Wilder Hearts: Once Upon a Pregnancy. RaeAnne ThayneЧитать онлайн книгу.
pregnant.”
Ella sat back in her chair, the springs creaking in protest. “Oh, Simone…Does Mike know?”
“Yes.” Simone blew out a sigh. “And to make matters worse, Mike and I have opposing beliefs on what would be best for everyone involved.”
“He wants to…?” Ella merely looked at Simone, prompting an answer she might have normally kept to herself.
“He wants to get married and live happily ever after.”
“And you don’t?”
“I can’t, Ella.”
Footsteps sounded, and both women grew silent. Simone was glad to refocus her thoughts on work.
If her mind would only cooperate.
Simone had just arrived home from the market and was unloading her car when Mike drove up in his Jeep. She watched as he got out of the vehicle and approached.
He was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a white polo shirt and an unreadable expression. Sheepish? Pensive? Intense?
“If I help you put away your groceries,” he said, “will you take a ride with me?”
“Where?”
“It’s a surprise.”
A part of her was glad to know he hadn’t shut her out of his life completely, and since it was rare that anyone had a surprise for her, she was also curious.
“All right,” she said.
Minutes later, after they’d placed the frozen food in the freezer and the eggs and dairy products in the fridge, they stacked the pasta, rice and canned goods in the pantry.
“Okay,” Mike said. “Let’s go.”
Simone glanced down at the clothes she was wearing—a pair of black slacks, which had a little more room in the waistband and just seemed to feel better than her jeans these days. She also had on a lime-green, scoop-necked top with an empire waist. The shirt was stylish, yet she realized it looked a bit like a maternity blouse without all the extra material. Not that she needed a new wardrobe yet.
“Should I change my clothes?” she asked.
“No, you look great.” The warmth in his grin convinced her of his sincerity.
So she grabbed her purse and, after locking the house, followed him to his Jeep. Before climbing into the passenger side, she again asked, “Where are we going?”
“Just for a drive. I want to show you something.” He opened the door and waited for her to get in.
He always behaved like a gentleman around her, and she decided there was a lot about Mike to admire. A lot to love.
A wistful ache settled in her chest, and she wished she could let go of her fears and accept his optimism. He made it all sound so simple, when she was a realist and knew that having a relationship with him—at least, the kind he wanted and deserved—would be anything but easy for her.
After she slid into her seat, he closed the door, circled the vehicle and climbed into the driver’s side.
Minutes later, they were driving through the tree-shaded streets of Riverdale.
She suspected he wanted to show her the Dennison place, or rather the home he’d just placed an offer on. And if truth be told, she’d like to see it, too.
After he turned onto Maple and passed the first curve in the road, she realized that’s exactly what he had in mind.
He pulled along the curb in front of a three-story, pale yellow Victorian-style home with white gingerbread trim and shut off the ignition.
The house needed paint and some fix-it work done, but the place had enormous potential.
“The owners agreed to rent it to me before the close of escrow,” he said. “So I moved in early this morning. Come on. I want to show you the inside, as well as the yard.”
As he led her to the house, she realized that the lawn had been freshly mowed, trimmed and watered. She also saw that the sidewalk and porch had been swept clean and washed down. She suspected Mike had been eager to get to work on his new place.
Or had he wanted to make a good impression on her?
He unlocked the front door and waited for her to enter. Once they were inside the house, he pointed out the hardwood floors, a redbrick fireplace that bore smoke and soot stains from years of use and a curved banister that led upstairs.
The walls had been covered in a faded blue-and-yellow floral wallpaper that Simone suspected was part of the original decor. If not, it had been a part of the house for years.
There were five bedrooms upstairs and one down. It seemed like a lot of square footage for a single man. Still, she could understand why a guy like him might want to tackle a big renovation, as this was bound to be.
The kitchen, with its retro-style appliances and scarred gray linoleum, needed to be remodeled. The bathrooms—three of them—did, too. Yet there was a charm to the place, and she truly believed Mike had lucked out when it went on the market.
“The house is wonderful, Mike. You’re really going to enjoy refurbishing it.”
“I know. And I can’t wait to get started.” He placed a hand on her back and ushered her through the kitchen to the service porch, then out the door. The back lawn, like the one in front, had been newly mowed. A sprinkler had been turned on and was raining some much-needed water on the dried-out blades of grass.
She suspected, before long, it would soon be a lovely shade of green.
On the other hand, the shrubs, trees and bushes were in desperate need of a trim, and the flower beds could stand some attention from someone with a green thumb.
“The yard still looks like a jungle,” Mike said, “but with some work, I ought to be able to whip it into shape before you know it.”
“You’re going to get lost inside of this old place alone. Are you planning to fix it up, then turn around and resell it?”
For a moment, his smile faltered, and his excitement waned. But just for a beat. “I plan to get married and fill it up with kids.”
She suspected he’d been thinking about her and knew she would have to disappoint him again.
Yet the thought of him finding a younger woman and creating a family with someone else twisted her heart in an unnatural direction.
Rather than deal with the emotional discomfort of either option, she clung to the silence.
Mike walked to the side of the house, where he turned off the sprinkler. “I’ll take Wags with me when I drop you off.”
She ought to be happy to have one less dog, but she’d gotten attached to the little scamp. Of course, she didn’t dare mention anything like that.
“Would it be okay with you if I picked up Woofer sometimes and brought him over to visit Wags?” Mike asked.
“Sure.” The dogs had become much closer these days, and she suspected they’d miss each other.
Shared custody, an inner voice whispered, bringing to mind that unsettling term again. But she quickly shrugged it off.
Mike grabbed some kind of electrical, long-handled tool that had been leaning near the back porch. “Do you mind if we make a stop before I take you home and pick up Wags? I have to return this edger.”
She didn’t mind. Nor was she in any hurry to get rid of that scruffy puppy with big, brown eyes. She was going to miss the little guy who met her at the door or the gate with a yappy bark and an I-need-you whine.
After locking up the house, they headed for his Jeep. And moments later, they were on the road. Mike drove along Lexington to the other side of Walnut