Page 49

“No, I can’t. I wanted to make something for Bambi, but with her pregnancy cravings I’m not sure what to get,” I admit, a sheepish smile on my face.

Gigi is one of the three people in town who knows I’m the father of the baby, and the only person who knows my ultimate goal, marry Bambi and make a family with her. She’s been watching me leave every morning all week, waving me off with a smile and words of encouragement. The ring she gave me safely tucked away on my boat waiting for that perfect opportunity, which won’t be any time soon, not until after she trusts me again.

“That is a tough one. Her cravings are rather wild. But you know what she always loved?”

Gigi loops her arm through mine and steers me down the meat section, stopping in front of the bacon and sausage.

“Rae always loved breakfast for dinner. No matter if we had a full breakfast that morning or not.”

That’s at least a place to start. But as I stare at the choices of breakfast meat I am now faced with another dilemma. Bacon or sausage? Pancakes or waffles? Do I get eggs? Muffins or biscuits? Hashbrowns or country potatoes? There are just as many choices as before, the suggestion not making my decision any easier.

Gigi must notice my growing panic and distress because she squeezes my arm in a reassuring gesture that has my brows un-pinching.

“I would suggest getting a little of everything. Just to be safe,” she says.

“Good idea.”

“And don’t forget the chocolate chips for pancakes,” she adds as I pick a pack of bacon and sausage to add to my cart. With the amount of breakfast food I’m going to buy, we’ll be able to eat breakfast every meal for a week.

“Thanks Gigi. What would I do without you?”

“Well for starters you would still be standing there staring at the meat like an owl.”

I laugh and something inside of me settles. With every day that passes after my return, I feel more and more sure of my decision. Being here is the right thing, whether Bambi is pregnant or not, it’s where I’m supposed to be.

“Thanks again Gigi.”

“For what?” she asks, her smile still firmly in place.

“For not hating me for leaving Bambi. For not turning me away when I came back. You had every right to, but you didn’t.Thank you.” She pats me on the cheek and her small warm hand cups my jaw as she turns me to face her straight on.

“You’re family Warren, always have been always will be. You don’t turn away family just because they left for a little while. You did nothing wrong. As I see it, you’re trying to do the right thing and that’s what matters.”

She pats my cheek one more time for good measure before dropping her hand and acting as if we’re just talking about which brand of bacon to buy, and not the mother of my unborn child.

“Now you get going and feed my grandbabies. Go on now. Shoo.”

She waves me away and we part ways, her last words to me spoken with a wicked grin. “I won’t wait up for you.”

I’ve been living on my boat just as I always had, but from her insinuation she seems to think I’ll be staying at Bambi’s. Not that I would mind. I would love to stay with her. Be close by in case she needs me in the middle of the night. To keep her stove lit and burning so she doesn’t get cold. To wrap my arms around her as we sleep. That last one benefits us both.

The idea takes root, and as I pick out every breakfast food known to man, I plan my speech to convince Bambi I need to stay with her. For hers and our baby’s protection and benefit. By the time I slide into the driver’s seat of my truck, multiple bags of groceries secured in the back, I’ve come up with what I feel is a foolproof plan.

When I arrive at Bambi’s the store is already closed for the night, all the lights downstairs turned off, the only light coming from her apartment above. My arms are filled with the grocery bags as I thumb through the keys on my ring to find the one I had made yesterday. I used to have a key of my own but returned it to her when I left. I wasn’t sure she would say yes if I asked for another, so I had my own made. She’ll probably be angry with me for stealing her keys and making a copy without asking herfirst, but I’m okay with that. Because it means I have a way to get to her in case of an emergency.

I may have had nightmares about her going into labor locked in her apartment and me with no way of getting inside. The only way to assuage my growing panic and need to protect her, was to make a copy of her key without her knowledge.

Now is as good a time as any to use it. To surprise her with breakfast for dinner, and every meal for the foreseeable future. I slip the silver key in the exterior door and turn it till it clicks. Most of the time she only locks this door and not the one at the top of the stairs to her apartment, so I won’t have to worry about unlocking two doors. I make sure to lock the exterior door behind me before climbing quietly up the stairs.

At the top I wipe my feet on her door mat that has a picture of a stack of books and reads “Yes I really do read all these books.” Without knocking I step through the door and decide to announce myself in a way she should get used to.

“Honey, I’m home.”

Bambi is standing in the kitchen, the fridge door open in front of her when she turns to stare at me, completely taken off guard by my surprise appearance. I can see the sparkle of delight in her eyes before they shift to curious confusion.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, still standing in front of the open fridge, one hand on the door handle. Even her fridge is second hand. One of those retro fifties style ones with only one door and colored mint green.

“I thought I would make you dinner.” I hold up the bags showing her my offerings.