I pulled back and looked at him with a shocked look. “My own backyard? What the hell is wrong with you, Dewey?” I asked.

Aaron let out a laugh. I looked up to see Drake just staring at Jessie. I couldn’t really read his expression, and I was sure Jessie couldn’t either.

“Daddy…please say something,” Jessie said.

Drake turned and started to walk away, and Jessie’s body just slumped.

“Daddy…” Jessie whispered.

She glanced back at me, and the look in her eyes about killed me. She slowly walked into my arms, and I looked up at Drake. He was standing at the end of the porch, looking out.

In that moment, I vowed that this girl in my arms would never have that look in her eyes again.

Ever.

The moment my father turned and walked away from me, it all hit me—the hurt I caused him, my brothers, and especially Scott.

I let everyone down. I hurt the only people I truly love.

Scott pulled back and looked into my eyes. The love that was pouring out of him took my breath away.

“I love you,” he whispered.

My heart dropped to my stomach. After everything that I had told him about Trey, he was still standing here, making me feel so loved and so cherished.

I tried my best to smile at him, but when he put his hand on my stomach, I felt the tears building.

“Go talk to him, baby.”

I nodded and turned to see my brothers both looking at me.

“It’s okay, Tiny. He’s just probably in shock, and he was really pissed-off at you,” Dewey said with a sweet smile on his face.

I let out a small laugh and started to walk over toward my father. I stopped right behind him. I looked down at my shaking hands and closed my eyes.

“Daddy,” I said as my voice cracked.

He turned around and looked at me. He had tears in eyes, and I sucked in a breath of air.

Am I that much of a disappointment to him?

“I…I’m so sorry if I’m a disappointment to you.” I began to cry.

He looked at me with a shocked expression on his face. “What? Why would you ever think you were a disappointment to me?”

“You just seem…well, you walked away from me, and…”

He reached out, grabbed me, and pulled me to him. “Oh, baby girl, you could never be a disappointment to me. Ever. I’m really upset with you for running away like you did. You about killed me, Jessica. Don’t you ever do that to me again. You’re my girl…my baby girl.”

I slowly nodded my head. “Oh, Daddy, I promise I won’t, and if I could take it all back…”

He pulled back and smiled as he wiped away the tears from my eyes. “I’m gonna be a grandfather, huh?”

I smiled. “Yes.”

“When did you find out?”

I took a deep breath as I thought back to that night. The idea of crawling onto Trey’s lap and sleeping somehow made me feel sick to my stomach. I should have been with Scott…not another man.

“Christmas Eve.”

My father looked up and over at Scott. I turned and saw him smiling at something Aaron was saying to him. When I turned back to my father, he seemed conflicted.

“Daddy, are you not happy about the baby?”

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m very happy. It’s just…I don’t know how to ask you this…”

I looked at him, confused. “Ask me, what?”

He quickly looked at Scott and then back at me. “Is the baby, um…is the baby Scott’s?”

I sucked in a breath of air. Oh my god. Does everyone think I was with another man?

You were with another man.

I quickly shook my head to erase the thoughts running through my head.

“Yes! Of course it is.”

“I’m sorry. It’s just that your one postcard made it sound like…well, it sounded like you were with someone.”

I put my hand up to my mouth and started crying. Daddy pulled me to him and kept telling me it was okay.

“Oh god…I almost made the biggest mistake of my life, Dad. I can’t…” I started sobbing again.

He put his arm around me as we walked around the porch and started down the steps. Once we got far enough away from Scott, Aaron, and Dewey, all he had to do was look at me.

“What happened?”

I just let it all out. “I met this guy. Nothing happened, but we did…we…oh god.”

I wanted to scream every time I thought about what had happened between Trey and me.

“Stop with the guilt, Jessie. You thought something happened with Scott and Chelsea. You were hurting.”

I started shaking my head as I dropped it back and looked up. “I know, Dad…I know. But if I hadn’t run away, if I had just stayed and confronted my fear, I would have seen within five seconds that it wasn’t Scott. I think a part of me knew it wasn’t him, but I’ve always had this fear that he was going to leave me like he did the first time.”

My dad snapped his head at Scott and then over to me. “First time?”

“No, nothing like that. In high school, he kissed me, and…oh god, Dad, that was so long ago. It doesn’t matter.” I started walking back and forth. “I think the thing that kills me the most is that I was carrying Scott’s child when I let another man touch me. It almost makes my skin crawl, but at the same time, I feel something for Trey.”

“Wait—what do you mean you feel something for Trey? Jessie…you’re not in love with him, are you?”

I shook my head. “No! I mean, I care about him. He was a great friend, and we really grew close during those five weeks. I honestly don’t think I could have made it through that time without him.”

“Would you have come home sooner if you hadn’t met him?” my father asked.

I stopped walking. It hit me like a ton of bricks. My god…did I stay away out of fear? Or did I stay away because I was enjoying my time with Trey?

“I…I don’t know. Maybe.”

My dad tilted his head and gave me a look. “Maybe?”

My heart started pounding, and I felt like it was all happening again. “I think so. I was only going to stay for two weeks.”

“And it’s over a month later,” my father said as he walked up to me. “Scott loves you, and I’ve never seen a man so destroyed as he was when you were gone.”

I felt the tears falling again. This crying thing was starting to be a pain in the ass.

“Jessie…you need to make sure you don’t have any feelings for this Trey guy. You need to make sure you are one hundred percent with Scott and not just because you are pregnant.”

All the air left my body. “Daddy…I love Scott more than anything. I only love him, and I’ll only ever love him. I called him before I knew I was pregnant, and…” I stopped talking. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I put my hands on my chest. It felt like someone was sitting on it. “Do you think Scott thinks I picked him over Trey because I’m pregnant? Oh my god…Dad, if you thought that…”

“Now, Jessie, settle down. Take a deep breath, baby girl. It’s not good to be this upset when you’re pregnant. I’m sure Scott knows how much you love him, and no, I don’t think he thinks that.”

I took a few deep breaths to try to calm myself down. Then, I heard his voice.

“Jessie?”

I closed my eyes and felt the warmth take over my body just from the sound of his voice. I opened my eyes and looked into my dad’s eyes. My dad must have noticed how I’d calmed down almost instantly.

“Daddy, if y’all don’t mind, I really would like to spend some time with Scott.”

My father laughed and took a step around me. He walked up to Scott, and as I turned around, I saw him shake Scott’s hand.

“Congratulations, son. I’m very happy for you and Jessie. I still can’t believe it—a grandchild.”

The smile that spread across Scott’s face caused me to smile. He was so happy about this baby, and it just made my heart swell even more.

“Aaron and Dewey had to leave, but they said to let you know they’ll see you later, Jessie,” Scott said.