“You don’t want people to know you’re having my baby?” He kept his tone light, but she put her hands on her hips.

  “It’s not that.” She was cute in her exasperation. “It just doesn’t make sense to put ourselves on display like this. And for what? We can’t buy anything anyway. Not when we don’t even know where we’ll live. What if we need two of everything? One set for your house and one for my apartment? Shouldn’t we figure that out before we do any shopping?”

  Brian shook his head at that and drew her to him. “One set because we’ll be living together.” He kept his eyes on her, noting the uncertainty but hoping he could smooth it away. To him, there was only one option. He wasn’t going to be separated from her or their child.

  “How can you be sure?” she asked.

  “Because I am, darlin’.” He kissed her lightly on the lips before she could raise more questions or objections. He reminded himself that he still had time to show her that living in Darby Crossing with him was the life for them. The sublet on her apartment hadn’t run out yet, so she wouldn’t be rushing back anytime soon. “We better look at some outfits. We don’t want the baby to be naked. People’ll talk.” He directed their attention to a rack of baby outfits and selected two. “Boy or girl?” He held the tiny articles of clothing in front of him like he’d seen women do in stores. “What do you think? I’m concerned about color because girls can wear blue, but boys can’t wear pink. That’s a rule.”

  “It is? I think you’d look great in pink.” She tapped him in the middle of his black t-shirt. “It would suit your coloring and make your green eyes pop.”

  “Not happening,” he said with a fake scowl, glad she was joking with him. “Maybe we should buy a couple of each color.”

  She took the outfits from him and put them back on the rack. “I think we should wait until we know what gender the baby is.”

  “Really?” He tipped his head to the side and gave her his best smile. “Those are pretty cute. We don’t want to miss out.”

  “You’re being ridiculous.” She rolled her eyes and sighed. “If you insist on getting something, I like this.” She pulled out a white one-piece outfit with a yellow duck on the front. “It’s gender neutral.”

  “Works for me,” he said, taking the item and going to the counter to pay. When they were headed out of the store, they bumped into a man on the sidewalk who was tapping buttons on his phone.

  “I’m sorry…” Caitlin began apologizing before freezing in her tracks. “Dad?”

  “Caitlin, your mother said you were in town. Good to see you.” Dave Baker glanced up before returning his attention to his phone, making Brian wonder about the truth of his statement. What kind of father didn’t even give his daughter a hug? He wanted to spin Caitlin’s dad around and tell him to actually see his own daughter.

  “I meant to come over to the house,” Caitlin’s voice was tentative, “but I’ve been working a lot.”

  “Working’s good. And you might as well do it here as in Austin. I don’t know whatever made you think you could be successful there.” Her father was looking at her now, but it wasn’t a welcoming expression. “Coming home was the right choice. Now you can stop wasting time and money chasing that foolish tattoo shop dream.”

  Brian watched as Caitlin controlled her face and took a deep breath. “Dad, Brian and I have some news to share. We’re going to have a baby, and—”

  Dave’s phone rang. “Not now, sweetie. Work call. I need to take this.” He walked off as he answered his phone.

  What the hell kind of father was that man? Had he not heard her say she was having a baby? Brian was ready to chase him down and pitch his phone into the street. Before he could move a step toward Caitlin’s dad, he saw her shoulders slump in defeat. Instantly, Brian was drawn back to her and put his arm around her. He’d known her relationship with her parents was rocky, but he was still shocked by how unfeeling her father had been. And from what she’d let slip, her mother was even worse.

  “It’s okay,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. “Lots of people will be happy for us.”

  “But he’s my dad.” She gave herself a shake and broke from him. “I’m done shopping. Let’s go home now.” She began walking quickly down the sidewalk, forcing him to catch up to her.

  “Okay. How about we spend the day together doing something else?” Brian said. “Maybe we can binge that series on Netflix you were telling me about.”

  “Sure. Sounds good,” she said, but there was no enthusiasm left in her voice. Brian mentally cursed Dave Baker for taking that from her.

