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Her eyes narrowed, but I could see the flush creeping up her neck. She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but I just raised my eyebrows expectantly. A few heated seconds ticked by before she finally huffed out a breath and yanked open the passenger door.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she muttered, sliding onto the butter-soft leather. The scent of her perfume washed over me as she tossed her bag onto the floor with more force than necessary.
I leaned over, our faces inches apart as I reached over to pull her seatbelt across her body. “What’s not to believe?” I let my gaze roam over those lips I could still taste whenever I thought about them too hard. The way her body tensed at my closeness had me pausing. What the fuck was wrong with her?
“Just drive. Please. I’m late…Late for the appointment!”
“Okay. Sure thing. Cool your jets. I’ll have you there in no time at all.”
“What are you doing out this way, anyway?”
I pulled out onto the road, casting her a quick look. She had her hands clasped so tightly in her lap that the knuckles were white. Maybe I should ask what was wrong. The way she was all tensed up, with her head turned away, staring out the window, was definitely off. All for a beauty appointment. Very unlikely.
My extinct was to say something about scouting for frog habitats to destroy, but she really didn’t seem up to it, so instead I said, “Just traveling for work.”
A few minutes later, I pulled into the main drag in Jacksonville, keeping one eye on the storefronts for any sign of a salon or spa.Scarlett was still acting weird, fidgeting in her seat and avoiding eye contact.
“Just up here. On the left,” she said abruptly, already unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching for her bag.
I slowed the car, scanning the buildings ahead. There was no obvious beauty parlor or nail place in sight. A bail bondsman, some dingy bar, a pawn shop... not exactly the type of establishments I’d expect Scarlett to be going to. Across the road was a supermarket and a medical center. No beauty salons there, either.
She must have noticed my confusion, because she swore under her breath. “Just pull over here.”
I arched an eyebrow but did as she asked, easing my sleek sports car up against the curb. Scarlett was already fumbling with the door handle, her movements jerky and…anxious? What the hell was going on? This sure as shit didn’t seem like any kind of beauty appointment.
“Scarlett?” I reached out, my hand closing over her wrist to still her movements. She tensed, but didn’t pull away. “What’s really going on here? You’re acting weird as fuck. And freaking me out, if I’m honest.”
For a long moment, she was frozen, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each shallow breath. Then finally, slowly, she turned to face me. Her eyes were huge, dark pools of worry that I wanted nothing more than to soothe away. Whatever had her so rattled had my chest tightening painfully.
Raw emotion flickered across her beautiful face, which only made me more worried. I really, really needed to get to the bottom of this. Figuring a softly, softly approach might work, Ireached out and cupped her cheek, my thumb grazing along her cheekbone.
“Hey,” I murmured, keeping my voice low and soothing. “It’s just me. You can tell me what’s going on.”
She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. For a moment, I thought she might actually start crying. But then her eyes hardened, that fiery determination I knew so well blazing in their depths. And then she dropped the biggest of all bombs. “I’m pregnant.”
The words hit me like a slap to the face. My hand dropped from her cheek as the world seemed to grind to a halt around us. Pregnant? Holy fuck. With my kid? A thousand thoughts and emotions slammed into me at once - shock, panic, fear and lots of shit I didn’t have a name for.
Scarlett rubbed her hands over her face. “Jesus. Sorry. I didn’t plan to tell you like this. I was just waiting to see the doctor to confirm everything’s good, then I was going to ask to meet up. I mean, it’s definitely yours, if you’re wondering.”
“I’m not.”
“Okay. Good.”
Scarlett was watching me warily, her shoulders tense as if bracing for an onslaught. I forced myself to snap out of my daze, dragging in a deep, steadying breath.
“But you’re sure? No doubt, definitely pregnant?” My voice was little more than a gravelly rasp.
She dug into her purse and pulled out a plastic stick, thrusting it into my hands. Two bright blue lines stared back at me, confirming her words. “I’ve been carrying it around all week,thinking it’s all a mistake and next time I look, there’ll only be one line.”
“Shit...” I exhaled roughly, gripping the stick tight as I tried to process this.
“This is my first doctor’s appointment. It’s in Jacksonville to make sure I don’t see anyone I know. I’m, um, I’ll find out if everything’s okay. If the baby is healthy. All that.”
When I glanced back at her, she was worrying her full lower lip between her teeth, her expression a mixture of nerves and defiance. Like she was daring me to react badly. Sure, I was freaking out on the inside, but from the looks of things, Scarlett was freaking out even more. She clearly needed a level head right now. I could do this. Two deep breaths and I somehow managed to sound perfectly calm when I said, “Okay. Tell me what you need.”
The surprise that flashed in her eyes cut me; I have to admit. Rhett Rivers being a grown-up was such a fucking shock to her. Hey, I guess I’d earned that.
“I…I don’t know.”