“She trusts me. It’s you she doesn’t trust.”

“Well, ouch, that hurt. I’m not dropping the restraining order until after I have the baby. I don’t trust her, especially after the stunt she pulled today, and I’m beginning to think that her little friend didn’t accidentally pick up my phone either.”

I held back from laughing. The moment Amanda had brought back the phone, I had known something was up. It had Ari written all over it.

“It doesn’t matter why they were here. Ari is a part of my life, and you need to accept that.” I looked down at her stomach when I saw the baby move again.

She followed my eyes and smiled. “Do you want to feel again? He’s moving around a lot today.”

“He? You already know the sex of the baby?” I couldn’t help but reach out to feel the baby.

Rebecca let out a laugh. She glanced down at my hand on her stomach and then looked back up at me.

“Yes, I was too excited to not find out. I’m going to start painting the baby’s room and then try to put the crib together.”

I knew what she was doing. She was trying to get me to volunteer to help her. I knew that had to talk to Ari before I started doing shit like that.

I pulled my hand away from her stomach and then laid some money on the table. I needed to get out of here.

“Well, I need to get going. I’m getting ready to move out the ranch so I need to go and pack up.”

“Wait! You’re moving out to the country? Isn’t that place like three hours away? What if something happens with the baby?”

“Rebecca, you made it this far without me. You’ll be fine with me being two-and-a-half hours away. If you need something, you can just call me. My cell phone works off and on out there, so, after we get a land-line I’ll give it to you.”

“We? As in you and Ari? Is she moving out there with you? Are y’all moving in together?”

I stood up and threw my napkin down on the table. What is she, my fucking mother now?

“Listen, what happens between Ari and me is none of your business Rebecca…at least not until we have a test done after this baby is born, so we can find out once and for all if he’s mine or not.”

She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. Son of a bitch.

“Of course, Jeff, I’m sorry. It really is none of my business. May I ask when you’ll be moving?”

“After Gunner comes back from his honeymoon, we’re going to start moving, so we should be totally moved out to Mason in about three weeks. We have to be out of the house by the middle of July. Speaking of dates, I asked you earlier but you never told me. When is your due date?”

“Wait a minute. Did you say when Gunner comes back from his honeymoon? When did he get married?”

“He got married to my sister this past Saturday.”

The look on her face was pure shock. She turned white as a ghost as she started ringing her napkin. More than a minute passed before she seemed to get her composure.

“Are you going to tell me the due date, Rebecca?”

She let a small smile come across her face. “Jefferson, Jr is due on August seventeenth.”

Holy fuck! Jefferson Jr.? This girl is nuts. “Yeah, well, I’m not so sure on that name, Rebecca. We can talk about it later. I have some shit I need to take care of, so I’ll talk to you soon. Don’t forget to get me that info on the doctor.”

She nodded her head and stood up. She started to reach over to give me a hug, and I took a step back.

“Right…I’m sorry. Well…okay, it was good seeing you. I’m sure this is all going to work out for the best, Jeff. I’m sorry you missed out on the first few months, but now that you are here, you can start being a Daddy to Jeffer um, to the baby.”

I nodded my head and turned to walk away. I had to shake this feeling I was having. The moment I’d seen and then felt the baby move in her stomach, a small part of me had hoped that this baby was mine. I was not okay with thinking this way. I only wanted to have children with Ari, not some crazy-ass bitch who has been obsessed with me for the last three years.

Once I got in my truck, I finally relaxed. I put my head down on the steering wheel, and I swore that I just wanted to cry. Why is this happening to me? The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Ari more, but I couldn’t walk away if this baby was mine though. Damn it, I wish Gunner was here.

I pulled out of the parking lot and headed back to the house. Maybe packing up would help keep my mind off of shit for a while before I head over to Ari’s place. My biggest fear was that she wasn’t going to move out to the ranch with me. My life might as well be over if Ari wasn’t in it.

***

After three hours of packing, I called Ari.

“Hey,” she answered.

“Hey, baby. Are you home?”

“Yep, I’m here and just sitting in a hot bath right now.”

Jesus, this girl can make me hard with just the sound of her breathing.

“Can I come join you?” I asked, smiling.

“How fast can you get here, cowboy?” Ari said with a laugh.

“I’m on my way now. Wait for me?”

“Okay. Be careful driving. Jeff?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“I love you.”

My heart just about dropped to my stomach. I love this girl so damn much.

“I love you, too, baby. Be there in a few minutes.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

ARI

I placed my cell phone on the bathroom floor and just sat frozen in the bathtub. I could hear the hurt in Jeff’s voice. I hated Rebecca with every ounce of my being. Why is this happening to us?

After we’d left the restaurant, Amanda and I had tried some shopping therapy. The whole time we had walked around Emeralds, I couldn’t get it out of my head how big Rebecca was. Even with her sitting down, I could tell she had to be further along than seven months. I was going to get to the bottom of this, but if this was going to work, I needed my girls to help me.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, maybe I am losing my damn mind. Am I really going to go through with this? Yep, I really am. I closed my eyes, trying to picture what it would’ve been like if this whole Rebecca thing had never happened this weekend.

I wasn’t sure how long I’s sat there with my eyes closed. I heard the front door open, and I could hear Jeff walking to my bathroom. My heart started to beat like crazy. Just the idea of being with him had me almost panting with excitement. The sounds of his footsteps stopped.

I slowly opened my eyes to see him standing in the doorway. His eyes immediately captured mine. As I looked down his entire body, I lost my breath from just the sight of him.

“Hey, Baby,” he said huskily.

All I could do was smile. He walked over and kneeled down by the tub. He brushed the back of his hand down the side of my face. My breathing was louder and faster now, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to forget everything. He was here. He was here with me, and that was all that mattered.

“Jeff.”

“Shh, let me love you, Ari.”

Oh my god. I wanted nothing more than for him to do just that. He stared into my eyes like he wanted to tell me something so desperately. He almost looked…lost. What if he wants this baby to be his? What if- no I have to stop asking what-ifs and start talking to him about this.

“Jeff, maybe we should talk first.” Shit, I can’t believe I just said that.

“I don’t want to talk, Ari, I want to make love to the only girl I’ve ever loved, and will ever love.”

“Jeff…I.”

The next thing I knew, he was sliding his hand behind my neck as he brought my lips to his. He kissed me with so much passion that I swore I was going to explode. He pulled away, reaching over to pull the towel off the rack. He got up and held the towel open for me. As I slowly stood and stepped out of the bathtub, I heard him suck in a breath of air.

I smiled at him. “You’re not getting tired of me yet, I see.”