“Yeah,” she assured him. “I was keeping an on eye him in case I needed to step in, but he knew what he was doing.”

  “How’s Margie?” he asked.

  “I just got off the phone with the hospital,” Sofia said. “She’s got a slice on the forearm, not deep, but it took five stitches to close. She was lucky it wasn’t worse.”

  Brian thought the same about the whole damn incident. “Why didn’t you call me?”

  “Because I had it under control.”

  “Bar fight with an injury and a deadly weapon, and you don’t contact me?” His people had managed it, but still, he couldn’t believe they’d left him in the dark.

  Sofia huffed out a sigh. “It’s okay for you to take a day off every once in a while, Brian. We had this. You made sure we had the training, and Mack, for all his flaws, handled it perfectly. And if he hadn’t, I was there and would have stepped in. What more do you think you could have done? What’s the point in making me chief deputy if you don’t trust me to make decisions while you’re gone? Don’t you have confidence in me?”

  Dammit. He hadn’t meant to insult her. “Of course I do. It’s not that.”

  Sofia crossed her arms in front of her and eyed him. “Then what is it?”

  “Nothing. You both did great. Will you go help Mack get the report done, please? I’ll be out in a few minutes to look at it.” Brian waited for her to leave the room before slumping back in his chair. His staff had done everything they should have without him being there, but the situation could have gone all kinds of wrong. And he couldn’t help remembering all the damage that had been caused by the previous sheriff’s lazy, lax attitude.

  Training had been ignored, and basic laws had gone unenforced. It had resulted in tragedy for Brian personally when his brother and father were killed in an accident that could have been prevented if the sheriff had been doing his job. There had been other accidents, too, other things that had slipped through the cracks. Brian knew that he could never live with himself if he let down his guard and disaster struck.

  He scooped up the paperwork he’d come for before going to check on Mack’s report. He spent an hour with his youngest deputy, assisting him in creating a report that the prosecutor would accept and tamping down Mack’s excessive enthusiasm. He’d done the right thing, but this was one incident. The key to this job was doing the right thing every time. Brian would have to keep a close watch on him to make sure he stayed on track.

  Long after he expected to, Brian made his way home. It was already evening, and he wanted nothing more than to sit on the back deck with Caitlin…but he couldn’t.

  “Hi.” Caitlin met him just inside the door and put her arms around his neck. “Do you want to order a pizza for dinner or do you want to come upstairs with me?”

  “Not tonight,” he said, stepping out of her hold. The fact that he was so tempted to give in to her proved that he had to be firm. She had too much pull on him, but he couldn’t let himself get distracted from his responsibilities.

  “What is it?” she asked and put her hand on his arm, making him pause. “Did something happen?”

  “Yeah.” He could tell her what, but he didn’t see the point. “And it reminded me that I can’t avoid my responsibilities like I did today.”

  “You regret today?” she asked softly, and he could hear the hurt in her voice.

  “No, not regret—but I have work to do.” He went up past her and closed himself into his bedroom. Normally he didn’t work there, but he couldn’t be around Caitlin. He’d taken his eyes off his duties for a few hours and someone had been hurt. He couldn’t let that happen again.

  11

  Caitlin apologized as she mopped up coffee she’d slopped over the rim of the cup. It wasn’t like her to spill, but the entire morning that been like that. She’d delivered an order to the wrong table, dropped a stack of plastic glasses, and shot ketchup across the counter when she was refilling bottles.

  “Off day, hon?” Aurora asked when Caitlin met up with her during a brief lull.

  “I guess,” Caitlin said, feeling off in every way. What was wrong with her? The short answer to that question was Brian. It had been almost two weeks since that day at the lake. After his pointed rejection of her later that night, she’d thought everything was over between them. She’d even tried to figure out how she could move out of his house.

  But then she’d realized he was happy to be with her so long as she didn’t come between him and his job. They spent their off time together at home and their nights in each other’s beds. It was an arrangement that could work for a while. And he continued to do little things for her. Make breakfast, rub her tired feet, kiss her on the back deck while watching the sunset. All good, but she couldn’t help wanting more. She wanted all of his attention, not just the little bit that he felt he could spare. But he’d made it clear that his work came first.

  “I always get dopey when it’s that time of the month,” Aurora said with a laugh. “Marc says I’m a hazard then and shouldn’t come to work.”

  Time of the month? Caitlin felt everything inside her slow down. How long had it been since she’d had a period? She started to work her way back mentally. She’d had one not long after she found out that Seamus had stolen her money and skipped town. She remembered the timing clearly because the injustice of having cramps on top of that had struck her. That was…too long ago.

  “You just went white. What is it?” Aurora’s hand closed over her arm.

  “I missed a period,” Caitlin said. Could she be pregnant? She didn’t have any of the signs that women talked about, except being a little tired, but she’d figured that was just from working so many hours on her feet.

  “Okay, that’s not that unusual.” Aurora spoke in a mother’s soothing tone.

  “For me, it is. I’m super regular.” Down to the minute every month.

  “It could just be stress, but if you want to run to the drugstore for a test, I can cover while you’re gone.” Aurora said.

