Up to Date (Better Date than Never Book 8) (12 page)

Staring at her hand cupping her belly, it suddenly clicked. “Are you pregnant?”

Her eyes popped open, and she thrust her index finger over lips. “Shh,” she managed, then reached for a chair to steady herself. “Four weeks. But I’m not telling everyone until twelve so this is just between us. And Ethan, of course.”

“Oh, wow.” My face broke into a smile, and I clasped my hands together. “Congratulations. That’s so exciting.”

A buzzer went off across the room, then I was called for photos, and five of us diapered beauties said cheese for the photographer Rach had hired.

Rach’s apartment had been transformed into a sea of blue and white balloons, crepe paper, tablecloths—the works. For a woman who’d been stressed the last two weeks, she’d sure pulled off a lovely baby shower.

After another shower game involving blue string and measuring Ellen’s protruding belly, I finally got a moment alone with the mother-to-be. She scooped up a piece of carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, then bit into the blue wheel of a frosting baby carriage.

She pushed out her bottom lip. “I was sorry to hear you got laid off.”

“Yeah, not a moment for the photo album.” I dipped my fork into the moist cake, then popped a chunk in my mouth. “I’m actually starting my own decorating business, though. I got my first client from Jill’s charity auction.”

“Ginger’s decorating taste is top notch.” Kristen plopped down on the couch beside us. “I’m going to hire her to decorate my nursery before the baby comes.” Kristen’s eyes bulged as she seemed to realize what had just slipped out.

Ellen squealed. “You’re pregnant?”

“Shh.” Kristen waved her hand, then made a face like the nausea was hitting her again. “We’re not telling anyone yet. Although, I’m having a problem keeping it a secret today.”

“So exciting.” Ellen’s smile radiated at Kristen, then she turned to me. “I hear Kaitlin set you up with a great guy at Jill’s auction. Maybe you’ll be next.”

All kinds of pain speared through me at her words. My gaze dropped to her belly, and I realized that would never be me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Actually, I only had one date with Trenton. Kaitlin thought he’d be right for me, but I just didn’t feel it.”

Ellen rubbed her big baby bump. “Well, you’d know if it felt right. Believe me. The first time I saw Henry I felt like I’d been struck by lightening. It stills feels that way sometimes. Not when he leaves his dirty socks balled up on the floor of the living room, though.”

Kristen laughed. “Ethan’s pristine, thank goodness. All of our dirty clothes go in the hamper.”

I wanted to chime in that Greg decorated the floor of his room with his dirty clothes, discarding them haphazardly, then leaving them there to age. A few times, I’d picked them up and put them in the hamper myself. But I couldn’t tell them that, of course.

“There he goes again.” Ellen rubbed her tummy. “Every time I sit down to relax, it’s somersault time. I might have to enroll this little guy in gymnastics.”

“Oh!” Kristen’s face lit up. “Can I feel?”

Biting my lip, I watched in fascination as Ellen pressed Kristen’s hand against her belly. Kristen was normally so reserved, and it warmed my heart seeing her emotional like this. “So amazing. That little life inside you,” Kristen muttered.

“And you.” Ellen smiled, then turned to me. “You want to feel?”

“Sure.” I hesitated, then let her guide my hand to the left side of her belly, where she held my palm still against her silk blouse. I waited, studying the tiny rose blossoms on her shirt, but nothing happened. It was like he sensed I didn’t want kids and wasn’t going to perform for me. Just when I was about to pull away, a tiny force bopped against my palm. My eyes widened in surprise. Then he bumped again. Overwhelmed, my vision blurred, knowing I’d never feel that inside me. I whipped my hand away. “He’s precious,” I told Ellen, then made an excuse to leave the room.

My eyes burned as I hurried to Rachel’s bedroom, then threw the door shut. I gripped the sides of my head as the door sprang open behind me.

Kristen slipped in. “What’s going on?”

Tears slid down my cheeks. “Did Ellen notice? I don’t want to ruin her shower.”

She shook her head. “No, Rach has her opening gifts now. She’s fine. What’s wrong?”

“I’ve made a huge mistake.” I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes, then dropped back on Rachel’s bed. “I’m in love with my neighbor. But it’s hopeless.”

