Welcome to Bluestone 1 - Bluestone homecoming (23 page)

“Jesus, Trinity, if we’re going to have a
baby together, I can see your pee,” he said, his uneasiness making
his tone harsher than he intended.

She glowered and set the cup on the counter
where the nurse had indicated. Then the nurse led her to an exam
room and Leo stalked after her.

They were alone in the room, and her nerves
rattled against him. Couldn’t she see he was there for her, that
she wasn’t going to go through this alone this time?

“What are you afraid of?” he finally
demanded.

“What am I—?” Her voice squeaked as her
temper slipped its leash. “What am I not afraid of is the shorter
list.” She held out her hand and started counting on her fingers.
“I’m afraid of what my parents will say. I’m afraid of losing my
job. I’m afraid of starting over. I’m afraid I’ll never be able to
stop thinking about Rachel. I’m afraid you’ll pull a Charles and
disappear.” Her gaze snapped to his when she said the last thing,
and he got the feeling she feared depending on him more than any of
the things she’d listed.

He leaned forward in the plastic chair and
took her hand. “I’m here, Trinity. This is my child, too. I’m
scared too. What is Max going to think, for one.”

She gave a harsh laugh and lifted her hand to
her forehead. “Right. I forgot. That’s on my list, too. God, Leo,
what have we done?”

He rose and curved his hand around her cheek.
“We made love. We were careful, but we made a baby. We’ll figure
this out, Trin. Trust me.”

Even as he touched his lips to hers, he knew
that wasn’t as easily done as said.

“Now, now, that’s what got us here in the
first place.” The young woman doctor stepped into the room, chart
in one hand, the other extended. “I’m Dr. Christensen. You’re
Trinity and you’re?” She turned to Leo with a questioning look.

“I’m Leo Erickson, the father.”

She shook his hand, then consulted her chart.
“Definitely pregnant. I’d like to do an ultrasound to see if we can
get a heartbeat. Would you like that?”

Trinity hesitated, then nodded.

“Unplanned, I take it,” she said as she
encouraged Trinity to lie back, then knelt at the end of the table
and pulled a machine over.

Again, Trinity nodded.

“Well, there are options.”

“I’m keeping it.” No hesitation this
time.

Dr. Christensen nodded as she sheathed a
wand. “All right. Let’s take a look.”

Trinity winced as the doctor slipped the
device inside her, and Leo took her hand in his. She curled her
fingers around his, tighter than he expected, and followed the
doctor’s gaze to the monitor.

“There’s the heartbeat.” Dr. Christensen
pointed to a blip on the screen. “Nice and healthy.”

Leo and Trinity peered closer, and her hand
squeezed his. He brought her fingers to his lips.

“Time to celebrate.”

***

Dinner that night was the most relaxed he’d
seen her in weeks. She even laughed during the meal, and when he
said good-bye to her at her car before they drove back to
Bluestone, she let him kiss her good night.

Then he didn’t see her again until movie
night, where she was working with Lily. He hung out with Max, but
they hadn’t dressed up this time for Raiders of the Lost Ark. His
thoughts were too scattered and his heart wasn’t in it. He needed
to talk to Max about the baby, but the first thing he needed to
discuss was his future with Trinity.

As soon as he knew what that was.

They sat in their usual movie spot but Leo’s
attention wasn’t on the movie.

He waited until Indiana Jones had escaped the
cave and the poison darts and the snake on the plane before he
broached the subject. “So I’m thinking about buying a house here
and moving out of Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We’d still see them
all the time, but we’d have our own house and our own rules and,
well, it would be ours.”

Once Indiana Jones was back in the classroom,
Max tore his gaze away and turned to his dad, his brow furrowed.
“Just you and me?”

Leo took a deep breath, knowing how change
affected his son. “I’m—I was thinking about Trinity. And maybe
seeing if she’d, um, if she’d marry me.”

Max’s body went still, a rare enough thing
that Leo didn’t know what it meant. He hurried on.

“I haven’t asked her yet. I wanted to get
your take first. But I was thinking, if you like the idea, that I’d
ask her this weekend.” Leo watched his son’s face, thoughtful, but
not giving an indication one way or another. “She wouldn’t be
replacing your mom, but she’d be part of our family, in a new way.
I think it’d be nice.”

