Page 77 of A Sweet Mess

“No. Seriously. Look at my feet. They look like Fred Flintstone’s.” Aubrey sniffed ominously, warning of another torrential storm. Her mom rushed over and frantically rubbed her arms, trying to ward off the wails. “And I have sausage fingers. I feel like a giant ogre when I handle the dough.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Tara poofed and rolled her eyes. “You’re all stomach. The rest of you is tiny. People can’t even tell you’re pregnant from behind.”

“Really?” A tentative smile tugged at her tremulous lips.

“Absolutely. It’s only when you turn around that they say, ‘Whoa. Careful where you point that thing.’”

“Thanks for nothing. Some friend you are. Taking cheap shots at a pregnant woman.”

Linda made a choking sound and trembled, but managed to suppress her mirth. “Now, girls.”

Tara wasn’t as diplomatic. As her best friend chortled at her own witticism, Aubrey contemplated strangling her. Just a teeny bit. But she settled for hurling a cushion at her head.

“Hey. Watch it, preggers. I will take you down. I won’t take it easy on you because you’ve swallowed a basketball.”

“Shut up, or else I’ll sit on you.” Aubrey couldn’t stop herself from bursting out with laughter. “You’re all kinds of horrible. Just wait till you’re pregnant.”

“You’re welcome. Now that you’ve found your sunny disposition again, I want you to listen and listen good. You’re more beautiful than ever. You’re glowing from inside out.” Tara smiled mistily at Aubrey. “I’m so proud of you, Bree. Your strength and courage are blinding, and I think you’re ready to take on the world.”

“She’s right, honey. I know the changes are hard, but you’re doing a brilliant job growing a small person inside of you.” Her mom tapped Aubrey on the tip of her nose. “And your pudgy fingers still bake the best pastries in town.”

“Oh, you guys.”

Weepy group hugs were the best.

Landon wanted to realize the dream Aubrey had solidified for him during their first night in Bosque Verde. He longed to cook food for people to enjoy and be nourished by—simple, approachable gourmet that wouldn’t require a second mortgage. The only reason he couldn’t decide where to open his restaurant was because he wanted Aubrey to be part of his dream. Maybe he still had a chance of making the restauranttheirdream.

But he’d hurt her so much. Destroyed her fragile trust. How could he convince her he loved her after what he’d done? Landon drove into Bosque Verde just as the sun began to set. Being in the schoolhouse that made him dream of making a home with Aubrey at once soothed and tortured him. The deck, the kitchen, the bedroom. Everywhere he looked, she was there. There was nowhere to hide, but he didn’t want to hide from the memories no matter how painful.

Night settled around the hills, and he paced around in the house, using every ounce of his willpower not to jump into hiscar and go to her. In desperation, he stalked to his bedroom and took out the glass bottle Aubrey had given him. He held it against his chest and closed his eyes.Maybe the stones were still warm from her hands.It was madness, but that didn’t stop him from opening the bottle and pouring the stones into his palm.

When the pregnancy test dropped out with the stones, Landon stopped breathing. It felt as though he was outside of his body watching himself. He flipped the stick over to uncover the result and then fell to his knees. In Aubrey’s lovely hand, she’d wrote, “First encounter with parenthood.” With stark clarity, their last conversation replayed in his mind.

That bottle means the world to me, and I hope it’ll mean as much to you.

She’d been trying to tell him. She’d been was trying to tell him, but he wouldn’t listen. No matter what his reasons were, he was the one who had turned her away. He’d turned away the woman he loved at her most vulnerable moment. He’d abandoned her when she was pregnant with his child.

The pain that sliced through his heart made him sense the boundary of his own sanity. He vaguely wondered what it’d feel like to let the ugly, black guilt consume him. But something pulled him back.

Our child.Aubrey was going to have his baby.

He had no right—no right at all—to feel the joy that coursed through him. A dream he never knew he held came true in that moment. His very own family. With Aubrey. For the first time since he’d watched her walk out of his life, his lips curved with hope.

He had to fix this, and he needed help. He impatiently waited for the sun to rise then called Aria at seven o’clock sharp, grateful that she was an early riser.

“I’m a fucking imbecile,” Landon said without preamble when Aria answered the phone.

“I thought we’d already covered that.” He could hear her roll her eyes on the other end of the line. “Yes, yes, you are.”

“Aria, I love her so much.” He paused to breathe, trying to still the tremor in his voice. “I need to bring her home.”

“You’re finally talking sense.”

“She’s pregnant,” Landon blurted out.

He heard the phone clatter to the floor on the other end, and then there was silence. Landon wondered if he’d lost the connection.

“When did you find out?” Aria asked, her voice both excited and worried.

---