“How was your flight?” I was still curled up in his bed where he’d left me several hours ago, reluctant to leave. We’d spent the last three days wrapped in a cocoon of love and sex… and occasionally tears. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

“Crowded. But I made it to my rental without any issue. Are you taking care of my plants?”

“I hope you called a service because I have a brown thumb. Seriously, if you’re counting on me, they’ll all be dead by the time you get back.”

I stretched and got out of bed, not quite ready to return to real life.

“Don’t worry. There’s a lady that comes twice a week to water and prune. I’ll let her know you may be there.”

I walked over to the dresser where my clothes were stacked. “I’m not just going to sit around your house and wait for you to get back. I have a life and people who are counting on me.”

“I know that. I just thought if you wanted to stay, I wouldn’t object.”

My sweater smelled like his laundry soap. I closed my eyes and inhaled. “I’m comfortable at my place.” I snatched a soft, gray cotton shirt out the drawer pressed it to my face. “But I am stealing a T-shirt to sleep in.”

“Take whatever you want. And if you need anything, for you, for the baby, let me know. I left a credit card on the table for you to use.”

“This is part of what we talked about this weekend. You can’t take over. I want you to be a part of this, not solely responsible.”

“And you said if you needed anything you’d let me know.”

I slipped on his shirt and pulled my sweater over it, letting his scent surround me. “And I will. Right now, I need to go home, change, and get back to the shelter. I’ll talk to you soon.”

Work was crazy when I finally showed up. Two days of playing hooky meant two days of unfinished work waiting for me when I got in. Cooper and I spoke almost every night. But between his games, my work schedule, and the extreme pregnancy exhaustion, some nights it was little more than a simple good night.

As we drew closer to the move, Ben started showing up more and more. He always had a legitimate reason to stop by—paperwork from the contractor, thoughts on fundraising, movers willing to donate time, but I got the feeling he was checking up on me.

Today, he showed up at my office with the final schedule for the move…and dinner.

“You can tell Cooper I’m fine. I swear I’m eating,” I pressed my hand over my barely noticeable bump. “And I already promised I wouldn’t be lifting any boxes. I’m just packing them up, and one of the boys is stacking them for me.”

“He’s not the only one worried about you,” Ben said, setting down the bag. “You’ve been working too many hours. Let Tony pick up the slack.”

“I’m pregnant not broken,” I sighed and peeked inside the bag. “Is that a veggie burger from Superiority Burger? I could kiss you right now.”

“Cooper said they were your favorite.”

I pulled the sandwich out of the bag and took a bite. Heaven. Like the ravenous animal I’d become, I devoured the whole thing in just a few seconds.

“Now that I’m not throwing up every few minutes, I can’t seem to eat enough.”

Ben sat down beside me, his features serious. “Are you okay? I mean really okay with all this?” he asked, grabbing my hand. “I know this has to be hard on you with Cooper away. If he can’t be here for you, I want—”

“Ben, please don’t say anything else,” I said, stopping him. “When I said I could kiss you, I didn’t mean anything by it. I value our friendship, but that’s all it is. I’m in love with Cooper.”

Ben made a face and yanked his hand away as if my touch was contaminated. “That’s not at all what I was getting at. To start with, I like my face just the way it is. I don’t need Cooper rearranging it for me. But more importantly, I don’t feel that way about you. Sure, at first, I thought maybe,” he made another face and shook his head, “My feelings for you are very familial. Cooper is the closest thing I have to a brother, and you’re like my little sister. And that’s what I was trying to say. I want to be there for you… like a brother.”

I looked down at my hands, feeling my cheeks heat. “Can we pretend that this conversation never happened?”

“I think that would be for the best,” he said, getting up and straightening his jacket. “Although, I’m glad to hear you’ve finally caught up with the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“That you finally accepted that you’re in love with Cooper.”

Then it hit me. That was the first time I’d said it aloud. God, and I said it to Ben. I needed to call Cooper. He’d be in the middle of a game right now, so I’d have to wait until tonight.

A swarm of butterflies took off in my belly, and I ran for the trashcan. So much for the end of morning sickness.

“Here’s some water,” Ben said, handing me a bottle. “Sorry, I didn’t think that would make you throw up.”

I took a big chug of water and shook my head. “It’s not you. Anything can set me off. I threw up while brushing my teeth last week and then cried because I thought I had a handle on my morning sickness. Just the thought of mashed potatoes made me throw up.” My stomach lurched again, and I put my head back in the trash can. “Nope, I’m good. It was just a dry heave. I’ll count that as a win.”

Ben leaned away, eyes narrowing. “Is this normal? Have you talked to your doctor about this?”

“Just the joys of pregnancy. I’ve got another week or two of this, or so my doctor keeps promising.” I glanced over at the now empty bag and frowned. “You didn’t happen to get two veggie burgers did you?”

“I’ll send my driver out to get another one, and I’ll take care of your trash can for you.”

“You deserve a medal. A pregnant girl couldn’t ask for a better friend. I promise, when you find your own girl, I’ll personally write you a letter of recommendation.”

He groaned and picked up the basket. “I’m sure your endorsement will have the ladies banging down my door.” He looked down at the trash can and made a face. “You know what? I think I’m fine being single.”