Page 15 of A Baby for the Mountain Man

The pounding on my front door erupts again. Oh, shoot. I’d forgotten about that. I run a hand through my tangled hair. I’m not really in the state to see anyone. Besides, it’s either someonedelivering a package—and they can just leave it—or it’s someone selling something that I don’t want.

Unless… Don’t the Girl Scouts usually come knocking in February?

God knows a couple of boxes of cookies wouldn’t be the worst thing to have on hand right now. After all, I am stress eating for two now.

Pushing myself up from the couch, I make my way to the front door. I’m just reaching for the handle when Winter calls out my name.

I freeze. Winter. My best friend. No, she’s not just that anymore. She’s the sister of my baby’s father. Their aunt. I press a hand to my belly.

“Sophie,” she calls out again. “Open the door. You haven’t been answering any of my calls or texts. But I know you’re in there.”

Wishing I could just disappear into the ground for a few minutes until I can figure out what to say, I fight the urge to groan as I open the door.

Her eyes widen. “Whoa, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I put on as bright of a smile as I can muster. “Of course, I don’t look as good as you, what with your sun-streaked hair and glowing tan.”

I open the door wider and she comes inside, still eying me with suspicion. She shakes her head. “No, I’ve had a feeling something has been up for a while. I let it go during the wedding, because—I’m sorry to say it—I just didn’t have the bandwidth. But now that it’s over, I need you to spill.”

She has no idea how badly I want to tell her everything. How much I could use a friend right now.

Maybe there’s a way to tell her without having to tell her everything. No, that’s not fair either. She deserve to know the truth. Cliff does, too.

I motion to the couch. “I think you should sit down for this.”

Pacing circles around my tiny living room, I tell her everything. From the beginning. About my plans to start a family. About the steps I took to get there. About how I decided to throw caution to the wind and have one last fling with her brother of all people.

The more I tell her, the easier it is for it all to come out.

And when I get to the end, about my appointment this morning, I finally work up the courage to look at her.

The expression on her face isn’t what I expect. She looks… thrilled.

“Oh my God.” She clutches her cheeks. “I’m going to be an aunt?”

“Well…”

“Oh, don’t think I didn’t notice the way you and Cliff were looking at each other the whole weekend. Anyone with half a brain could see the two of you were destined to get into bed with each other.”

“But we didn’t just… go to bed with each other.”

“I know.” She lifts her shoulders in excitement. “You made a baby.”

“Not intentionally.”

“Maybe not, but they’re on the way now, and the two of you are going to be amazing parents. And I’m going to be the world’s best aunt.”

She really will. Except for one part. “Your brother doesn’t want kids.”

“He may think he doesn’t, but I know he does.”

I roll my eyes. “What makes you think you know what he wants better than he does?”

“Call it a sister’s intuition.” She drops her hands into her lap and sobers. “When are you going to tell him?”

“I—I don’t know. But I have to tell him soon. Right?” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I guess I should call him.”

“Nope.”

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