Unfinished Ex (Calloway Brothers, #2)(74)

Jaxon and Heisman vie for position on my stomach. I don’t mind at all. Heisman’s intrusiveness lets me know I’m still pregnant, which offers me reassurance.

“Do you think we should rent him out?” I ask when Jaxon nudges Heisman away to get more room. “You know, as a pregnancy test?”

He chuckles and kisses my stomach, something he’s done daily since the day I peed on the stick two weeks ago. “Hell no, he’s our own baby barometer. Is it strange that I want him to keep doing it?

Like if he doesn’t, something might be wrong?”

I run my fingers through his hair. “I was thinking the exact same thing.”

My phone chimes with an email. When I see who it’s from, I stiffen.

“What is it?” Jaxon asks. He scoots up next to me and reads it over my shoulder. “Who’s Harold Lynchburg?”

As I get further into the email, my heart races steadily. “He’s a producer at WYTV in Detroit.

They’re an NBC affiliate.” I put the phone down and squeal. “NBC, Jaxon. And Detroit is a huge market. They want me to fly out there next Monday.”

“They’re offering you a job?”

“Not technically. But an invite like this implies they will be.”

He sighs and leans back. “They want to grab you before the networks start fighting over you.”

“No one is going to fight over me.”

“Nicky, you’ve shown me the ratings and the fan mail. Everyone is going to want you.”

I run a hand along my belly. “It’s hard to even think about that right now.”

“Will you go?”

“Would you be mad if I did?”

“I swore I wouldn’t be upset when the time came. I knew you being here was temporary. And even though the stakes have changed, like, big time, I’d be a fool to stand in your way. We aren’t going to end up like we did two years ago. I’ll quit coaching if I have to so I can fly to you every weekend. It’ll be hard as hell to be away from you and the baby for a day, let alone a week, but I told you we’re going to make this happen. No matter what.”

“You’re not going to quit coaching. You love it. And you quitting would put a strain on us someday. We’ll just have to figure out a way to achieve our career goals and our family ones.”

He climbs on top of me and gives me a kiss. “We’ll do whatever it takes.”

It’s been weeks since we found out about the baby. I half expected him to propose. Then again, maybe he’s waiting to see what happens. Will our relationship survive if this baby doesn’t?

We haven’t talked about the baby much. There’s been no planning. No online shopping. No dreaming up names. We’re both scared. Maybe talking about it would make us become more attached.

But I’m already attached. And losing this baby would be even more devastating this time because I’ve wanted it since the second I took the test.

Heisman jumps up next to us and licks my arm. “Someone needs to go out,” I say.

Jaxon springs out of bed. “I’ll do it. Then I’ll make breakfast while you shower.”

Fifteen minutes later, while wrapped in a towel, I go out in search of my one cup of morning coffee. Because some things you just can’t give up. I hesitate when I hear Calista’s voice. I round the corner, not caring what I’m wearing, and stop cold when I see her shirt up, flaunting her small bump.

Jaxon sees me and takes two steps away from her. Guilt crosses his face even though he was doing nothing wrong. “She thought she felt the baby move.”

“It’s too early,” I say.

Calista narrows her eyes. “How would you know?”

“Seriously, Calista,” Jaxon says, stepping to my side. “Do you have to be so goddamn insensitive?”

She at least has the decency to look guilty. “Right. Sorry. I forgot you had a miscarriage. But I really did think I felt a kick. It could happen any day now.”

I try not to let jealousy consume me. She gets to enjoy her pregnancy, and I have to sit here and take it all in like a kid eating her most hated vegetables. We can’t even tell her I’m pregnant. We can’t tell anyone—not yet and not for a long time.

Calista gets out a glass and pours herself a cup of milk like this is her kitchen and not mine. It is mine. I’ve been living here for two weeks now.

Jaxon looks at me and rolls his eyes. He doesn’t want her here either. I get it. He doesn’t want her, that I’m sure of, but he’s going to be nice to her for the sake of the baby. The last thing he needs is to end up in a custody battle. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. So I bottle up my feelings and pretend to go along with it.

“I’m going to get dressed,” I say.

“Lucky,” Calista murmurs just loud enough for me to hear. “Most of my clothes are getting way too tight.”

I touch my stomach, praying I’ll be able to say the same thing in a few weeks’ time.

When I return to the kitchen, Jaxon doesn’t seem happy. But at least Calista is gone. “She wants to start telling people soon.”

I plop down into the chair next to him. “She’s in the second trimester. It makes sense.”

“I would rather she wait until we can announce our own news.”