Two months later, Daisy was sitting with her parents on the patio of a little sandwich shop in downtown Preston.

She’d already eaten a turkey club, her pasta salad, half her mother’s chips, and three pickles. She was debating between cherry pie and a triple-chocolate brownie for dessert.

She’d entered the second trimester of her pregnancy now, and the morning sickness was starting to get better. She was feeling great today, and she was excited after her doctor’s visit that morning.

She’d gone to the doctor with Chloe, but she’d met her parents for lunch afterward to talk about it.

“Did you want something else?” her mother asked, staring down at Daisy’s empty plate with round eyes.

“Don’t you want dessert?” Daisy was already waving for the server to come back over to their table.

“I’m full, dear, but get something if you want.”

Daisy glanced over at her father, who was obviously hiding a smile. “I’ll get a piece of cheesecake, just to keep you company,” he said.

Pleased with this offer, Daisy ordered the brownie for herself and the cheesecake for her father.

“Isn’t it a little early for food cravings?” her mother asked, her eyes still wide and her brows arched high.

“I’m not having food cravings. I want perfectly normal food. I’m just hungry.” Daisy paused, giggling as she’d thought about how much she’d eaten for lunch. The doctor had said her weight was right on target for this point of pregnancy—maybe because she’d thrown up half what she’d eaten in the first few months—so she wasn’t particularly worried about eating more than normal. “I’m eating for two, after all.”

Her mother’s face softened into a smile. “I know, dear. I wish I could have heard the heartbeat too.”

Daisy couldn’t seem to stop grinning. “It was so amazing! I can’t believe there’s a little heart beating in there.” She patted her stomach, trying to imagine what the little person inside her would be like when he or she was born.

As the weeks had passed since she’d found out her condition, she’d gotten more and more used to the idea and consequently more and more excited.

She’d always wanted to have babies, and just because this had happened in a way she’d never expected, it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be happy about it.

“Let me see my little grandbaby again,” her mother said, leaning over to where Daisy had laid the sonogram image on the table.

Daisy handed her mother the sonogram and watched her mother’s face as she gazed down at the image.

Her parents had really been amazing about this whole situation. They’d predictably been shocked when she’d first told them, and she knew they were probably a little disappointed with the choices she’d made that had led her here. But they’d never expressed that disapproval to her in any way. They hadn’t given her any lectures or sermons or sad, worried looks as she’d feared they would. They’d been matter-of-fact about the circumstances of the pregnancy, genuinely supportive, and openly excited about their first grandchild.

They were really good parents to have.

Daisy was about to say something that might have been slightly sappy when a noise from the road distracted her.

She glanced over at the approaching engine roar and then grew very still as she discovered the sound was originating from a large motorcycle coming down Main Street.

She recognized the man—the dark hair, the leather jacket, the rough, overall appearance.

Carter.

On his motorcycle, driving through Preston’s pretty, quiet downtown street. Making everyone stare.

Including her parents.

They hadn’t met Carter yet, and she wasn’t looking forward to it happening anytime soon.

She might like the look of him—and like the sound and feel of him too—but her parents and everyone she knew in Preston were going to be shocked and concerned about the kind of man he was.

Daisy herself hadn’t seen Carter since she’d gone to his garage in Norfolk to tell him about the pregnancy. She’d called him three times—once after her first doctor’s appointment, and then again after the next two. She’d been planning to call him again tonight to tell him about her visit this morning, and she never would have expected to see him making an appearance like this.

He must have spotted her on the patio. He pulled over to the curb, turned off the engine, and stood up. He took off his helmet and looked in her direction.

He didn’t approach. He was obviously waiting to see what she would do.

“Oh dear,” her mother said in a hushed voice. “That’s him, isn’t it?”

Daisy let out a little breath. “Yeah.”

“Oh dear, oh dear. He’s a little scary, isn’t he?”

That was what she’d been afraid of—that her parents were going to think something was wrong with Carter.

“He’s not really. He’s a decent guy.” She didn’t really know that much about him, but she hoped he was a decent guy. He’d acted like it anyway, and she wanted her parents to know it. “I better go talk to him.”

Going to him seemed a lot safer than inviting him over to meet her parents. She stood up, stepped from the patio onto the sidewalk, and then headed over to where he was waiting.

As she walked, she smoothed down the lavender dress she wore. It was casual and comfortable but still feminine. It made her feel pretty, and she was glad of it as she reached Carter.

His blue eyes were raking over her, obviously taking in her appearance and lingering on her belly.

She wasn’t showing her pregnancy yet. Not really.

“Hi,” she said, feeling strangely shy as she stood before him. She dropped her eyes.

“Hi.” He cleared his throat, still holding on to his helmet. “You look pretty.”

His voice was low and gravelly as usual, but the words were surprisingly sweet coming from such a rough, intimidating man.

She blushed, her eyes flying up to his face. “Thank you.”

“I can’t tell you’re pregnant.”

“It’s too early yet for me to show much.”

