Falling for Trouble (12 page)

“Now,
I’m just measuring the baby, making sure the due date is accurate.” More
clicking and tapping from the doctor on the machine. “Here are the little arms
and legs.” She pointed out the areas. “This is the face and right in the center
is the heart.” Sophia focused on that small flicker and didn’t bother wiping
away her steadily flowing tears.

Her
baby didn’t look much like a baby at all. She could make out the arms and legs,
but she couldn’t see hands, feet, toes, or fingers. None of that mattered,
though, because it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. At that
moment everything that she had gone through, all the pain and heartache, didn’t
matter. The only thing that mattered was the child growing inside of her.

“Well,
looks like you are right on schedule. You’re still set to deliver in May.”

The
doctor printed off a few pictures for her and left her to dress. For several
long moments all she did was stare at those five little photos. She dressed
quickly and headed outside. It was already October and the chill in the air was
enough to take her breath away. She couldn’t help but look down at the pictures
again. Her grin widened at the sight of her little bean of a baby. Tucking the
pictures in her pocket, Sophia hustled to her car. She might be going to an
empty house, but after today she didn’t feel so lonely. Before she stepped off
the curb, she glanced up and everything around her stilled. Abe exited the
small bookstore on the corner of the street. His attention was on the bag he
carried, but as if there was an invisible string that pulled him to her, he
lifted his eyes and locked them on her. For a heartbeat all she could do was
stare at him. He looked good, although there was a distinct emptiness that she
caught a glimpse of before he hid it. She missed him horribly. His eyes went to
the building she had just exited, and she could see the realization on his face
right before a look of pain covered his features.

It
was clear things still weren’t right in his head, so before she did something
that would make her look like a fool, she hurried to her car. When he was ready
to talk, he knew where she would be. As she pulled away she looked in her
rearview mirror and saw him standing in the same spot as he watched her leave.

Chapter
Twelve

Abe
sat at the picnic table in the courtyard of Red’s. His half-eaten sandwich lay
in front of him, but his appetite was gone. All he could think about was early
that morning when he saw Sophia leaving her doctor’s office. A pain in his
chest and stomach the likes of which he had never felt whipped through him. She
had looked so beautiful. She wasn’t showing yet, but he knew in the next couple
of months she would.

 
It had been three weeks since he had spoken to
or seen her, and there was no one to blame but himself. He couldn’t count the
times he had picked up his phone, on the verge of calling her and saying how
sorry he was. In the end he had tossed his cell on the counter every time. He
wasn’t ready to face that yet, and he knew damn well he was being a dickless
coward. He grabbed the bag that held his purchase for the day. Looking at the
contents, he knew that he couldn’t stay away from Sophia. She was just too
important to him.

A
lot had changed in the past three weeks. She no longer worked at Tiny’s. He had
found that out when he had gone there two weeks after their fight. He had done
some investigating and found out she now worked at some dentist’s office
outside of town. He still wanted to make sure she was okay, and if he did that
from a distance until he got his emotions together, then it would have to do.

 
He would have spoken to her today, but he had
frozen and by the time he found his nerve, she was gone. What could he possibly
say that would make any of it right? Nothing, that’s what.

Over
the past three weeks he had done a lot of thinking. She claimed he was the
father, but he knew that couldn’t be right. He would have remembered sleeping
with Kid, that was for damn sure, and he wouldn’t have let her go. So that left
the only option of her saying he was the father because the real father, who he
assumed was Hunter, didn’t want anything to do with her or the baby. That
revelation left a nasty taste in his mouth, but he hadn’t been able to get a hold
of Hunter since he left right after Abe had seen Sophia and she revealed she
was pregnant. His employees told him he left the state for some kind of
business meeting, which Abe thought was pretty fucking convenient. Once Hunter
was back, he was going to have a few choice words with him, and most likely a
few punches. Leaving the woman carrying his child was inexcusable. Then again,
Abe wasn’t much better, was he? He’d left Sophia when she obviously needed him.

“Heard
you been looking for me?” Abe jerked his head up at the sound of Hunter’s voice.
Anger washed through him fast and strong, and he got out of his seat and was in
the man’s face in the next instant. Using the white-hot rage as his fuel, he
threw his fist out and felt immense satisfaction when he connected with
Hunter’s jaw.

“What
the
fuck
, Abe?” Hunter took a step
back, his hand rubbing his jaw. He turned his head and spit out a mouthful of
blood. “Are you fucking crazy?” He eyed Abe then muttered, “Never mind. Don’t
answer that, but you can answer why you took a shot at me?”

Abe
took a minute to get himself under control. He didn’t want to start an all-out
brawl with Hunter, especially at work and with Seth in the next building over.
Loosening his jaw he said, “If you think real good and hard, I’m sure the
reason will come to you.”

For
a solid minute Hunter rubbed his jaw and stared at Abe, and then he said, “This
have anything to do with Sophia and the fact she’s pregnant?”

Hunter
acted so nonchalant about it and it further pissed Abe off. He growled low in
his throat and Hunter’s eyes widened slightly. At least the fucker knew to be
afraid. The longer he stared at Hunter, the more pissed off he got. Between
gritted teeth he growled out, “You think it’s cool to leave a girl that you
knocked up?” He took a step forward and he had to give the man credit for not
retreating like a pussy.

“You
think it makes you a man to sleep with a woman that is good and kind and leave
her high and dry when shit doesn’t go your way?” He took another step toward
Hunter until they were toe-to-toe. “Sophia isn’t that kind of girl and doesn’t
deserve that shit. I thought you were a decent dude. Turns out I’ll have to
beat the asshole right outta ya.” Before he could land another solid hit,
Hunter held his hands up and took a step back.

