Page 51 of Grounds for Love

“I wasn’t coming, but if you’re going to be telling everyone, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I can’t wait to see their reaction.” Adan shrugs and Rod bristles again. “Sorry, but you know it’s true.”

Adan takes his leave and Rod helps me in the truck. When he gets in, he doesn’t start the engine but says, “We need to talk.”

I nod in agreement. “We do. We said we’d wait until the test results came back.”

He turns to me. “We need to get married.”

I cringe and stare at Rod. That’s a proposal a girl always dreams of getting. We’ve never talked about marriage or even if we’re in a true relationship. “I don’t want to get married to you or anyone.”

Rod’s nostrils flare. “It will be best for the baby if we’re married,” he says through clenched teeth.

I take a moment to breathe and try to defuse the situation. “No. It will be best for the baby to have a mother and father that love him or her. No piece of paper will make a difference one way or another. After Bryan passed, I knew I’d never marry again.”

He blanches, clearly shocked by my reply. “We’re having a baby together. We should deal with this together. You can move in with me and Hannah can help plan a quick wedding. I have plenty of room and there’s a guest house that Joy can move into. You can change whatever you want to in the house and take your pick of rooms for the nursery.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare out the windshield. “You aren’t listening. I have a husband. I will never have another one. And moving in with you so we can ‘deal’ with the baby together is insulting and archaic.”

“You had a husband. You don’t now, just like I had a wife. Do you think I want another one?” he snaps and then we both stop and stare at each other, realizing what’s been said.

Rod sighs and looks away in disgust. His voice softens when he says, “I better get you home.”

My jaw clenches and I look away. I can’t stand the devastation and hopelessness in his eyes. All I want him to do is wrap me in his arms and tell me everything is going to be okay.

We drive back to Southport and just make the ferry. We’d planned to have lunch and then catch the next one, but he doesn’t mention stopping and I don’t say anything either. Once the ferry pulls away from the dock and the all clear is given, everyone piles out of their vehicles.

I open the truck door, head to the second level, and take a seat on a bench away from the crowd. Rod sits beside me as I stare out at the ocean water.

He takes my hand and kisses my knuckles. “I’m sorry, Jenni. We don’t have to decide anything now. We have six months to figure it all out. I was a jerk for saying what I did. I can never be Bryan and I’ll never try to take his place, but that baby you’re carrying is ours. Yours and mine. I want to be a part of this. All of it. The late night cravings, the foot massages, the doctor appointments, and I even want to take those classes that teach you to breathe. I don’t want to miss a single minute of it. We both missed out on having children earlier in our lives. We should cherish every second we can. I can’t do that if we aren’t in the same house.”

I pause, hearing all his words and some he didn’t say out loud. He’s come so far from the man that said he never wanted children. I need to take each victory, no matter how small. I was prepared to go this road alone, but if I have a choice… “This is going to be hard. I don’t think either one of us realizes how hard. I’d like you by my side through it all.”

“Will you at least consider moving in with me?”

Seeing Rod sitting beside me with his heart cut open and vulnerable, I know what I have to do. Our relationship is so new and we’ve had so many strikes against us from the start even without adding the baby to the mix. I’ll never know if I don’t take a chance. “I’ll move in with you. I don’t know what Joy will want to do; that’s up to her.”

His expression brightens and he heaves a sigh of relief. “Of course. Can you move in tonight?”

A small grin tickles my lips. “I guess we can stop by my apartment and pack a suitcase or two. I just hope you know what you’re getting into.”

“I know and I’m looking forward to it. Now, about telling my family. How does Friday night work for you? Blake and Hannah are having a cookout.”

I shake my head. Well, that’s one way to get an invitation. “I guess that’s as good as any. Adan is right. They are going to freak out.”

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