As soon as I said it, I immediately pictured a life with Greg. The two of us going for a run at sunset before he left for his graveyard shift. Me, in the quiet house at night painting bright colorful works of art for my clients. A girl in the backyard, swinging a hula hoop around her waist. A boy playing hopscotch next to her, his gap-toothed smile wide, his almond-eyes sparkling. I could see laughter, love, and family. Greg had been right, and I’d blown it.

Kristen gave me a strange look. “Why is it hopeless? Is your neighbor married?”

“No.” I scoffed, staring up at the ceiling.

She sat down next to me. “Is he elderly?”

“Of course not,” I sniffed, swiping underneath my eyes with the back of my hand. “He’s sweet and supportive and an
amazing
kisser.” Don’t ask me why I felt the need to add that last part. “But he wants a big family and I thought I didn’t want kids, but now . . .”

“You realize you were just scared.” Her mouth curved upward. “Since you mentioned the kissing thing, maybe he’s in love with you, too. Why don’t you tell him how you feel?”

I swallowed. “He told me I could only push him away so many times before it would be too late. What if he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”

Kristen put a hand on my arm. “Only one way to find out.”

****

That night, terrified out of my mind, I climbed upstairs to Greg’s unit. This time I wasn’t going upstairs to decorate. I was going up to date—if he accepted my apology. If not, I was going up to get my heart ripped to shreds. Not a happy proposition.

Holding my breath, I knocked on the door.

I heard rustling inside, then moments later, the door swung open. Greg wore black shorts, a tee shirt, and his brown hair was tousled. His brows shot up as if he were shocked to see me. I wasn’t sure if I should take that as a bad sign, but it sure didn’t seem like a good one.

I squeezed the handle of the bag I was holding, bracing myself. “Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” He glanced down at the brown paper sack with a curious stare. “Did you forget something?”

My heart squeezed. Definitely not a good sign. But he’d said I wasn’t a coward, so now I had to prove that to myself. “I need to talk to you. May I come in?”

He glanced behind him, as if he had a guest, then he turned back to me. “You’re the boss.”

Okay, that seemed like a good sign. One point for me. But even though I’d been trying to keep track, I wasn’t sure what the score was. Setting the bag down, I decided to just open up and say what was in my heart. Here went nothing.

I watched him close the door, then inhaled deeply. “You said I was wrong about not wanting a family, and I didn’t believe you. But I went to a baby shower today and the future was all I could think about. For the first time in my life, I could see myself having kids, building a family.”

He stood very still, his body rigid. “What changed?”

“I met you.” I stepped toward him and he didn’t back away, so I went on. “I saw my friend’s excitement over starting a family with the man she loves. And for the first time, I wanted that, too.” I bit my bottom lip. “So, I want to date you.”

His lips twitched. “You’re asking me out?”

Holding my breath, I nodded. “Yes.”

“I don’t know.” He stepped forward, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “I’ve been rejected by you a lot. My ego’s pretty fragile. How do I know you won’t run from me again?”

“The bag,” I blurted, remembering I’d brought evidence of my commitment. Squatting down, I reached into the brown bag, and pulled out a cardboard box with holes punched across the top. “This will prove that I’ve changed, that I can let something, and
someone
into my life.”

“Now you’ve got me curious.” He sat down next to me on the area rug, his eyes dancing as his arm brushed against mine. “Show me.”

Mew! Mew!
I opened the box and pulled out the white kitten I’d picked up from the animal shelter. “Greg, I’d like to introduce you to The Professor.”

“The Skipper and The Professor?” His eyes went wide. “Um . . .”

Okay, not the response I’d been hoping for. I lifted the soft kitty, who rubbed his nose against my palm. “Don’t worry, he’s mine. I got him as a playmate for the The Skipper. You don’t like him?”

“It’s not that—”

Mew! Mew!
As if he sensed we were talking about him, The Skipper pranced in, eyeing his new friend suspiciously. Then, I blinked, figuring I had to be imagining things, because an orange kitten trotted in behind The Skipper.
Mew!

“Looks like we had the same idea.” Greg lifted the orange kitty and dropped him in my lap. “I’d like you to meet Gilligan. I got him for you.”

