Cordy had never been to the Baltics, but Scottie made it sound amazing. Cordy planned to go there once she was tired of Star Crossed Springs, but then she took that pregnancy test, and everything had changed.
For once in her life, Cordy was staying put.
She wanted Reed’s child to be born where he had been, and changing doctors in the middle of the pregnancy scared her. Until the baby arrived, Cordy was committed to Star Crossed Springs.
But raising the baby here…? Cordy didn’t know about that. If Reed’s family wouldn’t even text her back, what was the point?Her baby wouldn’t get the same cozy childhood Reed had, that was for sure. Not when everyone viewed Cordy as an outsider, especially Reed’s family.
Whatwouldhappen if she sat in the Parents’ Corner, one more pregnant lady in the middle of half a dozen? Would they welcome her like an old friend? Or would they do that fake polite thing to hide how much they wanted her to simply go away?
Cordy wanted to find out… and she didn’t at the same time.
The phone rang. She practically jumped out of her skin, sweat breaking out on her forehead, even though she was staring at the darn screen.
She frowned at the unknown local number on the display. Was it spam or something important? Odds were always fifty-fifty in these cases.
Cordy glanced at her pet greyhound, Iggy, asleep on the couch. His brindle coloring made him look like someone had tried to draw a tiger crossed with a dog, and he was the result.
“Should I answer it, Iggs?”
Iggy half-opened one eye in answer. He was so lazy he’d make a sloth look hyper, and Cordy loved him like mad.
“Is that a yes or a no?”
Iggy closed his eye again.
“Thanks for the help.” She plopped down next to him on the couch, letting his hind end drape over her lap. Iggy sighed but kept sleeping. Despite her doubts, she picked up the call. “Hello?”
“Cordy.”
It was a man, with a deep, smooth voice that made her pulse pick up. But she couldn’t place who he was, although he clearly knew her.
“Yes?”
“You need my help.”
Her spine went melty.I do need help.
Since taking the pregnancy test, Cordy had tried to be strong. To keep it all together. But the closer she got to her baby’s due date, the harder everything got. With only four weeks left in her pregnancy, sometimes things felt impossible. If she could put some burdens on the shoulders of this man with the gorgeous voice, maybe take a nice long nap, it would be good. She wanted to so badly.
Slowly, she made her resolve stiffen. Cordy didn’t even know who this person was. He was probably selling something. Her parents had raised her to rely solely on herself, and this whole pregnancy situation only proved how right they’d been.
“I don’t think so,” Cordy said.
Iggy’s ears pricked up at her tone. She ought to hang up, stop wasting her time.
“Really? I’ve got your ad here.”
“What?” She’d only put it up five minutes ago. If only Chance hadn’t smacked into her and distracted her from tearing the ad down…
“I’m outside. Let me up so we can talk about this. I’ve got donuts for you.”
The identity of that voice clicked into place as she went to the window. The frame stuck, and she had to shove it hard to open it. One of these days, she was afraid she’d have to push so hard she’d fall right out of it.
When she put her head out, sure enough, there was Chance Kessal on the sidewalk, one thumb hooked casually into his belt loop. He looked like a tall drink of water, the kind with condensation dripping down the glass on a hot day. The kind you wanted to gulp down as fast as you could.
“Not you.” It popped out of Cordy’s mouth.
Chance’s eyes narrowed. “Why not?”
