Chance pointed at Iggy. The dog had roused himself enough to lift his head and eyeball Chance. “This is your guard dog? He’s doing a great impression of a limp noodle.”
“Iggy’s more of a lover, not a fighter.” Cordy realized that described Chance, too. She set the donut bag on the kitchen counter to free up her hands. “Can I have my flyer back? I meant to take it down.”
Chance didn’t hand it over. Cordy stared him down, her hand out. His eyes were the most remarkable shade of brown. The Swing Inn’s low lights were good for hiding flaws, but also eyes like his.
Her mouth curled because Cordy loved stuff like this. Seeing things she never had before, meeting new people, learning about them. It was why she moved around so much. There was so much to see. And why she was still a bartender after all these years. It was the best way to meet people she’d ever found.
His eyes were mesmerizing—just the most gorgeous color.
Chance put the flyer in her hand and broke the spell. “What do you need a birth coach for?”
Cordy set it aside, wondering how much to tell Chance. She had to give him something, even if she wasn’t accepting his offer. “Um, the hospital won’t let me take the class without a partner.”
“You can’t ask someone to go with you?”
“I don’t feel comfortable asking anyone I know.” That was a problem with being rootless—no one to call on when you were in her situation. Not that she’d ever expected anything like this. “So I figured I’d see if anyone might take it on as a job. For pay.”
Chance narrowed his eyes. “You have to take this class, don’t you? Why? The hospital isn’t requiring it, are they?”
Well, that was very direct. And very insightful.
Cordy hesitated. It wasn’t any of Chance’s business, but she was tired of carrying this alone. Her parents preached self-sufficiency, but they’d never been in her situation. If Mom had needed him, Dad would have been there. Probably.
Still, Cordy pressed her lips together tightly. Tried to put some steel into her spine. It was habit from all the times her parents had taken her someplace new, where she knew no one and didn’t even speak the language but was expected to adapt immediately. And mostly, her parents were right—once Cordy got over her initial shock, she always enjoyed herself. She loved the new, the unknown.
But this was too much. Her body refused to obey her.
She collapsed on the couch with a sigh, and Iggy set his head on her thigh. Cordy rubbed his precious face, grateful she had such a love bug here. If she was going to confess, she might as well be comfortable.
“Okay.” She stared Chance straight in the eye. “Here’s the deal, and I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.”
“I don’t kiss and tell,” he said with utter seriousness.
She knew that. Somehow, that made her feel better. He might be a tomcat, but he had his own peculiar sense of honor.
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” she said baldly. Her face flamed as she said it.
He frowned. “Wait, about the baby? But it’s not even here yet.”
Her shoulders slumped. Of course he didn’t understand. He probably learned everything he knew from his amazing, caring, upright parents, following right in his father’s footsteps.
Cordy took a deep breath. “I’ve got a baby on the way, the father is gone, my mom isn’t here, and I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Getting it all out felt strange. Like she’d emptied her purse but still couldn’t find what was missing.
“So…” Cordy knotted her hands together. “I took all the classes. Like,allof them. Infant CPR, newborn care, breastfeeding, infant sleep, maternal aftercare, supporting your infant’s development…” She counted on her fingers. “I think I’m missing one, but you get the point. The labor and delivery class is the only one I need a partner for.”
Chance frowned, more puzzled than judging. “That’s a lot of classes. Your mom… she’s not coming when the baby’s born?”
Cordy had to look away. She swallowed hard, fighting her reaction. Okay, maybe her family was out of the ordinary, but nothing waswrongwith them. “My mom doesn’t even know I’m pregnant. She’s been in Mongolia for the past year, and there’s no way to contact her.” She made herself lift her chin. “I’m going to be a good mom. Iwill. And these classes are helping me learn.” She snapped her fingers. “Oh! Baby massage and baby wearing. I forgot that one.”
“There’s a whole class on that?”
“Oh, there’s so much you don’t know. Babies need a lot of… of everything.”
“They don’t just need a crib and the boob?”
Cordy choked out a laugh. Chance lookedsoconfused, about as confused as she’d felt when she’d first seen the list of classes.
