by Reus, Katie
Well, wasn’t this news interesting. It didn’t change anything for him. If anything, her being pregnant was even better.
She’d taken his family from him. Now he would take hers.
Chapter 23
Autumn knocked on Lincoln’s door, glad he’d asked her over tonight. She’d texted him earlier when she’d seen him arrive home at five to ask if he’d wanted company. They were having a kid together and she knew that she needed to reach out more—and she was embarrassed about the way she’d acted earlier that morning. She didn’t think he was upset with her, but she still wanted to make sure things were good with them. She didn’t care what anyone else in town thought or if the gossip mill had started, she just cared what Lincoln thought.
So she’d ordered takeout from his favorite Italian place.
He opened the door a few moments later, smelling like Irish Spring soap and something that was all him. Even though she’d just seen him only hours ago, her heart rate kicked up nonetheless as she drank him in. In dark jeans, a gray T-shirt and bare feet, he looked…hell, sexy. He always did, no matter what.
“Come on in,” he said, eyeing the big brown bag she held. “Please tell me you brought enough to share.”
She let out a startled laugh as he shut the door behind her. “No, I’m just going to eat all this deliciousness in front of you without sharing.”
He plucked the bag out of her hand and headed to the kitchen. “You must have read my mind because I was going to order takeout from Taste of Rome too.”
“I’m glad you’re hungry because I’m starving. I forgot to eat for lunch and my stomach is definitely starting to feel it.”
“No sickness yet?” he asked as he started pulling down plates.
“No, thankfully,” she said. “Hopefully it won’t happen.” It was weird, she constantly felt as if she was on the edge of getting sick, an underlying nausea that went away once she ate, for the most part.
“My mom didn’t have it with me. Something she likes to remind my brothers of.” He pulled out silverware and glasses, set them on the center island.
A pang of yearning slid through her. The thought of spending all her evenings like this, with him? Yeah, she liked the sound of that. “So… I got a call from my handler. There was something wrong with the DNA test. Looks like it got corrupted.”
He paused to look at her. “Corrupted?”
“Yeah. Well, the DNA for both of the prisoners was correct—ish, I guess. Some of the samples gave a weird reading or…something. I don’t really understand the science of it. But Coventry’s DNA was found at the crash so it looks like a botched escape attempt.” That made her feel a whole lot better. Especially since Erica seemed to think that Rand was collateral damage. She didn’t want to talk about it, but she had wanted to share the news with Lincoln. “My handler said she’d let me know once they get the new results back. So, can I help with anything?”
“Nope, just sit. I’ve got this.”
Since her feet hurt, she wasn’t going to push. She took a seat at the center island. His kitchen was pristine, clearly having been renovated in the last few years, and was very aesthetically pleasing. Dark gray shaker cabinets, light gray and white granite center island with a waterfall effect, heavy exposed beams on the ceiling and three glass pendant lights hanging above the island. Everything about the room was soothing to the artist side of her.
“What would it take for you to give us a real chance?”
His blunt question took her off guard. She shifted in her seat as she tried to formulate a response.
He continued, watching her closely. “Do you want me to quit my job?”
“What? No! I would never ask you to give up your career. I lost part of mine, so I know how hard that is.”
He continued getting them drinks so she pulled out the food from the bag, desperate to have something to do with her hands. She set the containers on trivets in the middle of the island top so they could serve themselves.
“You lost your career?” he asked quietly.
She liked that she could be honest with him now. “For the most part, yes. They didn’t even want me doing anything art adjacent in my life, but I made it clear that wasn’t happening. It would have been like giving up a part of my soul, and honestly, it wouldn’t have been worth it to go into the program. It would have slowly killed me anyway. But yes, I was huge into photography. I’d started building my portfolio, had a well-known mentor working with me to get my first real show off the ground. I still love photography, but I don’t sell my work or have a website or anything like that.” She didn’t have any social media.
He set a glass of ice water in front of her. “I’ve got sweet tea or hot tea if you want?”
“This is perfect.” He seemed to know her well. Even before the pregnancy, she’d pretty much only drank water throughout the day. As a teacher, she liked to stay hydrated.
“Tell me more about your life before,” he said quietly, though it came out as a question.
“Before…everything, I had just graduated college with full honors. My whole neighborhood was proud of me. My mom… She would’ve been proud too, if she’d been alive.” She cleared her throat and speared the spaghetti noodles that came with her eggplant parmesan, twisting them onto her fork. “I was working for this man named Hector. He was my mentor, but also like a father figure to me. Leaving him was one of the hardest things I had to do as well. It was like leaving family even if we aren’t blood. He’s a fairly well-known artist, at least in the art world. You probably wouldn’t know his name but you might recognize some of his pictures.”
His specialty was capturing real-life moments and they were always so full of color. One of her favorites of his was one he’d taken at a local festival. A bunch of young kids had been releasing brightly colored balloons into the air, and he’d captured the absolute joy on their faces. It had been reprinted, and she knew he made nice passive royalties on them—she had one herself.