“Really? He’s adorable.” My stomach fluttered as the kitty batted his paw against my foot. Since Greg had named the kitten after the main character from
Gilligan’s Island
, that must mean he wasn’t done with me. I bit my lip, needing to know for sure. “I have to tell you something else.”

His eyes connected with mine. “You can tell me anything.”

I sucked in a deep breath. “Remember when you told me that I take a house and make it a home, by filling it with color and life?”

He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear, and nodded. “I do.”

“Well . . . that’s what you do for me.” I brushed my fingers across his cheek like he’d done to me so many times. “When I’m with you, it feels like I’m home.”

“Yes, I’ll date you.” He cupped my face in his hands. “Sunshine, you’re finally seeing things clearly.”

Then he kissed me.

Epilogue

Two weeks later. . . .

After spending the afternoon shopping with my new client, who had been referred by Jenna McCoy, I arrived home to find my door locked. As I used my key and slid the bolt free, my mouth curved upward. My new roommate, Melinda Morgan, apparently valued safety too. It felt like the beginning of a new era.

I didn’t know Melinda well, but we’d both received the boot from Woodward Systems Corporation, so I figured we’d eventually bond over our shared rejection. She was working a temporary job right now, and didn’t usually come home until late. So far, she’d kept to herself, giving me plenty of space to work quietly at my desk in my room.

Mary Ann had moved in with her friend, and lived only five minutes away. She’d already stopped by to raid my refrigerator twice. Gotta love her.

Seconds after I shut the front door behind me, there was a
knock-knock-knock
.

I checked the peephole and found almond-brown eyes staring back at me. I pulled the door open. “Spying on me, neighbor?”

“As often as I can.” Greg brushed his lips across mine, then strode in, waving the magazine he held. “
Sacramento Living
, hot off the press.”

My heart rate sped up. “And?”

“We’ll find out together.” He shut the door, then dropped onto the couch. He slipped his arm around me as I scooted next to him, then he proceeded to read Jenna’s six-page article highlighting
Founding Friendships
and raving about Up to Date by Ginger Nielsen. And the glossy “before” and “after” photos were phenomenal. Squeal!

When Greg got to the last few lines of the flattering article, he smiled and read them aloud. “In addition to Ginger’s generous donation, this is what her client had to say about her:
Ginger’s talent transformed my home, and her heart changed my life. Working with Ginger is like opening your world up to the sunshine of endless possibilities
.”

My eyes watered, and my chest filled with joy.

“Greg . . .” I started, but there were no words for what I was feeling. So, instead of trying to explain what his words meant to me, I tilted my head up and pressed my mouth to his. “You’re wonderful.”

And he was mine.

“Remind me to read to you more often,” he joked as he closed the magazine then squinted at the couple on the cover. “Isn’t this your blind date from the auction?”

“Huh?” My gaze dropped to the cover photo of Trenton Davis on the red carpet with glamorous supermodel Rochelle Richards. The headline read “Engaged!” I couldn’t help but smile. Trenton had finally figured what was important. Just like I had. “I
knew
he was still in love with her.”

He dropped the magazine, then twisted toward me. “How was your day at work?”

“Amazing.” I smiled, colorful curtains dancing through my head. Then I remembered the phone call I’d received. I took a deep breath. “My mom called this afternoon.”

A line formed between his brows. “Don’t tell me she’s pushing the office jobs on you again?”

“No.” I shook my head, my throat tightening. “She called to tell me that my dad checked into a rehab facility today. Not ‘promised to go,’ but actually checked into a thirty-day program. That’s a first for him.”

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “How do you feel?”

I bit my lip, then glanced at the painting I’d made the last time he’d promised to go to rehab. The white swirls seemed to smile at me and the yellow arc leapt across the sapphire blue background. But the future . . . who knew? “I love my dad. And I’m here for him. So, I’ll be hopeful.”

Greg’s brown eyes sparkled, and his mouth curved up. “I love you, Sunshine.”

“I love you, too,” I said, then kissed him with all of my heart and soul.

And I knew, without a doubt, that no matter what life threw my way the sun would rise tomorrow with the promise of a new day.