Chapter One
The sudden knocking at the front door halted Lindsay in her tracks as she headed into the kitchen to grab a glass of water before bed. Making her way towards the sound, she looked through the peephole and felt a tiny nervous flutter in her stomach at the person she saw standing in the hallway. Taking a deep breath, she removed the security chain before releasing the locks and then opening the door. She was just about to ask him what he was doing there at such a late hour when he beat her to it and spoke first.
“Tell me again.”
“Danny, wh—”
“Tell me again,” he repeated.
Lindsay bit her lip, her gaze locked on his stormy blue eyes. She knew exactly what he was wanting her to tell him and she hesitated for a split-second before repeating the words she’d told him several hours earlier in the locker room at work. “I’m pregnant.”
As soon as she’d said the words, Danny took a step forward and fused his lips to her own; one hand cupping the back of her head while his free arm wrapped around her waist, holding her firmly to him.
She couldn’t help the whispered moan that escaped at the feel of him kissing her so soundly and sliding her arms up his chest, she twined them around his neck, her fingers playing with the short hairs at the nape.
Several moments later when the need for air had become an issue, Danny drew back from her, resting his forehead against Lindsay’s as he caught his breath. “I should’ve done that earlier,” he told her.
With a teasing glint in her eye, she quipped, “Well, considering I’d just thrown up it was probably better that you didn’t.”
“You really know how to spoil the mood,” he retorted, dropping a kiss onto the corner of her mouth before burying his face in the crook of her shoulder. As he breathed in her scent, his hold on her tightened that little bit more. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he mumbled against her skin. “I shouldn’t have walked away like that after you gave me Nicole Harris’ number.”
“It’s okay… we were at work so—”
“It’s not okay, Linds,” he interrupted as he straightened up and tucked a lock of her honey-brown hair behind her ear. Cradling the side of her face, he ran his thumb back and forth along her cheekbone. “And about not expectin’ anythin’ from me...”
“Danny,” Lindsay cut in. She tried to take a step back from him but he wasn’t having any of it and pulled her in even closer to his body.
“You should expect somethin’.” Running a hand through his already mussed hair, he looked at his girlfriend and seemed to notice for the first time just how tired and… defeated she looked. How could he have missed it?
“Let’s talk about this inside,” she told him, giving his fingers a little squeeze as she drew away from him and went to close the front door.
When she walked towards the kitchen, Danny followed, shrugging out of his jacket and draping it over one of the stools before leaning against the counter; his eyes roaming all over her petite form as she filled the kettle and grabbed a couple of mugs out of a cupboard. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he’d make their drinks but he knew her well enough to know she was wanting to keep busy while she mentally prepared herself for their upcoming conversation.
He didn’t fail to notice the slight tremor in her fingers as she spooned the cocoa powder into their mugs or the faint curse that fell from her lips when she spilled some onto the granite work surface and closing the short distance between them, he took the spoon from her and finished the job for her.
“Thanks,” Lindsay whispered.
“You’re welcome,” he said, turning to face her and taking both of her hands in his, he drew her towards him and enveloped her into another embrace.
“I-I’m sorry you had to find out like that,” she said, her words muffled as she buried her face into his chest.
Cupping her face between his palms, he couldn’t help asking, “If I hadn’t seen you at the health center today when were you going to tell me?”
Lindsay sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as her chocolate brown eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know. I was always going to tell you but… it never seemed like the right time and I… I, uh…”
“You what?” he prompted, gently wiping away a tear that rolled down her cheek with the pad of his thumb.
“I was worried about your reaction. I mean, we’re still getting back on track after… everything that happened and…” Lindsay let her words trail off and taking a breath, she simply added, “The timing could’ve been better, you know.”
“Don’t forget that ‘you know me’,” he said, using his fingers to make air quotes; unable to disguise the bitter tone that crept into his voice.
“I shouldn’t have said that. I just… I wasn’t expecting you to find out during a case or for us to be talking about it at work where anyone could overhear and—”
“It’s okay,” Danny interrupted. “I get it.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do,” he argued. “I’ve proved to you that I haven’t exactly been the best boyfriend and I don’t blame ya for not wantin’ to have me as your kid’s father so—”
“Are you kidding me?” she interjected, her mouth falling open in shock at what he’d just said. “You really think I don’t want you to be this baby’s father?” A sudden wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm her and quickly moving away from him, she made her way into the living room and sat down on the couch; closing her eyes and concentrating on taking long deep breaths in an attempt to stop herself from throwing up.
“Linds…”
Lindsay felt him take a seat beside her and a second later she felt his large hand rubbing up and down her back. Fresh tears pricked her eyes. When he wrapped his arm around her, she instinctively leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head. “Do you want me to get you anything? Some water or, uh… ginger ale?”
She shook her head. Reaching over for his free hand, she placed it over her stomach where their unborn child lay. “The timing of this might be off, Danny, but I am not sorry that you’re our baby’s father.” Looking up at him, she saw the shimmer of tears in his own eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
“I’m scared,” he confessed.
A bubble of laughter escaped her. “And you think I’m not?”
Smiling at her, Danny lowered his head and softly kissed her lips, his hand lightly rubbing her tummy as he did so. “How are you feeling?” he asked a few moments later when the kiss had ended.
“Tired,” Lindsay replied. “I’ve been having quite a few early nights lately.”
“So you weren’t just ignoring my calls, then?”
“No… well, maybe one or two of them,” she admitted. “I just needed some more time before I told you.”
“You still want that mug of cocoa?”
“I think I’ll pass since I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep it down right now.” Glancing across at the clock on the mantel, she said, “It’s, uh, getting late so I should probably get to bed.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. “You’re on the late shift tomorrow, right?”
“Uh huh.”
“Same here.” Rising from the couch, Danny ran a hand through his hair and watched as Lindsay got up, too. “I’d better go so—”
Pushing herself up onto her toes, Lindsay pressed her mouth against his and held it there for a moment before retreating. “Stay.”
He didn’t need any further invitation and he nodded, a smile curving his lips. “Okay.”
Interlacing their fingers, she led him down the hallway to her bedroom and once inside, she reluctantly released his hand so she could climb into bed. Before his arrival, Lindsay had already gotten changed into her sleepwear which consisted of a pair of blue plaid pyjama pants and an old, worn T-shirt of Danny’s which she’d claimed as her own several months ago. As she made herself comfortable on her side of the bed, she surreptitiously watched as he stripped down to his boxers and his white tank top.
Getting into bed, Danny curled his body around Lindsay’s, the flat of his palm resting against the soft curve of her stomach. “I’m scared as hell, Linds,” he whispered into her ear, “but I’m not sorry this happened.”
She could feel the weight that had been pressing her down for the past few weeks slowly begin to lessen and covering his hand with her own, she squeezed it lightly as she replied, “I’m not sorry either.”