Love in the Light (Hearts in Darkness, #2)(49)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE



Makenna left her four-month check-up and knew the time had come—she had to tell Caden about the baby. The ultrasound appointment was in two weeks, and there was no reason to keep putting the conversation off, except that she was nervous as hell about doing it.

Driving through the early evening darkness, Makenna made her way to Caden’s house. This conversation couldn’t happen by phone or text or email. She had to do it face to face—not just because it was the right way to go about it, but because she needed to see Caden. To see how he was. To see how he reacted to the news. She just needed to see him.

Because Caden Grayson was an ache inside her that wouldn’t go away.

She pulled into his cul-de-sac to find his house dark and his parking place empty. Echoing the trip she’d made over a month ago, she drove to the little firehouse on the other side of Fairlington—but this time she found his Jeep.

He’d gone back to work.

Makenna’s chest swelled with emotion. If he’d gone back, that must mean he was okay, and that made her happy. But the fact that he’d gone back to work—but not come back to her—really must mean that whatever sliver of hope she’d been holding out for them was completely pointless.

If he was going to come back, he’d have done it.

At least, now she knew.

Anyway, that’s not what telling him about the baby was about. More than that, she didn’t want Caden back if the baby was the only reason he wanted to be in her life. So. Fine.

As she parked her car along the curb, the clock on the dash said that it was nearly 5:30. His shift probably ended at seven tonight or seven tomorrow morning, depending on the schedule—the firehouse had an overlapping shift system to ensure they were always staffed and could give the guys adequate days off after working twenty-four hours at a time. Which meant she could either go in there and talk to him. Or she could wait.

After waiting two months, she would’ve thought the idea of a few more hours would’ve been nothing. But knowing Caden was just across the street in that building—so close—after all this time apart nearly had Makenna crawling out of her skin.

She’d given him time and space. Just like he’d asked. Now she was done with that. This baby was coming whether either of them was ready or not.

Without letting herself overthink it any further, Makenna shut off the car and got out. Flurries whirled around her, and she ducked her head against the freezing wind and zipped her thick coat up to her neck.

On a nice day, the guys often had the doors to the bays open, their trucks on display. But those doors were closed up tight against this weather, so Makenna headed to the office door on the side. Belly going for a loop-the-loop, she let herself into the reception area, setting off a buzzer. No one stood behind the counter.

After a few seconds, a young guy she didn’t know came in from the back. “Can I help you?”

“Hi,” she said. “Is Caden Grayson here?”

“Grayson? Yeah.” He gave her an appraising look that rushed heat into her cheeks. “I’ll get him.

The guy disappeared into the hallway beyond. “Grayson!” he yelled, making Makenna’s cheeks burn a little hotter. “Visitor.”

Makenna stuffed her hands in her pockets and blew out a shaky breath.

An exchange of words down the hall caught her ear—because she heard Caden’s voice. Hearing it was a relief and a heartache. She braced in anticipation of seeing him walk through the door.

And then he did.

Be strong, Makenna.

“Hi,” she said, drinking him in with her eyes. He looked…so f*cking good. Gorgeous, as always, with that strong jaw and that masculine face and those broad shoulders. He was a little thinner, but the dark circles were nearly gone from beneath his eyes and everything about him seemed…lighter somehow. Like he stood taller, moved easier.

“Makenna, what are you doing here? Are you okay?” he asked, coming around the counter to her. He stopped an arm’s length away.

“I’m sorry to bother you at work, but I—”

“No, I’m sorry.” He rubbed his hand over the scar on his head. “I didn’t mean it that way. Just surprised, is all.”

“I know. I was hoping we could talk for a minute. It shouldn’t take long,” she said. Well, actually, it was going to take the next eighteen years, at least. But what needed to happen just then shouldn’t take long.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, of course,” he said. “Come inside with me?”

Her heart squeezed as a little voice inside her said, I’d follow you anywhere, Caden. Don’t you know that? But all she said was, “Sure.”

She followed him around the counter, a ridiculous little thrill fluttering through her when their arms brushed as they walked down the white cinder-block hall.

For some reason, that sensation made her think of the first time she ever touched him. That night they were trapped in the elevator. After maybe two hours, they’d both gotten hungry and shared two snacks and a bottle of water that Makenna had in her bag. Because they couldn’t see one another to hand off the water, they’d slid it back and forth across the floor until they encountered the other person’s hand. By then, she’d already learned just how much they had in common and become intrigued by Caden, and those little touches from a man she’d talked to but never seen had been thrilling.