The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,371

until he had her. And then he was content. Content to build a life with her. A life she seemed to progressively resist and resent.

He was beginning to feel like a yoke around her neck, not a partner to share her life with, and he was at a loss as to how to deal with it.

He told himself that Valentine’s Day wasn’t the day to address it. Then again, maybe it was. Blair hated anything and everything to do with Valentine’s Day. What better day to ask her if she was happy with their marriage?

Because above all else, Garrett wanted her to be happy.

Even if it wasn’t with him.

His phone rang and his heart leapt. Blair. But he felt like a fool when he saw it was his sister’s name on the screen instead.

“Hey, Kelsey.”

“What’s got you so down, little bro?”

“Who says I’m down?” he asked, stretching out his legs in the chair at the airport gate where he was sitting.

“Please, you sound like someone kicked your puppy.”

“I’m fine.”

“Never try to bullshit a bullshitter.”

He laughed as he sat up. “How’s the baby?”

“Nice change of subject.”

“Hey. What’s so wrong with Uncle Garrett asking about his favorite niece?”

“She’s your only niece. And Addie is perfect. Of course. She’s finally sleeping through the night.”

“You said you were going to change her daycare. Did you find one?”

“Damn,” she said. “You really don’t want to talk about what’s bugging you, huh?”

“I’m sure you had a reason for calling that was about something other than my personal issues.”

“And here I thought you were a narcissist.” She teased, but her voice had an edge.

“So what’s up?” Garrett asked. Since he’d gotten married and come back to Missouri, he’d begun talking to his sister more often, but they rarely talked during the day. “Why aren’t you at work? Is Addie sick?”

“No, Addie’s fine.”

“I know it can’t be you. You never call in sick.”

“No one’s sick, Garrett!”

While she could be cranky, something in her tone alerted Garrett that he wasn’t the only one who had issues. He had a feeling she had called about something important. But his sister was notorious for not sharing anything in her life. He would need to warm her up a bit first.

“Okay…what do you want to talk about?” he asked. “Can you believe that Mom made turkey and dressing casserole and tried to call it Christmas dinner? Thank God Nana Ruby was there to save the day.”

“I’m pregnant.”

He remained silent, unsure of the appropriate response. But she was silent too, making it glaringly obvious that she expected him to say something.

“Who’s the father?” he blurted out, then he cringed, waiting for her attack.

“Drake, of course. God, Garrett.” The tears in her voice softened her anger. “I just took a pregnancy test. Happy fucking Valentine’s Day to me.”

“I didn’t think you two were together.”

“It’s complicated.”

She’d been seeing Drake on and off again for three years. As far as Garrett was concerned, the only complication he could see was that she hadn’t cut him loose yet. “What do you want to do? You have options.”

“I don’t know.” She sniffed. “Yesterday I got offered a promotion. My timing sucks.”

“Your pregnancy should have no effect on your promotion, Kelsey, and if it does, we have legal recourse.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about. The job’s in Kansas City.”

He grinned. “That’s great. You’ll be closer to me.”

“Drake says he won’t move, and he claims I can’t take Addie from him.” She took a breath. “A new baby will only make everything worse. Why am I such an idiot?”

He wanted to go off about how worthless her boyfriend was, but he knew she’d hang up if he did, so he forced a short chuckle that sounded false to his ears. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

“No. And the fact you’re not answering shows me how much of an idiot I really am.”

“You’re not an idiot, Kelsey,” he said quietly.

“Then why do I keep going back to that man?”

“I don’t know. Do you love him?”

“I thought so, but this last year…honestly, I would have dumped his ass if not for Addie, but he kept telling me he wanted to be part of her life, throwing it in my face that I’d be depriving my daughter of a father if we aren’t together. And you and I had Dad…” Her voice trailed off. “I already fucked up getting pregnant as a single mother. I didn’t want to take Addie’s father from her.”

“Last we spoke, you said he was trying to