“I’d like to see them. I’d like to see your work too. Any of it that you feel comfortable showing me, of course.”
She could hear the sincerity in Lincoln’s voice and something inside her shifted again, knowing that he actually cared about who she was. And being able to tell him about all parts of her life was so freeing. Another pang punched through her. She wished…for too much.
She cleared her throat. “Anyway, when I entered the program, they had very strict rules about how I couldn’t get a job that links me to my old life, how I definitely couldn’t continue my photography career. I have to keep a very low profile online, absolutely no social media, just common sense stuff. But teaching art was a compromise of sorts.” She shook her head slightly as she remembered the arguments she’d gotten into with Erica about it. “They definitely weren’t happy about it but they had to live with it. I knew the risk and accepted it. It was either that or I didn’t enter the program.” It was the only thing she hadn’t been willing to compromise on.
He nodded, listening intently, but she wanted to know more about him.
“I want to know more about you, but first, how’s your stab wound?”
His mouth kicked up. “It’s not a stab wound, and I’m fine. It itches a little, that’s it.”
“Okay,” she murmured. “So how did you get into law enforcement?”
“You know all about Serenity, obviously,” he started.
She nodded because everyone in town knew what had happened with her. “Yeah. She’s so tough and brave.” Like this fierce tornado.
“From what it sounds like, so are you.”
Autumn’s mouth curved up into a smile as she cut off a piece of the eggplant Parmesan. “I wasn’t digging for compliments, promise.”
“I know. Anyway, we were pretty tight in college, and then her sister died—was murdered—and everything I thought I knew about the world changed in an instant. I knew I wanted to help people. So I got my degree, joined the Marines as an officer, then when I got out, I moved bac
k home. From there I was still trying to decide if I wanted to go into construction with Lucas or move somewhere else to start in law enforcement. My mother had the bright idea that I should run for sheriff. I thought she was crazy, but I was the youngest sheriff elected.” A smile played at his lips, as if he was trying not to brag.
“I heard what a jackass the sheriff before you was. I’ve seen the way you’ve built a relationship with the community and it’s impressive. It’s not like that everywhere,” she added. “Not where I lived in California, and not in the few places I’ve lived since then.”
“I make a choice every day to be able to look myself in the mirror at night. And I care about this town and the people in it. My family has lived here for four generations.”
“You have a good family. You’re lucky,” she added, unable to keep the wistfulness out of her voice. She’d met his brothers and mom and they were all wonderful.
“They’ll be your family too, soon.”
She paused, digesting his words even as she dismissed them. She knew that he’d just been making an offhand comment about her being family now too, but they weren’t. They would be family to the child they had together, but she was just a woman he’d gotten pregnant. A friend.
“Speaking of… How would you feel about having dinner at my parents’ ranch tomorrow night? I’m going to be there for our Sunday dinner, and it might make it easier to get things over with and meet them all officially now. My mom heard something about you being pregnant and… I couldn’t lie to her.”
Oh, wow. She’d gotten calls from a few friends—including Adeline and Serenity—and confirmed her pregnancy. She just hadn’t thought about his parents finding out for some reason. So, that was definitely out there. “Will Serenity be there?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll go. I mean, I would’ve gone anyway, but it will be nice to have a friendly face there.”
“Hey, I’m a friendly face too.” His mouth curved up as he took a bite of his pasta.
She laughed lightly and dug into her food. Things with him were so easy, and it was soooo easy for her to imagine what it would be like to have a real relationship—one that was more than friendship. But what happened if things went haywire? What if he went out on a call and didn’t come back? She knew she was getting all up in her head but it was impossible not to worry. Because he had a huge extended family and he was the sheriff of the town. What if something happened between them and they split up… There were so many ways that things could go wrong.
“You look like you’re lost in thought,” he said before taking a sip of his own water.
“I’m sorry. Letting my mind wander.” She was actively looking for reasons to keep the wall between them in place.
He watched her cautiously, but didn’t push. Instead, he said, “I have something important to ask you.”
Her stomach muscles tightened. “Okay.”
“What’s your favorite ice cream?”
She blinked before letting out another laugh—something she seemed to do a lot around him. Laugh. Be free. Damn him, he was so far under her skin it wasn’t funny. “Mississippi Mud for sure. It’s got everything a girl needs.”
“I’ll make sure to get some stocked.”
Oh hell, the man was perfect.
Chapter 24
“You look beautiful,” Lincoln said as they strode up to the front door of his parents’ house.
“I still think I should have worn a sweater or something.” Autumn had opted for a casual yellow and blue summer dress but all of her tattoos were on display and now she was questioning her choice of outfit.
He shot her a confused look. “Why?” Then his gaze swept over her and the hunger lingering there was so evident she felt it like a caress. She wondered if he was even aware of the way he looked at her, always with a hint of desire.
“Because of my tattoos.”
He blinked in surprise. “It’s not 1952 and my parents don’t care.”
