Sliding into the seat across from Knox in Sally-Anne’s café, the busy lunchtime rush is in full swing.
“Is baby mama coming?” he asks me with a cheeky look before biting into his sandwich.
“Maybe stop calling her that, and no, Kelsey has quite a busy day, so I’ll bring her some peppermint tea,” I answer, and my brother’s forehead forms lines. I clarify, “It helps keep her stomach calm.”
Knox shakes his head, clearly entertained.
After the other weekend, I’m worried that Kelsey now seems to be sensitive to foods. She assured me all week that it can happen, but it unnerves me. Kelsey left earlier than I planned from our farm date, but she wanted to get a shower and lie in bed. I think she felt a little too vulnerable to stay. Or maybe it was because when we walked back, I asked her again why pre-baby news she kept me at distance. The other night also. She always replies with the same answer—a sweet smile.
“Baby aside, all good? Is she coming around to the idea of you and her?”
“Slowly,” I admit, slightly defeated. Still no clear answers, but it feels like we are a step closer.
Stealing a chip, I notice a few sets of eyes on me as I check the busy café. I quickly ignore it and focus on Knox.
“So, what’s the deal with the living situation?” he asks. “When the baby comes, I mean? Are we going to have a rug rat running around Olive Owl?”
I lean back in my chair and nod my head in appreciation to the waiter who just placed an iced tea in front of me. “Not quite there yet. My approach is to take small steps before broaching the topic.”
Knox looks at me, unconvinced. “I’m pretty positive my nephew isn’t going to wait past his eviction date for you two to figure it out.”
It makes me smile when he says nephew. “We don’t know that the baby is a boy.” We’ll find out tomorrow at the party. We have another appointment later today, and Lucy is coming with to find out for us.
“Yeah, but I have a bet on it, so it’s a boy.” He shrugs.
“We will know soon enough.”
I notice Knox looking peculiarly at me. “What would you two be doing now if she wasn’t pregnant?”
“Everything that I wouldn’t want to discuss with my brother.”
“So, you would still be going at it?” His fingers come to his chin in contemplation.
“I wouldn’t want to stop.” No hesitation there.
“Because it’s that good or because you enjoy all your coffee conversations?”
Giving him a knowing look, I know he is trying some psychology on me. “Both. It’s nice catching up with someone that conversation always just flows with. Someone who is watching the same stories unfold around us because we share the same circle of friends. Kelsey is funny, cute, a little stubborn.”
“You think you would have asked her on a date by now if there was no baby?”
Fuck yes, the rules of our benefits arrangement were getting unbearable. A few of them needed to be broken, burned, and never resurrected.
“Yes. Now don’t worry, I’m not trying to pursue a relationship because I think it’s the right thing to do. I want it,” I confirm with a steady tone.
His mouth curves up. “Good. Was kind of worried that you would ask her to get married because you’re just that kind of guy who feels like responsibility compels him to do it.” He laughs.
My jaw flexes from his comment, and he notices.
“Shit. You did that?”
“It came up in conversation once or twice,” I admit as I tear my eyes away from him and sip my drink. “Just presenting options, and the first time doesn’t even count, as I was still in shock from the news.”
He pushes his plate to the side. “I’ll let it go, but only because you seem to be on the right track. Besides, we need to focus on Grayson about to get hitched. A bachelor party is a must. To Chicago we shall go, let loose before he becomes tied down and you’re changing diapers. It’s perfect.”
My hand glides through my hair. “Sure.” In the corner of my eye, I notice Coach Dingle nodding to me as someone whispers into his ear. The man was my football coach back in the day. Sometimes I give him a hand, and hell, he ropes Grayson into helping too, with high school sports.
Then my eyes slide to the other side of the room and dread floods me. Sharon Clark, fuck. Yeah, I totally lost my virginity to her and avoid her like the plague. Her eyes assess me in curiosity.
Suddenly I feel like it’s the twilight zone.
Leaning in, in a low tone, I ask my brother, “What the hell is going on? I feel like everyone in this room is staring at me.”
Knox has an almost wicked chuckle as his tight smile cracks. “They are. In fact, rumor in this town is a certain hair salon owner is expecting a little surprise, and people are pointing fingers at my dear older brother whose name begins with B. But who would I be to confirm that news?”
I bring my hands up to rub my face in aggravation. I thought we still had time.
“Kelsey is beginning to show a little,” Knox says in explanation. “Or at least the baggy sweaters are giving her away, since before she wore some curve-fitting pieces.” My eyes gawk at him in warning, and he holds his hands up in protest. “Relax. It was probably the fact that you hand-deliver decaffeinated drinks to her or that you two love birds go for little walks along Main Street. Bluetop isn’t stupid.” He takes a drink from his glass then casually adds on, “Plus, Dr. Bridge may have cursed your name in the hardware store when he ran into one of his golf buddies. Fun times, really.”
