Carter had no idea what had happened that morning. He had thought they were fine. She was making eggs, he was making coffee. They were fine.

Then they weren’t.

It had started last night, right after the accident. Carter couldn’t blame Jordan for being put off by his reaction. He had just been so damn panicked!

Rule number one for all professional athletes: protect your man juice. So many women out there used it as the perfect way to get you for the next 18 years. Carter had certainly had his fair share of women try it on him. After he’d caught the first woman retrieving a used condom out of the trash can on her way out, he’d switched to flushing them down the toilet.

When he’d seen that broken condom his mind had just snapped. He hadn’t thought about Jordan, and how he had only hours before, been thinking about having kids with her. He’d just panicked.

He remembered the terrified look on her face as he’d gone on. It filled him with bitter regret. She had probably been just as scared shitless as he was—and if the worst happened, she’d be the one taking the brunt of it: getting pregnant, giving birth, raising a kid. Technically, all Carter would have to do was sign a check each month.

That thought put a bad taste in his mouth.

Obviously, if Jordan was pregnant he’d want to do more than sign a damn check. He would want to be a part of the kid’s life. He sure as hell wasn’t going to be like his own father. Now that the panic was over, now that the coast was clear, he had time to think about it. Even though he wasn’t even remotely ready to be a father, even though he’d only known her for a short while, if there was anyone he had to have an unexpected baby with it was Jordan.

But she was on the pill, so the coast was clear as far as that went, right? They weren’t 100% effective but pretty damn close from what he understood. A tiny, primal part of him was almost disappointed. He thought of Jordan pregnant with his baby. An animalistic pride ran through him. There was no one who could hurt or touch her—not when she was the mother of his child.

But Carter had been the one to hurt her. First, by terrifying her when she was probably at her most scared and vulnerable, then by attacking her with the one thing she was most proud about. Carter understood full well how much her accomplishments meant, that she had worked hard in law school and was ambitious. He just didn’t understand how she could put that above what he thought the two of them were starting to have with one another.

If anything, this week had started to reveal that she was the one for him. He had an idea that she was going down that same path. Then bam, law school comes calling and she drops everything and runs off.

Would this be what it’s like if they got married? Her putting her career above him? Above their kids? On the other hand, Carter had a grueling career as well, one that had him on the road half the year, but he would have dropped everything if she asked…if it came to family.

None of that mattered now. She was gone. He would give her time to cool off, then work on getting her back. He certainly wasn’t giving up this easily.

* * *

It had been a miserable rest of the week. He’d found the present he’d purchased for her still in the bedroom. Obviously, in her hurry to get out, she’d overlooked it. Or maybe she’d purposefully left it behind?

He’d waited a day to call. She hadn’t answered. She wouldn’t respond to his texts. She wouldn’t call or text him. She had completely shut him out.

Were things really that bad between them?

The fight they’d had in the kitchen didn’t seem like something that they couldn’t overcome. Maybe he should just drive out and face her in person. He had an idea that she would hate that.

He was irritable and frustrated with no outlet for his angst. The funny thing was, Jordan would be the one he’d pick up the phone and talk to about it under any other circumstance. There was no one else.

His teammates just wouldn’t get it. Heck, they’d probably laugh at how whipped he was.

His manager, Miles, was great when it came to coaching baseball and even offering good life advice, but Carter wasn’t sure he wanted to unload a bunch of relationship shit on the man.

His mother? That was a laugh. She’d probably be relieved.

He didn’t even think about Bobby Joe.

No one.

Jesus, the thought was depressing.