“Oh.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I went to your building, and Chris said he thought you might be having lunch downtown. So I just took a chance.”

“I mean, what are you doing here at all?”

“You had your doctor’s visit today,” he replied. “And I hadn’t heard anything.”

“Oh.” She blinked, trying to process this piece of information and figure out what it meant. “I was going to call you tonight.”

Carter didn’t explain his visit any further or apologize for showing up so unexpectedly. His eyes rested on her face, like he couldn’t look away. “How did everything go?”

“Good. Good. The baby is healthy. I heard the heartbeat.”

Something seemed to tense in him, although she couldn’t see a reaction on his face. “You did?”

“Yeah. It was… amazing.” She glanced back at the table where her parents were both openly staring at her. She felt embarrassed, self-conscious. She preferred for her connection with Carter to be completely private, but of course it couldn’t remain that. “And I have the sonogram image. I’ll…”

“I can see it?”

“Yes. Yes, of course you can.” She had a weird moment of indecision until she finally figured out what to do. “I’m just finishing lunch with my folks. If you don’t mind, maybe you could head back to Preston’s Mill, and I’ll be there in twenty minutes or so. We can talk then, and I’ll show you the sonogram and everything.”

He almost smiled. “That sounds good. I’ll be waiting.”

She wasn’t sure if the last words were a promise or a warning, and she wasn’t sure whether she was more excited or terrified by it.

It didn’t matter.

Either way, she was going to be inviting Carter into her apartment that afternoon. The comfortable distance they’d had for the past couple of months wasn’t going to last for long.

On a different thought, she glanced back at her mom and dad, still watching them from the table. “I guess maybe you could meet my folks. If you want.” It occurred to her that a lot of guys wouldn’t even want to meet the parents of a girl he’d screwed at a wedding one time.

Carter looked slightly surprised, but he said easily enough, “Sure. I’d be happy to.”

***

An hour later, Daisy and Carter were sitting on her couch.

She’d told him the details of the appointment, and she’d shown him the sonogram images. He’d asked a few questions—obviously clueless about babies and pregnancies—and now he was staring down at the sonogram.

“Wow,” he said at last.

“I know.”

“How can you tell if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“You can’t yet,” she said with a little chuckle.

“When can they tell?”

“It depends on the position of the baby and everything but usually around eighteen weeks or so. So maybe another month or so?”

“Why does the position matter?”

Daisy raised her eyebrows.

Carter must have realized the answer to his own question. “Oh. Right.”

She giggled again. He’d taken off his jacket and was wearing a black T-shirt and worn jeans. He was big and masculine and sexier than was comfortable for her, but he was also kind of cute, trying to follow discussion of the pregnancy and think about things he’d probably never thought about before.

She couldn’t help but remember what had attracted her to him at the wedding reception. He wasn’t just good-looking with those blue eyes and a great body. He was funny—with a dry sense of humor—and he was surprisingly thoughtful and observant.

“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I’m thinking a girl, but it might just be because I know a lot more about girls than I do boys. I’m not sure what I’d do if I have a little boy.”

“You don’t have brothers?”

“No. I’m an only child.” She paused. “What about you?”

“I have a one brother. He lives in Boston now.”

“Does he have kids?”

“Nah.” Something strange flickered across his face.

“What?” she said, genuinely interested in whatever he hadn’t said.

“He was in prison for a few years. But he’s been doing okay for the past year.”

She swallowed hard. It wasn’t Carter’s fault his brother had been in prison. He seemed worried about him. She wasn’t going to let it affect her impression of Carter himself. “That’s hard,” she murmured.

His eyes shot over to her face, like he was surprised by her reaction. “Yeah. Anyway, how’s everything else going?” He was clearly ready to change the subject.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, everything else. Have you started making plans for when the baby comes?”

“Oh, yes, naturally. My parents are going to help out, watching the baby while I’m working. At least whenever they can. I don’t want to put too much on them, but there’s a good day care in town I can use when I need to. It just expensive if you use day care all the time.”

“Do you make enough money at the library?”

She wondered if he was going to offer money, and she wondered how she felt about it. “Yes. I think so. It’s not a huge salary, but living in Preston isn’t that expensive. I think I’ll be okay.”

He nodded and didn’t say anything.

She felt a little nervous and rambled on. “I started fixing up the second bedroom. It’s not very big, but it will be fine for a nursery. My dad painted it since I’m not really supposed to be inhaling a lot of paint. But I picked out the colors. I’m going to use green and yellow since I don’t know whether it’s a boy or a girl. I had a friend who thought she was having a boy, but it turned out to be a girl, and she had to totally redo her blue nursery with trains and airplanes on it.”

Carter’s mouth was twitching slightly, maybe because she couldn’t seem to stop talking.

Daisy bit her lip and told herself to relax.

“Can I see it?” he asked.

“See what?”

“The room.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s not done yet, but… It’s in here.”

They got up, and she opened the door to the tiny second bedroom in her apartment. Her father had painted it a pretty, moss green, and she’d put up some animal appliques on the walls. That was all she’d done so far, but she’d bought some bolts of fabric, which were lying on the floor, and there was the big box of the crib she’d bought.