  “Yeah, maybe I’d better. I…” Caitlin was already pulling off her apron, but she stopped. “You know what’ll happen if I buy a pregnancy test in town. Everyone will gossip about me, and since they know I’m living with Brian…” If she was pregnant, the child was Brian’s. There was no other possibility.

  “I’ll go buy one,” Aurora volunteered. “No one will think anything of that. I’ll be back in a flash. Can you handle things?”

  “Sure, and thanks,” Caitlin said and redid the ties on her apron.

  She tried not to count the minutes while Aurora was gone as she forced a smile and worked the floor. Fortunately, the breakfast crowd was clearing out, and most of the tables were empty when Aurora returned with a white paper bag in her hand.

  “Come with me.” Aurora headed for the office in the back. “Alex,” she called to the dishwasher. “You’ve got the floor for the next twenty minutes. Take orders and get drinks for folks.”

  Caitlin saw the look of shock on the dishwasher’s face, but he also seemed excited about getting out of the steamy kitchen. He was through the swinging door seconds later.

  “I may have to promote him,” Aurora said. “Come in here.” She closed the door to the office and gestured to the connected employee bathroom. “Go pee on that stick and then come back out. I’ll wait for the results with you.”

  “Okay.” Caitlin went into the restroom. Normally she didn’t like being bossed around, but right then she needed Aurora’s direction because her brain was swirling. She followed the directions on the box, washed her hands, and waited for the test to show results.

  “Well?” Aurora called through the door.

  “I think it needs another minute.” Caitlin opened the door with the stick in her hand. She couldn’t stop staring at it, but she didn’t have to wait long. A clear plus sign showed in the indicator window. “Oh, wow,” she whispered.

  “Congratulations, honey!” Aurora immediately wrapped her in a hug. “You’re going to have a baby.”

  Her friend was practically jumping around in her excitement. Caitlin’s emotions were more mixed. She put the test in the trash and sat down, trying to come to grips with how her life had just changed.

  “You don’t want a kid?” Aurora asked softly, picking up on Caitlin’s mood.

  “I do. I’ve always wanted a family.” She’d always wanted to do it right. Raise children who were secure in their parents’ love and not picked apart constantly as she had been. And she liked kids, too, especially rambunctious toddlers. Those were her favorite. “It’s just the timing. I don’t know if I’m ready for kids. I mean, I always thought that would come after I got my life pulled together and was settled in my own business. I wanted to be financially stable and have it all figured out, you know. And I guess I thought I’d be married.”

  She knew Brian cared for her, maybe even loved her, but he’d never said that he wanted more than meeting up on weekends after she moved back to Austin. Would he make time in his life for their baby? Would he even want one at this point in his life?

  “Are you worried about Brian? I’m guessing it’s his.”

  “Has to be,” Caitlin said. “We’ve got something going, but we’re a long way from ‘let’s raise a child together.’ I have no idea what his reaction is going to be.”

  “Yes, you do.” Aurora smiled at that. “You know Brian. He’s the kind of man who will be there for you and his baby, no matter what.”

  “True,” Caitlin said, even as she wondered if it was really true. He was dependable, sure, but he was there for the town first. “I’m sure he’d try to be there for us.” Suddenly, she realized that she’d become an us as soon as she read the pregnancy results. She and her child together. Would that include Brian? And how would they work it out? Because raising a child without a partner seemed daunting.

  Not to mention, where would they raise the child? She didn’t want to live in Darby Crossing, and Brian had no interest in moving to the city with her. They’d have to split custody. What if he insisted that she stay in town? She nearly shuddered at the thought. Despite how nice most people had been to her since her return, she still didn’t feel entirely comfortable here. Maybe that all originated with her parents, but Caitlin couldn’t get past it.

  And she didn’t want to give up the dream she and Maggie had of opening their own tattoo business. Thanks in part to Brian, it looked likely that their money would get returned, which would make the dream achievable again. She didn’t want to give that up when they were so close.

  “It’ll work out,” Aurora said. “I feel sure of it.”

  “I hope so. I just don’t see how at the moment.” Caitlin appreciated her friend’s optimism, but she wasn’t so confident herself.

  Aurora glanced at the clock. “We’ve left Alex to man the floor for too long. I’m going back out to deal with the lunch crowd. You take as long as you need.”

  “I’m okay.” Caitlin stood up. “I better get back to work since I’m about to have two mouths to feed.” She went for a joking tone but didn’t quite pull it off.

  The second she walked back to the front of the diner she saw Brian slide into a booth by himself. He dropped his hat on the seat next to him and rubbed a hand over his face, seeming weighed down by something. He was like that with his work, and she suddenly felt reluctant to add to his sense of responsibility.

  “There’s my favorite waitress,” he said when she approached his table. He smiled at her and she felt the glow from that ping inside her. It made her think that everything could work out between them, but she knew that was a false hope. Telling him about the baby would change everything between them. She felt consumed by a wave of fear and knew he could see it on her face.

  “What is it, darlin’?” He kept his voice low.

