As he opened his mouth to respond, his phone rang. “Sorry,” he told her before taking the call. “All right. No problem. I’ll head back in a few minutes.” He shoved his phone in his pocket and turned to face her. “That was Stone. They’re calling an emergency meeting. I need to get back to the ranch.”
She held her disappointment in check. “Of course. We can talk about this when you come back.” Desperate move. She knew but didn’t care. Just hoped he’d come back.
God, how she hoped.
Another silent nod from him tightened the invisible grip on her heart. She watched him lift his toolbox, hoping he’d say something positive or comforting, but when he straightened, his expression was still dialed to somber. This time when he made to leave the kitchen and head for the front door, she didn’t stop him.
But she couldn’t bear to let him leave without trying to reach him one last time. “I have my first doctor’s appointment. Nine a.m. on Tuesday.”
He halted with his hand on the knob but didn’t turn around.
“It’d be nice if you were there,” she said, blinking away the tears gathering in her eyes, willing him to turn so she could see his face.
But he didn’t. Just dipped his head once in acknowledgment, then walked out of her house.
Maybe her life.
Chapter Twenty
Baby…
Kaydee was carrying his baby. And knew about his past. Sheknew. All this time, she knew…
Leo didn’t exactly remember walking out of her house, but when he blinked, he was across the street on his grandmother’s porch. He’d gone numb. So numb, he’d crossed a street without realizing it.
How fucked up was that?
After telling his grandmother he was heading back to Joyful, he climbed in his truck and stared out the windshield.A baby…Before backing out of the driveway, he slapped his face a few times to clear the fog from his brain. Didn’t need to drive numb. He’d already hurt enough people in his life.
The last thing he wanted to do was add Kaydee and their baby to that list, but no matter what he did at this point, she was destined to top it. Wasn’t she better off if he bowed out from the start than for him to leave when she needed him most?
Like now?his mind chimed in. She was pregnant. So didn’t right now qualify as one of those times?
Why the hell did he keep questioning himself about leaving her? That was something the Leo from two years ago would do. He wasn’t that person anymore.
Was he?
He muttered a curse and gripped the steering wheel. All during his drive, he tried to get his brain to accept the bombs she’d dropped, and his mind to tell him what his options were. He was still looking for the one where he got to keep her without hurting her. But it wasn’t even about them now.
It was about the baby.
An unexpected fierce protectiveness surged through him. He was going to be a dad.
But he wasn’t good father material. Maybe he should protect the child from himself.
And that was as far as he got in his head before he pulled up in front of the ranch, noting Cord parking his truck. Stone had been serious about calling a full meeting. Had to be if Cord was here on a Saturday and not on his own ranch with Haley. It was already heading into evening.
Leo slid from his truck and wondered briefly what could be so important to have them put their private lives on hold to get together on a day off…then promptly shook his head. Didn’t matter. He was grateful as hell that Stone had called. Gave him an out with Kaydee. Saved his ass, because she’d been wearing him down, making him want what she was pitching. Need what she wanted to give him.
And that was selfish as hell of him.
“Hey,” Cord said, falling into step with him. “You look like shit.”
He snorted. “Good to see you too, Warlock.”
Cord’s lips twitched as they entered the house.
“In here,” Stone called out from the office.
