Page 24 of Save Me (The Wolf Hotel Mermaid Beach #2)

“ W hat kind of vitamins do you take?” I ask casually as Jacquie sets our desserts in front of us. The dinner was hands down the best meal I’ve ever eaten, I hate to admit. I’m beyond stuffed, but I couldn’t say no to the lemon tart.

“Oh, gosh, I can’t remember the brand. They’re basic prenatal vitamins.

You can get them anywhere. Miles got them for me.

That’s Henry’s assistant.” Abbi leans back in her chair.

“I didn’t even have the blood work results back yet, and Henry sent him out to stock our cupboards with those and decaf coffee. That one, I nearly killed him for.”

“You’re not supposed to have coffee,” I say out loud. That one, I knew, but I had forgotten.

“My doctor said one cup a day would be fine.”

Shit . I drink three to four. I guess I need to stop doing that too.

“My husband can be so controlling sometimes, but he means well. ”

Until he’s trying to buy you out of your home because he wants your land.

I steal a glance toward the restroom doors, where Henry just disappeared. Connor is strolling across the room, but Ronan is nowhere to be seen. “How much grief is Henry going to give Ronan for bringing me here tonight?”

“Probably a lot, but don’t worry about it. Ronan has no trouble standing up to my husband. He’s one of the few people who gets away with it.”

“Why is that?”

“Because Ronan saved Henry’s life, for one. There was this collapsed mine shaft in Alaska that Henry went into.” She shudders.

“Oh, I read about that.” It was all over the news. “That was Ronan who went in to get him?”

“And Connor. They found some other way. They were so crazy for doing it, but I can never thank them enough. Henry might not be here if they hadn’t.” Her lips purse. “They’re close friends of mine, and Henry respects that.”

“Fresh one for ya.” Jeremy appears then with another rose-and-strawberry mocktail, along with a second that he sets in front of Abbi. “And I thought you might like one too.”

“Oh, thank you.” Abbi hesitates, frowning at the glass. “What is it?”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Wolf. No alcohol in that.” He flashes a megawatt smile.

“This is Jeremy,” I introduce. “He’s one of my sea captains at the Sea Witch, who works here part-time now too. Actually, he’s my only sea captain at the moment, unless I count Frank.”

“Do not count Frank. We need to keep him far away from the tiki cruises. How are you feeling? Are you good? Do you need anything?” He peers down at me in earnest.

“All good.”

“I got you, boss.” With a squeeze against my shoulder and a wink, Jeremy swiftly disappears as quickly as he came.

Abbi is still frowning at our drinks.

“There’s definitely no alcohol in them.”

“Oh my God,” she mumbles, and when she looks at me, there’s awareness there. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

“What?” It comes out in a squeak. She caught me off guard.

“You didn’t drink any wine. Not even a sip during the toast. You brought it to your lips, but you didn’t drink.”

I falter on my excuse. “I’m not a wine drinker.” She noticed that?

“And you ordered everything I’ve ordered, exactly how I’ve ordered it. And all these questions you’ve been asking, about what I can’t eat, and vitamins, and doctor appointments.”

“I was just making conversation.” But even I hear how weak that sounds. My shoulders slump in defeat. “It was not planned. I found out yesterday, and I don’t know what I’m doing yet.”

“Does Ronan know?” Her eyes widen. “Wait, it is Ronan’s, right?”

“Yes, of course!” A nervous laugh escapes me and, with it, a bubble of tension. There’s relief in not holding this secret so tightly. Except … “He doesn’t know yet. You can’t tell him. Please .”

Abbi leans in, placing her hand over mine. “I won’t say a word.”

For some reason, I believe her, even if she doesn’t owe me anything.

But given how quickly she and Jeremy figured it out, how long before Ronan does? Maybe that’d be a blessing. He’ll stop calling and showing up and making me fall harder for him.

I sigh heavily. “What do you think he’s going to say?”

“Honestly? I have no idea. This is huge.”

“Life-altering.”

“Yes.” She nods in agreement. “And Ronan hasn’t given off family man vibes. He certainly hasn’t lived a life my mama would approve of. Then again, neither have I, by her standards,” she mutters dryly.

“I have a good idea about Ronan’s lifestyle. I mean, there’s Connor.” I give her a knowing look. “And I met Katie and Rachel on the weekend.”

“Oh, yeah. Their history with Ronan is something. I’ve seen it up close and personal once.

Unintentionally.” She holds her hands up in surrender.

“But from what I know, a lot of the things he and Connor used to get up to aren’t happening anymore.

Not with Ronan, anyway. He’s looking for something more serious.

” She hesitates before smiling. “I know he’s crazy about you. He told me this morning.”