“Maybe.” The boy dragged out the word,
frowning. “She’s nice. Do you love her?”

From the mouths of babes. Leo realized then
they’d never said the words. He knew his feelings, but didn’t know
hers. “I do. I miss her when I’m not with her, and I like to make
her happy. That’s how I felt when I fell in love with your
mom.”

“And you’d still go away for work and I’d
stay with Trinity?”

“I might go away for a few days now and
again.” Now that he’d decided to buy the house by the school, he’d
decided against buying Quinn’s place. And with a baby coming,
running a bar would be too much work, leaving too much on Trinity,
allowing him to miss too much of his child’s life, as he had with
Max. “But it wouldn’t be often. Maybe every couple of months.” He’d
be home the rest of the time and write his book. He’d already
gotten an agent with his platform, and would have a submission
package ready by the end of June. Already he had ideas for two more
books. It would be a lot of work, but he’d be around for his
family.

“Where would we live?”

“You know that house I’m always driving by on
the way to school?”

“The reason we always go the long way? The
yellow house?”

Leo nodded, though yellow—it was a nice lemon
color, maybe more suitable for Miami than Minnesota, but pretty.
“Close to school for both of you.”

“I’d have my own room? I could decorate it
however I wanted?”

“Within reason,” Leo smiled.

“And it has a back yard? Could we maybe get a
pool?”

“Maybe. We’ll see what Trinity thinks.”

Max’s frown deepened, then he nodded. “I
guess you can marry her.”

Leo pulled his son close. “Thanks, buddy.
Now, one more favor. Don’t say anything to her about any of
this.”

“It’s a surprise?”

“It’s a surprise.”

***

Saturday night was the concert, and while Leo
was concerned about the reception Maddox’s replacement band would
be getting, that was nothing compared to his nerves about how he
was going to propose tonight. He hadn’t talked to Trinity at the
movies, scared Max would spill the beans, and he hadn’t been able
to talk to her today, since she was as busy as he was.

He saw her carrying a stack of chairs and ran
across the gravel lot to relieve her. “What are you doing, carrying
these?” he demanded.

She widened her eyes at him in warning. “I’m
perfectly fine.”

He glanced about and saw they’d attracted
attention and backed off. “Right, well, don’t want your back going
out. You’re dancing with me tonight.”

She gave him a look, but it was more the look
the old Trinity would give, the woman he’d driven three hours to
spend the weekend with, not the nervous woman she’d become since
they’d returned. He relaxed a little more. This was going to work
out.

The crowd was arriving from the chili
cook-off, which Leo was glad he didn’t attend, given the unsettled
feeling in his gut. Quinn chased him off after the parking lot was
transformed. The other man didn’t know about Leo’s plans tonight,
other than that Leo had changed his mind about buying the bar.
Quinn had no hard feelings, which made Leo wonder if Trinity was
right about his feelings for Bluestone, and more specifically,
Lily.

So Leo went home, showered, shaved and
dressed in his favorite shirt. If his mother noticed his extra
effort, she didn’t say anything. He and Max exchanged a solemn
handshake, and he went off to woo the mother of his baby.

Trinity smoothed her hands on her skirt as
she scanned the crowd gathered in front of Quinn’s. Everyone seemed
mostly happy despite the disappointment of not seeing Maddox
Bradley. Only about a quarter of the people who’d made reservations
kept them, according to Leo. She couldn’t imagine four times this
many people in Bluestone. They needed to be careful what they
wished for here, or they’d risk ruining their home. But the craft
show and chili cook-off had been a success. The craft show would
continue tomorrow, they’d have fireworks on the lake tomorrow
night, and the baseball game on Monday. She was tired thinking
about it. She’d considered going home for the evening, except that
Leo had promised they’d dance tonight, which was why she was
wearing her favorite dress, the sleeveless one she’d worn when
she’d played catcher for him the first time. But she didn’t see
him.

Lily crossed the lot, looking as tired as
Trinity felt. Perhaps they tried to do too much, be too much for
too many people. But business was booming, both for Lily and Quinn
and the diner and everyone else who catered to tourists. That was
what they’d worked for.

