To Be a Dad. Kate Kelly

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СКАЧАТЬ wait for the bad news, huh?”

      “So, are you...?” The words stuck in his throat.

      “I don’t know. I can’t look.”

      Dusty picked up the plastic stick. “This it?”

      “Yup.”

      “What am I looking for?”

      “Two lines.”

      “Two lines means you’re pregnant?” His hand shook.

      She continued staring at her hands. “That’s the way it works.”

      “You’re pregnant.”

      Teressa groaned and listed to one side.

      Dusty squatted down on his haunches again and slid his hands along her thighs. “It won’t be so bad. We’ll do this together.”

      Her head snapped up. “Really? You want to be pregnant for the first trimester or the last?”

      Usually, right about now, he made some smart-ass comment and they got into it. He took a breath, counted to ten. “I want to be with you during the whole thing.” He swallowed his panic. “All of it. The pregnancy, the birth and all the years to follow.”

      She pushed his hands away and stood in front of the sink. “Don’t do this.”

      “Do what?”

      “Be nice to me. It makes everything so much harder.”

      He stood and looked over her shoulder at her reflection in the mirror. “I’m trying to make things better.”

      “I don’t deserve better.”

      “What are you talking about? You think you got pregnant by yourself? We’re in this together, whether you like it or not.” He rested his hands on her hips and pulled her back into him. “Far as I’m concerned, you deserve the best.”

      He nuzzled her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, found her earlobe and nipped it. He could seriously get used to this if they were married.

      She stiffened. “What do you think you’re doing? Stop.”

      Not exactly the reaction he was looking for. “Why? You can’t get pregnant again. We might as well take advantage of the good parts.”

      “So, you’re in this for the sex?” she hissed.

      He raised his hands as if she’d pointed a gun at him. “No. You’re...you’re twisting it around.” Right, and that lump in the front of his jeans was just a stick. Log. Whatever. “All I’m saying is...” Shut up, man. “I think you’re a really attractive woman, and no matter what happens in the next year, I’ll still find you attractive.”

      She flicked her long red hair over her shoulder, and he watched it sway across her back, remembering how it felt against his chest their one mad night together. He chanced a glimpse in the mirror and caught the shadow of sadness in her eyes. Okay, maybe he was going about this the wrong way. As usual.

      He put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her until she stood in the circle of his arms. “Give me a chance, Teressa. I won’t let you down.”

      She closed her eyes and sunk into his embrace. He was always startled by how fragile she felt in his arms. Not that he got to hold her often, but, yeah, in his mind she resembled an amazon warrior. In reality she was a slender woman with too heavy a burden to carry.

      She rubbed her cheek against his shoulder and pulled away. “Thanks. I needed a hug.”

      “Always glad to be of service.” He watched Teressa’s open expression shut down at his flip answer. Would he ever learn to think before he opened his mouth? He cupped her face before she could move away. “I’m serious. I want to be a part of your life.” Now was probably a good time to mention marriage, but he wasn’t ready to go there yet. Wasn’t sure he ever would be.

      “Come on.” He tugged on her hand.

      She snatched her hand back. “I’m not going to bed with you, Dusty Carson.”

      Great start to a...whatever the word was for what they had. He should give up while he was ahead. Determined to push forward, he took her hand again. “I want to talk to you about...things. Let’s go into the living room.”

      “What’s wrong with the bathroom? You got something to say to me, this is as good a place as any.”

      “You’re just being contrary.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Come on, Tee. We’ll be more comfortable on the couch.”

      She shrugged him off, her lip curling in disdain. “Is this your sad attempt at seducing me? ’Cause in case you haven’t noticed, it’s not working.”

      “I’m not trying to seduce you.”

      “You yell like that, you’re going to wake the kids up.”

      Dusty scrubbed his hands over his face. He should get the hell out while the getting was good. But no way would he leave Teressa to face having another child by herself. He’d do the right thing if it killed him. “Okay. You want to do this here, we’ll do it here. Sit.” He pointed at the toilet.

      “What is your problem?” Teressa sat, for the first time looking a little curious.

      “Mommy?” A small, worried voice sounded through the door.

      Teressa started laughing. “You’re going to want to let Brendon in before he gets hysterical.”

      It was a sign. He and Teressa weren’t supposed to take their relationship a step further. If they were, everything would have gone smoothly. Hell, who was he kidding? Nothing had ever gone smoothly between them.

      He yanked open the door and glared down at the tiny boy hopping from one foot to the other. “Dusty!” Brendon blinked like he was going to cry. “I gotta pee.”

      “Okay.” He stepped into the hallway, but his heart thumped over when he glanced back at Teressa. Her laughter had morphed into tears as she scooped up the pregnancy stick and tossed it into the trash.

      “Mommy, are you sad again?” Brendon hugged her leg.

      “No, baby. I’m just tired. Good on you for getting up to go to the bathroom.” She sidled past her son. “Dusty will help you, okay? I have to take care of...something.”

      Again, Brendon had said. Are you sad again? He knew Teressa struggled with her life as a single mom, but he had no idea how much.

      Tears pooled in Brendon’s eyes.

      “What’s your problem?” Dusty barked.

      “I can’t reach.”

      Squatting down, Dusty mentally kicked himself as the kid started crying in earnest. “What do you need, Brendon?” Other than a kind, caring adult.

      Brendon СКАЧАТЬ