Page 35 of Where We Call Home

“What’s up, Honey?” Rhodes cooed back.

Each time he called me that, the little butterflies living in my belly did a twirl and created a flutter. I often wondered if the baby felt it too.

“Why not Mac?”

Rhodes turned to me, cocking his head to the side in a question.

“You said before you wished you’d turn to Boone or Logan. Why not Mac too?”

Rhodes let out a deep belly laugh, one that rumbled against my heart. “Mac wouldn’t know what to say or do. He’d probably laugh uncomfortably or offer me a cigarette. I wouldn’t want to put him in that awkward position.”

I laughed, too; I guess I didn’t see Mac as the comforting type.

As the truck rolled back onto the road, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I could breathe.

Thirteen

**TheoTheGreat09 Wants To Start A New Game With You**

**TheoTheGreat09 played QUEEN for 14 points**

**TheoTheGreat09: suck it **

**Rhodes2324 played VICTORY for 15 points**

**Rhodes2324 has won **

**Rhodes2324: you were saying? **

“Let me in!” A loudthudechoed through the door, definitely more of a kick than a knock. I didn’t have to think too hard about who it was. I was expecting Theo any second.

I twisted the handle, and there she was: five-foot-two and gorgeous, her face twisted in a mix of exhaustion and determination. She flashed me a tight, pained smile, the kind you give when you’re in over your head but too stubborn to admit you needed help. A large pizza box balanced steadily on her belly, and a two-liter bottle of soda dangled from her hand.

I’d told her I could pick up the pizza on my way home, but Theo insisted. She’d practically begged over the phone, saying she needed something to do that gave her “purpose.” Apparently, pizza delivery was just enough responsibility to make her feel useful.

I grabbed the box and soda from her, hoping to ease her discomfort, and stepped aside to let her in.

Theo waddled into the kitchen, dropping her purse onto a chair at the island before collapsing half over the counter. She sighed dramatically, resting her forehead against the cool surface.

“Why is picking up pizza and walking like fifteen steps to your doorsoexhausting?”

“Maybe because you’re carrying an entire human inside you?” I teased, placing the box on the counter and leaning on the edge.

She groaned but pushed herself upright, heading toward my cabinets. “The exhaustion is strong, but the hunger is stronger.” She opened a cabinet and reached for the plates I kept on the top shelf. “You’re lucky a slice or two isn’t already missing. The smell in the car nearly broke me.”

I leaned back, crossing one leg over the other as I watched her struggle which was mildly entertaining. Theo was determined to handle it on her own, even if she had to stretch onto her tiptoes and exert the energy knowing she’d never be able to reach the plates anyway.

As she reached higher, her sweatshirt rode up, exposing a sliver of soft, smooth skin. My grip on the counter tightened, my fingers curling as I fought the urge to reach out and touch her.

“You know, I wouldn’t have cared if you ate some on the way,” I said, trying to keep my voice light.

She huffed, dropping back onto her heels in defeat, blowing a stray hair from her face.

I sighed, stepping forward. That was enough struggle for her. “Let me get it.”

Stretching past her, the movement closed the space between us. For a moment, she stayed perfectly still, caught between me and the counter. I could feel the warmth radiating from her, and the proximity made my heart race.

I grabbed the plates and stepped back quickly, putting distance so I could regain my composure.

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