She snickered softly. “Well a lot of people do care.” Not anyone who mattered, but still. “You wouldn’t believe some of the comments I’ve gotten while out just minding my own business, like grocery shopping.”
“Here in Verona Bay?”
“No, though I have gotten a few scandalized looks from some nice church ladies,” she said, rolling her eyes. She liked that Lincoln not only didn’t care about her tattoos, but seemed to like them. When they’d spent that night together, he’d kissed every one of them, taking his time.
He started to respond, when the front door opened and Louise Jordan tugged both of them inside. She gave her son a tight hug and, as she stepped back, said, “I can’t believe you knocked on the door. You have a key.”
He shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “I just wanted to announce that we were here.”
She patted his cheek gently. “Is it because last time you walked in on me and your dad—”
“Mom!”
For the first time since she’d met him, Lincoln’s cheeks flushed red.
Autumn let out a startled burst of laughter. “Oh my God, you walked in on your parents?” She blurted it out before she could stop herself.
His mother shook her head. “We were fully clothed. But Lincoln can be such a prude sometimes.”
She couldn’t help it, she giggled, because the Lincoln she knew was definitely not a prude. Nope, he was creative with a slightly dirty mouth.
“Can we please stop having this conversation and move into the kitchen or somewhere other than out here on the doorstep?” he grumbled, looking adorable.
This was a side to him Autumn had never seen, and she liked it.
Louise took Autumn’s hand and pulled her into the house. “I’m so happy you’re here tonight. It’s very rare that I get all my kids in one place. Everyone is so busy, us included.”
“I’m glad to be here too.” From the outside the place looked huge, and inside…it was more gorgeous. Shiny dark oak floors, high ceilings, and horse- and ranch-themed art—she recognized a couple of the artists. “And thank you for inviting me.” She handed Louise a bottle of wine that Lincoln said his mom would definitely like.
“You didn’t have to do this, but thank you.”
As they entered the kitchen, Serenity slid off a barstool and immediately pulled her into a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here. Lucas just told me that Linc was bringing you. He’s actually about to take Harper out for a ride on one of the horses before dinner. Did you want to go?”
She couldn’t stop her horrified expression, which made Louise and Lincoln both laugh.
“You don’t like horses?” Lincoln’s voice held a thread of surprise.
“I think they’re beautiful, majestic animals. But I have no desire to ride one. I’ve tried twice and both times it was awkward and uncomfortable. I’m pretty sure they could sense my fear too.” She was perfectly happy watching others ride them. Or even painting or photographing them, but she was giving them a wide berth.
Louise nodded as Lincoln started pouring drinks for all of them. “They can definitely sense your emotions,” he said.
“Sweetheart, why don’t you head to the barn with the rest of the boys and Harper?” Louise said without looking over her shoulder at Lincoln. It sounded kind of like a question, but was very clearly an order.
He paused, and looked at the three of them. “Is that a polite way of kicking me out of the house?”
“Yes, and if you push it, I won’t be so polite.”
Autumn watched their interaction with amusement and a bit of longing. She’d loved her mom but had never been super close to her. Her mom had had a hole inside her that nothing could ever fill. She’d looked for peace in the arms of abusive men. The definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome, something her mom had perfected to an art. And it had broken Autumn’s heart. She was determined not to fall into the same traps as her mom had, to be a better role model.
From wha
t she knew of Louise, and from what she could see in the three boys that the woman had helped raise with her husband, the woman was incredible. And part of Autumn was sad that she would never truly be part of their family. She would be more like an adjacent member.
Not necessarily, that little voice in her head whispered. She shut it down, however.
To her surprise, Lincoln kissed the top of Autumn’s head. “I’ve got my phone on me if my mother drives you crazy,” he murmured before leaving.
Feeling way off kilter, she simply sat at the countertop with Serenity and wrapped her fingers around the glass Lincoln had set in front of her. His mom hadn’t said anything about the pregnancy so maybe she wouldn’t at all. Maybe it would be this thing that they just avoided completely tonight.
“You are so good for my boy,” Louise said as soon as the back door shut.
“Oh, we’re not… That is, we are friends.” Friends who were having a baby together.
Louise simply smiled at her and nodded. “Oh, I know. He told me the same thing. But I still think you guys are adorable together.”
She cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink, shooting a glance at Serenity, who was smiling into her own glass of wine. Autumn missed wine.
And coffee.
And sex with Lincoln.
“Is there anything I can do to help with dinner? Make the salad?” Whatever was in the oven smelled delicious.
“You sit right there with Serenity. I just have to put the salad together and it won’t take long. By the time I’m done they’ll probably all be back and acting like starving wolves, so enjoy this quiet.”
“It’s true. They act more like hyenas when food is around, and my daughter is the worst of them,” Serenity said on a laugh.
She watched as Louise pulled out lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a bunch of other fixings. It felt weird not to be helping out but the truth was, she was exhausted more often than not now. She used to run on caffeine and energy, but the little peanut was taking it out of her.