She nodded. “Yeah.”
He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss that spread through her chest and all the way down to her toes. “Me, too,” he admitted with a smile.
An hour later, Daisy sat next to Ken on the couch, curled up against his side. She had her legs crossed and the popcorn bowl nestled in between them. She tried very hard to pay attention to the movie playing but could only think about the baby in her womb and how Ken had gradually become the most important person in the world to her.
You have to tell him, Daisy. You can’t wait another minute.
Without realizing it, she shook her head and replied to the voice inside her head that only she could hear.
We’re just having a nice, quiet evening; just the two of us! Why wreck it right now?
She couldn’t keep this secret much longer. Soon, nothing would hide it. Maybe she could take a job somewhere for the next six months and…
No. You have to tell him. Daisy Ruiz, you have to tell this man the truth.
She paused the movie and then shifted her body to face him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Everything all right?”
Suddenly she lost confidence. Actually, she really lost her nerve. She held up the empty popcorn bowl. “Do you want a refill?”
You’re pathetic. Put down that bowl and tell him. Tell him right now.
He shook his head. “No, thanks. Still full from dinner.”
Her shoulders slumped. She could not keep going on this way. “Ken, I find myself in a situation. And it’s because I made a bad decision. No, that’s not right. I made the wrong decision. And, yes, I had someone who helped that decision along, but ultimately, it was me. My choice.”
She stared at her hands and waited. Nothing came from him. Finally, she looked up. He stared at her, his face mild, his half-grin charmingly in place, his eyes calm. Why hadn’t he reacted?
“You need some kind of help?” He must have misunderstood her.
“No. Clearly, I’m not explaining myself well.” She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh while the voices in her head argued.
Say the words. Say “I’m pregnant.” Just say it.
Her eyebrows knotted.I need better words. I should rehearse exactly what I’m going to say.
Finally, she opened her eyes and said, “You know what, it’s okay. I’ll tell you about it another time.” She pressed play on the remote then settled back against him.
You are gutless. Spineless! Since when did you ever give in to fear? This is not just unfair to him. You’re being unfair to yourself!
Feelings of cowardice and failure rippled through her. She knew the second the words came out of her mouth, Ken would pack up and leave. She would never see him again, and he felt so good beside her, so much better than the couch. He felt warm. He felt strong. He smelled like Christmas morning.
You aren’t giving him a chance. If you tell him now, you might have a chance of keeping him. Keep putting it off, and it will seem like intentional deceit. Are you trying to lose him forever?
So what if she wanted just another nice evening with him? What could it hurt? The next time she saw him, she would tell him no matter what.
AsKen backed the trailer into the spot next to what would eventually become a detached garage, he pondered the conversation with Daisy last night. What kind of trouble was she in? What kind of mistake had she made? Money? Legalities with her nonprofit? Something else?
He wished she would let him help her. For the last week, he could feel something off about her attitude. She was jumpy, almost a little manic sometimes. He would do anything in his power to help; she just needed to tell him how he could. He couldn’t imagine an issue she had that he couldn’t help solve. But, until he knew the issue, he had no power.
He reviewed every second they had spent together since they first shook hands that day. Had he done or said anything that might lead her to believe she couldn’t trust him? Had he acted as if he didn’t care about her? Ken knew that he had a tendency toward stoicism. Had his reticence misled her as somehow uninterested? It didn’t feel like that when they touched or kissed. It didn’t feel like that when they just spent time together doing anything at all, from shopping for groceries to fishing or munching popcorn.
He paused his thoughts about Daisy and looked at his surroundings. Most of the lot contained pine woods, but the contractor had cleared the area around the house, and the exposed red Georgia soil could handle sod. In his mind, he removed more of the pine and made a more expansive back yard, one with a pool or perhaps a fish pond. He had three acres here, with plenty of room to expand on the house.
The house had a pseudo-Tudor style, with cream and gray bricks, arched windows, and dark brown trim. It looked like it had a solid foundation. The packet he got from the bank said the contractor had reached the stage to consider it dried-in, which meant they had completed the roof and the exterior brickwork.
He’d read the completed scope of work. He knew the plumbers and electricians had completed at least the foundation of their work. Brad’s new house was less than a mile away, so he could make do for a week or more if the need arose.
He walked up the wide front steps and surveyed the porch. Just a concrete slab right now, he could picture a decorative railing, furniture, hanging ferns, and a stained-glass wind chime. He walked around the porch, discovering that it wrapped the house completely and ended at the back where it looked like contractors had already poured the foundations for a deck. Ken liked wraparound porches. He liked porch swings, hanging ferns, and little tables with plants on them.
