Page 72 of Craving You

“Hey!” Max called out when he came back into the house. “Would you like to come with me to town? I’m meeting with my dad and your uncle to look at a potential location for the bar.”

“Oh, um…” It wasn’t something she felt like she should be involved in. It was totally his thing, and she figured she’d just be in the way.

“Your dad’s going to be on a video call with us so he can see what we’re looking at. I just thought it could be fun for you to join us.” He was smiling and looked hopeful and adorable all at the same time. “Or I can drop you off at the coffee shop and pick you up when I’m done. Jade called and said she got that pregnancy book in for me. And a few others.” Now his smile looked a little bashful and she really loved how all-in he was with their life and the baby and…

Them.

Everything he did every minute of every day was for them.

No man had ever done anything like that for her before—ever. So why was she even allowing herself to compare him to her exes? There was no comparison. Max Calloway was like no one else. She’d been essentially torturing herself and denying her feelings for almost two months, and for what?

Nothing!

I’m serious, Hailey. Marry me. Marry me and we’ll raise this baby.

If I thought you’d say yes, I’d get down on one knee right now.

I’m still here because I believe there’s more to us than just a pregnancy. I think there’s so much more to our story than this. If you’ll give us a chance, I promise you won’t regret it.

It was like a lightbulb finally turned on in her head.

He was right.

There was so much more to them than this pregnancy! All this time, she’d been falling and didn’t even know it. Did she really want to keep denying the truth knowing she’d end up regretting it?

Having no regrets is all she’s ever wanted.

And right now, she was regretting how long she’d been fighting her true feelings for Max. She was in love with him, and…

“Um…Hales? You okay?” His smile faded and was replaced with a look of concern. “You kind of zoned out there.”

Shaking her head to clear it, she sighed. “I’m fine. Sorry. My mind wandered for a minute.”

He didn’t look too convinced.

“I’d actually love to go into town and see the space you’re looking at. I still can’t believe it’s all coming together. I was afraid buying the house was going to pull you out of the project.” Glancing around, she realized her purse and phone were up in her room. “Let me just run up and get my things. I’ll be right down!”

Up in her room, she checked her hair and makeup and was about to grab her purse when a sharp pain made her freeze. Her hand instinctively went to her stomach, and she was afraid to move. After a minute, she let herself relax and went to pick up her purse when it happened again. It was like an intense period cramp and tears instantly stung her eyes.

Oh God, no…

Slowly, she walked into the bathroom and told herself to stay calm and try to remember if the book Chloe gave her mentioned anything like this. Another cramp hit and she couldn’t help but freak out. Running back to the bedroom, she grabbed the book off the bedside table and frantically scanned the glossary for any mention of cramping.

“Cramping is common in the first trimester as your uterus is stretching to accommodate the growing baby, which can put pressure on the ligaments supporting it,” she read. “Okay. Whew.” But then the next sentence made her nervous. “Any bleeding accompanied by cramping is cause to be seen by your physician.”

Immediately, she was back in the bathroom and forcing herself to pee.

And saw blood. Not much—barely a trace—but it was enough to cause alarm.

“Hailey?” Max called out from the bedroom. “We really need to get going. I told Ronan I’d be there at one-thirty and it’s already one-twenty!”

Quickly, she cleaned up and pulled everything back on, flushed the toilet, and washed her hands. Tears were streaming down her face when she opened the door. Max took one look at her and was instantly at her side.

“Okay, where do we need to go?”

“I…I don’t know,” she said shakily. “I haven’t had my first appointment with the OB-GYN here yet, and…and…”

“Okay, okay. Let’s take you to the emergency room. It’s about a thirty-minute drive, but I promise to get us there sooner.” His arm went around her waist as they slowly made their way down the stairs and out to the car. “I’m here for you.”

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