Page 61 of Craving You

She paused because just thinking about it still made her feel like a fool.

“So there I was, buying bridal magazines and making plans, and one day I got a call from a number I didn’t recognize.” Swallowing hard, she continued, “Turns out he was already married. He had two little kids. He and his wife weren’t separated or anything; he just traveled a lot for his job, and…”

“Oh, Hailey, I’m so sorry!” Jade said, quietly. “That’s a substantial reason to have trouble trusting anyone. Just…you have to know how that is like a one in a million type of scenario.” Then she stopped. “But I get it. We can all tell you how great Max is, but until you’re ready to believe it…”

Nodding, she fought back tears. “I’d really hate to be wrong about this. There’s more than just me to worry about.” Her hand instinctively rested on her still-flat tummy. “I’d hate to screw it all up for the two of us.”

“Like I said, I’ve been there. The only difference is I trusted a guy that never gave me any reason to. He was a total douche who I already wanted to break up with. As soon as he heard I was pregnant, he ran. Max is staying and seems pretty fairly determined to prove that to you.”

Hailey wasn’t sure what to say to that, so she simply smiled and nodded.

“Okay, that’s all I’m going to say on the subject. So, what can I get for you? Tea? A muffin? Or something decadent, like a frosted brownie?”

It was after lunch, so technically, she could have the brownie without feeling guilty. “Peppermint tea and the brownie, please. To go.” Glancing at the display case, she added, “And maybe add two more for Max. Please.”

“You got it.” Turning, Jade began getting Hailey’s order. “I know Billie warned us to give you guys some space, but if you’re up for a girls’ night, I know Ash and Chloe—and me—would love to hang out with you. We typically get together once a month for dinner at one of our houses and just hang out and talk.”

That actually sounded fantastic.

“I would love that! I can’t tonight because of the house thing, but maybe one night soon?”

Jade handed her the tea and brownies. “Definitely. I’ll talk to the girls, and we’ll start a group text.” She quickly pulled out her phone. “Here. Put your phone number in, and we’ll get that going.”

Tapping out her info, she hit save and gave Jade her phone back. “There you go!”

“Awesome! And just so you know, if you’re looking for some part-time work, we can always use help here. It’s not exactly teaching yoga or Pilates, and we probably shouldn’t get into the nutritionist aspect of working in a bakery, but just know that the offer is here if you need it.”

“Thanks, Jade. I may take you up on that.” Taking out her wallet, she asked, “How much do I owe you?”

“Oh, stop! You’re family. It’s on the house!”

“Jade, the Donovan family is massive! You can’t give stuff away to everyone like that!” she said with a nervous laugh. “That would be crazy!”

Jade simply pushed her order closer. “And yet, it’s what I do. Go and enjoy and please tell Max we said hello.”

“I will. And thank you.”

“Good luck with the house hunting! Hopefully, you’ll find something good tonight!”

There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that they would. After driving by more of the houses that Patrick emailed to Max a few days ago, they had gone home and looked at all of their interior slideshows over dinner. As much as Hailey didn’t want to say too much considering Max was the one buying the house, she already had a favorite. But she would keep her comments to a minimum and let him take the lead. It didn’t matter which house he chose—if any—because it would mean getting them out of Billie and Marcus’s place.

Plus, it was only going to be her home until the baby was maybe a year old.

And…why is that?

Yeah, it was an ongoing argument in her mind that was getting louder with each passing day.

Since Max had moved into the house, things had been amazing. They cooked together every day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Well, Max made her breakfast every morning. It was so sweet because even though her morning sickness was completely manageable, he wanted to make sure she was eating properly so she could feel her best.

It was hard to find fault with something so considerate.

For lunch, they had been having sandwich competitions since they both claimed to make the best sandwiches. It was beyond ridiculous, but they were having the best time and, she had to admit, the man made outstanding sandwiches. He was working up in his apartment and taking meetings all around town, but he made sure he was at the house with her every day for lunch.

And dinners? Well, that was her favorite because they cooked together. They had chosen the things they were going to make, went grocery shopping together, and then worked side by side to make the food. And while they cooked, they talked about mostly random things, but she was learning so much about him and she knew she was sharing a lot about herself too.

It felt…like a real relationship.

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