Page 43 of Cole (Dirty Misfits MC 4)
“Sounds good to me.”
“A couple of them are still a bit cramped, so they’re at the bottom of the list. But damn it, Molly, you should see one of these townhomes. It’s a nice corner one, so there’s only one connected neighbor, and the damned thing has almost eighteen-hundred square feet to it. Can you believe that? The thing is as big as a fucking house, and it’s right in the heart of Santa Cruz!”
I nodded mindlessly. “Sounds nice.”
I listened to her rattle off about everything from which place would have the best nursery all the way down to what colors she felt the nursery should include. But the entire time she talked, I couldn't help but think of the fact that these were conversations I needed to be having with Cole. Not her.
Did I really fall for someone exactly like my father?
“—oh, and the house will have a lovely fenced-in backyard for Rue. That’s why the house is at the top of my list. It’s definitely more expensive, but the owners are willing to work with us and—Molly?”
“Hmmm?”
Bridget shook my knee softly. “You there?”
I drew in a quick breath and turned to face her. “Sorry, just running down some stuff in my head. What were you saying?”
Her eyes grew somber. “Let’s just get this out there, okay?”
I furrowed my brow. “Okay…?”
“Let’s just rip the band-aid off and get it over with.”
I shook my head. “I’m not following.”
She took my hand. “I know you bought that beautiful Australian shepherd in order to continue going down to the dog park after you quit your nannying gig and no longer had their dog to take down there.”
I snickered. “Whatever.”
“No, not ‘whatever.’ This is serious, Molly. This goes beyond you wanting to inform him of what’s going on. This is you actively wanting to get him back.”
I slammed out of the car. “All right, I’ve had enough conversation for one day.”
But she gripped my shirt and yanked me back down into the seat.
“Hey!” I exclaimed as the car rocked on its chassis. “I just bought this thing a few days ago. Can we not rip it just yet?”
I felt her glare against the profile of my face, though. “You can deny it all you want, but I know you fell in love with the man. But I’m telling you, Molly, it’s not going to be worth it to chase a man down that doesn’t—”
I whipped my head toward her, hardening my gaze. “That doesn’t what, Bridget? Love me? Want me? Enjoy me? Doesn’t stick by me?”
She nodded. “Yes, all of those things, and a hell of a lot more.”
“Well, you don’t know him like I did.”
“You didn’t know him, either, as much as you want to believe that.”
I closed my eyes and drew in a sobering breath. “Yes, I fell in love with Cole. No, I don’t know much about him. But that doesn’t negate how I feel. Something happened. I know you’re tired of hearing about it, but I really do believe an outside force caused him to pivot so drastically. We were in sync. We were on the same page. And then he just… what? Breaks up with me? Disappears into the wind? Just like that?”
“Yeah, and for all you know what he was hiding was a wife and kids.”
Her words hurt, but I knew she could possibly be right. “I know, I know.”
She squeezed my knee. “I don’t want to hurt you. But if telling you the cold, hard truth is what finally gets you to move on and focus on the baby rather than the pathetic excuse for a man that helped you create said baby, then I’m all for it.”
I slowly looked over at her as a tear streaked my cheek. “He’s not coming back, is he?”
She cupped my cheek, brushing the tear away with her thumb. “No, honey. He’s not.”
I nuzzled against her palm before I drew in one last deep breath. “Let’s just get our food to go. I haven’t taken Rue out lately or anything, and I don’t really feel like being around people right now.”
“Do you want me to go to the park with you?”
I leaned back and closed my eyes. “No. I just need to be alone with my thoughts for a little bit.”
“Will you promise me something, then?”
I lobbed my head over in her direction. “Of course. Anything.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Promise me that when you come back from wherever you’re going to take Rue, that we can take our first step and figure out where we want to move at the end of the month. Because we need to choose a place and hire someone to help us move before you get to a point where you’re too exhausted to do anything.”
I smiled softly. “You have my word that by the end of the day, we’ll know where we are going to sign a lease.”
