Page 91 of Hero's Heart

Callum’s chest ached. He needed to make this right, to explain himself better. Earn her forgiveness if he could. Butwould she even give him the chance? He settled in to wait, prepared to stay all night if that was what it took.

Thirty minutes later, he realized his stay would probably involve no food or drinks if he was waiting for Sloane or Joy to serve him. Neither of them seemed inclined to come by and take his order.

More than once, he caught Joy shooting him a withering glare before she turned away with a dramatic toss of her hair. Sloane must have told her about the baby and their earlier conversation.

Sloane, meanwhile, seemed determined not to even look in his direction. She whirled between the crowded tables, her smile bright as she joked with the other patrons. But that smile never once turned his way.

With a tired grunt, he finally pushed to his feet and walked over to the bar. “Hey, Hudson. Can I get a beer?”

Hudson slid a frosty mug and a bottle of Callum’s favorite IPA across the counter. “Sure thing, Sheriff. Any reason my best waitresses seem to be avoiding you like the plague tonight?”

Callum let out a humorless chuckle as he cracked open the bottle. “I screwed up pretty badly with Sloane earlier. Said some things I shouldn’t have.”

“Women.” Hudson shook his head with a wry smile. “Can’t live with ’em, can’t stop putting your foot in your mouth around ’em.”

“Yeah, especially when you’re a dumbass like me.” Callum raised his beer in a mock toast before retreating back to his booth to settle in for what was likely to be a long wait.

It didn’t matter. He wasn’t budging. He’d stay right here, all night if he had to, stomach growling and head pounding, for the slim chance to talk to her. To try to make amends.

To Callum’s shock, he’d barely made it through half of his beer when Sloane appeared beside his booth. She set down asteaming plate of chicken potpie, the savory aroma making his empty stomach rumble.

“Everybody’s talking about the big accident today,” she said, not quite meeting his eyes. “How bad it was. I figured you probably hadn’t had a chance to eat.”

His heart twisted. Even angry with him, even hurt, Sloane still had the compassion to make sure he ate. He didn’t deserve her thoughtfulness, her grace, but damn, if he didn’t appreciate it.

“Thank you,” he said roughly. “I know I don’t deserve this from you. Not after earlier.”

Sloane gave a tiny shrug, still avoiding his gaze. “Everyone’s got to eat.”

“Sloane, listen…” He took a deep breath. “Could we talk after your shift? I was such an ass earlier and?—”

“I’m moving in with Joy.” The words tumbled out of Sloane in a rush, crashing into him like a fist. She finally met his eyes, her expression unreadable. “Until I…figure things out.”

“That’s not what I want.” Fuck, this hurt. “I know I said awful things. I know I owe you a full and proper apology, and even then, I don’t expect everything to just be okay. But you moving out isn’t what I want.”

She lifted her chin, resolute. “It’s what Ineed, Callum. I need… I need some space right now. A chance to figure things out for myself. To decide what’s best for me and move forward. I’ve never had that chance.”

What argument could he make against that? She’d had too much taken from her in her young life. Way too many choices stolen from her. He wasn’t going to add to that number.

But he also wasn’t going anywhere. That baby was his. Hell,Sloanewas his.

“Okay, I understand. I don’t like it, but I get it.” He caught her gaze and held it, trying to convey his sincerity. “Are you…feeling okay?”

Damn it, that should’ve been his very first question when he’d found out she was pregnant:How areyoudoing with all this? Do you need anything? How can I help?

Instead of ridiculous accusations and blame for something that wasn’t anybody’s fault.

“Yeah, I’ve felt pretty good overall.”

He nodded. “Good. Good. That’s…good.”

Super smooth there, Webb. First day talking to a woman?

“I have to get back to work.”

“Okay. Thank you for this. And I still hope we can talk soon.”

She nodded. That was as much as he could hope for right now.

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