  “Nothing,” she said, too brightly. “Everything’s fine.” She’d tell him soon, but not here, where other people could overhear every word that passed between them. “Are you going to be home this evening? Because there’s something we need to talk about.”

  His eyes flicked over her face for a second before he stood up and grasped her wrist. Before she could react, he was pulling her through the kitchen and out into the back parking lot.

  “By the look on your face, whatever it is can’t wait. What’s got you worried?” he asked, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders.

  “I don’t know how to put this exactly.” She paused, gathering her strength for the two words to come. “I’m pregnant.” She paused for a moment, waiting to see if lightning would strike or something. When it didn’t, she continued. “It must have happened that night at the motel, so it’s definitely yours.”

  “You’re pregnant.” His hold on her tightened. “Are you sure?”

  “I did a test this morning. I know this isn’t what you—” She stopped when he whooped loud enough to echo off the nearby buildings.

  “That’s amazing. You’re amazing,” he said before kissing her and pulling her into a hug. She gladly pressed herself against him. “God, a baby. We’re going to have a baby.”

  “Brian, are you sure you’re okay with this?” His grin and obvious excitement were not what she expected. Good things made her nervous—she didn’t know how to trust them.

  “You bet. I know we’ve got some things to work out, but I’m all in. I’m a little blown away, but I’m so, so happy.” He kissed her again and rested his forehead against hers. “And don’t worry, darlin’. We’ll figure it out together.”

  She wanted to believe him, but she was worried about everything they’d have to sort through. Brian would be a wonderful dad, but what if, despite his best intentions, he kept choosing work over her and their baby? She was afraid of the idea of raising a child basically on her own. Her idea of family meant that the kids always came first, always knew they were the most important thing. Brian let his work take him away so often, and she didn’t want their baby to ever think he or she came last. She’d had way too much of that in her own childhood.

  12

  Brian was up early the next morning. He left Caitlin sleeping while he showered and dressed quickly. He made a quick stop at the sheriff’s office to find that it had been a quiet night before heading out to grab coffee and pastries at Carly’s place. By the time he arrived home again, Caitlin was just coming downstairs, dressed in one of his t-shirts.

  “I thought we had a day off together,” she said and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I wanted to spend more of it in bed.” She kissed him in a way that had him thinking that taking her back to bed was a very good idea. But then he remembered his plan.

  Hearing about the baby had rocked his world in a good way. He wanted a child with Caitlin. He hadn’t known how much until she’d told him that she was pregnant. With that, the pieces of his life started to fall into place. The biggest piece was that he wanted to convince her to raise their baby right there in Darby Crossing. He’d built a whole plan around working her up to the idea.

  “I thought we’d do some shopping for baby stuff and maternity clothes for you,” he said as he led the way into the kitchen and put their breakfast on the table.

  She looked down at her flat stomach and raised an eyebrow at him. “I think you may be jumping the gun. I don’t need maternity clothes yet.”

  “I like to be prepared.” He pulled out a chair for her. “We should make a list of what we need. Between the various stores in town, I think we can get most of it.”

  “You want to shop for baby items? In town?” she asked and reached for a coffee.

  “This one’s yours,” he said, handing her one. “Decaf.”

  She huffed. “I can drink caffeinated coffee. I looked it up on the internet. I just need to practice moderation.”

  “Doesn’t hurt to play it safe. And you should ask a doctor about your diet at your first appointment.”

  “Have you set that up?” she asked, and he couldn’t tell if she was kidding or not.

  “No, I thought you’d like to choose your OB, but the decision should happen soon, right?” Their encounter at the hotel had been a little more than six weeks ago. According to his online search that meant she would be considered more than eight weeks pregnant. He didn’t try to figure out the math of that, but he’d checked it on multiple sites. Only thirty-two weeks to go, which seemed a short time to convince her that they could have a good life with the baby in Darby Crossing.

  “I’ll get a recommendation from Aurora and make the appointment. Do you want to come?” She glanced at him tentatively.

  “Hell, yeah.” He wouldn’t miss it. “Let’s eat and then we’ll go take a look through the shops.”

  They enjoyed the pastries and coffee before heading out to the businesses along Main Street. Their first stop was a furniture store, specializing in handmade oak pieces. They stopped to look at a rocking chair and then a crib that converted into a bed for when the baby got older.

  “I like the look of that,” Brian said as he ran his hand over the wood. “It seems substantial.”

  “Can I help you, sheriff?” A smiling saleswoman approached them, her gaze shifting between him and Caitlin. She was drawing conclusions, and Brian didn’t mind a bit.

  “Just getting some ideas today, but thank you. We’ll be back,” he said and guided Caitlin from the store. “I think we should shop for clothes next.”

  Caitlin didn’t dig her heels in, but she dragged her feet as they entered a general store and made their way to the baby section. “Everyone’s looking at us,” she murmured.

  They’d drawn several glances, but who cared? “So?”

  “Two plus two is four, Brian,” she said in a whisper. “Everyone is putting it together and realizing I’m pregnant. That’s why shopping in a small town is a bad idea. We can’t be anonymous here. In Austin, no one would notice us.”