Ooof, wouldn’t know.
“I, uh . . . I haven’t told her yet. I really haven’t told anyone. I have a doctor’s appointment today to check things out. Maybe after that, I’ll tell them.” I set my drink down. “I feel like they’re going to be so disappointed in me.”
“It was an accident,” Blakely says. “You guys used protection. Sometimes this just happens, and at least you’re doing your best given the circumstances. That’s all they can ask for.”
“And I have a pretty good feeling they’re going to be excited about a grandchild. I know they’re always pestering Pacey about when he’s going to have kids.”
Blakely leans toward her. “And when is that going to happen?”
Winnie smirks. “Not anytime soon. I want to be married and for us to own a house. A few things need to be done before that is even an option. So until then, I’m on birth control, holding down the fort.”
“Does Pacey want kids?” Blakely asks.
“He does.” Winnie meets my gaze. “He probably doesn’t want me saying this because, you know, he has to act like the strong, angry brother who has been wronged by one of his best friends, but last night, he said he was kind of excited to meet the little one.”
“He said that?” I ask, completely dumbfounded. I just assumed Pacey has been angry ever since he found out and can’t seem to get over the idea that Eli got me pregnant.
“He did. But I’ll swear to my death that I never told you that. Do you hear me?” She pins me with a threatening look that is actually non-threatening because it’s Winnie. I’m not sure she has a sinister bone in her body.
“I won’t say a thing to him, I promise. But I’ll tell you that makes me feel a little more relieved.”
“He’ll get over the anger at some point. He just feels really betrayed right now. But he’s working through those emotions. Give him a little time.”
“It isn’t all Eli’s fault,” I say. “I was an equal partner in what happened.”
“And, uh, what exactly happened that night?” Blakely asks. “You’ve skimmed over all of the good stuff.”
“The good stuff will remain skimmed,” I say as my phone buzzes on the desk. I glance down quickly to see that it’s a text from Eli. I don’t open it even though I really want to see what it says.
“Is that from Hornsby?” Blakely asks.
“How can you tell?”
“Your face turned pink,” Winnie points out.
I raise my hands to my cheeks, feeling just how heated they are. God, how embarrassing.
“It’s just hot in here,” I say as both of them laugh, seeing right through me.
“I take it your conversation with him last night went well?” Blakely asks and then turns to Winnie. “You should have been here yesterday. What an absolute disaster. They were trying to communicate with each other, but it was the most uncomfortable thing because neither knew how to act normally. They were talking about horse manes and apple eating. It was a total fail.”
“Horse manes?” Winnie asks with a cute scrunch to her nose.
“Not my doing.”
Blakley points her smoothie at me. “You were not helping. The guy was trying, and you were responding with one-word answers. Of course conversation would result in talking about eating apples. He didn’t know where to go from there.”
“Either way, it was better last night,” I say. “We both spoke about how we’ve been uncomfortable and found some common ground with Ozark.”
“Love Jason Bateman,” Blakely says.
“Eli has met him, and I’m so jealous. But honestly, it’s better between us, at least as best as it can be. Before last night, there seemed to be an elephant in the room hogging all of the air. But now that we are actually finding the ability to communicate, I think it will be okay.”
“And he’s living with you?” Winnie asks.
I nod. “Yeah.”
“How is that? You know I love Pacey with everything in me, but Eli is quite handsome. When I first walked into the cabin in Banff, I was honestly struck by how attractive he was. I can’t imagine what it would be like living with him.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Blakely says, placing her hand on Winnie’s shoulder. “Nothing romantic will happen between them.”
Winnie chuckles. “Do you really believe that, Penny?”
“Of course. We’re not looking to start anything. That would just complicate things. We decided on being friends, and that’s good enough.”