She fed Iggy, but he completely ignored the food. Instead, he stayed close by her as she folded baby clothes and planned more freezer meals.
As she paged through the cookbook, Cordy realized she was restless.
It wasn’t like her usual itchiness, where she needed to get out and see something new. She didn’t want to leave the house but didn’t want to be alone. That limited her options on the ranch since the Kessal brothers were working, and she wasn’t sure if Chance was okay with her visiting Holden.
So that left going into town.
If Chance could run off, then so could she.
In about an hour, she was walking into the Donut Palace, determined to chat with whoever was there and eat a bear claw the size of her head.
Except her stomach kept cramping, and she didn’t feel great. These Braxton-Hicks contractions were no joke. And Iggy had watched her leave with the saddest eyes, which had only made her feel worse.
But she was out now and determined to make the best of it. Chelsea was sitting in the family corner, greeting her with a cheery wave. Cordy went to sit with her, skipping the line. She wasn’t too sure she could eat anything, not with how her stomach was.
“How are you doing after yesterday?” Chelsea asked.
Cordy wondered how the woman would react if she told her the truth:Last night, I fucked Chance Kessal, and it scared him so bad he ran away.
Chelsea would be sympathetic but not shocked. That was what Chance did—he gave you one night and then was gone. Cordy was only getting the same deal every other woman in town had.
“All right,” Cordy said. “I’m ready to be done with this.”
“Oh, I know the feeling,” Chelsea said. “Your due date was two days ago?”
“Yep.” Cordy rubbed her belly. “There’s no way I can get any bigger. My stomach is already shoved up into my lungs. And the baby kicks my bladder every time I inhale.”
“You’re almost there, Mama.” Chelsea patted her hand. “Trust me, this will seem like a vacation once the baby comes. Speaking of, I signed up for the meal train, but I’m not bringing you some sad casserole. What would you most like to eat? If you could pick anything?”
Cordy thought about it. “I don’t know. Whatever you bring will be fine.”
Chelsea shook her head. “You haven’t eaten all kinds of things for nine months. What, you want some raw milk? Some soft cheese? Coffee?” She leaned in and said in a sultry whisper, “Some deli meat?”
That one reminded Cordy. “God, I miss sushi.”
“How about I have Harry catch you some trout straight from the river? You can’t eat it raw, but you can’t get it any fresher. Have Chance grill it up.”
“It sounds lovely.” Cordy’s voice wobbled. “I’d like that.”
“Uh-oh.” Chelsea scooted closer. “Everything okay?”
“Um…” Cordy couldn’t find a suitable lie. Could she say it was hormones? Or being tired? Or?—
“Oh God.” Cordy doubled over as another Braxton-Hicks seized her.
“Cordy?” Chelsea grabbed her arm. “Should I call Chance?”
“No!” Cordy made herself sit up. “I thought these practice contractions were supposed to be gentler, that’s all.”
“That didn’t seem like a practice contraction.”
“Well, it can’t be the real thing.”
Chelsea didn’t look convinced, but before she could say anything, Ruby came in.
“I’m taking a personal day,” she said. “Don’t ask.”
“I don’t have to,” Chelsea said. “I already know who it’s about.”
