Page 35 of Pregnant in Pennsylvania

Shoot, shoot, shoot.

Now I have to talk to him.

I leave my car, hike my purse onto my shoulder, and cross over to stand beside Jamie.

“Thank you for bringing him over,” I say.

Jamie grins at me. “Oh, no problem. I didn’t want to be presumptuous or whatever, but Aiden was getting really upset at the prospect of being late.”

I laugh, nodding. “He’s the team captain, and their star catcher and runner. He takes his responsibility as team captain very seriously.”

Jamie chuckles. “Receiver and running back,” he corrects.

“Same thing.” I eye him. “Did you play?”

He nods. “Yep. Third grade all the way through college.”

“Really? What position?”

“Quarterback.”

“Were you good?”

He shrugs. “I did okay. I had plans for my life that didn’t include football, so once college was over, that was it.” A glance at me. “Your son is very good.”

I smile. “He is, isn’t he? He loves it. I’m just scared of him getting hurt.”

“Eh, he’ll be fine. The training and equipment is getting better every year.” He eyes me again. “Elyse, I—”

I cut in over him. “Jamie, please. What happened, happened. It was…” I blink, hunt for something to say. “I really had a great time with you. But you’re…you’re my son’s principal, and we work in the same school district, and…I’m a single mom. I can’t—I can’t afford…”

“Distractions.” Jamie’s voice is carefully neutral.

“Right.”

“You didn’t have to sneak out.”

“I woke up, and…” I shrug. “I didn’t want to make things awkward.”

He laughs. “A little late for that.”

I laugh, too. “Yeah, I guess so. You could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I realized you were the new principal.”

Jamie nods. “Yeah, it was…unexpected.” He laughs. “Shouldn’t have beentoomuch of a shock, though, considering how small this town is.”

“True, I just wasn’t expecting to literally bump into you.”

Awkward silence. Part of me wants to say more. Wants to talk about that night. Another part of me wants to run, to cut this conversation short and avoid him forever.

He’s seen me naked.

He’s touched me, intimately.

He’s beeninsideme.

He’s slept beside me.

And yet, in some ways, he’s a total stranger.