“I still need to put it together,” she said as Carter gazed around the room, his eyes coming to rest on the box.

“You can’t put that thing together by yourself.”

“Why not? I can follow directions.”

“But it’s big and complicated, and you’re… you’re…”

She frowned at him. “I’m what?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“It doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

“I know, but you should have someone help you with it.”

“Chloe said she’d help. She’s my neighbor and one of my best friends. And I can always get my dad to come over to help if we can’t do it ourselves. But I don’t like having my parents always doing things for me. I’m a capable adult, you know.”

“I didn’t say you weren’t.”

“Well, you’re acting like it.” She wasn’t sure why she’d gotten so annoyed by the conversation. She’d actually been thinking fond thoughts about him just a few minutes ago. But now she wanted to shake that cool, arrogant look on his face.

Who was he, trying to tell her what to do?

She was distracted from her perfectly legitimate annoyance with him by the buzzing of a text message on her phone. She went back into the living area to check it.

“That’s Isabella,” she said after she’d read the message. “She lives downstairs. She says she made some muffins for me and I should get them while they’re warm. I’m going to run downstairs for a minute if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.”

Isabella had offered to bring them upstairs, but Daisy really didn’t want to make a lot of introductions. So she left Carter in the nursery and hurried downstairs to the apartment where Isabella had just moved in with her fiancé, Jace.

Isabella was in a bright, talkative mood, and it was several minutes before Daisy could get away and return to her own apartment.

Carter wasn’t in sight when she opened the door and laid the tray of muffins on the kitchen counter.

When she walked over and looked into the nursery, she gasped. “What are you doing?”

Carter was on the floor. He’d torn open the box with the crib in it and had started pulling the light maple wood pieces out. “I’m putting this thing together.”

“Why are you doing that?”

“So you don’t have to.”

“But it’s my job to—”

“Why is it your job? This is my kid too, right?” He was still on his knees, staring up at her.

She grew still. “Y-yes.”

“So can I please help you by putting this thing together?”

For some reason she was having trouble taking a full breath. “Okay,” she said at last, very softly.

His features relaxed. “Good.”

“I really would have been fine doing it myself.”

“But why shouldn’t I help?”

“You can. I said you can.”

“I can help you in other ways too.”

Her heart was beating even faster now. “What ways?”

“I don’t know. Other ways. I want to help. I’m just realizing what a… what a huge thing taking care of a baby is going to be for you. You shouldn’t have to do it alone. I want to help.”

“O…kay.” She had no idea what to say. Her blood was pulsing in her veins though, and she didn’t know if she was nervous or excited or touched or overwhelmed. “I’m sure we can work something out.”

“You shouldn’t have to do it alone.”

“I’m not alone.”

Something strange flickered on Carter’s face, and he raised himself up on his knees. He reached for her hand, and she let him take it because she was starting to tremble a little. “I was just thinking. I mean… I know this just sort of happened but… but… I’ll marry you if you want.”

She stared down at him, completely flabbergasted by this halting proclamation.

The silence stretched on for too long, and Carter’s earnest expression turned into a scowl. “I just said something, you know,” he muttered.

She covered her mouth so a giggle wouldn’t escape her lips. “I know,” she said. “I’m sorry. But that would just be crazy.”

“Why would it be crazy?”

“Because we still don’t really know each other! We can’t get married just for that.”

“I’d be a decent husband.”

“I’m sure you would, but…” She couldn’t hold back the giggle now. “I’m sorry. I really appreciate it. You’re… You might act all rough and tough and cool, but you’re a really sweet guy.”

He sucked in an audible breath. “I’m not sweet.”

“Yes, you are. Only a sweet guy would have made that offer—or reacted the way you did when I told you I was pregnant—but I guarantee you’d start to regret it by tonight. How about this? You can help. I’ll let you help. In reasonable ways. We can… we can work together at this. How about that?”

Carter’s face relaxed. He was still holding on to her hand. “I’d like that. Thanks.”

They were smiling at each other when Daisy heard a sound from the other room. And then a voice that was obviously Chloe calling out, “Daisy? Where are you? Wait until you see this little hat I found for the baby! You’re going to love it. Ooh, are these muffins homemade? Daisy? Are you mooning over the nursery again?”

Before Daisy could process the fact that her friend had let herself in, Chloe stuck her head into the nursery.

Carter was still on his knees, holding Daisy’s hands.

Chloe’s eyes grew as round as saucers, and an expression of amused knowledge transformed her face. “What-cha do-ing?” she asked in a lilting, singsongy voice.

Daisy blushed red hot and pulled her hand away from Carter’s. “Nothing.”

Chloe was eyeing Carter with interest. “This is the daddy, isn’t it? Is there anything you want to tell me?”

“No! Carter was helping me put together the crib.”

“Okay,” Chloe said. “If you say so. But just give the word, and I’ll disappear so you can go right back to doing nothing.”