Lost Chances (20 page)

"I can't believe you're still not feeling good. Are you sure you shouldn't see a doctor? Maybe it has something to do with swimming in the river." He sat on the edge of the bed and touched her forehead. "Have you had a fever at all?"

"No, I haven't. And I've swam in the river plenty of times. This is just a virus that needs to run its course." Just hopefully not nine months. She was sure her period would start in a week. It just had to. "Plus, I didn't start getting sick until a few days after the swim. I just hate this is ruining our time together."

"Have you held anything down at all?"

"A little. I usually get really sick in the mornings and then think I'm getting better until later in the evening. Mostly just crackers. I can't do a whole lot without feeling nauseated." Damn. The more she talked, the more she worried about Ryan's opinion. What if he was actually onto something?

"If you're not better by tomorrow, I'm taking you to the doctor no matter what you want." He pointed his finger at her and tried to look stern, but it was obvious just how worried he felt.

"Okay."

****

Four weeks and two days since she’d slept with Cooper and she was sitting on the toilet waiting to see a pink line—or two. After four weeks, she should've started her period. And the sickness never disappeared. It did calm down; she was mostly sick in the mornings and could handle certain foods and drinks during the day. That, at least, had held off Cooper from taking her to the doctor. She kept the part about throwing up in the morning and sometimes once or twice during the day to herself.

Ryan invited her over, handed her the test, and then shoved her into the bathroom. He said he was tired of her putting it off and he was right. Why should she keep worrying over whether it was true or not.

If she ended up pregnant, she didn't know what she'd do. How could she tell her brothers? And her father would be so disappointed in his only daughter getting knocked up before she even got married. Hell, she wasn't even a hundred percent that she could call Cooper her boyfriend. It was just strange how things worked now. No one wants to ask the question and no one wants to be the first to say 'I love you'.

How the hell did she explain to Cooper that he was going to be a dad when he still had no clue they slept together? She shook her head
. Like explaining we already slept together wouldn't be hard enough.
Let's add a baby to it.

"Well?" Ryan's voice penetrated her thoughts as he spoke on the other side of the door.

She couldn’t make herself look. "I can't do it." Her voice broke as the tears started to form.

The door swung open and Ryan came to her, wrapped his arms around her. She was happy she’d managed to pull her pants back on when she finished taking the test and was just sitting on the toilet lid. No matter how many times he’d seen her in only her unde
rwear, sitting with her pants down on the toilet wasn't exactly how she wanted to be seen.

"I'll look." Ryan pulled away, squeezing her shou
lders before letting go completely.

Seconds seemed like hours ticking by as she waited for him to say something or make any kind of noise. Then his arms wrapped back around her and the realization hit. Tears fell and sobs escaped her.

Nothing helped, not even the way Ryan played with her hair, which always calmed her.

I am pregnant.

"Baby, we'll get you through this. Calm down." Ryan spoke reassuringly in her ear. "Cooper's a good guy, and I know he'll be there for you. I've seen how he looks at you."

After she managed to calm down enough to move, she let Ryan lead her into his living room.

"I know. You warned me to take it slower that night but after Seth and then seeing Cooper again… He does something to me that I can't control." The man was the devil in disguise. A very good devil.

"The man is sexy as sin, but I'm not going to say I told you so. You need to tell him soon about that night and the baby. You can't even go to the doctor until you tell him and your brothers, at least. If anyone sees you and finds out, the whole town will know. I understand you're still trying to process the news yourself, but you have to do this. I also think the quicker you tell them the easier this will be on you." He left, then returned with a glass of water.

"They'll want to hunt down the man who did this, but he's their best friend." Her chest tightened and breathing became difficult. She was hyperventilating. "He didn't even remember. Everything has been going so perfectly and now it's all going to change. I don't want having a baby to be the only reason he stays. He hasn't told me he loves me yet and we haven't even discussed his plans, though I think he's postponed putting the house up for sale."

"Calm down, Sophia. Here—" He pushed her head until she had it between her knees. "Just think about something else, anything else."

She thought of the time her father took her fishing and she caught the biggest fish of all of them. It was a time when they had finally started becoming a family again after her mother died. Ryan was so good to her. Her breathing had already become easier.

"I'm okay." She really wasn't.

"No, you're not, but you will be. I think you should just get the announcement over with. It'll be pretty damn hard to hide a pregnancy from your brothers when you live with them. Especially, in this small ass town." Ryan stood, grabbed her hand, and dragged her off the couch. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

Somehow, Ryan was always right. "Okay."

"I'll drive you home and then you can head over to Cooper’s. I would go, sweetie, but I think he'd be more comfortable with just you." He kissed her forehead before going out the door.

She grabbed her phone and followed close behind. Just finding out you're pregnant was hard and now she had to tell the father. She knew he wouldn't leave her to raise a child on her own, but a small part of her still feared the worst.

****

Cooper stared at his agent’s name on the screen of his phone and froze. What if she didn't have good news? Then again, she might have. He was so busy worrying, the phone stopped ringing.

When it started back up, he answered right away. She wouldn't be calling twice in a row if it was bad. At least he hoped not.

"Hello?"

"Are you sitting down?" She sounded almost out of breath. "If not, then do it."

He normally would've just ignored her and said he was, but this time seemed different and he fell back in the rocking chair on the front porch. "What is it?"

