Page 35 of Hometown Cowboy
Oh no. He thinks I’m sick.
She stepped forward and held up her hand and tried to smile. “No, Max! Don’t panic, it’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think so. I’m not sick.”
The relief in his eyes was palpable. “You scared me for a moment there, kiddo.”
Darby faced the rest of her family and drew her shoulders back. Whatever comments she would face, she’d take them head-on, no matter what they were.
“I’ll get to the point. I was seeing someone for a little while and this morning I found out that I’m pregnant. It is unexpected, but not unwanted. So, yes, I’m keeping it and that part of the issue is not up for debate. If I have your support—thank you, I believe I’ll probably need it. If I don’t, well, I’m sorry for that but it won’t change my mind.”
Emma bounced on the chair next to her husband, her hands over her mouth, her eyes shining with happiness.
The silence in the wake of her words dissipated as voices erupted all at once, questions and comments and shocked faces surrounding her.
Darby tried not to look at anyone other than Emma. At least even if everyone else fell apart on her, she knew she could count on Emma’s support. It was emblazoned all over her radiant face.
Emma leaned forward, a sudden frown marring her forehead. “Wait, you saidwasseeing someone. What do you mean, was?”
Darby wasn’t prepared for the acute stab of pain Emma’s question induced. She breathed through it and tried to smile at her friend.
“It’s over,” she whispered.
Emma’s face fell, mirroring her own misery. “I’m so sorry, Darb.”
Darby wiped at the tears that blurred her eyes. Her mother’s arms came around her shoulders, warmth flowing into her. She turned her face into her shoulder and breathed deep.
“You know you don’t even have to ask for our support, dearest daughter. It will always be there.”
Darby nodded and bit her wobbly lip. Shewouldbe strong in front of her brothers, even if it killed her.
“Who do I have to beat the hell out of? Who was stupid enough to be so negligent with my little sister?”
Simon moved into her line of vision.
“No one, Si. You’re not beating anyone up. It wasn’t just him. Itdoestake two, you know.”
Max stood and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking worried. “Did he dump you because you’re pregnant?”
Darby shook her head. She could see his mind going at a hundred miles a minute, trying to piece it all together. She knew he’d figured out she’d been seeing Ryan. He’d said as much the night she went to the Cow. He looked like he was trying to decide if he should be angry or happy.
“No. Quite the opposite, actually. He didn’t dump me. He didn’t leave me. He didn’t do anything wrong. It wasme. It’s complicated.”
“I don’t understand,” Max said softly. Concern radiated from him. Darby wanted to fold herself up in it, let her oldest brother comfort her and take care of her, even if only for a moment. It was a fantasy she’d have to forgo.
Gabe stood from beside Emma. Hard eyes stared at her. “You know you have all of our support, that’s a given, but there’s one thing missing from all this. Who’s the father, Darb?”
Oh, crap. Here it goes.
She knew they’d ask, knew Gabe in particular would be wanting to know. From the expression on his face it looked like he’d already put two and two together and was simply waiting for confirmation.
“Ryan.”
Gabe’s face flushed and his eyes glittered. He stepped up to her and grabbed her shoulders. “That sleazy bastard.”
“Gabe, it’s not like that. He didn’t do anything wrong!”
“How can you say that? The idiot got youpregnant! You’d think after all this time and all the messing around he’s done he would’ve figuredthatone out.”
The bottom dropped out of Darby’s gut. Yes, Ryan was a flirt, and had probably dated every eligible woman in a hundred-kilometre radius, but he was never sleazy and he wasn’t a cheater.