Page 39 of Burden to Bear

He gave me a nod of understanding. “Did you go over and set the record straight with her?”

“No. She was upset, and I didn’t want to make it worse.”

Chris shot me a look that indicated he believed I’d made a grave mistake. “I’m thinking that unless this pregnancy news changes how you feel about getting to know her better, the sooner you explain what happened tonight, the better.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing all night,” I confessed.

Following a beat of silence, Chris asked, “What’s the deal with the ex? Has he been around?”

I shook my head and shrugged. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know for sure.”

Clapping a hand on my shoulder, he said, “If you like her, I think it’s important you continue to show her that you’re a good guy. This way, if the ex does come around, she knows what the difference is.”

My lips twitched. “You know I’m the older brother here, right?”

“I can’t help that I’m the wiser one,” Chris teased.

I rolled my eyes and said, “I’ve got to go.”

“See you later, Brock. Good luck.”

“Thanks, Chris. I’ll talk to you later.” I knocked on the back window, and Izzy turned to look at me. Waving, I said, “Goodnight, buttercup.”

She waved back. “Goodnight, Uncle Brock.”

With that, I took off toward my truck, hopped in, and drove home.

My hand was balled into a loose fist as I knocked on the door.

I wondered if I knew I’d been lying to myself when I said I’d wait until tomorrow to rectify the situation with Mia.

In a way, I guess I knew the conversation tonight at dinner would eventually lead to her, if for no other reason than the fact that Izzy would bring her up.

But on the way home, I thought about the discussion I had with my brother in the parking lot. Though I wouldn’t admit this to him for fear of inflating his ego, he was right.

The sooner I explained why I couldn’t have dinner with her tonight, the better.

So, considering it wasn’t that late, I decided it was time to address it immediately. I pulled into my driveway and parked my truck in the garage before marching right over to Mia’s place.

There was no turning back.

I heard the locks on the door go, and a moment later, when Mia was standing in front of me, I started questioning myself.

Maybe I should have given this a bit more thought.

Because Mia was dressed in the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. Or maybe it wasn’t even what she was wearing that was sexy. Maybe it was her.

Evidently, she’d gotten herself ready for bed. She was standing in front of me wearing what could only be described as a romantic midnight blue nightgown that clung to her body in all the right places.

It looked soft and comfortable, stopped just a few inches shy of her knees, and had a V-neckline that showed off her cleavage and ample breasts. The evidence of her pregnancy was as prominent as ever with the way the material molded to her body.

My hands balled into tight fists as I fought the urge to reach out and touch her. The only thing that helped marginally was the matching robe she had pulled on over it, but considering it was just a few inches longer and hadn’t been tied shut, I was fighting a losing battle.

Fortunately, Mia spoke and forced my attention away from her beautiful body. “Brock? What are you doing here?”

“I—” I stopped to clear my throat. “I wanted to come over to clear the air.”

“Pardon?”

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