The Bookstore on the Beach - Brenda Novak Page 0,105
of the love he had for his mother than his father. She wanted to be the only woman in his life.
He squeezed his mother’s hand and moved to make room for the others as they settled in for the show.
Autumn sat next to him, but Quinn was careful not to even hold her hand. He wanted this to be a comfortable, friendly gathering, which was why he’d included his parents. He figured both families would enjoy it, and the atmosphere of the large group would be less threatening to Autumn’s kids.
Because of the morning he’d spent with Caden on the beach, he felt as though he’d already connected with her son to a certain degree. Familiarity helped ease the awkwardness of their current situation, but he caught Taylor watching him every few minutes as though she didn’t know what to make of him. Although he went out of his way to try to draw her out, she didn’t seem to warm up to him.
After the fireworks were over, they visited with his folks for a few minutes longer. Then he walked Autumn and her family over to a vendor at the edge of the beach, where he bought them each a snow cone to help battle the heat. While they ate, he carried his folks’ blanket and picnic basket to the car.
He was just weaving through the parking lot and the mass of people who were heading home, trying to get back to where he’d left his parents on the beach, so he could help his father get his mother to the car, when he spotted Taylor. She looked anxious as she searched the lot. He assumed she was looking for a friend. But as soon as she saw him, her face cleared, and she started toward him with purpose.
Surprised that she would seek him out, especially when she’d been so guarded all evening, he smiled as soon as she reached him. “Hi. Are you all done with your snow cone?”
“Not yet. I told everyone I had to go to the bathroom, but...really I just wanted to talk to you.”
He tried not to reveal his shock. “Sure thing. About what?”
She folded her arms tightly. “It’s about what Caden told you.”
Now he understood why she’d wanted a moment alone. But it was still a bold move. Were they really going to talk about this?
He lowered his voice. “You mean...the baby.”
She stared at her feet. “Yes.”
“Since we’re having this discussion out here, I’m guessing you haven’t told your mother or your grandmother about the pregnancy.”
She kicked a pebble across the blacktop. “No. I don’t want to ruin the rest of the summer. It’s my last six weeks of...you know...of being who I’ve always been. Besides, why humiliate myself in Sable Beach and Tampa, especially if I have a choice?”
Everything was going to change in a big way, and she knew it. He couldn’t blame her for trying to hang on to the life she had for a little longer. “I understand. So...are you here to ask me not to tell your mother?”
“Yes.”
He scratched his neck. He wished Caden had never confided in him. He didn’t want to be in the middle of this. But he couldn’t see how allowing Taylor six weeks in which to break the news to her mother would make much of a difference. “Is it dangerous for you not to see a doctor right away?”
“No. I’ve looked it up online. I’ll only be three months when we go back to Tampa. There’s nothing a doctor can do for me at this stage, anyway—except tell me I’m pregnant, and I already know that.”
Reluctant to keep this kind of secret from Autumn, he hesitated. He hated to see what would happen if she found out. But maybe he was making too big a deal out of it. After all, there was a risk involved in telling her, too. Alienating her children right from the start would also make their relationship more difficult—and might do irreparable damage to his relationships with Taylor and Caden. And if it was only for a few weeks, this probably wouldn’t amount to anything. Besides, he didn’t feel as though he had the right to get involved in something so private. “As long as waiting doesn’t endanger you or the baby, I’d rather stay out of it.”
She looked relieved. “You’ll let me tell her?”
“Sure. It’s not my place. I get that. But I need you to do me a favor, too.”
Instantly suspicious, her expression darkened. “What’s