Page 61 of With A Little Luck
My teeth dig into my lower lip as I study the two of them together. Knowing he has a pet that he takes excellent care of makes me hopeful. If you have animals, you intrinsically know you’re responsible for their needs.
A baby requires a lot more care, but it’s roughly the same principle.
“You plan to come in, or are you just going to stand there, eavesdropping?” Ridge asks.
My entire body jolts.
Covert mission failed.
“Sorry.” I meander into the room with my face on fire. “I was headed to the kitchen to grab a drink, but I heard you talking.”
Ridge frowns, stretching a long arm down and grabbing a bottle of water that looks unopened. “Here.” He shakes it, and I step around the end of the couch to take it from his outstretched hand.
“Thank you.”
He nods. “No problem.”
Opening the bottle, I take a sip, followed quickly by another. I’m tempted to sit on one of the open couch cushions. My feet ache, and if I had to guess, I’d say my ankles are swollen. Sitting would also take some of the pressure off my hips, but I don’t want to force him to be around me if that’s not what he wants.
“Is now a good time to talk?” I ask, frowning as he picks up the bottle of beer from the floor and takes a long pull.
He scoffs, rolling his head around the back of the cushion that he’s leaned against. His eyes are a vibrant turquoise blue that I’ve never seen on a human being. They’re so distinctive that it’s hard to focus on any of his other features with how commanding they are.
“Why not, but fair warning…” He grins, shrugging. “We might have to have it all over again tomorrow when I sober up. I haven’t been this drunkin a long time.” He stretches down,putting the beer on the floor again. “I’m talking probably eight years or more.”
Yeah, well, if I could have a drink right now, I probably would. “It’s okay. We can talk in the morning.” I turn to head back upstairs. “Thank you for the water.”
Ridge grabs my wrist, spinning me back to him. Despite his altered state, he’s gentle with his grip. “Why did you leave that morning?”
Chapter Nineteen
Ridge
Quincy sighs and weirdly raises a foot, stretching it from side-to-side and front to back.
“Everything okay?” I ask, squinting.
“Yeah, I think my feet are swollen, but it’s normal.”
Releasing her wrist, I plant a hand on King and shimmy to the side, making room on the long end of the couch. “Here. I’ll even share my pillow with you.”
She places the bottle of water on the floor and climbs onto the edge of the cushion, wiggling around. She gives up trying to get comfortable on her back and turns to face me.
Her pregnant belly has to add six to eight inches to her profile, so even though it’s an oversized cushion, it’s still a tight fit.
I scoot back to give her more space and end up half on the arm of the couch. Giving up on that, I turn fully on my side too.
King grunts, showing his displeasure as he slides down my chest. He lands with most of his chubby ass wedged on me with a little on the couch. His side presses against Quincy’s stomach, and I frown. “Is he too heavy?” He’ll be pissed if I move him to the floor, but he’ll live.
“No, he’s fine.” Quincy laughs, reaching over to run her hand down his back. “Sorry to disrupt your snuggle-fest.”
Her smile threatens to steal all the breath from my lungs.
She’s just as beautiful as I remember. Her face is a little fuller, as is her chest, but I figure that’s a side effect of baking a human being.
I barely got to feel around the belly earlier, and I want more time spent with my hand planted on her stomach. I’m sure the baby is big enough that I would be able to feel it moving, and I want to experience that as much as possible before she delivers.
“That morning I woke up…” She sighs, shoving her hair away from her face. “I wasn’t supposed to be gone all night. Donna, my grandmother’s care nurse, was doing me a favor by staying with her. I panicked, climbed out of bed, and went to find a pen to leave you my number. Only I had a bunch of calls and texts from Donna, then she called again while I was digging for something to write with. It sounds so bad, but my brain just kinda shut down. I had a bad feeling, and I walked out into the hall to answer the call.” Her eyes fall shut, and she grimaces. “I could lie and say I tried to get back into the room afterward, since most hotel doors lock after you, but honestly, I was dazed and only focused on getting home. I found out once I did that my grandma passed away that night.” Her eyes meet mine as they pop open, and I start to feel like a real dick.
