Page 54 of Stepping Into Tomorrow

“Yes.”

The room shifted. That’s my baby. I’m really going to be a dad. A burst of love like he’d never known flooded his chest. Tears burned the back of his eyes as the room tilted. That tiny little blob was his baby. So small and frail. Anxiety snaked around his rib cage, constricting more with every thought. What if something happens to it? What if Bella gets hurt? What if I mess up? What if I’m not enough for them?

A soft hand gripped his forearm. He turned to Bella’s sympathetic smile.

“It’ll be okay.”

Could she read his mind?

The rest of the ultrasound went by in a blur. Before he knew it, he was sitting in an office with plain white walls next to Bella while Doctor Sebastian Wright explained everything.

“We’ll give you a call if anything shows up in your bloodwork, but I don’t expect there to be any problems. Make sure you take your prenatals, avoid the foods on that paper, and double-check with my office before taking any medications not on the pre-approved list. I know this isn’t your first rodeo. Do either of you have any questions?” Sebastian asked.

Only a million. “What can I do?” Nash asked.

Sebastian smiled. “Be supportive. I’m sure she’d appreciate foot rubs and late-night runs for cravings. Anything you can do to help Mom feel more comfortable and ease stress will be appreciated. What’s good for Mom is good for baby.” Sebastian spun around in his chair, opening a cabinet and pulling out a piece of paper from a folder, then handing it to him. “Here’s a list of reading I always recommend to partners. Should give you some peace of mind to learn exactly what’s going on and what to expect.”

Nash took the paper. “Thanks.”

“If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out. It was good to see you again, Nash. And I look forward to getting to know you better, Isabella. Congratulations to the both of you.” Sebastian stood offering his hand to shake.

Nash opened the door for Bella, doing his best to hold it together until they got outside. His heart raced. His mind spun. What if . . . What if . . . He couldn’t shut it off.

If he’d learned anything, it was that when he was truly happy, something happened to take it away. He couldn’t lose someone else. He wouldn’t survive it.

“Nash?” Bella’s voice pulled him out of his head. Her full lips pursed, lines appearing at the corner of her eyes. “You want to talk about it?”

He gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists, trying to hold the panic attack at bay just a little longer.

“It will be okay. We’ll figure it out, step by step,” she assured him.

He nodded curtly and spun around, running to his car, away from the woman who’d begun to haunt his dreams and carried his child. Away from the hurt that rose every time he looked at her, knowing he could never truly have her. He could never be what she needed because he was half a man—and a broken one at that.

26

ISABELLA

Isabella wiped the sweat from her forehead and sneezed. The dust in the storeroom was getting to her. She needed to take a break and get some fresh air, right after she finished this last count.

Another bout of nausea rolled through her. She braced herself against the shelf, closing her eyes and breathing through her mouth. Her parents sold fresh fish that the fishermen brought in, and usually, it didn’t bother her. But it seemed her little donut hole wasn’t a fan.

“Mom, this is the boat that’s best and it’s on sale. I already showed it to Nash and Abuelo. They both said it was a good investment. Please can we go look? Nash said he would come.”

It seemed her son saw more of Nash than she had since the ultrasound earlier this month when he’d literally run from her afterwards. He still checked in, texting her to ask if she needed anything, and she’d seen him at Mama E’s Sunday family dinners and get-togethers. But he hadn’t tried to talk with her alone since then. He was pulling away when they were just beginning to get somewhere. Was this how it would be with him? Would he be there for their child but not for her?

So much for not being in this alone. But maybe he thought they didn’t need to do anything more than go to the doctor visits together and wait for the baby? Her stupid heart just needed to get the memo and stop hoping for more. Not that she thought he would be more for her—just for the baby. All she wanted was to be friends with the father of her child. Was that too much to ask?

Although the dreams she’d been having lately were definitely not friendly. The man knew how to give her an orgasm, both in real life and in her fantasies. But she would blame that on her pregnancy. Hormones were making her libido skyrocket. Nash was a sexy mountain of a man, and it was only natural that she would crave his touch since he’d given her the best sex of her life. She needed to get him out of her head.

Her stomach seesawed. She clutched her belly and firmly pressed her lips together. She needed out of this store.

“Are you listening, Mom?” Eli asked.

“I am, sweetie. We can go look.” She headed towards the main store.

“Today?” Eli followed her.

“No—”

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