The Best Man's Baby(16)

“Who got her pregnant and took off,” he said running his hands down his face.

She shook her head and touched his arm. “No, you are someone important to her.”

Jake stilled, waiting for her to continue. She didn’t. “What do you mean, because I’m the father of her baby?”

Holly shook her head and he could tell she wanted to say something more. “Never mind.”

“No way, Holly. You can’t start something and not finish it.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lip. “Claire wouldn’t have just slept with you if she didn’t have feelings for you.”

He stared at her and the reality of what she was telling him, coupled with what he already knew deep down, was undeniable. He jammed his hands into the pocket of his jeans. “I know,” he said roughly. “And now she can’t stand me.”

“She’s hurt and upset.”

He nodded. “This is all my fault.”

“Hey, it’s not over. Talk to her.”

“I tried. She kicked me out of her house.”

“Keep trying. Feelings don’t go away. Make it up to her. Get to know her, who she really is.”

He was surprised when she reached out to hug him. He hugged her back. His brother was a lucky man. Holly gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Okay, thanks for the advice.”

“Why don’t you get your hands off my wife and concentrate on the woman who’s pregnant with your child?”

Jake looked over at Quinn, who was grinning at him smugly.

“Don’t be such a jerk,” Holly said with a laugh.

“I’m just getting what I deserve,” he said with a wry glance at his brother, who was now standing next to Holly. “When you first came back to town, I gave Quinn a rough time.”

Holly smiled up at Quinn. “I’m sure he deserved it.”

Jake watched as his brother smiled and leaned down to kiss his wife. He was unprepared for the pang he felt in his stomach as he watched the obvious love between them. He needed to get out of here and fix his own life. He needed to get through to Claire.

He had to make it up to her.

…

Claire was trying hard to concentrate on the weddings she had to make flower arrangements for today and not on yesterday’s sorry events. She smiled at the employees bustling around the back room of her flower boutique and walked to the front of the store. She was late opening. She was never late. But this morning she just couldn’t seem to haul her sorry behind out of bed. Every time she’d sit up a wave of nausea would take over, and then she’d just flop her head back onto the pillow like a dying fish until it was under control. That had gone on for an hour. And sadly, even then, Jake was on her mind. She wanted to be as angry as she was last week with him, but after last night’s confrontation at her house she almost felt a little more compassionate. She would never forget the hurt look on his face when he realized she had shut him out of the baby plans. But what other choice did she have? He had disappeared. How was she supposed to know he’d want anything to do with a baby? And she had to start planning. If she didn’t plan, she felt out of control. And look at where her one night of out-of-control got her. No, she was back to living her predictable, orderly life. She could handle it all.

When she’d finally made it into work this morning, her staff had already started the grueling Saturday routine that was customary for high wedding season. Claire had walked in with her usual treat of coffee and muffins for everyone. She had one cup for herself, filled with steamed milk, just so no one would question why the coffee junkie was going without her usual fix.

She marched to the front door and flipped the Closed sign to Open.

Her heart lurched painfully and her body temperature skyrocketed when she saw Jake across the street, sitting on his motorcycle. He was staring at her, obviously waiting for her to open her store. He gave a short wave.

She couldn’t wave back. Her heart was slamming against her chest. Why was he here?

She flipped her sign back to Closed. There, take the hint and go home. The last thing she needed was Jake infiltrating her work space with his baby demands. And the look she gave him would have frozen a lesser man, but much to her disappointment, not him. No, Jake held her gaze as he got off his bike and walked across the street with his confident swagger. She broke into a sweat when he didn’t break her gaze and swallowed up the distance between them in two seconds flat.

He stood on the other side of the door and gave it a few languorous raps even though she was standing right in front of him. She glared at him and crossed her arms. Then she pointed to the sign. Childish as it was, she was not opening the door. He smiled, the smile that had surely scored him a multitude of women, including her. She was now immune, she told herself, ignoring the goose bumps of awareness prickling her arms. She just lifted up one of her eyebrows and smiled back, waved and walked away. She had work to do. Jake had had six weeks to talk to her. Too bad for him.