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“We’ve come across something… troubling on the security footage. I haven’t been sure exactly what measures to take. I did my best to protect you, but there is only so much I can do. I was going to wait until the end of the week, but we might as well get this over with now.”

He leaned forward, his eyes on mine.

“Did you disappear into a supply closet with a patient during work hours?”

Oh God.

I inhaled sharply. I knew I would pay for my stupidity. For my naiveté. For wanting what I shouldn’t.

For wanting
him.

“Yes.”

“For what purpose?”

“He- I don’t know how to explain it. It was… a game.”

“Was it sexual in nature?”

I lowered my eyes. My voice was low and ashamed. I felt stupid. Of course I had been caught. I never should have played along with Trent.

The truth was, I hadn’t been able to stop myself.

“Yes.”

“You know we can’t keep you here after this.”

I should ask for understanding. Forgiveness. I should be crying.

My whole life was shattering in front of my eyes.

Instead I was numb. None of this was a surprise to me. Deep down, I’d known this was coming.

“I understand.”

“You are an excellent nurse Lexi. Other than this lapse in judgment. Can you assure me it won’t happen at your next job?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Then you will receive a positive recommendation from me.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“You may collect your things.”

I stood, my hand on the back the chair to support me. I felt as if I might fall down.

“Oh and Alexandra?”

“Yes?”

“You might want to take a pregnancy test.”

My eyes snapped open and I stared at him, shock written all over my face. He raised an eyebrow.

“Your heightened sense of smell. I’ve seen it a hundred times. It’s especially hard for nurses who are expecting. Maybe this is a blessing.”

I closed my eyes and nodded. He was right of course. That’s why I could smell everything. That’s why I was on the verge of vomiting right now.

I’d assumed that Trent had a vasectomy. It was in his chart. But those reversed themselves all the time. He must have assumed I was on the pill. Or he had not cared either way.

I was beyond stupid.

I ran for the bathroom, barely making it into the stall before my breakfast made a second appearance.

Kelly was waiting by the sinks when I came out.

“Jesus Lexi, what is going on with you?”

I looked at her.

“Good news or bad news first?”

She looked at me, concern written all over her face.

“Good.”

“I got fired.”

Her jaw dropped.

“That’s the good news? What’s the bad news?”

“I’m pregnant.”

Chapter Nineteen

Trent

“Are you ready?”

I nodded.

“Well, go get her tiger.”

I glared at Joss. He had forced me to get sober. He had forced me to admit my feelings for Lexi. And now he’d forced me to figure out a way to get her back.

This was what I’d come up with.

We stood outside Lexi’s house in the middle of the afternoon. I hadn’t called. Or texted. We hadn’t spoke since I dropped her off after our date. Which I could safely say was the world’s best/worst first date in the history of the fucking world.

She could be in Egypt for all I knew. She could hate me. She probably did. She might even have moved on.

Here goes nothing.

I lifted my guitar, settling the strap over my shoulder. Joss knocked on the door. Then I started to play.

“When the darkness falls,

When the light goes out,

The angel they call Lexi,

Is there to help you out.

Her golden hair and hazel eyes,

Her kindness and her grit,

She’ll pull the best out of you,

Even if it’s not worth shit.”

“That’s a terrible song, mister.”

I turned around to see Lexi and her sister standing on the sidewalk behind me. Charlotte was eating an ice cream cone and staring at me. Lexi looked like she didn’t know what to think.

Not angry. Just… confused.

Joss was laughing silently. He was enjoying this way too much. Considering how rarely he laughed, I knew I must look like a complete idiot.

“You’re right. I just couldn’t quite seem to find the right words to describe what an ass I am.”

“You shouldn’t say shit.”

I nodded eagerly at Char, glad that someone seemed to want to talk to me.

“You’re right. I’ll fix that. It needs work obviously.”

“How long did it take you?”

I stared at her, then at Lexi.

