Page 79 of With A Little Luck
Trigg strides out, and Hart comes over, taking a seat on the edge of the couch.
My chest gets tight.
It could be from worrying about whatever work Trigg is about to attend to. It also could be concern about how Hart will react to Trigg courting me.
The baby moves, and I pull a hand to chase the movements. She’s grown so much stronger over the last couple of weeks. Feeling her bouncing around and knowing that she’s safe and progressing like she’s supposed to be is a huge relief.
It’s just uncomfortable sometimes, like how she just moved into a position that makes it difficult to take a full breath.
The baby kicks me right in the diaphragm or something. I have no idea what that organ is, but it makes me jolt.
I do my best to ignore it, focusing on Hart.
“Trigg said he would delete the video of anything intimate,” I blurt out. “I’m sorry I didn’t have a conversation with you?—”
Hart frowns, bringing his hand to my stomach. “You shouldn’t have to apologize to me for building your pack.” He must feel a solid kick because his jaw falls. “Holy shit.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “She’s getting a little vicious with those kicks and punches.”
“Listen, Quincy.” Hart’s face turns more serious. “I don’t think Trigg is all he’s cracked up to be, but I’m going to work on finding some common ground for your sake. I don’t want you to feel torn in two directions or like you have to choose between us.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, trying not to get my hopes up.
He nods. “Yeah, I’m not trying to add any additional stress to your plate, but I will be here if he ends up being not what he seems.”
I snort. “You mean if he’s not actually a stalker with major boundary issues? That would be disappointing.” His eyebrows rise, and I laugh. “I’m only kidding.”
Footsteps come our way, and Hart leans in close. “Ridge is going to try to tell you that box is from me. I’m not sure if he thinks you won’t accept it if you know it’s from him, but I think you should know the truth, and don’t be afraid to take it.”
My eyes widen.
He didn’t have to warn me about that, but I appreciate it.
I whisper a quick, “Thank you.”
Ridge makes it into the room, rubbing his hands together. “Okay, I heard there are gifts.”
Hart pulls his hand away from my stomach and stands. “I’ve got to run up and call my brother. I need to warn him about your doctor’s appointment tomorrow and let him know neither of us will be coming in.”
“I need to speak to Dr. Lindsay to see if she has a timeline of how much longer she thinks it’s safe for me to work.” That way, I’ll be able to give them notice. At this point, I don’t know if I’ll ever make it back to working at the restaurant after I deliver or if they would even hold my job for me, but I don’t want to leavethem shorthanded now. “I know they’ll probably fire me, but I’ll work until they find someone to replace me.”
Ridge looks from me to Hart. “She’s not going back to work while Costa is out there somewhere. Let your family know she won’t be back until well after the baby is born.”
Dammit.
I had a feeling he was going to say that.
“I have bills to pay,” I grind out, trying not to turn into a hormone-fueled gremlin. “I can’t just take a few months off work.”
“I’m going to let the two of you discuss that,” Hartley says, sounding amused. He abandons me without another word, and I glare at his back.
“Did you plan to strap the baby into a carrier and wait tables with her on your chest?” Ridge asks, taking a seat at my side. He grins and slides his hand over my stomach. “Is she moving?”
“She’s trying to rearrange my organs at the moment,” I grumble, grabbing his hand and relocating it to just under my breasts. “Keeping up with the doctor’s visits, saving for my hospital stay, and managing my household bills doesn’t leave a lot leftover for a lengthy maternity leave. Not all of us live in multi-million dollar mansions.” I bite my lip, glancing away. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Nah, I probably deserved it,” Ridge says, pulling his glasses off and resting them on top of his head. “I’ll pay off the doctor tomorrow when we go in for your visit. Find me the contact information for the hospital, and I’ll handle that whenever.”
My head shakes. “I don’t mind doing my part. That’s not what I was trying to say.”