  They’d just entered his house when his phone rang. He checked the screen and saw it was Sofia. It would be work-related, probably something that would take him away from Caitlin when she seemed to need him. It couldn’t be helped though, he thought, as he answered the call.

  “Hey, Brian, we’ve got a situation here,” his chief deputy explained. “You need to come.”

  “What is it?” He saw Caitlin glance over her shoulder at him as she went into the living room and sat on the couch.

  “Two city council members had a fender bender in the lot outside the mayor’s office.”

  “Which two?”

  “McCall and Jackson. You know how they are,” Sofia said, and Brian did know. He’d had to escort Jackson from a town meeting one night after an argument with McCall got too heated. The two had an old feud that kept rearing its head. Sofia filled him in on the rest of what she knew before hanging up.

  “I need to go deal with this,” he said as he stepped into the living room and dropped his hand on Caitlin’s shoulder. Sofia said that McCall was threatening legal action against Jackson and the town. Brian had no idea what the grounds for that lawsuit would be, but he knew he had to be there to sort it out.

  He couldn’t walk out on Caitlin, though, not after what just happened with her father.

  “Of course.” She gave him a smile that wasn’t quite real. “It sounded serious. You’d better go.”

  “I’m sorry about cutting short our day,” he said, feeling torn between her and his responsibilities. “I don’t know how long this will take.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I get it. Go.”

  He gave her a quick kiss and strode out the door, too aware that he was repeating what he’d just seen her father do. He was prioritizing his work over her, something she’d obviously had more than enough of in her childhood. But he’d find a way to make it up to her. Somehow.

  While he was dealing with the council members’ feud and the aftermath, which turned into a lengthy meeting with the mayor, Brian’s mind was churning with ways to make Caitlin feel more settled and welcome in town. He’d come up with one idea that he liked, but he’d need his mom’s help.

  He’d exchanged a few texts with Caitlin throughout the day to check in. Her last one had said that she was tired and going to take a nap for a few hours. So when he wrapped up at the station, he drove to his family’s ranch instead of heading back to his house. He’d enlist his mom’s help and be home before Caitlin woke up.

  He hadn’t lived at the Thorne ranch for the past three years, though he was a frequent visitor to see his family. The ranch was Jake’s responsibility now. Brian knew Jake felt some pressure about being the one to carry on the legacy that both of them still associated with their dad and older brother, but Jake also loved the land and the animals the family owned. It was the right place for him, just as being sheriff was the right place for Brian.

  “Mom?” he called as he opened the door to the sprawling ranch house.

  “Brian, is that you?” she responded. “I’m in the kitchen.”

  He could have guessed that by the smell of something spicy cooking, so he made his way to the large kitchen that had always been the heart of the home.

  “I wasn’t expecting you. Do you want join us for dinner?” She poured a glass of sweet tea and put it on the counter for him.

  “Thanks, but I can’t stay long,” he said and reached for the tea. “I needed to talk to you, and then I want to get back to town.”

  “That place keeps you busy.” Laura put cookies on a plate and placed them next to his drink.

  “I don’t mind.” Nothing had come between him and Darby Crossing until Caitlin came back into his life. Now, he felt curiously divided. He owed allegiance to both the town and to the family he and Caitlin were building. He didn’t doubt his ability to handle both—he just needed to figure out the balance. “I drove out to tell you that you’re going to be a grandma again. Caitlin’s pregnant.”

  Six-year-old Henry was her only grandchild so far, and she loved the boy, but Brian could tell by the instant excitement on his mother’s face that his own child would be just as loved.

  “That’s wonderful.” Laura stepped toward him to give him a hug. “I’m so pleased for you both,” she said, swiping tears from her eyes. “Oh, look at me. I don’t mean to cry, but they’re happy tears. It’s just that our family shrunk after the accident, and now that Cal and Amy are getting married and you and Caitlin and a baby…well…I’m just joyful. I hope you are, too.”

