Broken Hart (A Cross Creek Small Town Novel #1) - Kelly Collins Page 0,16
he loved me.” The words left my mouth in a whisper, and I glanced up, trying to hold back my tears. So many times, I wanted to pick up the phone to call my best friend Melanie, but I wasn’t ready for advice. Friends and mothers couldn’t help themselves; they wanted to try to fix things, but Max … he would just listen, and I needed his ears.
“Oh, sweetie.” He pulled me in for another hug, and I held on this time. Grateful for the comfort, I squeezed my eyes closed and let it all slip out.
“The second he found out I was pregnant, he moved on with another woman.” A beautiful woman who was younger and the next big thing. Was Noah right? Had Anthony been a predator all along? The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.
Max pulled back and smiled down at me. It was a grin so big I could see every tooth in his mouth and couldn’t hold back the slight tug at the corners of my lips. I wiped away my embarrassing tears. Gosh, I was such a mess lately.
“It’s his loss, and he’ll have no idea how big that will be until it’s too late to fix.”
“There’s no fixing this.” I patted my stomach. “Is it wrong that I’m not telling anyone?”
He shifted, touching his chin with one hand. “It depends on why you aren’t telling anyone.”
I lowered my head and stared at the pavement beneath my feet. Sighing, I tried to keep my voice even and calm, though it wobbled at the edges. “I’m ashamed. Ashamed that he left me knowing I was pregnant and that I’m going to be a single mom. Ashamed that I didn’t have what it took to keep him interested. I believed he loved me, so mostly I’m ashamed of my ignorance.” There was no way he could have loved me but then dump me once he found out I was having his baby. Worse yet, he moved on within minutes. Minutes! I meant nothing to him. I was just another pretty face in a whole line of beautiful faces. I should have known better.
“There’s no need to be ashamed. This is the twenty-first century.” His kind smile lifted my spirits. “I’m pretty sure it’s in style nowadays to be a single mom. I saw a show about it on TV.”
Not exactly the yardstick I wanted to measure my life by, but I appreciated his perspective. He was right though; the stigma of being a single mom was not as bad as it had been in the past.
“I had everything, and I lost it,” I whispered. It felt good to be honest and open up to someone. I rubbed my stomach. “But I’m actually kind of excited.”
“I’m glad. What excites you the most?” He leaned against my mailbox and planted an elbow on top while focusing on me like I was the only person in the world.
I couldn’t hold back a smile. “I’m excited to be a mom. Even though I’m afraid to do it alone, I’m looking forward to the experience. I may have failed in my life, but I won’t fail him or her.”
“You’re strong and capable, and you’ll be a wonderful mom.” He patted my shoulder. “I’m glad you’re home.”
I nodded. “I’m happy to be here.” Noah’s face filled my mind. Our conversation echoed in my brain, and I sucked in a sharp breath. You know, all my best memories are here with you. It’s strange coming back to find out that you hate me. I could see the glacial chill in his eyes as he responded. Do you blame me? “Well, mostly happy, at least.”
“Uh-oh, that doesn’t sound positive.” Max crossed his arms and widened his stance as a light breeze kicked up. “What happened?”
I touched my hair, remembering I’d just put it up quickly, and I must look a mess. “Well, Noah hates me.”
Max snorted. “He doesn’t hate you. The man’s still in love with you. You just need him to pull his head out of his backside and figure it out.”
Stunned, I stared at Max. “But … he said he hated me.”
Max’s brows shot up far enough to hide under his sweep of bangs. “He told you he hated you?”
I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, tugging at a loose thread. “Not exactly. I said it was strange to come back to him hating me, and he asked if I blamed him.” I peered up and watched