Now and Forever (5 page)

“You’re right,” Emma said, wiping her cheeks. “You always make me feel better than anyone else can.”

“That’s what sisters are for. Fighting over boys, making each other feel better and choosing God-awful bridesmaid dresses for each other.”

Emma laughed and shook her head. “Like I won’t look bad enough big and pregnant?”

“No. I insist you wear a taffeta dress with ruffles and puffy sleeves. The worse you look, the better I’ll look.”

“Are you kidding me?” Emma groaned.

Layla rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Of course I’m kidding. Mostly.”

Chapter Three

Emma stared at the fuzzy white blur on the square of paper she’d just affixed to the front of the refrigerator with a magnet. It was tiny – nearly indistinguishable, but it had turned her world upside down.

“Can you do anything about this non-stop puking?” she asked the pinpoint-sized spot on the paper the sonogram technician had handed her that morning. “If you can make that stop, I’ll buy you a smart phone or something.”

“What’s up?” Cole asked, walking into the kitchen with a grin. “You chatting with Squirt?”

“I’m bribing this baby before the first trimester’s even over. I’m gonna be a stellar mom. And Squirt? Is that your pet name for our kid?”

Cole shrugged. “Seems fitting since a squirt is how I knocked you up. And speaking of the first trimester, it’ll be over soon. Why the hell haven’t we told our parents, Em? This is getting ridiculous.”

“We were going to, but then Layla—”

“That was weeks ago. We’ve had lots of chances to go over there since, but you always find an excuse not to.”

“I’m really bad at telling people something they aren’t going to like.” Emma pulled a bottle of wine from the cooler, uncorked it and bent to inhale its scent. She missed her favorite drink like crazy.

“Yeah, we’ve both seen how that works out,” Cole said, arching his brows. “I’ll tell them if you want.” He took the wine bottle from her hands, re-corked it and placed it back in the cooler.

Emma laughed at the absurdity of the visual. “What, like, ‘Hey Mr. Carson, I got Emma pregnant. Did you catch that game last night?”

Cole smirked and approached, laying his hands on her hips. “I was thinking more along the lines of, ‘Hey Mr. Carson, you’re daughter’s a nympho who likes me to spank her ass and call her a dirty girl. I must’ve knocked her up the last time I bent her over and did it.”

Emma drew back with a smile. “Oh,
I’m
a nympho? What about you?”

“You know me, Em. If you weren’t feeling sick I’d fuck you up against this kitchen counter right now.”

“Yeah. If you jostled me too much, I might puke and traumatize you forever.”

Cole tipped her chin up and met her gaze. “Well, since sex is out, how about if we go pay our parents a visit?”

Emma looked away. She’d have to face the music eventually, might as well get it out of the way.

“Em?” Cole asked. “Do you not want to tell them because . . . did you want to get married?”

Her eyes narrowed and anger welled in her chest. “Did I want to get married?”

He probably had no idea what a crazy question it was. Emma would never admit it out loud, but her fantasies about marrying Cole had started about the time she hit puberty. Dozens of times while watching him play football, she’d imagined he would realize how sexy his younger artist neighbor was. In the fantasies, he was waiting on her front porch when she came home from the football game. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her – with tongue – before telling her she was everything he never knew he always wanted in a girlfriend.

“Em?”

Cole broke her reverie, and Emma shook her head to clear her thoughts.

“I don’t know, Cole.”

His bright blue eyes flashed and his face darkened. “You don’t know if you want to marry me?”

This was what happened to women who screwed up their birth control pills and accidentally got pregnant. Or maybe it was what didn’t happen. She wouldn’t be getting a romantic proposal. There wouldn’t be a joyful announcement to her parents. Being with Cole Marlowe was Emma’s dream come true, but she wouldn’t be getting the dream proposal and wedding.

“It’s not that I’m not sure,” she said, avoiding his gaze.

“If you want, we can tell our parents we’re getting married and then tell them about the baby.”

Emma glared at him. Her emotions were all over the place these days, and she missed her usual even-keeled temperament.

“We’re not getting married just so our parents will be less disappointed,” she said sharply.

“I didn’t say that.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest and Emma hated the pull she felt toward him, even now. Those long, defined arms would feel perfect wrapped around her back right now.