"You've got the deal! I've been sent the contract and it's ready for you to sign. After you read it of course, but I've read it fifty times and there's no way you'll turn it down. They want you to fly out tomorrow to Nashville to start recording instantly. I've shown them your songs and they're ready to get it rolling." She spoke so fast she had to catch her breath at the end.

"This can't be real."

"Oh, it is. You'll be touring at the first of the year with Lance 'freaking' Michaels! This is so amazing. I knew you'd get there, but this has really happened fast and you completely deserve it."

Lance Michaels. He'd be touring along with som
eone he looked up to. The guy was the biggest country singer around at that moment. "Unbelievable. I have no idea what to say."

"Just tell me you'll be at the airport in the morning. I've already set the flight up and your hotel room is set to go."

He was lucky as hell to land Krys as his agent. She had everything planned at all times. "When is my flight?"

"At eight in the morning." Her voice was muffled for a moment; he figured she was talking to someone else. "Is that going to work? I'll be picking you up at the airport."

"Absolutely! I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up the phone and just smiled as he stared out at the sky. It was really happening. He couldn't wait to share the news with Sophia. Hopefully she was just as excited as he. He'd pray like hell she wanted to go with him.

Nothing would be right if he didn't have her by his side. She’d called to let him know she was coming over, so it didn't give him any time to plan something special for the news. Not that he had any time anyways. He had to get packed and beg her to go with him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Sophia wiped her suddenly sweaty hands onto her jeans. It was time to tell Cooper she was pregnant, but not before she explained they'd had sex and he didn’t remember.

The door swung open and she found herself picked up into a tight hold while Cooper spun her around. His smile was contagious—she really hoped that smile stayed there when she told him the big news. They hadn't even said ‘I love you’ yet and she was about to tell the man he was going to be a father.

Talk about dropping a bomb.

"I've got some great news!" He grinned from ear to ear.

"I do, too." She followed him inside after he lowered her to the ground.

He sat down on the couch and pulled her down right beside him. After a short, but thorough, kiss, he spoke. "You go first."

The lump in her throat grew bigger. "I think you should really go first. You look like you're about to jump out of your seat with excitement."

His throaty laugh made her relax. "Okay. Well, I've kept it quiet, but my agent, Krys, has been working to get me a record contract. I performed right before I came to town and was heard by a big name from a record comp
any."

"I had no idea!" Knowing what his dream was, she couldn't be anything but happy for him.

"She made it happen! I'm supposed to leave tomorrow to start recording and then they want me to start touring at the first of the year with one of the famous singers from the label. I know you've heard of Lance Michaels."

"No way! I have all of his music." The news was bi
gger than she imagined and she nearly forgot why she’d come to see him. It was hard to hide the pain. If he was going to be on tour, then what did that mean for her and their baby?

"Hey, don't be sad. I know we haven't discussed our relationship. All I want to say is that I love you and don't want to leave town without you." He lifted her hand and kissed it. "I know it's a lot at once, but I want you with me every step of the way, Sophia. You have to know how much I love you. How much I've always loved you."

"I—I…" Tears fell down her cheeks and she couldn't stop them. She knew what she had to do. Rising up on tiptoes, she kissed him. This would be the last time, so she made it worth it. He groaned against her lips as their tongues circled each other for just a few seconds before she pushed back, her hands on his shoulders.

"What was your news?" He didn't remove his eyes from her lips.

She couldn't tell him. Taking a baby on tour wasn't possible and if she told him, he'd give up his dreams to take care of her and their child. Not how she wanted to live—and she wasn't about to make him live that way either.

"I don't feel the same way as you and I don't want to go with you. I'm so happy for you and wish you the best, but I can't be with you anymore."

His mouth fell open. She could swear she saw his eyes water, but she was up and walking out of the house before he could say a word.

Please don't follow me.

Every bone in her body ached to run back to him and tell him she’d lied—but she ignored the feeling and jumped into her jeep. It hurt that he didn't follow her even though it was for the best. If he had, she wasn't sure she could lie again.

She drove home with one hand on the wheel and the other on her stomach. This had to be the best, for both of them. She'd never be able to live life knowing she'd taken away his dreams. And if he didn't right away, he'd eventua
lly despise her for it.

No matter what, she wouldn't tell him the truth and she really needed Ryan to help her through the pain, as well as support her when the time came to tell her brothers and father.

Life had become so difficult since Cooper came to town and she was the one to blame for it all.

****

Life had been perfect. He was finally with Sophia and then he got the phone call he'd been waiting for. Getting Sophia's news was not what he'd expected. After everything they’d been through, she told him she didn't feel the same way. He thought she would go with him and all would be just right.

No, he’d professed his love and she just threw it back at him. He'd have to talk to Ryan about it later to see what the hell he was missing.

The ringtone signaled a call from his agent, but he ignored it. He couldn't talk to her. Everything was packed and he stood at the front door with the last bag. Keeping busy with preparations for the trip didn't help with getting Sophia's words out of his head.

"Shit!" He should've chased her down anyways. F
ine. If she wanted him to leave without her, then he would, but damn if he wouldn't come back to her as soon as the album was finished. There was no way in hell he would give up that easily. He deserved more of an explanation than the admission she didn't feel the same way. He refused to believe that.