Page 19 of Worth the Risk

“You’re Ford, right?”

My eyes had been locked on Zoey’s retreating form, but I shifted my eyes to the young woman. Now that I was closer, I saw that she had the same nose as Zoey.

“Yeah,” I said. “And you are?”

“Kirsten. I’m Zoey’s cousin.” This wasn’t exactly a friendly introduction. Her eyes studied me and there was a slight frown on her face. “Funny how she rushed away when she saw you coming.”

There wasn’t a question in there, but she was obviously trying to figure out what was going on between us. She wasn’t going to get the answer from me.

“What can I say? I have a winning personality.”

Kirsten didn’t look amused but before she could say anything else, one of the bridesmaids stumbled into her, creating the perfect opportunity for me to slip away. I passed Damien heading toward the clumsy woman, laughing.

“I swear, Kels, I can’t take you anywhere…”

For the next hour, I tried to get close enough to Zoey to have a conversation, mostly just to check that she was feeling okay. I didn’t know if she was having morning sickness or any other unpleasant early pregnancy symptoms. But she was skilled at avoiding me.

By the time the party came to an end, I was frustrated, but if she thought I was going to give up, she was wrong.

Zoey was meant to be with me, and I had a whole week on this tropical island to remind her of that.

Chapter Seven: Zoey

I’m sorry to miss the winery, but I’m not feeling well. See you at dinner!

I tried not to feel guilty as I sent the text to Leanne. Sure, I was missing one of the first events planned for this week-long celebration, but I figured it was smarter to skip it. The women in both families and the wedding party were supposed to go to a winery located on the island to help Leanne choose one to serve at the wedding on Saturday.

If I went, someone was bound to notice that I was the only woman not sampling the alcohol, and I couldn’t think of a reason I could give them without admitting I was pregnant.

So, I decided to enjoy my first full day on the island by doing morning yoga on the beach in front of my bungalow and lounging on the deck in the shade while reading a fantasy book I’d been meaning to check out for a while but never found the time.

The morning passed in peace, despite the barrage of texts I received from Ford.

How do you feel today?

It’s hot out. Make sure you stay hydrated.

You looked beautiful last night.

Have you eaten today?

Most of them were questions and advice related to the pregnancy. A few of them were compliments or apologies.

I was surprised he sent so many messages. Ryan and the rest of the guys were supposed to be out on a fun boat excursion today. I would have thought he’d be too distracted to blow up my phone.

I responded to a few of the questions but largely ignored the rest.

He needed to understand that what we had before was over. We were going to be parents, but that didn’t mean we were getting back together.

I understood that he was sorry, that he wanted me back, but it felt like it was too late for all that. As much as I missed him and had been devastated since he broke up with me, I couldn’t help thinking we might’ve been doomed from the beginning.

What kind of relationship could last when it started out as a secret?

As the afternoon turned to evening, I headed inside to start getting ready for dinner. Everyone was supposed to meet at a seafood restaurant inside the resort, and I figured it would be okay to go if I told everyone that I was feeling better. They’d probably all just assume that I was hungover this morning.

That thought made me chuckle as I stood at the bathroom mirror, putting on a little makeup. I told myself I wasn’t making myself look good for anyone other than myself, but I couldn’t help thinking that Ford would like the red sundress I was wearing. He’d always liked that color on me.

That thought brought to mind the memory of the first time we slept together. I’d been wearing red lingerie that night, and his eyes had burned with desire when he stripped me down, running his hands over my curves reverently. Then, his tongue.