“You did, though,” she said, fighting her urge to melt into him. “You said we can tell our parents we’re getting married first. We don’t have to get married just because I’m pregnant. That’s what this is about, and I don’t expect it.”

Cole reached a hand out and rested it on her hip. “It’s not just because of the baby.”

“You’ve never said a word about getting married, and now that I’m pregnant, you’re asking if I want to. It is because of the baby, not because you just want to marry me. You weren’t planning to propose before this happened or anything, Cole.”

“You know I want to marry you. I was waiting for you to feel better. How the hell can I propose when you’re puking or crying all the time?”

His words were like gasoline on the fire of Emma’s emotions. “I can’t help it! You think I want to be puking and crying all the time?”

“Babe. Of course I don’t think that.” Cole reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Look, I love you more than anything. I want us getting engaged to be a happy memory. And when you feel better—”

“But I might not!” Emma interjected, hating the rising tears that made her voice quiver. “My book said I might be sick the entire nine months.”

“But that’s rare. Most women get better after the first trimester,” Cole said.

Emma furrowed her brow. “Since when do you know anything about pregnancy?”

“I’ve been reading up on it.”

Her pooled tears spilled onto her cheeks, but she smiled. “You have?”

“Yeah, I want to be part of this, too. You know, as much as I can.”

“Are you trying to find out how long you’ll have to live with a bitch from hell?” She squeezed her eyes shut and laughed at her own words.

Cole wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her close. “No. I’ve been reading about all of it. Kegels and birthing plans and engorgement. . .”

Emma groaned and buried her face in his shirt. “This is the most unsexy experience of my life. It’s ironic that it was caused by sex.”

“Since you brought it up, I hope you know sex is completely safe during pregnancy.”

“Are you wondering if you’re ever getting any again?” Emma pulled back and looked up at him with a smile.

“No, it’s only been seven weeks and three days, so I actually haven’t thought about it that much.”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t thought about how hard this whole thing’s been for you.”

“Don’t say that, Em. It’s been hard for you. You’re the one who’s sick and upset. I wish I could make you feel better.”

“Let’s go tell our parents,” she said. “That’ll be a load off.”

“Okay. So . . . just so we’re on the same page before we go over there . . . did you want to get married?”

Emma fought an urge to give him a death glare and stomp out of the room. The man who’d made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world when they started dating was now asking her if she wanted to get married the same way he’d ask if she wanted cheese on her burger. “No.”

***

Emma clutched Cole’s hand for dear life, and he stroked a thumb over her skin to reassure her. Shawn Carson was a mild-mannered guy. This would go fine. Her parents would be surprised, sure, just like his would when they went across the street to tell them next. But like it had with Cole, the shock of the news would wear off and they’d all be excited about becoming grandparents.

“What’s this about, you two?” Emma’s mom asked, smiling. “Do you have some news to share with us?”

Cole caught her glance at Emma’s left hand.

“Uh . . . yeah,” Emma said, clearing her throat. She looked at Cole and he offered a reassuring smile. “I’m pregnant.”

The room was silent as the words sank in. Then Eliza Carson’s eyes filled with tears and she smiled.

“Emma! I—”

She went silent when her husband bounded up from his chair at the kitchen table, his face reddening. He pointed a finger at Cole.

“You.” His tone was ominously measured. “You’ve really done it now. First you date Layla, then decide you want Emma, and now this?”

“Mr. Carson—”

“What can you possibly say in defense of yourself? You’ve insulted my daughter and our entire family.”

“Dad!” Emma cried. “I was just as much a part of this as Cole was. And we’re adults. Don’t treat me like a teenager who’s dropping out of high school because I got pregnant.”

“Well, you’re acting like a teenager!” he yelled. “Is this how we raised you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Emma’s fear had apparently been replaced by anger. “I love Cole. We live together. We didn’t plan this, but we’ll make it work.”

“Don’t expect us to be happy about it,” her dad said, his face so flushed it was almost purple. “And don’t expect us to pay for your shotgun wedding, either.”

Emma rose from her chair, her voice wavering with emotion. “I didn’t come over here to ask you for anything.”

Shawn Carson’s eyes blazed as he pointed at Cole again. “You’d better marry her.” Cole had never seen this side of the neighbor man he’d known more than a decade.

