Page 19 of A Baby Changes Everything

Hope's eyes flew open. "We're not just going to show up without you having at least told your mother, are we?"

Drew grinned, and Hope's insides trembled. "I like to keep them on their toes."

"Drew!"

"Relax." He took her hand and squeezed it. "I've talked to my mother as well as my father, grandmother, and one of my brothers."

"Only one of your brothers?"

"Jack's in deep-level writing mode on his latest novel, so communicating with him is futile, and Reese is still just trying to get through each day."

She couldn't even imagine. Though Hope suspected how difficult the holidays would be for her without Sam, she couldn't fathom how heartbreaking the first holidays without his wife would be for Reese. Or for his little boys without their mother.

At least she had thirty years of wonderful memories with her father. Reese and his sons were only given a painfully short time with Olivia. Emotion welled up inside Hope for their loss, her eyes puddling as a result. "We'll have to do whatever we can to brighten their holidays," Hope decided out loud. It was the least she could do while imposing on his family.

Drew squeezed her hand again. "Yeah. We will."

Before she became a blubbering idiot, Hope cleared her throat and switched back to what they'd been discussing before. "So, what reason did you give your family for bringing me along with you?"

"The truth. That you've been through a rough couple of months, culminating with the loss of your father, and that you could benefit from some time away. They all thought it was a great idea."

"And they don't think it's the least bit weird for you to just show up with some strange woman they've never met? For six weeks and over the two biggest holidays of the year?"

His eyes glittered. "I didn't know you were strange."

With a roll of her eyes, Hope punched him in the arm. "Ha. Ha."

Devilment twinkled in his baby blues. "Well," he elongated the word, getting back to her question. "I imagine they've drawn a few conclusions of their own."

Hope arched a brow. "Which are?" As if she couldn't guess.

"That we're more than coworkers. Or even friends." His eyes sparkled even brighter. "They may even suspect we're involved." He held up a finger before she could interrupt. "Which we are."

"Only not in the way they'll assume."

"Making a baby with you didn't happen without some intense involvement between us, Hope. Several times if I remember correctly." His lips curved wickedly, the gesture crinkling the corners of his beautiful blue eyes. "And despite the tequila shots, I have a pretty clear memory of our time together."

"It was just one night." Yet one she also remembered quite well.

"But incredible nonetheless."

Heat suffused her cheeks. Intense was quite an understatement regarding what transpired in her bedroom with Drew that night. Mind-boggling. Bone-melting. Heart-stopping. Earth-shattering. Now, those were some more accurate descriptors of what had occurred between them sixteen weeks ago.

No point in reliving what she couldn't let happen again. "I don't want to mislead them, Drew."

"How about we just take things one day at a time?” he suggested. “I promise I won't let them make things uncomfortable for you."

Although she trusted Drew to do his best to keep his promise, after what he'd told her about his mother and grandmother being relentless matchmakers, Hope knew if they found out about the baby, all bets were off.

Lord help her.

Chapter Five

Eleven hours and twenty-nine minutes after leaving Louisville, Drew passed the sign welcoming them to Beaumont. They'd made good time with only a few pit stops to relieve themselves, stretch, and grab a bite to eat.

Hope was an excellent traveling companion. Despite being pregnant, she didn't need to pee every five minutes, wasn't finicky about their dining options, and even offered to drive if he needed a break or wanted to rest.

After their initial discussion about his family, her visit, and how they'd handle everyone's likely assumptions about their relationship, they'd talked about their work at the clinic, memories of holidays past, and a host of other general get-to-know-each-other-better topics. For the last hour, they'd played a trivia game Hope had found on her phone.

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