Page 38 of Can We Try?

She’s already lying under the covers and looks as though she’s moments from sleep. “Here’s a water if you need it. I’ll lock up when I leave.”

“Thank you, Lachlan.” She reaches out and grabs my hand.

I give hers a squeeze, and because I can’t fucking help myself, I kiss her one more time, this time a little longer, before turning out the light and walking out the front door.

Chapter

Nine

Maggie

* * *

“I’m stuffed,” Emerson says, plopping down on the couch next to me.

“You and me both. Legend is a master at smoked brisket,” I tell Monroe.

“Shh.” She shushes me. “Don’t let him hear you. It will go to his head.”

“Too late, wife!” Legend calls out, and we all laugh.

I glance over my shoulder to where the guys are all still sitting at the dining room table. We moved to the living room with the kids and more comfortable seating. Especially since Briar and I are both pregnant. Those hard dining room chairs are not where it’s at.

Lachlan turns and catches me staring and winks. I smile and shake my head before turning back to the girls, only to find them watching me.

“So…” Brogan wags her eyebrows. “How’s it going with the baby daddy?”

“It’s… going,” I say, my face heating when I think about last weekend and how he helped take the edge off before putting me to bed. I wanted to ask him to stay. Watching him leave was so damn hard, but my thoughts and feelings were confusing, and I needed time to process what happened.

“What’s that?” Monroe points to my face. “What aren’t you telling us?”

“Pregnancy hormones are a bitch, okay?” I blurt. It’s more like a whisper shout, but they all hear me plain as day.

“Oh, don’t we know it,” Emerson chimes in.

“Is this something to look forward to or dread?” Brogan asks.

“You’re definitely going to look forward to it,” Briar tells her sister.

“Unless you’re pregnant and single as a damn Pringle,” I mutter.

“Why are you single?” Brogan asks. “Lachlan can’t take his eyes off you. Are you not attracted to him?”

“What? You’ve seen him, right? Are we talking about the same guy? Lachlan Noble? The one responsible for this? Okay, half responsible? Yes, I’m attracted to him. That’s the problem. He’s too damn sexy, and he’s doing all these super sweet things for me, and we’re spending a ton of time together, and we’re supposed to be friends.”

“Are you not friends?” Monroe asks gently.

“We are, but then also this weekend, things… heated up a little. He… helped with the ache, so to speak, and then tucked me into bed. He didn’t stay. He didn’t even attempt to stay,” I huff out.

“Did you want him to stay?”

I nod. “More than anything. We had a great day together, and I just… wanted all the warm and fuzzy feelings to be real, or at least pretend they were real just for a night. Gah!” I place my hands over my face. “It’s as if a switch has flipped inside me. I feel like we’ve been dating, but we’re not dating. He’s there for the baby, but it feels like more, and my heart wants it to be more, but we’re friends. We agreed that we were not together but just raising this baby together, and suddenly, he’s all I think about. Well, him and our baby.” I clamp my mouth shut, having already said more than I intended to say.

My four closest friends stare at me, none of them saying a word. Brogan’s eyes flash behind me, and I freeze.

Lachlan’s hands land on my shoulders, something he’s done a lot in the past, but since our night together, my mind reads more into it than I should be. “You need anything, Momma?” he asks. Leaning over, he rubs his hand on my belly.

“I’m good,” I tell him, my body melting under his touch.

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