LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

really necessary?” Amy asked as he draped the earplugs around her neck.

      “Yes.” He hooked a finger under her straw hat, swapping it for the hard one. “These aren’t backyard firecrackers, Amy. They’re extremely dangerous.”

      She glanced up at the brim of the hard hat. “I guess it’ll be worth it.” She smiled. “They might be dangerous but you’ve always put together the most beautiful displays I’ve ever seen.”

      “Still do.” He smiled. “Wait ’til July rolls around. I’ll really impress you then.”

      His smile slipped. If she was still here.

      Amy hesitated, shadows creeping into her eyes. “We need to talk, Logan. About tomorrow.”

      Logan tensed. The tight note in her voice unsettled him. Tomorrows. He’d never been on good terms with them.

      She tucked her hair behind her shoulders, fingers trembling slightly. “This was the last day I had on leave from work. I planned on heading back to Augusta first thing tomorrow to start the move.”

      “But that plan’s changed.” His chest tightened. “It has changed, hasn’t it?”

      She stilled, her mouth drawing into a hard line.

      “Hey, Logan.” Jed waved a flashlight from his stance by the racks of fireworks. “Countdown’s about to start. You wanna lead?”

      Logan frowned and waved him off. “Nah, you go ahead. You know the drill, yeah?”

      Jed nodded and signaled with his flashlight to the rest of the group. They began running final checks for the fireworks show.

      “Please tell me you’re staying, Amy.” Logan’s gut churned at her stoic expression. “Things have gone well between us the past few weeks and they can continue that way.”

      Amy held up a hand. “I want to stay. I really do. But...”

      “But, what?” Logan shook his head.

      “There’s another consideration,” she whispered. “A small one.”

      “What kind of consi—”

      “I’m pregnant.”

      Logan froze. He watched her mouth and waited. Waited for her to take it back. To say she’d misspoken. That it was all a mistake.

      A mistake. God help him. Sara.

      “That’s not possible.” He bit his lip, a sharp metallic taste seeping onto his tongue. “The doctors said—”

      “The doctors said it was highly unlikely.” She shook her head, features softening. “Not impossible. We’re lucky—”

      “Lucky?”

      “Yes.” Her mouth tightened. “We’re lucky to have another chance whether we were looking for it or not. Good things can happen just as much as the bad. Life’s given us another gift.”

      Her hand dropped to cover her belly. His gut churned and he swallowed hard, looking away.

      Sporadic yellow lights flickered over the ground as the hands moved about with flashlights on the other side of the lot, checking the racks and getting into final positions.

      “How long have you known?” His voice sounded strange, even to his own ears.

      “It was confirmed a couple of days ago. I didn’t want to mention it until I knew for sure.” Her tone gentled. “I’m sure now.”

      Sure. Logan’s mouth twisted. She’d been sure when she’d gotten pregnant with Sara. Had been sure their daughter was okay even when he’d insisted something was wrong. Sure they’d deliver a healthy baby girl.

      Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and moved away. There was no such thing as being sure. Nothing was ever certain. Not for this pregnancy and not for Amy.

      What if...

      “We can’t go through this again,” he choked. “What happens when we lose this baby? You think it’ll hurt any less than before?”

      “I want this child.” Amy squared her shoulders. “I was told that as long as I’m careful, things may work out. There’s a chance nothing will go wrong this time.”

      “As much chance as there was the first time? With Sara?” His voice cracked, his throat tightening to the point of pain. “What about her? She was once part of our family, too. Have you forgotten her?”

      She winced, whispering, “I’ve never forgotten Sara. Not for one day. And I never will.” Her chin lifted. “But nothing you or I did caused us to lose her. It just happened. I won’t let the pain of losing Sara stop me from living.” She touched his arm. “Life goes on, Logan.”

      He flinched, pulling away. “It shouldn’t.”

      A searing heat washed through his chest, flooding it as though his heart was bleeding out.

      The shaking in his hands was becoming a violent tremor. “What if something happens to you? I just got you back.”

      “You’ve never had me,” she said. “Not really.”

      “You’re my wife.”

      Amy’s smile was sad. “That’s just a word, Logan. One you throw out to excuse the lie I told. What you use to console yourself every time you give in to me. Something you say to feel honorable for keeping your promise and sticking it out.” She shook her head. “I’m not your wife. I’m just an obligation. Another one of your regrets.”

      Pain swept over Logan, leaving him hollow and weak.

      “That’s not true,” he said.

      A voice boomed over the loudspeaker, signaling the start of the New Year’s Eve countdown. Portfires burst into bright red flames across the lot as the men approached the fuses. The crowd, hidden in the darkness, cheered and the chant began.

      Ten. Nine...

      “That’s not true,” he repeated.

      Seven. Six...

      She blinked, her wide green eyes lifting and meeting his.

      Four. Three...

      “I can make this work, Amy.”

      One. Happy New Year!

      A massive round of explosions cracked through the air. The black sky burst into color with scattered streaks of light. The boom from the firecrackers echoed through the ground beneath their feet, smoke and ash scattering all around them.

      Amy cringed, the green light from above casting an eerie glow over her. Logan pressed his hands over her ears and held her close as the pyrotechnics continued, the explosions sounding closer together and growing louder.

      The fireworks stopped. The cheers of the crowd took over and smoke billowed in big, dark clouds around them.

      “I can make this right,” he rasped.

      Amy yanked at his wrists, pulling his hands from her ears. “There’s no wrong to be made right. This pregnancy will not be another obligation. This baby and I deserve to be loved.”

      “Loved?” Logan shook his head. “You don’t know what that means—”

      “Yes, I do. You’re the one who doesn’t know what real love is. Everything you offer comes with conditions and expectations. You only accept people when they live up to your standards and can’t forgive them when they don’t.” Her fingers wove into his hair and rubbed over his nape. “You have to believe love exists to be able to feel it. My love isn’t enough for you and your loyalty isn’t enough for me. Neither of us can win. It’s time for us to go our separate ways.”

      His legs grew weak. “You can’t go through this pregnancy alone.”

      “Yes, I can,” she said.

Скачать книгу