Page 8 of After All

And while here, she’d met Peyton, the half-sister she hadn’t even known she’d had.

“Soon right?” Scott asked.

Hope ran a hand over her belly. “Very soon.”

“And you don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl?” Scott asked.

“Nope. Total surprise.”

“How about names?” Scott asked, as the pump clicked off, indicating the tank was full. “Anything picked out.”

Hope gave him a smile. “You can just ask me about Peyton, Scott.”

Well, so much for being interested in something other than his own concerns. Scott ran a hand through his hair. “Have you heard from her?”

“Since she texted me that she was on her way to Baltimore with Heather a few hours ago?” Hope asked. “No.”

“She should have landed over an hour ago,” he said.

Hope nodded. “Probably.”

“That doesn’t concern you?”

Hope laughed. “No. But then I didn’t tell her to check in.”

“Why not?”

Hope lifted a brow. “Because she’s a grown woman and I don’t need to know where she is every second of the day.”

Scott blew out a breath. Yeah, okay. “What if there was a problem?”

“Scott,” Hope said, patiently. “In the past three years, when has Peyton ever had a problem that youdidn’tget called about?”

Well, there might have been two or three but…yeah, she had a point. “So you think she’ll call if there’s an issue rather than calling because things are fine.”

“I think that she’s in a big city with her girlfriend and they’re probably having fun, and yes, I know she’ll call you if there are any issues.”

Hope was right. He was overreacting. But what was fucking new about that when it came to Peyton?

You know,” Hope went on. “It’s possible she’s not calling you on purpose.”

“To drive me crazy?” Scott asked.

Hope laughed. “Actually no. She’s trying to…not just need you.”

Scott frowned. “Notjustneed me?”

“I think she’d rather not need you at all, actually,” Hope told him.

He felt his frown deepen. “Why not?” Peyton needing him was one of the things he most looked forward to. The woman could handle herself. She could deal with anything. She was fierce and strong and loyal and just about everyone in town owed her a favor. That she called him…yeah, pathetically, it made him feel important. “Because of Dan and Jo?”

Hope opened her mouth, then shut it.

Scott nodded. “She says I remind her of Dan sometimes.” He kept his tone devoid of his dislike for the other man. Dan was Hope’s father too, after all.

It didn’t look like him reminding Peyton of Dan was news to Hope, judging by her expression.

“She’s told you this?” he asked.

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