Christ, this town, but Knox is right, and to be fair it makes sense. Kelsey and I have become less and less secretive and more obvious.
“Gets better,” Knox warns me, clearly having fun, and he tips his head up to gesture behind me.
I’m greeted by the sight of Sharon Clark, circling around our table like a shark wearing the body of Lucy’s old dolls.
I curse under my breath and glance up to be greeted by a set of bleached-white teeth and a fake smile.
“So good to see you, Bennett. You two having a nice lunch?” Sharon asks as she twirls some hair around her finger.
“Until now,” Knox mutters.
“Just catching up,” I explain and try to avoid her little snake eyes.
“I thought you would be here with Kelsey. You know, I never thought she would be the one to have a child before most from our year in school. Then again, she always followed Brooke around, so the single mom thing must have rubbed off. It’s nice that you’re there for her.”
Knox’s eyes go bold because Sharon just spewed enough bullshit to knock even him back a step or two, and that’s saying a lot.
Me? Anger, annoyance, a wave of protectiveness, it all reaches a boiling point inside of me. Nobody talks about Kelsey like that. Baby or no baby, I’m not having this. But since there is a baby—my baby—I may turn into fucking Godzilla in a second.
Taking a large inhale of breath, I prep myself not to lose my cool, especially as I notice the room has gone quiet and everyone is watching the scene unfold.
“Of course I’m there for her, considering I’m lucky enough that she is carrying my child. We are completely thrilled with the news. The entire family, including Brooke and Grayson—you know, the guy you prey on but who only has eyes for the woman who isn’t exactly a single mom and will soon be his wife. So thanks for your concern.”
Sharon goes speechless, and Coach in the corner gives me a reassuring wink.
Standing up, I decide to make everything clear to everyone in the room, get ahead of the gossip train of this town. “Yup, I am going to be a dad. The Blisswood family is growing, and Kelsey and I couldn’t be more excited with this surprise. Now that you all have it confirmed, I’ll assume you can find your next topic to gossip about. Apparently, someone at the farmers’ market is against the holiday candle stall, so there you go, your next mystery,” I announce to the room. I touch Knox’s shoulder. “Sorry, this lunch will have to be on you, I need to get out of here.”
He gives me a little salute with two fingers.
Walking past everyone, opening the door with the bell above tinging, I make my way out of the place and onto Main Street.
Two blocks later, I notice Kelsey leaning against my parked car with her arms crossed and the gentlest of wry smiles gracing her lips.
She’s been waiting for me, and it puzzles me slightly.
“Hey, I was going to get you a tea,” I say, oblivious to what her determined stare means.
Slowly, she strides forward. Stopping in front of me, she stands on her tippy toes to reach up and kiss my cheek, before her hands cup my face and guide me to her so she can capture my lips. Not just any kiss but a demanding kiss that has sentiment behind it. She pulls away with a warm smile and eyes filled with appreciation.
“Rumor has it you made some public declarations just now,” she clues me in.
My brows bunch together. “You already heard?”
“Yeah, Coach’s wife was at the salon and got the play-by-play update via text.”
“It was like three minutes ago!”
She shrugs. “It’s Bluetop.”
“Shit, and sorry if I went a little off script.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and gives me a mischievous smirk. “You defending me? It’s really kind of hot.”
I brush it off, step forward, and guide her until her back gently hits my truck so she is nicely trapped between me and the door. “It was nothing.”
She chortles a laugh. “What, clarifying to everyone that I’m not just getting fat and letting myself go?”
I step to her and sneak my hands into her unzipped coat, sliding my fingertips under her sweater and gliding my touch to plant firmly on her ever-growing little bulge that she tries to hide on a daily basis, except when we’re alone. Her breath hitches from surprise, but her eyes stay fixed with my own.
“This is our baby, and you are beautiful as he or she grows inside of you.”
“Stop it, Bennett,” she nearly growls with her face blushing to a shade of pink. “This is yet again proof of the reason why I kept you at arm’s length.”
My eyes widen slightly. “What?”
“You are the type of guy that women fall for, and it scares me that I may be no exception to that rule.”
Leaning down, I kiss her because her words warm me, and her lips possess me.
I brush her hair back with my fingers and whisper against her ear, “I was hoping that was the reason.”
She nuzzles her nose against my cheek, and I feel her smile against my skin. “I said maybe,” she repeats with a hint of playfulness.
Gah. I need to hear the confirmation that she wants this between us, and she still isn’t giving it to me in words.
But she is showing me that we are so many steps closer.