Page 3

His eyes lingered on them a little too long, considering the seriousness of the moment. “I don’t know. Tell her you stopped working out.” He shrugged.

“Cole, this is crazy. I’m talking about our baby. Our indefinitely postponed wedding. It’s one thing to keep a secret living in Texas. It’s different to be under their roof and hide my pregnancy. I can’t lie about the two most important things in my life.”

“And I want you to get there so your parents aren’t pissed at me for keeping you here when it’s not necessary.” He tugged my arm, leading me to the front porch. He slung my bags on his broad shoulders. “I don’t want you to miss the flight. I’ve got this. I know the Tylenol rotation. We have juice and popsicles. I’ll be there in a few days. Maybe even tomorrow if it’s a twenty-four-hour bug.”

“But—”

He threw my suitcase in the trunk and pulled Grayson’s and his bags from the back. He was more careful with my carry-on.

He handed the keys to me and kissed me on the cheek.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can. Don’t worry. It’s not worth you trying to rebook your ticket and possibly catching what he has.”

“I don’t want to do this without you,” I whispered.

He stopped moving. “You’re never going to do this without me. I promise.”

He kissed me roughly. I moaned from the pressure as much as I did from the feeling when he’s arms unwrapped from my body. I wanted to pull them back to my waist. I wanted to press my body against his. I loved how he tasted. How his tongue flicked against mine. How safe I felt when he held me.

“Now, go.” He tapped the top of the car.

I slid in behind the wheel and started the ignition. He jogged up the stairs. I knew he had to get back to Grayson.

I reluctantly put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway. I watched the blue beach cottage fade in the rearview mirror. This was home now, but I was saying good-bye to it for an entire week. Nothing about this felt right.

2

Cole

This fucking sucked. But I knew it was the right thing to do. The only thing I could do. Kaitlyn needed holidays and magical moments. She needed the big tree and cookie baking with her mom. It didn’t mean much to me. It wasn’t like I would miss it, but I could make sure she didn’t.

I meant what I said by the car. It was important she stayed healthy. I didn’t want my pregnant fiancé’ coming down with a fever at Christmas.

I closed the door behind me as I walked in the house and she drove away.

Grayson was curled on the couch with his sippy cup and a blanket. I dropped onto the cushion next to him. The house didn’t feel the same without her. It was already darker and gloomy. Having a sad sick kid didn’t help.

“Kate gone?” he asked with a snivel.

I rubbed his knee. “We’ll see her in a few days. As soon as you feel better.”

“I want plane.”

“Well, you’ll get to ride the plane when we get rid of this fever.” I knew he was disappointed. Trying to explain to a two-year old that he wasn’t well enough to travel was only going to end up with me talking in circles. “I’ll be right back with your medicine.”

Kaitlyn kept everything labeled and secured in the medicine cabinet. She was a natural at being a mother. She and Grayson had bonded before she had even moved in. He trusted her. I loved her even more for how she accepted my son as if he were her own child.

I unlocked the cabinet and retrieved the Tylenol from the top shelf. I measured out how much he needed and walked back to the living room.

“Here you go.” I held up the spoon in the shape of a train. She had found it online and bought it. It was exactly the kind of thing she did for him all the time.

Grayson held his mouth open. Thank God I didn’t have to worry about him taking it. The train spoon worked like a charm. I flipped through the channels until I found a Christmas special Grayson wanted to watch. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep and I placed his head on a pillow and walked to the deck for some fresh air.

South Padre was desolate this time of the year. Most of the residents were in the hospitality business, and then there were the snowbirds who came down for the winter months.

The couple next to us had strung lights on the palm trees on their deck. But I knew it wasn’t what Kaitlyn was used to.

The Sinclaires went all out at the holidays. I’d never forget the first time Ryan invited me to go home with him over Christmas break. They had a twelve-foot tree. Every bush and plant in the yard was covered in lights. I’d never seen so many presents. And they invited me in as if I was a member of the family.