She heard him swallow. His arm was heavy and solid around her shoulders. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest.
“You could…” Chance cleared his throat roughly. “You could move in with me.”
Cordy almost burst out laughing because he was so clearly reluctant. Chance couldn’t in good conscience let a pregnant woman live on the streets, but he was also dreading ayes.
“I appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t,” she said, saving them both. “You know why.”
“I don’t, so why not?”
You’re a tomcat.“Because people will think we’re together.”
“And that would be bad because…” One corner of his mouth ticked up. “Because I’m a ho.”
Cordy didn’t laugh because it wasn’t funny. She’d hurt his feelings, although he tried to hide it with a joke. It was pretty crappy of her to repay his kindness like this.
“You’re not a ho,” she said. “But you don’t want a pregnant lady and eventually a crying newborn in your house.” Cordy forced herself to move away from him and his comforting arm.
Chance’s mouth tightened. “I don’t want you out on the street.”
“I won’t be.”
“Okay then, where are you moving to?” When she didn’t answer right away, he went on. “Because I know this town and how hard it is to find a rental. Did you post online? Or did you put up a flyer at the Donut Palace?”
“I’ve been meaning to,” Cordy said. She had been, but when she remembered putting up the flyer for the labor coach and how that had gone she’d lost her motivation. “I will. Tomorrow.”
“Or you could say yes to me,” Chance said, “and your problem is solved. I’ve got two extra bedrooms, one for you, one for the baby. They’re on the opposite side of the house from my room. You’d have your own bathroom, too.”
“How big is your house?”
“Three bedrooms, two baths, built-in laundry, and a wrap-around porch.” Pride puffed up his voice. “I built it myself.”
Cordy was impressed. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Your noodle dog can come, too.”
It was tempting. Very tempting. She liked Chance and even if she found him attractive, it wasn’t like she could act on it. Chance wasn’t going to make a pass at a pregnant woman living with him. He was one night only, guaranteed.
Cordy’s instincts told her to say no. She couldn’t depend on anyone but herself, and Chance had already done too much for her. Owing him even more than she already did would be wrong. She had no way to repay him.
No, she should keep him right where he was and no closer. She’d find a place on her own somehow.
She sighed, the air leaking out of her. It all felt wrong, though. She was so tired. Not like herself. Cordy hadn’t felt like Cordy in… months. She’d twisted herself into an exhaustedpretzel trying to do everything right, and everything was still going wrong.
Before the baby, Cordy would have looked at her situation and decided it was time to move on. The world was filled with interesting places, people to meet, bartending jobs to take, and funky apartments to rent—life was too short not to see as many of them as she could.
Heck, she might have even taken Chance up on his offer for a place to stay. Cordy was desperately curious about what his house was like, whathewas like when he wasn’t doing cowboy stuff or picking up women in bars.
She used to satisfy her curiosity, act on her whims, and actuallylive. The woman she used to be would have said yes to his offer without a second thought.
So when she opened her mouth and said, “Actually, I’ve changed my mind,” it didn’t feel odd. It felt right for the first time in a long time.
nine
“I’m still just tryingto understand everything,” Quint said to Chance.
The fake curiosity in his brother’s tone told a different story. Quint wasn’t trying to understand anything—he was yanking Chance’s chain.
Chance supposed he couldn’t blame his brother. If a man spent most of his life avoiding commitment and then invited a pregnant woman to live with him out of the blue, he could expect some raised eyebrows. And some teasing from his family.
