by Amy Brent
I turned my attention out the window and watched the white fluffy clouds passing by. I thought about Emma and wondered what her life was like in Camden. I wondered if she lived by herself or with her friends. I wondered if she had found someone new when she got back, or if she would be single and available. Most of all, I wondered if she was going to be interested in sitting down and talking to me about everything that had happened since she left. I wanted to know what she thought, why she left, and if she had thought about me the way that I had been thinking about her. I had a million questions floating around in my mind, and I had to force myself to calm down a bit. I was finally going to get to see her again and get the answers that I needed.
Everything she told me might not be what I really wanted to hear, but it was important that I heard it anyway. If she had no interest in being with me, it would at least give me closure. I would be able to go back to New York and give up on the search, get my life back on track. If she was interested, then that was a whole other story. It would be a fairy tale story, one that I didn’t know if I would ever get, but I was making the leap anyway.
The flight, even though it was only an hour, seemed like it took forever. When we landed in Bangor, I didn’t waste any time. I went straight to the rental car place and got a vehicle. I made sure the car had GPS and then gassed up and headed out to Camden. Maine was more beautiful than I could have imagined, and the drive gave me some time to think. When I reached the Camden town limit sign, I smiled, realizing it was as small of a place as I’d thought it would be. I drove along slowly looking for a hotel and pulled into a small bed and breakfast that was right on the edge of the main part of town.
“Hi,” I said, smiling at the innkeeper, a little old lady.
“Well, hello there,” she said. “What can I do for you today?”
“I wanted to rent a room from you,” I said. “I’m not sure for how long, so let’s start with a week.”
“All right,” she said. “Oh, you are a long way from home.”
“Yeah,” I laughed, looking at my license in her hand. “I’m from New York City.”
“Well, welcome to Camden.” she smiled. “Breakfast is at eight, but if you miss it, I leave out muffins and such until ten. Dinner is served at seven, and there are also several restaurants in town if you’re interested. You’re in the Blue Room at the top of the stairs, first door on the left. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thank you.”
I went upstairs and smiled as I walked into the quaint room with a big bed in the center. The whole thing was painted a deep shade of blue, and the deep mahogany furniture sparkled in the sun coming through the window. I unpacked my things and stood there trying to decide what to do next. I didn’t really have a plan. I looked at the map on the desk and then grabbed the card, figuring I would drive around trying to find the graphics company to start with. I could figure the rest out from there. I grabbed my coat and headed out the door, a feeling of excitement in my chest. As I rounded the corner, I stopped, deciding that maybe the innkeeper could make my search a little less stressful.
“Excuse me,” I said with a smile, handing her the card. “I was wondering if you could tell where to find this business.”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “That’s Greg’s place. He’s the owner. They moved locations not long ago, so this address is wrong. You’ll find the shop on the opposite end of town. Just go out here to Main Street and turn right, follow it all the way until you have to turn, and it’s on your right. You’ll go through town, so drive slow. There’s a lot of foot traffic this time of year.”
“I will,” I said, taking the card from her. “Thank you.”
I jumped in my car and pulled out onto the road, heading toward town. At first, there was nothing but small neighborhoods and little old houses lining the road. As I came into the clearing, I recognized the town from the pictures. All the buildings on each block were connected, covered in pastel yellows, blues, and greens. All the signs looked as if they were hand carved and you could tell the traffic lights had only been there for a few years. There were a ton of people walking along the sidewalks, talking, shopping, and running errands. It was the complete and total opposite of what I was used to, but I had to admit, it was postcard beautiful.
I drove up to the center of the city and stopped at a red light. The crossing guard smiled as she waved a group of kids across the crosswalk. To the left and ahead was a large park with new playground equipment and people out in the grass taking in the sunshine. In front of me was more rows of shops leading up to the end of Main Street that the innkeeper had told me about. I smiled and relaxed, feeling at ease in the little town. I looked over at the small café with a carved cup of coffee as its sign. It was adorable, and there were a bunch of people inside the shop. I smiled contently as the door to the shop opened and a beautiful woman walked out onto the sidewalk. My mouth fell open, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was Emma, standing right there in front of me.
She stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked up at the sky, closing her eyes and smiling as the light cascaded down her body. She was wearing a light blue sundress and carrying a coffee in her hand. Her cheeks sparkled brightly in the light, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. As I looked over her, my eyes fell on a small bump sticking out from her stomach. She was pregnant, and it looked like she was about three months along, which would have put her conception around the time she’d met me. I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but that was most likely my baby in her belly.
A horn honked behind me, breaking my stare, and I drove forward seeing the light had turned green. I put on my turn signal and turned into the park, honking my horn and looking back, trying to get her attention. I parked the car in the parking lot and got out in a hurry, looking up and down the street.
“Dammit,” I whispered to myself.
I had missed her. She had already driven off. I had no idea where she went, but I knew that I was in the right place. This girl had just gone from important to vital, and that baby belly was burned into my mind. I was going to find her and make all of this right.