“A couple of weeks. Actually, I wrote it the first day that I realized what an idiot I was. The rest of the time I spent hoping your sister might calm down enough for me to play it to her.”

Charlotte licked her ice cream cone.

“She’s calm. She cries a lot.”

My eyes darted to Lexi. She lifted her chin proudly. God, I loved this woman.

“Can we go for a walk Lexi? Or go somewhere to talk?”

She stared at me. For a minute I thought she was going to say no. Then she nodded.

“Come inside. Your friend too.”

“Joss.”

She nodded at him.

“Hi, I’m Lexi. This is Char.”

Joss followed us inside the cramped little house. It was neat as a pin. But the furniture was old and broken down. This was not a welcoming place to live. For a moment, I clearly saw everything that Lexi was up against.

I could have helped her. Treasured her.

Instead I’d treated her like garbage.

I swallowed.

“Let’s go out back.”

I followed her to the yard. She’d been making an effort, I could tell. Little flowers were everywhere. Most of them already wilted from the midday heat.

I knew how they felt. I stood there, not sure where to start. I guess I better just get to it.

“Lexi, I’m so sorry.”

She sat in a rusted gliding chair, rocking gently back and forth.

“For what?”

“I was upset when you said I was just a fling. I wanted to hurt you like you’d hurt me.”

She sighed.

“I thought maybe that’s what it was.”

“You did?”

She nodded.

“We’ve made a real mess of things Trent.”

“I know and I want to make it up to you. I don’t know how to say this but- I’m in love with you.”

She was speaking at the same time and barely heard me.

“I’m pregnant.”

“What?

She looked as surprised as I was.

“I thought you were on the pill.”

“And I thought you had a vasectomy. It was in your chart.”

“I did but it reversed itself.”

“Apparently.”

I was in shock. But it was a good shock. I lifted her up and squeezed her carefully.

“Oh my God Lexi, we’re going to have a baby!”

She frowned at me.

“What are you talking about?”

“You and me, and Char and the dogs. We are all moving in together. I will take care of you if you let me.”

“Why would you do that?”

“I told you. I’m in love with you. Didn’t you hear me?”

She was shaking her head no. She didn’t want me. She didn’t believe me.

“You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met.”

I scooped her up into my arms. She let out an adorable little squeak.

“You are coming with me Lexi. You are mine, God dammit. Enough of this bullshit!”

“But-“

My mouth crashed down on hers, silencing her. I didn’t want to hear it. I
refused
to hear it.

Thank God, she decided to kiss me back. For a minute I hadn’t been sure. And then her arms had slid around my neck, holding my head in place so she could kiss the hell out of
me
.

I lifted my head, staring down at her.

“Pack your things. We are leaving.”

“Char doesn’t like changes.”

I grinned at her.

“She’ll like this one.”

Lexi

I stood at the enormous kitchen island, watching Char outside playing with Trent’s dogs. Our dogs in fact. He’d insisted that we were one big family. As of today.

Just like that.
 

Just like snapping his fingers.

And Char seemed totally okay with it. Especially when he’d spontaneously played a song for her about it.

“You’ll come and live with the dogs,

The dogs will try to eat your toes.

But not really eat your toes.

They will probably just lick your toes.”

She’d been giggling nonstop, making him play it again and again. I smiled, still not sure what to think. Yes, we’d been in trouble money wise. Yes, I was pregnant. And yes, I was pretty sure I was in love with Trent.

But him in love with me?

It seemed laughable.

Then again, the way he acted… he had been hurt. He had been trying to prove something to me on the ride back from Hawaii.

It had worked. Maybe too well.

I jumped as he came up behind me, kissing my neck.

“What do you think?”

I looked around his beautiful home. It was mid-century, renovated perfectly. The lawn was manicured. There was a beautiful, inviting pool in the yard. It even had a guesthouse.

Maybe Mrs. Keeley would come and visit once in a while. She could spend the night. Maybe someday if Char kept making progress, she could live there.

I shook my head. It was crazy, thinking about that far ahead.