“She
said she was going to tell you.”

Confusion
settled in for a moment before Abe said, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

Hunter
rubbed his jaw and spit out another mouthful of blood. “Man, I’m not the father
of Sophia’s kid. You are.”

Abe
had heard as much from her, but hearing it from Hunter had the world fading
away. His voice was cracked, strained when he repeated, “What the fuck are you
talking about?” How in the hell was that even possible?

Hunter
took a deep breath before he spoke again. “The night she broke it off with me
she told me she was pregnant, told me the whole story. She never told me who
the guy was, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out it was you. I knew how
she felt about you, could see it written all over her face every time she
looked at you. I’m just surprised your dumbass never saw it. She said she had
only slept with one guy and only once. Said he was drunk and didn’t remember
being with her the next morning.”

Hunter
standing in front of him faded away as Abe thought back to the night Kid brought
him home sloshed. The next morning she had already been in his kitchen, her
clothes mussed, her hair messy. The hurt look on her face and the funky way
she’d acted when he told her he didn’t remember what the hell had gone down the
night before made so much sense now.

Oh, God. What in the
hell have I done?

 
Images of his mystery woman flashed through
his head. He closed his eyes and stumbled back, feeling the picnic table hit
the back of his knees. His body fell backward, and he sat on the seat and buried
his head in his hands. She had asked him to trust her, and he had pushed her
away. How could he do that to his sweet girl?

Long,
tanned legs, creamy skin, tight breasts topped with dusky nipples, and a pussy
that tasted sweeter than anything he had ever had flashed through his mind. All
of the memories of that night slammed into his head and he grew dizzy. His
mystery woman wasn’t a mystery at all. He could see her face in his mind, her
glorious naked body beneath his as he thrust in and out of her. He had slept
with his best friend, with the only woman he had ever loved, and he didn’t even
remember doing it until right now.

“Why
didn’t she tell me?” He was talking to himself but Hunter decided to answer.

“She
said she was going to tell the father. I just assumed that was what you wanted
to talk to me about, seeing as I dated your girl and all. I thought you meant
to stake your claim or some shit.” There was a beat of silence. “I also wanted
to make sure you were taking care of her. You know she doesn’t work for me
anymore, and I haven’t talked to her in weeks.”

His girl.

What
had he done? Everything he said to her. Pushing her away, calling her a liar.
If he’d just given her a moment to tell him without pushing her aside, without
making her feel like crap, maybe things would be different right now.

“I
gotta go.” He grabbed the bag from his purchase earlier and headed toward his
truck. It was October and starting to get a bit chilly. He had garaged his bike
because of winter coming, but he wished he could ride it now because the cold
air across his face would do him some good in clearing his mind. He cranked the
engine and headed to Sophia’s house. He didn’t know if she was home or not, but
he didn’t know where else to go.

****

Sophia
had put away the last bag of groceries when there was a knock on her front
door. She looked through the peephole and held her breath when she saw Abe
standing on the other side. A part of her had prayed he wouldn’t come try to
talk to her after they saw each other earlier that day, but there was another
part that hoped he would. For a moment she contemplated not answering,
pretending she wasn’t home, but then she heard Abe’s voice through the door. It
was clear he was ready to talk and now she found herself paralyzed with fear over
the concept.

“I
know you’re home, Kid.” She looked out the peephole once more and saw his head
drop and his hand run through his hair. God, she loved when he did that.

Grabbing
the courage deep down inside of her, she opened the door and stood face-to-face
with Abe. Up close she could see bags under his eyes and scruff covering his
jaw. Even rough-looking he took her breath away.

“Hey,
Kid.” His voice was soft. “Can I come in?” The stillness between them was
awkward, but after a prolonged moment she finally stepped aside and let him in.
When the door was closed, they stood in the foyer for several awkward seconds
before she finally made her legs move. Going into the living room, she sat on
the couch and waited for him to follow. Sophia didn’t have to wait long. He
held a plastic bag in his hand and sat in the chair across from her.

“So…”
He got comfortable, or he tried to appear that way. Even she could see how
tense he was. He kept watching her, his eyes almost burning holes through her.
“You look good, Kid, really good.”

“Yeah,
well…” She really didn’t know what to say. She had never felt like this with
Abe, so uncomfortable and awkward.

“You’re
feeling okay, though? Not sick or anything? I mean I’ve heard that pregnancy
can cause morning sickness and all that.” Despite everything, Sophia couldn’t
help but smile. Hearing him talk about morning sickness sounded ridiculous.

“I
have my days.” She shifted in her seat. For a long time he didn’t do or say
anything. He stared at her and then he reached inside his bag and pulled out a
book, handing it to her. The hesitation in her was minimal, and when she took
the book and looked at the cover, she felt confusion wash through her.

“Why
do you have a
What to Expect When You’re
Expecting
book?” Her heart started pounding hard in her chest as he stood
and sat beside her.

“I
bought the book this morning before I knew.” He didn’t give her a chance to
question what he was talking about. “It took me three weeks to realize that I
was being a selfish bastard. I took that time to get cleaned up. I don’t drink
anymore, I haven’t been with any women, and I don’t get into fights.” She
smiled, elated that he was getting better. “I never told you this, but I had
these nightmares, ones where I could hear my parents screaming for help. The
alcohol made those dreams stay buried.” His eyes penetrated hers, as if he
could explain every little detail through his gaze. “It’s not an excuse, I know
that, but I wanted you to know why I did some of the things I did.”

Sophia
held her hands together tightly. Abe had never told her this part of him, but
she had known his parents’ deaths still haunted him. She knew he had
compensated with the booze and women.