Baby Love(128)



When I got to our suite, Gina was already there stretched out across our bed on her stomach. She looked miserable.

"Gina what is it? What's wrong?"

"Tristan knows that I'm pregnant," she replied with obvious irritation.

"Hey, I did not say a word. I swear."

I sat down next to her on the bed.

"Yeah I know that you didn't. It is totally my own damn fault."

She clasped her hands behind her head, ruffling her spiky blond hair.

"What the hell happened?"

"Stupid me tossed that EPT stick into the trash can in our bathroom. I forgot what a total neat freak Tristan is. He was emptying our bathroom and bedroom trash cans to take down to the dumpster before we left to come here and happened to spot it."

"Holy shit. What did he say?"

"Oh - he is ecstatic! He wanted to know when I had planned on telling him the good news."

"What did you say?"

"I told him that he had ruined my New Year's surprise and acted all injured about it."

"So you are not going to tell Tristan there is a possibility that the baby is not his?"

Gina propped her hands up under chin and looked over at me.

"Would that make me a horrible person Ty? I mean come on it isn't as if the baby is going to be born with a British accent or anything? Besides the chances are only slim that Ian might be the father."

"Oh Gina I don't know. I think you owe it to Tristan to be honest about what happened. I mean it's not like you slept with Ian after you had already started a relationship with Tristan, right? I really think that he will understand."

"You are probably right Ty. But the thing is now he is going to wonder why I waited to tell him something this significant. It makes me look not only slutty but sleazy, too."

She started crying and I understood that she was struggling with this decision.

"Do you want me to talk to him Gina?"

"Oh God no, Ty. He can't know that you know."

"Why? He knows we are BFF's."

"Tristan is funny about some things. He is all pumped about making the announcement to the family."

"He's not going to do that this holiday?" I asked.

"I asked him to wait until after I saw my OB/GYN. I am so emotional; I don't know what I would do if Tristan walked out on me. I really love him Ty."

"Gina just relax and not stress out about it right now, okay? Now is not the time or the place for you to approach him on this anyway."

Secretly I so much wanted for just one of the Sinclair family holidays to not be interrupted by some sort of f*cked-up drama.

"Okay," she sniffed; "I will wait until we get back to Atlanta."

"Okay good. Just put this out of your mind and enjoy being with Tristan and his family for the next couple of days."

"I would like to go over and visit Aunt Becky; I do want to share this with her."

"I think that might be a good thing," I stated.

I knew her Aunt Becky would help her gain some perspective on this and console her in a motherly way. That was what Gina needed at the moment.





CHAPTER 52



After lunch I bundled Preston up and took her out to the horse barn to visit Derringer. I had brought some cut carrots with me. I held her on my hip and showed her how Derringer would eat the carrots from my hand. He chomped them noisily and then would nuzzle my closed hand when he wanted more. She was delighted watching me with Derringer. I brushed him one-handedly and she leaned in to pat him on his silky mane.

I kept repeating the word 'horsey' to her to see if she caught on to that word as quickly as she had to the others. So far, she had not rewarded me with her rendition of it. I wanted to walk up the trail to where the cottages were for some reason. Even though I had lived in one of them a little less than two years ago, it seemed like a different era to me.

I carried her with me up the trail pointing out the different cottages and who they belonged to as if she would know these people. Nothing had changed much. As I came up to the first cottage I had occupied I saw the door open and Mark came barreling out.

(Oh My God - Mark was still here!)

"Tylar?" he hollered loudly, hurrying up to me on the path.

"Damn I thought that was you when I looked out my window. Same sexy little saunter as always."

"Same flirtatious Mark I see," I teased.

"And who might this beautiful little angel be?"

"This is our daughter, "Preston Michaela Sinclair," I announced proudly.

Preston had her fingers in her mouth but when Mark looked down at her and smiled, she gave him a big dimpled grin.

"Look at those little teeth coming in," he said with a grin. "I bet she has some bite to her just like her mama."

"Yeah, right," I laughed.

"Seriously Tylar, she is the picture of you."

"Are you serious Mark? I think she is a female version of Trey truthfully."

He studied her for a moment.

"Well she has his eyes and coloring; but the rest is all you babe."

"Hey, not to change the subject," he started, "But I understand Derringer will be leaving here in a few weeks."

"Yes - our house is nearly finished complete with a horse barn and riding arena. We hope to board horses and I've decided to teach dressage."

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