My chest swells with warmth. It’s followed quickly by panic. “Will he still feel that way after he finds out?” My voice is thick with doubt.

She pauses to consider that question. “The one thing I learned about Ronan is that people are always underestimating him. I used to too. Now? I consider him one of my very best, most loyal friends. If there’s someone I can count on, besides my husband, of course, it’s him. Every time, without fail.”

“But if I decide to have it, I don’t want him to feel trapped or forced. I want him to be in my life because he wants to be.”

“Tell him that.” She nods with encouragement.

I’m about to ask her how she thinks I should break the news when a commotion rises near the restrooms, where Henry holds a hand over his left eye.

Meanwhile, Ronan marches toward our table, fury etched in his stony face.

“I’m ready to go. You ready?” He rounds the table, ignoring the countless shocked looks from both guests and staff. Even the mermaid has paused her swim and floats mid-tank, watching.

“I guess?” I swap glances with Abbi, who looks as confused as I feel, her brow furrowed with worry as she watches her husband, who squints as he tests the corner of his eye with his finger.

Holy hell, Ronan punched Henry Wolf in the face.

“It was nice to meet you.” I shoot one last pleading look for Abbi’s silence before climbing out of my seat, my cheeks flushing from the gawkers.

Ronan leans in to press a kiss against Abbi’s forehead. “Sorry, Red, but he deserved that one, I promise.” His attention snags on the plate in front of me that I haven’t touched. Grabbing it in one hand, he leads me past Henry, toward Opal Reef’s doors.

Ronan slows long enough to toss a “Fuck you, Wolf” before he shoves the door open, grabbing and holding it so it doesn’t swing back on me.

We’re halfway down the hall before I say, “So you really like lemon tarts.”

“What? Oh.” He looks at the plate, then at me. “It’s for you. I didn’t want you to miss out.”

“Right.” I wait another beat and then dare ask, “What happened?”

But Ronan shakes his head, holding his right hand out in front of him to inspect his reddened knuckles.

“You hit him hard.”

“I did.”

“And he really deserved it?”

Ronan’s teeth clench. “He really did.”

“So … I take it you’re no longer a director for the Wolf?”

“The fuck if I know. Yeah, probably. Assaulting the boss is definitely grounds. Whatever. It’s for the best. I wasn’t cut out for this.” But I sense no relief in his voice when he admits that. I think he liked his role, even if he claims he has no idea how to do it.

What does that mean, though, for Ronan staying in Mermaid Beach? Will he go back to Miami? To Indianapolis?

He can’t leave.

Just the idea of Ronan gone ignites panic in me.

“I have an opening,” I blurt, thinking out loud. “For a tiki captain. Or, as Douchebag Preston insists, a skipper. I mean, it’s nothing like your job now.” Or his job up until five minutes ago.

Ronan’s hard mask finally cracks. “I might have to take you up on that. I’ve got a lot to figure out. I’ll need to return my car and find a new place to live.” He reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Connor’ll probably have to move out too. Fuck, he’s gonna kill me.”

“I have an empty trailer you guys could stay in.” The one Dave and Ted were supposed to be in.

“A trailer next to the hotel.” He chuckles. “Man, this is getting better by the minute.”

“What? It’s comfortable! I’m mildly offended.”

“No, I’m sure it is. I didn’t mean it like that, I swear.” He leads me down a narrow hallway. It’s a different direction than we came in, but it lets us out in the parking lot and to his car quickly.

Holding my door open for me to climb in, Ronan sets the dessert plate on my lap.

I admire his body as he rounds the car, his stride even and calm, despite his heavy mood.

The drive to my house is short but quiet, Ronan swerving to avoid an especially deep pothole.

“I need to get that filled.” Frank raked the ground twice this year, but we need more gravel.

“Don’t bother,” Ronan mutters.

“What?” I frown. “Why not?”

He hesitates. “No reason. I don’t know why I said that. My head’s just not here.”

The parking area is jammed tonight, with cars in front of each trailer, plus Mick’s pickup next to my Cherokee.

Ronan pulls up in the only spot on the other side. “What’s going on here?”

“Just staff out by the fire pit. We do it every night.” And it looks like everyone’s here. “We can sit out there, if you want?”

He smooths his palms over the steering wheel. “I think I’m peopled out tonight.”

Ronan might be peopled out, but I’m not ready to say good night to him yet. “We should get some ice on that.” I nod toward the angry bruise on his knuckle.

He tests his hand by opening and closing it. “It’ll be fine. I’ve had worse.”

“You punch a lot of people?”

His mouth kicks up at the corner. “Only when they deserve it.”

What could Henry possibly have said or done to earn Ronan’s fist? Something tells me it has to do with me.