“It’s beautiful Trent.”

He squeezed me.

“You are beautiful.”

I turned to look at him. His face was kind. Smiling. He looked happier than I’d ever seen him. He looked like he was at peace.

“You really want us to move in here?”

“Want? That doesn’t begin to cover it. It’s happening.”

His arms pulled me closer and he kissed me.

“I need you to be here. I have been out of my mind without you. I just didn’t know how to ask.”

I laughed.

“You pretty much dragged me into your cave by the hair.”

He grinned at me, looking like a little boy on Christmas morning.

“Unga bunga.”

He kissed me again. Behind him, Joss cleared his throat.

“It looks like my work is done here.”

Trent turned, not letting go of me for an instant.

“Stay bro’. Celebrate with us.”

The tall quiet man shook his head.

“My client is arriving tonight. I’ve done all the security for her house but now I need to be there to greet her. It’s a 24/7 job.”

He looked at me. I could detect a very, very small smile at the corner of his lips and icy pale blue eyes.

“Will you look after him?”

I nodded, suddenly sure that I would.

His smile grew. I could actually see it now.

“Good. I worry about this one. Now, I won’t have to.”

He leaned in and kissed my hand.

“He’s a good guy, despite his best efforts to prove otherwise.”

I smiled. He loved Trent, that much was obvious. Hell, I did too.

Why fight it?

Because of some stupid jealously or judgment over what he had done before he met me?

None of that mattered.

The only thing that mattered was how he treated Char and I. How he made me feel. Treasured. Cherished. Loved.

He was a good person. He just didn’t know it yet.

I smiled, suddenly feeling that everything was going to be alright after all.

I was going to take care of him.

And I’d let him take care of me.

Chapter Twenty

Trent

I flipped a tiny flapjack into the air, watching as Jezebel leapt up in the air to catch it. She gobbled it up greedily as Hendrix and Sally watched. They both had short legs and couldn’t jump as high.

Jez always caught the pancakes.

“Again!”

Char was giggling maniacally as I tossed another flapjack in the air.

“Don’t get her too excited.”

I looked up to see my sleepy headed girlfriend walk into the kitchen. She was wearing an old pair of flannel pajama bottoms and one of my shirts. Her outfit was almost as shapeless as those scrubs.

She still looked good enough to eat.

I nodded, winking at Char. I was coming to understand her moods. Sometimes her emotions tipped out of balance. She didn’t have the tools to right herself.

It was a delicate balancing act.

I was starting to learn how much responsibility Lexi had had, almost her entire life. It was in stark contrast to my freewheeling life. Even as a kid, I hadn’t been tied down. Even if I’d wanted to be. And I had wanted the rules and boundaries that parents would have given me. And the love.

Now I was getting a second chance. I wasn’t going to mess that up. Not for anything.

I craved the responsibility of taking care of these two ladies.

And whoever was growing in Lexi’s belly. I couldn’t wait to meet the little one. And take care of him or her. All three of them in fact.

I would take some of that pressure off Lexi. She wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Neither would I.

“We’re having a little pancake party.”

Char clapped her hands gleefully.

“Pancake party! Pancake party!”

I smiled and handed her two small flapjacks.

“Ready?”

She nodded.

I flipped one into the air for Jezzy as Char slipped the other two dogs one pancake each. She giggled from the way their tongues tickled her. She loved the dogs, or ‘dergs’ as she called them.

Lexi thought they might be therapeutic. Char had only had one tantrum since they’d moved in last week. Even though all their stuff had just arrived in the past few days, Char had eased into the transition surprisingly well.

It must be the dergs.

“What do you guys want to do today?”

“Beach!”

I smiled.

Char loved the beach. She loved the pool too. Except when she didn’t.

Then all hell broke loose.

I had seen that when Lexi told her she couldn’t have a second ice cream cone. Char had gone from sweet woman-child to a screaming she-devil in less than sixty seconds. Lexi had looked at me apologetically as Char screamed bloody murder.