“I want to marry her,” Cole said. “I love Emma. And I’m sorry I disappointed you, Mr. Carson.”

“We both disappointed him,” Emma said bitterly. “And this isn’t the middle ages, Dad. I’m . . .” Her voice shook as she fought to hold back tears. “. . . hurt that you’re acting so backwards. It’s not supposed to be about him marrying me to preserve anyone’s honor. If we get married, it’ll be for the right reasons.”

“If?” This time it was Emma’s mom who spoke, her face twisted with sadness.

“Yes, if.” She glared at her mother and then at her father. “I don’t know how you guys raised two independent, forward-thinking daughters.”

She turned to leave and Cole followed. He regretted all his reassurances about her overreacting to telling her parents. Things would never be the same between Cole and Emma’s dad again. No more golfing or conversations about the Cubs’ pitching staff over a beer. Everything would be different now.

Cole shook his head and sighed as he followed Emma out her parents’ front door. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be.

***

The evening crowd at O’Malley’s was light when Ben walked in. He nodded at a couple guys from work on his way up to the bar. When he leaned against the dark, worn wood surface to wait for the bartender, he did a double take when he recognized Cole sitting on a stool right next to him.

“Hey, man,” Ben said.

Cole showed no reaction when he glanced over. “Hey.”

“Where’s Emma?”

“At the bakery.”

Ben eyed the three empty beer bottles in front of Cole and slid onto the stool next to him. “You okay?”

Cole sighed deeply and said nothing. Ben wanted to get up and leave. He’d just stopped in to the pub to order some carryout for dinner anyway. But he knew Layla would be pissed at him for not trying to get along with Cole.

“You know Em’s pregnant, right?” Cole asked. “Em told Layla, so she probably told you.”

“Yeah, she told me,” Ben said. “Congratulations, I guess. But you don’t look very happy.”

“It’s not—” Cole ran a hand through his hair and nodded when the bartender raised his brows to ask if he wanted another beer. “It’s not that I’m unhappy about the baby. It’ll be hard with our work schedules, but we’ll figure it out. She’s just so damned upset all the time now. We told our parents tonight, and she’s a wreck now.”

“Oh, shit,” Ben said. The bartender looked at him expectantly. “Uh, I’ll have a Guinness.” He turned back to Cole. “Did her parents flip their shit?”

Cole shook his head slowly. “That’s an understatement. I thought her dad was gonna hit me at one point. They were surprised. My parents were, too. They asked if we’re getting married.”

“Are you?”

“Hell if I know.” Cole picked up his fresh beer as soon as the bartender set it in front of him and took a long drink. “She said no, so I guess not.”

Ben tried not to let his surprise register on his face. “You proposed and Emma said no?”

Cole’s bloodshot eyes narrowed as he considered. “Pretty much. I asked if she wanted to get married, and she said no.”

Ben grabbed the bottle just as Cole was about to put it back to his lips. “You need to stop drinking, man, you’ve gotta go to work tomorrow.” He set the bottle on the bar. “So how did this proposal go down?”

Cole shot him a look of aggravation. “Like I said, I asked if she wanted to get married, and she said no.”

“Wait. You didn’t say
that
, did you? What’d you really say?”

“I said, ‘Did you want to get married?’ Why the fuck does it matter? She said no. I’m sure you and Layla will laugh about it later.”

Ben rubbed the short stubble on his chin and shook his head. “Man, what the fuck is the matter with you? That’s not how you ask your lady to be your wife. You’ve got to do it right. Did you cheap out on the ring? Lemme see it, you got it on you?”

Cole shook his head. “I haven’t bought one.”

“Christ, no wonder she said no!”

Cole grabbed his beer and glared at Ben. “Hey, thanks for coming by to make me feel even worse. You’ve got a knack for being an asshole.”

“Listen, man, you want my advice or not? When I proposed to my woman, she cried and I got laid on the spot. She’s still on cloud nine. Last night when I walked in the door after work she undid my pants in the kitchen and sucked on my rod like she was dying and the only cure for what she had was in the base of my dick.”

“Layla’s not pregnant,” Cole countered. “Emma cries every day. She’s all over the place.”