Page 46 of Island Whispers

He sucked in a breath and it sputtered out with more laughter. “Can’t help it.”

Soon she was laughing with him. Or at him. Watching him try and smother his amusement was pretty funny too. “Forget it.” He probably needed the release valve as much as she did after keeping things locked down throughout dinner.

Laughter sure beat the heck out of crying. And when the amusement faded, she realized she was holding his hand on the console between the seats. Maybe it wasn’t smart, but she didn’t pull away. She trusted the impulse she’d followed and accepted the comfort.

They were going to Charleston to pick up a pregnancy test. Why deny the attraction that got them here? Within minutes she’d know if her life was irrevocably changed. Would she be tied to Boone for the rest of her life? Maybe not the day to day, but as the father of her child, he would be a forever connection.

What would her parents say? How would she manage being a single mom? Molly made it look easy most days. But her son was four and she had an aunt on the island who helped her with childcare.

Nina’s business was strong enough, and she carried a higher profit because she worked as a designer in addition to all the other ownership responsibilities. She started calculating the burden of adding more staff. Of child care and insurance and doctor visits.

“Is it really a problem?”

She jerked out of her overwhelming thoughts. There were so many problems, she didn’t know how to isolate just one.

“The kiss,” Boone clarified.

Oh, right. Because he couldn’t actually read her mind. “It could be,” she admitted. “Small towns are gossip mills.”

“Which is why you always go to Charleston to hook up.”

The way he said that made her feel like the worst sort of person. She wanted to protest and accuse him of being judgmental, but he wasn’t wrong. Apparently, her apology hadn’t been enough, despite the incredible sex that followed.

He pulled into a parking garage, found a spot, and cut the engine. She reached for the door handle, but he stopped her. “I’m not judging, Nina.”

“I apologized—”

“And I accepted,” he assured her. “I’ve only been in Brookwell for a short time and I get it. I see what you’re up against when it comes to public opinion.”

“Going on a date can turn into a big deal.” Not always, but often enough. “Back when Jess and Nash were in high school, every move they made was analyzed for future implications. The island is the best place to grow up because people look out for each other. And…” She shoved at her hair.

“The flip side is having way too much feedback on every stray look or thought,” he finished for her.

“Exactly. I love to go out dancing, but our best local option is the Pelican. And if I dance with someone there, someone local, it’s a whole thing by morning.”

“And us kissing out on the beach—”

She groaned. “The gossip will be ‘Nina kissed her bodyguard’,” she corrected. “Nash’s reaction proves it.” She rolled her eyes. “Little Nina falling for every new guy who comes to town.”

“How many new guys come to town?”

She did a double take at his grumpy tone. He was scowling at her and looking totally adorable. What was wrong with her? He couldn’t really feel possessive about her. They weren’t a forever deal. They were stuck sharing an awkward crisis. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss. “That’s my point. It’s just whispers, not truth.”

“You’re not little,” he said as they got out of the car.

“I’ll always be Nash’s little sister. Small town monikers stick.” Often much longer than they should.

He took her hand as they walked down the stairs to the street. “And you don’t want to be Nash’s little sister who got knocked up by the bodyguard.”

“That’s a mouthful,” she said. The joke attempt fell flat, mainly because he was right. “We weren’t bodyguard and client at the time.”

“Won’t make a difference to anyone in town, will it?”

“No,” she admitted. “But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. We don’t even know yet.”

He grunted and she didn’t need an interpreter for that. He believed she was carrying his child.

Suddenly, she didn’t want to be sad and she didn’t want Boone to feel obligated over anything except his job. Something about being miserable when taking a pregnancy test felt wrong. No, this wasn’t ideal timing. Yes, her world would shift on its axis if the test was positive.

---