Page 49 of Pretty Desperate (Pine Village #6)

I let it go but have no intention of letting it drop completely.

The last thing I want to do is upset her before she has to leave for work.

Instead, I focus on making sure she has enough English muffin and ginger tea.

She quickly gets dressed in a bakery T- shirt and leggings and rushes back into the bathroom to dry her hair.

Leaving the bathroom door open, I get comfy in bed and watch her.

Even though I can’t hear her over the noise of the blow-dryer, I can tell she’s humming.

She always hums when she’s getting ready, and while she doesn’t dance along, per se, she does occasionally sway her hips to whatever music she hears in her head.

I want this.

Every morning.

But I know it’s too soon.

Not that there’s some rule or timeline in which you can ask your girlfriend to move in with you, but about two months after you start fake dating seems a little rushed.

Even with the addition of a baby on the way.

I don’t want her to think I’d be asking for any other reason than the fact I want to spend every minute of every day with her, and I would want that even if she wasn’t pregnant.

And I’m not so sure she’d agree right now.

We still have a lot to learn about each other, and over the last couple of weeks, we’ve fallen into an easy, content schedule.

Of course, that schedule seems to change frequently and will continue to do so as I get closer to opening the restaurant expansion and she progresses through her pregnancy.

Life will always be chaotic, but as long as she’s by my side, I know we can work through anything thrown our way.

I want to do this right. This time, it’s forever.

I’m not going to lie and say my age doesn’t factor into things too, because it does.

When she told me she is considered high risk because she’s over thirty-five, I got a little panicky.

Worried. For her and the baby. But she assured me her obstetrician is the best around and will take good care of both of them over the next nine months.

She did deliver both Hallie and Blair’s babies, so that gives me a little bit more comfort.

“Whatcha thinking about?”

Her question breaks through the noise in my head, and I realize she’s already finished drying her hair and has moved on to a touch of makeup.

A little eyeliner, some mascara, and a light dusting of loose foundation is all she wears.

Honestly, she doesn’t even need that. She’s fucking beautiful regardless.

“Thinking about you,” I answer truthfully, offering a smile. “And our little one.”

Her hand instantly goes to her still-flat stomach. “Are you excited for tomorrow’s appointment or nervous?”

“Both,” I confess.

“Me too.” She stands up a little straighter and swallows hard. “I just pray everything is okay.”

That has me moving, climbing from the bed and heading in her direction. The moment she’s in my arms, I reassure her, “Everything will be fine. Promise.”

She nods, but I can see the hint of worry in her eyes. “I think until I see the screen tomorrow, I’ll just be a tad bit nervous. Not that something can’t go wrong after the first ultrasound, but…you know. I just want to see him or her.”

“Me too.” I press a firm kiss to her forehead and take a step back. “And tomorrow, we will.”

Her smile reaches her eyes, lighting up her entire face. “I can’t wait.”

I step back and watch her finish getting ready.

She drinks the rest of her tea and carries the last few bites of her English muffin toward the kitchen as she prepares to leave.

With keys in hand, she grabs her purse and shoves the last bite of food into her mouth.

I don’t even wait for her to finish chewing.

I press my lips against hers, making her giggle as she keeps her mouth firmly closed.

“Love you,” I whisper.

She wraps her arms around my waist and mumbles, “Love you too.” When she finishes swallowing, she goes up on her tiptoes and gives me a proper kiss goodbye.

“I’ll drop by and check on you before I go to the restaurant,” I confirm, even though she already knows it’s part of my routine. I visit her every day.

“Sounds good,” she replies with one more kiss before opening the door.

I watch as she walks to her vehicle and climbs inside.

I stand where I am as she backs out of my driveway and heads toward the bakery just a handful of blocks away.

Only then do I shut the front door and make sure it’s locked.

Usually, I’d return to bed to catch a couple more hours of sleep, but my mind isn’t settled enough for that.

Instead, I go to her laptop and open it.

Her device isn’t passcode protected, something I’m going to have to talk to her about, so it fires to life as soon as I touch a key.

My eyes devour the cookbook she’s compiled, and I can’t help but wonder why she isn’t more excited to submit it somewhere. In fact, she seemed downright scared, as if this is one dream she doesn’t want to chase or fulfill.

Fuck that.

This thing is good.

Damn good, and it deserves to be in kitchens all over the world.

An idea forms in my head and before I can stop myself, I have my own laptop fired up and am doing a little research.

I spend two hours online before firing off a text to Ryan.

If anyone can help me, it’s her. She may not know personally what I need, but I’m hoping she has enough resources to offer some insight.

Do I worry this’ll piss Jillian off?

Yep.

Am I still going to do this?

Damn right, I am.

Why?

Because she deserves the world, and I’m the man to give it to her.