  “I’m thrilled about the baby,” Brian said honestly. He was counting down the days until he could hold his and Caitlin’s child. “Caitlin’s happy, too.” He’d been worried about that at first, but he wasn’t any longer.

  “Is she doing all right?” Laura asked. “The beginning can be rough. It sure was for me, especially with you and Jake.”

  “So far,” he said. He’d read up on the first trimester, so he was well versed in what symptoms to look out for. Luckily, Caitlin hadn’t had most of the typical problems—not yet, anyway. “And we’re working it out. I could use your help, though. I’d like you to throw Caitlin a baby shower. Darby Crossing hasn’t always been the happiest place for her, and I want to make her feel included and welcome here.”

  “I’d love to. I’ll get Amy to help me. She’s so good at organizing things. And I saw the cutest party favors on Pinterest. I can make those, and the food is no problem.” She gestured around her kitchen. “We’ll host it here on the ranch, but I’ll need a list of people to invite from Caitlin. I can guess some. Aurora and Carly and—”

  “Just not Caitlin’s mother,” he interrupted Laura.

  “Are you sure about that?” she questioned after a few seconds of silence. “Not inviting the baby’s other grandmother will look odd.”

  “I don’t care how it looks.” Brian wanted to be clear on this. “Hailey makes Caitlin uncomfortable, causes her stress. Caitlin doesn’t need that right now, and I want this to be a good experience for her.”

  “If you think that’s best,” Laura said, but he caught the doubt in her voice and knew he had to be completely honest.

  “I don’t want anything to happen that’ll make Caitlin decide she doesn’t want to stay here.”

  “By ‘here’ you mean Darby Crossing.” His mother had always been perceptive. “You’re worried she’ll go back to Austin with the baby, aren’t you?”

  “Yeah,” he admitted.

  “And what will you do if that’s the choice she makes?” Damn, did his mom have to be such a straight shooter?

  “I’m not sure,” he had to admit.

  “If she has problems with her family being here, then that’s a powerful deterrent to her staying,” Laura said. “I don’t have to remind you that her brother lived with us that year because it was so bad at home for him, and then joined the army to guarantee he got away. From what I observed, Caitlin’s experience might have been even worse. Hailey and Dave were always proud of Ethan being a sports star, but I can’t recall them ever saying a word of praise about Caitlin, no matter how many wonderful things she did.”

  “She’s told me some, but not enough to get a real picture of it.”

  Laura leaned against the counter, studying him. “I don’t know all the details either, but I remember so well that day she stood in the rain waiting for her parents to pick her up after the art competition, and they never did. Her beautiful painting was ruined, and she was soaked to the skin. She didn’t cry, though, when I gave her a ride home. Any other girl would have, but she’s strong.”

  Brian got what his mother was saying. Caitlin was strong enough to leave and raise a baby on her own if she felt that she needed to. He wanted to make sure it didn’t come to that.

  “I’ll convince her to stay,” Brian said after a minute. “Darby Crossing is a great place to live.”

  “Of course it is, for you and me,” Laura said. “We’ve found nothing but support and love here. For Caitlin there might be too many unhappy memories to overcome.”

  His mother’s argument made sense, but he had to believe that the good memories they would make together would outweigh the negative ones.

  13

  Caitlin woke alone, but she could hear noises from the kitchen below her. Brian was up. She should be too, but Aurora had told her not to come in as early today. Caitlin snuggled under the blankets and looked around Brian’s room. She’d spent several nights there, and she had to admit that she liked being in his space, smelling the scent of his aftershave on the pillow. Being close to him was appealing, even though their relationship wasn’t without its problems.

  The day before hadn’t gone so well. Seeing her father had gotten to her—and the situation hadn’t been helped by Brian leaving and not coming back until that evening.

