“For what?” I pulled slightly out of his arms. I was hardly brave enough to look into his eyes during this conversation. “You couldn’t have known. Neither of us could have. I’m not blaming you in any way. I just need to know…what you want.”
“Maggie, I don’t think either of us wants this. But if you do…”
My brows lowered. “You thinkIwant this? Do you think I wanted our little ‘friendship’ to result in a pregnancy? Trust me, Jack, this is the last thing I want.”
“I-I know that. I know that,” he sputtered and ran a hand through his damp hair. I took in a shaky breath before his eyes softened.
“I can’t get rid of this baby, but…Jack, I can’t raise a kid on my own,” I confessed.
“Maggie, whatever gave you that idea? You think I’d knock you up and just leave you?” My lack of answer made him retreat in defense. His Adam’s apple worked as he swallowed hard.
“No–I…maybe? I don’t know, you don’t seem like the type to settle down and take care of an unwanted kid.”
“Neither do you, with your whole thing about never getting married,” he retorted.
“Okay, that’s not fair. You know what happened with my parents. I’m not putting myself through that.”
“That’s because you have shitty parents!”
Regret covered his face as soon as the words left his mouth.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
I took a breath and looked away.
“Let’s just talk this out, yeah? Neither of us wants this, but this is what happened. I expect you to help support your kid financially because God knows I can’t afford to do it alone.”
Jack took a deep breath, frustration and determination lingering in his eyes. His voice dropped an octave. “If you think, for one second, that I’m not going to do everything I can for this kid, then you’re out of your goddamn mind. We’ll co-parent. End of conversation.”
My breath caught.
It was unexpected. I did not think Jack would step up to the plate so quickly, if at all. His firmness in the matter comforted me.
“Thank you.” I looked up at him with more vulnerability than I meant to show. Jack’s hands moved to cup my face. My eyes rested on his while we searched each other for answers. I wanted to lean into his touch.
“Of course. We can do this.”
I appreciated his willingness to be there more than anything. Suddenly, I was a little less alone. If everything went to hell, maybe Jack would let himself fall through the cracks with me.“But if you’re going to Wyoming…do you know how long you’ll be there?”
Jack took a deep breath, but gears turned behind his gaze. “I don’t know.”
“I mean, I’ll keep you up to date on everything. You can fly back for doctor’s appointments if that’s what you–”
“Come with me,” he interrupted.
I raised my brows in shock. He wantedmeto come to Wyoming with him to, what, keep him occupied? I had a life here. I didn’t have a job anymore, but my dad was in Pennsylvania. It was where I was supposed to be moving up in my career. It was all I knew. “Come with you? To Wyoming?”
He nodded. “It would be perfect. You could keep working for me, and I could keep tabs on you and the baby.”
The words “keep tabs” instead of “help take care of” hit me in the gut. I wasn’t moving my life across the country so he could keep tabs on me, but it would sure be a step up from living with my dad, who knew very little about pregnancy and babies since he was away for most of my mom’s pregnancy.
“I don’t know, Jack. It’s a lot. My dad is here, and what would I do there? You’re the one with a job. I would need to find someone to play for.”
“No, you couldn’t, Mags. You can’t ride when you’re pregnant.”
“Wh-what?” Jack telling me what to do with my body while I was pregnant would have infuriated me if I didn’t already know he cared so damn much, but it was a punch to the gut, nonetheless. I had lived my entire life riding horses and playing polo. What would I do for nine months—likely more—without my passion?
He sighed. “My mom went through it, so I know firsthand how easy it is to lose a baby if you so much as fall off a horse.”
