Page 24 of Seven of Hearts

“I’m not hungry,” I said, even though I was. My stomach had settled after throwing up, and I needed some calories.

“Okay,” she said. “Are we still on for girls’ night? We can apartment hunt or work on your baby registry.”

I wanted to curl up in a ball and do nothing but sleep through my day off. “Maybe a night in,” I said. “Mashed potatoes andHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.”

“Honestly, that sounds like the best night ever. And I’m not even pregnant,” Kylie said with a laugh. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thanks, Ky.”

I had just ended the call when there was a knock at the door.

Logan, maybe?

I smiled sadly at the sight of my next-door neighbor holding a dinner plate. “Good evening, Leah. How are you feeling?”

I rested my hand on my stomach, feeling a little of the unease settle. “Okay. Still a little sick.”

He nodded understandingly as he nudged his wire-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I made some extra in case you were hungry. Lentils and spinach with some ginger and garlic chicken. It should sit just fine with you and the baby. But maybe start with small bites until you know the baby approves.”

Dr. Mehta was a retired obstetrician. He was a sweetheart who had taken pity on me when I showed up at his door at nine o’clock at night to ask what smelled so good. After hearing me throw up over and over again through our shared wall, he quickly figured out my situation and started dropping by to offer advice or bring me something to eat.

Even after being retired for nearly a decade, he still dressed in his office clothes and loafers for his daily walk around our apartment community. A grocery bag hung from the crook of his arm. He handed me the plate and shuffled the bag toward me.

“Some fruit I got at the store. The mangos didn’t look terrible, and the strawberries were still decent.” His eyes were kind as he glanced down the hallway to the stairwell. “And the young man who was here?”

I set the plate on the kitchen island along with the grocery bag. “He’s the father. I told him.”

Saying it out loud made stomach acid float up my throat and burn my tongue.

Dr. Mehta nodded understandingly. “A tough conversation to have, but I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks,” I said as I let out a heavy breath. “And thank you for the food. That’s so kind of you.”

He smiled. “I cooked for all four of my daughters while they were having babies. It’s an honor, Leah.”

Dr. Mehta said his goodbyes and left me to eat dinner in peace. I’d shuffle whatever I didn’t finish into a Tupperware container for tomorrow, then wash the plate and refill it with cookies or brownies. It was the least I could do, and he had quite the sweet tooth.

The silence weighed heavily on me as I moved my stamp and dried flower collection out of the way and sat down to eat. Alone.

8

LOGAN

The sun peeked over the bay, painting the glassy water in pinks and yellows. I hadn’t slept a wink.

Not that I expected to.

I should have gone back inside to get a catnap before I had to be on the road to catch my flight, but I knew I’d just stare at the ceiling.

The wood slats of Kristin and Will’s dock groaned as I stretched out on my back and stared up at the sky that was slowly lifting from darkness to dawn.

Pregnant.

The word hadn’t stopped ringing in my ears since the moment I’d heard it for the first time. Leah was pregnant. Withmybaby.

What the hell was I supposed to do?

It wasn’t like we were teenagers. I was thirty. I had a secure job that paid well, and Leah was a grown woman.

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