  To keep herself from dwelling on that, she’d watched a favorite movie, sketched tattoo designs to add to her portfolio, and tried to nap. She’d been unable to rest, so she’d prowled around his house, worrying about their future. When he got home, he’d apologized for being away so long, and she thought that he genuinely meant it. But being sorry didn’t mean he actually intended to change his behavior. He would always go if he was needed. It was a trait she’d admire if it didn’t take him away from her so much.

  “Breakfast,” he said and nudged the bedroom door open. “I thought you’d like to eat up here.” He carried a tray with orange juice, coffee, and a covered dish.

  “That’s sweet of you.” She propped herself up against the headboard.

  “Least I could do,” he said. “I’m still sorry about yesterday.”

  “Stop worrying about it,” she said. He’d told her about the baby shower that his mother planned to throw for her, and she had to admit that she was excited about it. “What’s under the lid? Something delicious?”

  He put the tray on her lap and removed the cover. The smell of eggs hit her squarely in the face and her stomach turned over. Nausea like she’d never known rose in her.

  “Oh, no,” she whispered, putting one hand over her mouth and shoving the tray aside with the other. She dove out of bed and rushed for the bathroom, making it to the toilet just in time. An instant later, Brian was with her. He knelt behind her, holding her and rubbing her back as she vomited. He talked to her continuously, soothing words that comforted her.

  “I guess that’s morning sickness finally kicking in,” she said a few minutes later, leaning against the bathtub, the cool porcelain against her back.

  “Seems so,” he said. “Close your eyes and take deep breaths.”

  She did as he said and felt a damp washcloth wipe over her face and down her neck. It felt refreshing on her overheated skin. Her stomach started to calm.

  “I’m sorry about ruining breakfast.” She could hardly think about the food.

  “I’m the one who’s sorry.” He was rocked back on his heels in front of her, his expression worried. “I didn’t know it would bother you.”

  “Me either.” She tried for a smile. “I usually love eggs, but apparently not while pregnant.”

  “I’ll remember that,” he said. “Can I get you something else? Some toast? Water?”

  “Nothing yet.” She ran her hand over her stomach. “Maybe in a few minutes.”

  “Stay here and rest. I’m going to take the food downstairs and get rid of it. Don’t try to move until I come back.” He kissed her forehead and left the bathroom.

  She heard him enter the bedroom before heading back downstairs. Feeling a little better, she sat on the rim of the tub. Despite his warning, she was considering standing up when she heard his phone ring and his muffled voice speaking. His steps became more determined as he came back to her.

  “You need to leave,” she guessed as soon as she saw the look on his face. Clearly the station had called, and he was itching to be at work.

  “Only if you’re okay,” he said. She believed that he’d stay if she insisted, but it would kill him to hang back when there was obviously a problem at work.

  “I think I’ll go back to bed for an hour.” She had time for a nap before getting ready for work.

  “I’ll help you get settled in.” He came closer to her.

  “Not necessary.” She waved him off when he reached for her arm as she stood. “I’m fine. Really.”

  He hesitated while she moved across the bathroom to the sink and reached for her toothbrush.

  “I’ll see you later then.” He came to her and brushed his lips against her cheek. Then he was gone.

  She shook her head as she caught her reflection in the mirror. That was twice in twenty-four hours that he’d dashed off like something was on fire. Could the town not function without his constant vigilance? Apparently not.

  Maybe the universe was trying to send her a sign that read You will always be second in his life.

  After a nap and a slice of toast, Caitlin felt better and headed for work. She arrived in the midst of the morning breakfast rush and jumped in to help Aurora. Fortunately, the smell of the food didn’t bother her now, so she was able to work her tables without rushing to the bathroom.

  “We heard the good news about the baby.” An older woman, who came in twice a week with her husband, said while Caitlin was refilling her coffee. “Congratulations!”

  “Um…thanks,” Caitlin responded. Did everyone know? She supposed they did because nothing was ever a secret for long in this town. Between her and Brian’s shopping trip yesterday and Aurora buying a pregnancy test at the drugstore, word must have spread.