Chapter 18
Emma
It was Thursday, and I was taking my lunch early, wanting to meet up with the girls for lunch. I was feeling a lot better physically, and mentally, I was starting to come around. It had been a long couple of weeks with the pregnancy and the fact that Greg and I had moved the entire office across town to the edge of Main Street. He wouldn’t let me lift more than a computer keyboard, so it took us awhile. I had put a lot of thought into finding Brandt and knew it was the right thing to do. I was excited to tell the girls about the plan I had come up. I really wanted to let him know about the baby and finally put things to rest. I knew it would be stressful, but I knew it was important. When it was all said and done, I could go on with my life and start planning for that baby to arrive. The thought of it was starting to be less scary and more exciting every day.
As I walked along, I shivered, the cool breeze hitting me on the back of the neck. I untied my light jacket from my waist and pulled it over my shoulders. I knew it wasn’t cold outside, but my hormones were out of whack, and I never felt like I could get warm. I put my hands in my pocket, feeling a small piece of paper inside. I had completely forgotten that Greg had taken a message for me the day before. I had left about an hour early from work after getting my office set up, and I guess I’d missed the person. Apparently, some guy had come by my office when I was out and had been looking for me. It was strange to me because if it were a client or work-related, he would have talked to Greg, but he only wanted to speak to me. I didn’t have anyone I could think of who would be visiting me at work, and there was no reason to have some bill collector or otherwise coming by. I really had no idea who it could have been, and that was what I told Greg.
The note just said he would be back to find me and left his name and number. Unfortunately, before I returned to work, clumsy Greg spilled a cup of coffee on my messages, and
the name and number were completely unreadable. I tried looking at it from all directions, but it was no use. Greg said he was driving a rental and didn’t look familiar, so he didn’t think he was from around the area, which was even odder because the only people I knew out of the area were family, and they would have gone to see my mother and father. I really thought it was strange, but I figured if he really needed me that badly, he would come back or find my phone number. I had much bigger things to worry about, like the child I was growing inside of my belly and the master plan I had cooked up to find Brandt so that I could at least let him know he was going to be a father again. Those, to me, were more important than a mystery person looking for me. At least, I felt that way. I’m not sure if the mystery guy would have.
I rounded the corner, feeling the warm sun on my face as I walked gingerly along to the café we always met at. I knew the girls would already be there, especially since I’d told Caroline I had something important to talk to them about. I rarely had anything important to talk about, and this would be a treat for them. Plus, I was pretty sure they would be all about helping me achieve it. As I passed the glass front of the store and reached for the door, I stopped, hearing a familiar deep voice calling out my name. I looked through the glass at the girls who were staring at me curiously and then looking behind me, their mouths dropping open. I stood up quickly and slowly turned around, unable to make even a sound. I couldn’t believe who I was looking at, and it took me a few minutes to register everything happening in that short amount of time. It was Brandt, standing right there on the streets of Camden, smiling at me and breathing heavily. He stepped forward with his hand out and then pulled back, seeing my face.
I didn’t know what to say. My mind was spinning a million miles an hour. I stepped to the side to let some other people walk into the café but still didn’t speak. I was angry, excited, worried, and happy all at the same damn time. I was also kind of bummed that my master plan wouldn’t be seen through to the end. Brandt had come to me, and I no longer had to search him out. I shook my head and blinked, the irritation in me growing.
“I have been searching for you,” he said. “Ever since you ran out of the apartment.”
I nodded my head but still didn’t say a word, mostly because we were standing on the street in the middle of town. The last thing I needed was that gossip train taking off, and people knowing I was standing with the married guy who’d knocked me up. I glanced down at his hand, and there was no ring, but that really didn’t make any difference. He opened his mouth, and then shut it again, looking over at the girls who were watching from inside with their mouths hanging wide open. I kept my eyes glued on him though.
“I think maybe it would be better if we talked in private,” he said, looking down at my belly. “I’m staying at the Camden Bed and Breakfast. Would you come back to my room and sit down and talk with me?”
I didn’t know what to say. Obviously, I wanted to talk to him or hit him or something equally as rash, but I also couldn’t move from the spot I was standing in. He obviously knew I was pregnant and probably had some idea that it was his, so we really did need to talk. I swallowed hard and mustered up my courage, nodding my head yes.
“All right,” I said, glancing over at the girls.
“That’s my rental car. I can drive us there.” He pointed at the blue sedan in front of us.
“Okay,” I said, unable to find any more words than that.
I looked over at the girls, and they both blew me kisses and motioned to me to call them afterward. I nodded, still expressionless, and followed him to the car where he opened the door and helped me in. As we drove, the pictures of his happy family flashed through my mind, and I got angrier and angrier. I held it in, though, and sat there for the car ride, clutching my hands. I held it in as we walked through the inn, and I held it in as we walked up the stairs and into his room. However, as he closed his door, I exploded on him, unable to hold back any longer.
