Broken Hart (A Cross Creek Small Town Novel #1) - Kelly Collins Page 0,39

urge to smooth over an awkward moment filled me. “I know you love them, but I didn’t see onions or garlic.”

She blinked as if she had no idea how to respond. Instead, she lifted the fork and took a bite. With a thoughtful expression, she chewed and flashed me a quick smile. Everything about the moment felt wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on why.

“It’s so good,” she said, but I saw she was struggling to swallow.

“If it’s not, that’s okay, you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t want to eat it.” Something was going on, but she didn’t seem eager to level with me and tell me what it was.

“I noticed your shot glass rack,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood. I gestured to the device, and her gaze flicked toward it, and then swept back to me. “I’m not sure if we need to talk about your drinking problem or buy you glasses to fill it.”

A second passed, then she let out a nervous laugh.

I tried to figure out what I was missing, but she avoided my eyes, put her fork down, and picked up her coffee.

“It’s hot,” I warned again, but she took a quick sip anyway. She smiled through gritted teeth.

“Yep, too hot.” She exhaled and set the mug back down next to her plate. “Might need a new tongue.”

“I burned mine too,” I said with a smile.

She stared through me, deep in thought. I promised myself I’d get to the bottom of this.

Chapter Sixteen

Kandra

Sucking in a slow breath between my teeth, I tried to cool off my scalding tongue. The liquid lava stung all the way down my throat until it hit my violently roiling belly. I tried to stare past my confusion and guilt and swallow the pain, but it was no use. Blinking away tears, I needed to figure out how to survive the moment.

Noah had made me breakfast and a delicious breakfast at that. The guy could cook, but my stomach was always tied up in knots first thing in the morning. I’d given up big morning meals in favor of dry toast and water, but he didn’t know that because I stupidly hadn’t told him I was pregnant. Any other time, I’d appreciate this sweet gesture, but as he sat there and smiled at me, I flashed him a grin and tried to figure a way out of this mess.

His hand covered mine on the table, and I glanced down at the touch, then back up to meet his suddenly worried expression. “Is everything all right? You seem off this morning.”

I wanted nothing more than to tell him the whole truth, but as my mouth flooded with saliva, I knew if I opened it, my insides would purge. Swallowing hard, I reasoned with my body that it was just an omelet, no reason to freak out. Not that reasoning with morning sickness had ever worked in the past because it hadn’t.

My hands started to shake, and my stomach turned wildly. I begged my body not to get sick. Just one day off, I just needed one day without throwing up. I hadn’t thought about the potential of this happening last night. What happened between us was incredible and beautiful, but I hadn’t even considered what might happen this morning when we woke up. Of course, he wouldn’t sneak out. That’s not the kind of guy Noah was.

“You’re shaking.” The concern in his voice covered me like a warm blanket as the sickness eased.

“That coffee sure is hot,” I said, trying to cover for everything. Something in me screamed to tell him the truth, but I wasn’t sure I could say the words and keep my stomach in check.

Noah nodded, but his troubled expression didn’t change as he studied my face.

Where did I start? The lack of onions and garlic because both made me so sick I couldn’t eat if they were even in the house? The shot glass rack that was actually a drying rack for baby bottles? How did I explain myself?

Oh, yeah, so I didn’t tell you that I’m pregnant with my ex’s baby, but thanks for the wonderful sex, and that’s not a shot glass rack, it’s for baby bottles.

He would hate me, and rightfully so, but I needed to tell him because it was the right thing to do. The last thing I wanted was to hurt him because I had been dishonest.

I took another bite of eggs and instantly regretted it. The second