously? You two are crazy. I mean, obviously, because this is happening, but — ”
Nerea passed him the stick.
He stared at it. “Oh. You mean yes.”
“Don’t react,” she said sharply and burst into tears.
Jamie cursed under his breath and started the car.
* * *
BY THE TIME THEY GOT back to the house with Nerea giving directions for the long way around, her eyes were dry, her makeup was repaired, and Jamie had pocketed the positive pregnancy test. Callum gave him a wary look when Nerea cheerfully greeted everyone and darted upstairs. Jamie intercepted him before he could follow.
“How is she?” Callum demanded.
“Take a guess,” Jamie said. “Oh, and you’re not allowed to react.” Apparently that was all it took for Callum to get a clue and drop into a chair in the kitchen.
“Really?” he asked, looking so pleased Jamie felt dizzy.
“Seriously. She said you’re not allowed to react. We have to write it down or something.”
“Okay,” Callum levered himself out of the chair. “Can you please make nice with everyone while I go check on my wife?”
Jamie didn’t miss the possessiveness in Callum’s word choice. He put a hand to his chest to stop him from going. There were things that he needed to say, and they needed to be said now. “We need to get on the same page with this, you and I.”
“Is that so?” Callum asked. “Which page are you on?”
“The one where my opinion doesn’t change based on whose it is.”
“Good.” Callum gave a tight smile and leaned down into Jamie’s space. “So let me be clear now. I don't care whose baby it is. But I've been with Nerea for thirty years, and the page you need to be on is that she is the top priority here. What she wants — and what she needs — is what she gets. Clear?”
Jamie nodded. “Clear.” He refused to look nervous in the face of Callum’s display. The masculinity drama they were having was not about jealousy, but about commitment, and Jamie could live with that.
“Excellent. Now, seriously,” Callum squeezed Jamie’s shoulder fondly, “I need to see my wife.”