“How dare you?” I said angrily. “How dare you pick me up at a bar when you had a wife and a child waiting for you at home? How dare you put them through that? I am not that kind of girl. I am not a homewrecker. Had I known you were married, I wouldn’t have even talked to you. What kind of man are you? You just leave your wife on Valentine’s Day and go to a party where you pick up a girl and fuck her in your bed? God, was that her bed too? I feel like such an idiot for thinking we had any kind of connection. I feel like you played me, and now look where I am. I’m alone, pregnant, and I have to explain to you and your family where this child magically came from.”
I was livid, spouting off every evil thing he had done and exactly how it affected me and his family. He sat there patiently, a look of sadness on his face as I proceeded. I didn’t feel bad for him at all, nor was I going to fall for some adorable puppy-dog face. I was not going to be the woman in another state that he had some secret family with. It was absurd. I didn’t even understand what the hell he was doing there in the first place. When I was done, I sat down in the chair and waited for him to respond.
“I can see how you might have come to that conclusion,” he said. “It explains a lot actually. I have been divorced for over a year, separated for two. Josie is the woman in those pictures with my daughter Sicily, but she got up one day two years ago and left, running off with her rich boyfriend, and we hadn’t heard anything from her until last month. Even with that, Sicily doesn’t want anything to do with her. I have full custody, and I left those pictures up in case my daughter wanted some kind of reminder of where she came from. Emma, I have been looking for you day and night since you left. I have tried everything in my power to get you out of my mind, but you aren’t going anywhere.”
“Really? You’re divorced? You’re telling the truth?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “The honest to God truth. You can check up on all of it. I’ll take you to the courthouse in New York and get you a copy of the divorce decree if you like.”
I stood there staring at him, my heart beating so fast. I was starting to melt from the sweetness of his explanation. I felt completely ridiculous about spending so much time angry and hating his guts all along. If I had just asked him in the first place, I would have never gone through any of the stress. He wouldn’t have gone through any of the stress he was obviously going through trying to find me. I shook my head and stood there with tears running down my cheeks.
“Don’t cry,” he said. “Please. I’m sorry you’ve been going through this all alone. I feel so terrible about that.”
“It’s my fault,” I said. “I should have talked to you about everything instead of just running away from you.”
“The important thing is,” he said, walking forward and running his hands down my shoulders, “we’re together now. We’ve found each other, and we can start fresh.”
“Really? You aren’t angry at me for being stupid or pregnant?”
“You aren’t stupid. You might have jumped to conclusions a bit.” He laughed. “And how could I be angry at you for being pregnant?”
I looked up into his eyes and sniffled as he brought his hand up and wiped away my tear. My knees buckled slightly, and he pulled me into him, our noses coming tip to tip. I held the breath in my chest and watched as he closed his eyes and leaned forward, touching his lips against mine. I whimpered, pulling my hands up around his neck and holding him tightly, never thinking I would feel that ever again. Our kiss started as sweet and gentle, but as my body pressed against him, I could feel the lust begin to seep out. We had both been sitting back, wanting each other, needing each other, but unable to find one another. Now that we were together, there was nothing standing in the way, and I gave myself up to his arms, wanting nothing less than all of him.
Chapter 19
Brandt
I was nervous as hell, and my hands were shaking as we kissed, afraid that if I touched her anymore she would just disappear. It was like a dream having her back in front of me, and she was just as feisty
and sassy as before, only now she was showing her vulnerability. I could tell she was scared, that she had been holding everything together with fraying rope.
I ran my hands down to her thighs and inched her dress up as she pulled back and raised her hands over her head. She stared into my eyes as I lifted her dress and pulled it off her body. She was even more beautiful than I remembered. As I ran my hands down her breasts and gently over her belly, she pulled my shirt off and unbuckled my pants, dropping them to the floor. She closed her eyes as she reached her warm hands up and slid them across my skin, pulling a gasp from my chest. She was really there, standing in front of me, her body perfect, especially with that growing child inside of her. I could barely contain myself, all the pent-up anxiety and fearful thoughts culminating in a passionate embrace inside of my hotel room. Nothing mattered to me but her in that moment.
I reached down and grabbed her under the arms, lifting her up and carrying her toward the bed. Carefully, I laid her down on the blue down comforter and crawled toward her, pulling her red satin panties from her body and tossing them to the side. I lay down between her legs and turned my head to her thigh, kissing her one step at a time until my face was only inches from her perfect pink pussy. I turned my head toward it and spread her folds apart with my fingers, seeing how wet she already was. I rolled my tongue up through her juices and over her clit, feeling her body writhing in my hands. I reached up and put my palms under her back as I dipped my lips through her mound, tasting her and a hint of sweet vanilla. I groaned at the sounds of her pleasure, my cock growing hard as a rock inside of my boxers. Her leg ran up my side and over my back, pulling me closer.