“You look fancy.” Lily twitched Trinity’s
skirt playfully while looking ruefully at her own jeans.

“Leo and I have a date.” She felt slightly
guilty for not telling Lily about the baby, but that information
would come out sooner or later. She felt a little thrill about
having a date with the father of her child. Her child. She needed
to get used to that idea, that this time she’d be there for
everything with this child.

And that Leo wanted to be, too.

“So he’s come to his senses?” Lily leaned on
the rail beside Trinity.

“No telling. Has Quinn?”

“He told me the offer on the bar was
rescinded. So whether or not he’ll ever come to his senses, I don’t
know.”

The offer was rescinded? Lily didn’t know Leo
had been the one to make an offer, so Trinity couldn’t say anything
as panic rolled through her. If he’d taken it back, what did that
mean? That he was bailing. She couldn’t catch her breath. Of course
he would. Why would he stay here in this tiny town with her when he
was used to so much more, baby or no?

“Ladies,” Leo said behind them.

Both women turned. Trinity’s pulse jumped. He
was so handsome in the crisp shirt and new jeans, freshly shaven,
hair carefully combed, eyes hopeful.

“My God, Leo, when did you have time to
iron?” Lily fingered the crease in his sleeve.

“Go away, Lil.”

“Leo!” Trinity protested his rudeness.

“Got it. Out of here.” She flashed Trinity a
smile and disappeared into the stream of people heading in to
Quinn’s.

He closed his hand around Trinity’s and led
her down the stairs to the larger crowd gathering around the
bandstand, but all she could think of was that he was leaving. Was
he going to look her in the eyes tonight, and then take off
tomorrow? She pushed the thoughts aside. If so, tonight would have
to be special. Her last time with the father of her child.

The band was pretty good, definitely going
places, a combination of covers and original music, a blend of
Coldplay and Keith Urban.

“How did you find them?” she asked Leo as
they stood at the edge of the dance floor, she with a pop and he
with a beer.

“They were scheduled to play Fourth of July.
We had to do some shuffling, but we got them early.”

“And now we need someone for the Fourth of
July.”

“Better than a month away.” He took her pop
and set it on a nearby table with his beer before he led her to the
center of the dance floor. Her pulse sped up as he drew her closer,
his focus on hers as his hands coursed up and down her sides. “You
look incredible.”

She choked on a laugh. “You have to be
joking. I’m pale and have circles under my eyes and this dress
won’t fit me much longer.” She shifted the tight fabric over her
breasts to prove her point.

He let his thumbs brush over her hips, close
to her belly. “You’re beautiful. I want to hold you in my arms all
night.”

And then what? All she could think of was
that he’d withdrawn his offer from Quinn. He’d be going. What would
happen when the novelty of their relationship, of her pregnancy
wore off? When she weighed a ton, or he had to change diapers in
the middle of the night? What then?

He stroked her hair back from her cheek. “Can
we just have tonight? Right now, just us, not our families or
Bluestone or anything. Just us.”

She nodded and rested her head on his strong
shoulder, wanting to stay here forever, wanted to put everything
else out of her mind.

But this was Bluestone. They got in two
dances before he was pulled in one direction and she was pulled in
another. She was still helping Beth gather up empty glasses to be
washed when two hands closed over her waist.

“We’ve done our part. Let’s get out of here
before someone else finds something for us to do,” Leo said, his
mouth close to her ear.

And go where? She wanted to ask. His dad’s
boat again? She had thought they might end up there tonight, but so
soon? She’d hoped for more wooing, but of course he was right. The
longer they stayed here, the more likely they’d be put back to
work.

She let Leo take her hand and lead her to the
street. The music still floated around them, but the other noises
faded enough that she could hear the lapping of the water against
the shore, one of her favorite sounds. Some of the tension left her
shoulders.

“Mind if we walk?” he asked. “It’d be just as
far to walk to the car and drive.”

She frowned. The dock was right across the
street. What was he talking about? But he turned right instead of
heading toward the landing, and they walked along the deserted main
street toward the school.