Abi felt a swell of emotion overwhelm her and she knew tears would flow soon.
Was this because she was pregnant?
She opened her mouth but no words would come.
“Abi?”
“I…” The word came out a hoarse whisper, so Abi cleared her throat. “Jaime, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to disappoint you and the boys, but…” Tears swelled from her eyes and her throat closed up.
Del took the phone from her hand.
“Jaime, it’s Del.” He pressed the button to put the phone on speaker.
“Del? Are you in Maryville?”
“No. Abi’s here with me in Eldridge. She’s going to be staying with me for a few days. Maybe more.”
“Why? What’s happened?”
Abi stared at Del and she shook her head. She didn’t want her family to know about the pregnancy yet. Not until she’d had more time to get used to the idea.
“Nothing. She’s fine. Something upset her this afternoon and threw her into a tailspin. She went out for a drive and wound up here.”
“Del, what is it? What happened?”
“Jaime, Abi will tell you about it later. Don’t worry. She just needs some time to get her bearings.”
“Does it have something to do with that husband of hers?” The acid tone she used made it clear what she thought of Liam. “Is he still giving her grief about the divorce?”
“It’s not my place to say.”
“It must be pretty serious because it’s not like Abi to forget plans with family.”
Abi drew in a deep breath. She had to say something. She didn’t want to leave her sister hanging like this.
“I have good news,” Abi said, her voice a little shaky.
Del’s gaze jerked to her, his eyebrows darting up.
“Yeah?” Jaime said. “Lay it on me.”
“Del and I have talked, and we’ve decided we want to be together.”
“What? Oh, honey, that’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you. It’s certainly taken the two of you long enough. Del, are you still on the line?”
“Yes,” he answered, “we’re on speaker.”
“You look out for my little sister and take good care of her. Then send her home soon so I can find out what triggered all this.”
“Will you forgive me for missing tonight?” Abi asked.
“Under the circumstances, I suppose so,” she said grudgingly, but she used her big-sister I’m-not-letting-you-off-the-hook-that-easily tone. “But I want a full account of what happened when you get back.”
“Of course,” Abi said.
“And, Abi…” Jaime’s voice had softened. “You know whatever caused you to rush up there…” She sighed. “Well, you know you can tell me anything, right? I’m always here for you.”
“I know. Thanks, Jaime.”
Abi hung up the phone and slid it back into her purse, guilt pulsing through her that she didn’t go to Jaime first and tell her about the pregnancy. Her first inclination had been to run to Del, even though she knew her family would always be there for her.
But somehow, Del was there for her in a way that was more substantial. He was the one she wanted to spend her life with, so it made sense to go to him first.
Her heart ached and suddenly tears were flooding from her eyes. Del pulled her to him and stroked her hair. He kissed her head and held her as she sobbed. His shirt was damp with her tears and he handed her a tissue. When she wiped her eyes, he took the damp one, then handed her a new one.
Still the tears flowed.
“I feel like an idiot crying like this,” she said between sobs.
“Don’t. You’re a pregnant lady. You can’t help it.”
She lifted her head and stared at him, her jaw dropping open. Was he really minimizing her feelings like that?
“You think that what I’m feeling is just hormones and—”
He laughed. “Of course not. I was trying to make you laugh.”
“By making fun of me?”
He cupped her cheeks. “I’m not making fun of you, love. I know you’re dealing with some pretty emotional issues, and I was trying to help.” His lips turned up in a charming half grin. “Hopefully I’ll get better at it.”
The second he’d called her “love” her mood had flipped like a light switch.
She rested her hand on his shoulder, feeling her eyes tear up again, but this time from happiness.
“You’re great at it,” she said softly.
He wiped an errant tear that streamed down her cheek.
“I can see this is going to be an interesting journey. Tears when you’re upset. Tears when you’re happy. I’m going to go crazy trying to figure out whether to make a joke or hug you.”
“Always hug. Then you can joke later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He tightened his embrace around her and she sighed against his shirt.
“It’s okay that you didn’t tell her,” Del said.
She nodded. “Deep down, I wanted you to be the first to know. Hoping things would wind up like this. With us together.”
She smiled and leaned back, gazing up at him.
“And now, here we are.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Del grinned. Abi’s emotional turmoil was unsettling, and he hoped he’d be able to be there for her in a way that helped her.
But now seeing her smile set his heart alight. And the gleam in her eyes reminded him that they still had a romantic interlude planned.
And there was no time like the present.
“Yes. We definitely are.” He leaned in to kiss her, anticipating the feel of her soft lips against his.
Her phone buzzed.
He drew back, knowing she’d want to check it.
As she pulled it from her purse, he asked, “Is that Jaime again?”
She glanced at the display, then frowned.
“What is it?” Del asked.
“It’s a text from Liam.”
He raised an eyebrow. Why was her husband, or rather soon-to-be-ex-husband if Del had anything to do with it, texting her?
She sighed and put the phone back in her purse.
“It’s related to the divorce.”
“I assumed.”
But he didn’t like it all the same. It still stung that she’d had sex with Liam at the wedding.
“So what does he want?” Del asked.
She sighed. “At the wedding, he told me he wouldn’t even
