Page 50 of Mine to Save

“That’s not how that works,” Trinity said. “It’s no different than adopting.”

“I tend to have a bit of a jealous streak. But, yes, I get that now. However, it took me a while to process, and Melinda no time to move on to the next step in having a child. But that’s not the issue I had last night. I had no idea what you’d gone through. I’d been left in the dark.” He took her hand and kissed her palm. “The first girl I dated after Melinda and I broke up wasn’t from around here. That was by design. It was a rebound, and I told Bridget—that was her name—that I wasn’t looking for anything serious. Unfortunately, she was. After about four months, she came to me and told me she was pregnant and that it was mine.”

“I take it she didn’t know about your situation?”

Emmett shook his head. “Because I had issues with my manhood, I used those damn condoms less because of sexual disease, though that’s always a good idea. Still, I did it more because it made me feel like it was still possible, even though it wasn’t.”

“I can understand that.” She glanced down at her stomach as she placed a hand over it. “For months after I had my hysterectomy, I constantly checked for my period. I thought every little pain in my belly was cramps.” She laughed, though it wasn’t a funny, ha-ha, laugh; more of a pathetic, sarcastic one. “I wouldn’t have sex because I was worried that I couldn’t have an orgasm without a uterus.”

“We know that’s not true.”

Her cheeks heated.

“What did you say to the woman you were seeing?” Trinity needed to bring things back to the topic at hand.

“She rendered me speechless for about ten minutes, which is nearly impossible to do,” Emmett said. “I stood at my front door and stared at her, not saying a single word while she explained what she expected.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Oh. It was good because she expected everything, including the diamond ring. She even had suitcases in her car, expecting to move right in with me. So, imagine her surprise when I told her that it was one hundred percent impossible for me to knock her up. I slammed the door in her face. The next day, she threatened me, and I offered up my medical records. That shut her up real quick.”

“I have to ask. Was she really pregnant?”

“She was,” Emmett said. “Last I heard, she’s with the father, but I honestly don’t keep track. Jamison is always telling me that I keep the condom discussion the way I do because I have trust issues and that it’s almost a test for the women I date.”

“I like Jamison.” Trinity stared at their intertwined fingers. “And I think he’s right, but I would too if those things had happened to me.”

“Thank you for that.” He leaned closer and tilted her head with his free hand. “But that still doesn’t excuse the way I treated you. I’m ashamed of my behavior, and I’d like to make it up to you.”

“If you’re looking to take up where we left off, that’s going to have to wait,” she said. “I feel like shit.”

“We might want to slow that down a bit.” He kissed her cheek. “I was thinking more like a romantic boat ride at sunset. What do you say?”

“Only if I can use that big tub of yours to soak in before I head back to the bed and breakfast.”

“You can stay right here until about six.” He brushed his lips gently over her mouth in a tender, sweet kiss. “I need to go into the station. My mom has some things she wants to go over with me regarding your father’s case.”

“Should I come?”

“No.” He kissed her nose. “You rest. If you feel the need to do something, there’s still all that paperwork on my dining room table, and I’ll leave my tablet for you. The code to get into it is eight-six-seven-five.”

“Three-oh-nine,” she said with a giggle.

“You know the song,” he said. “I’m impressed.”

“That’s really where you got the code?”

He nodded.

“Why?”

“I’m not telling.”

“There’s got to be a Jenny in your life somewhere,” she said. “Oh, my God. You lost your virginity to a girl named Jenny.”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “But that song was playing, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.” He kissed her. Hard. Passionately.

Rendering her speechless.

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