Sheriff’s Pregnant Ex by Leslie North

4

Brian stirred a dash of cinnamon into the waffle batter before drizzling in a little vanilla to liven up the flavor. He poured batter into the hot waffle iron and closed the lid. It was an apology breakfast. He felt bad about his rudeness to Caitlin the day before. There was no reason to treat her so coldly, basically establishing a no contact policy.

He heard the water come on in the shower overhead as he turned the strips of bacon in the frying pan. She’d be down in ten minutes if he knew her. She’d always been quick in the morning. He planned to feed her breakfast before she left for her first day of work. It was the least he could do for her. And while he hadn’t consciously planned it that way, the food he cooked was the same breakfast he always made for her when she’d stayed over at his apartment in college when they’d been…dating.

Could he really call it dating? He’d never been sure. He’d thought they were headed for something serious until the moment when he’d invited her to his mother’s birthday dinner at the ranch. Caitlin had been to his childhood home plenty of times, but she’d vehemently objected to accompanying him for a family celebration.

He’d wanted his family to see her as his girlfriend, had thought that that was the next step for them—but she’d seemed so dead-set against it that he’d started second-guessing himself, eventually concluding that she didn’t think they had that kind of relationship. A few weeks later when her brother came home on a thirty-day leave before heading out to an assignment overseas, Brian had broken off their relationship, using the excuse that it would be awkward for Ethan. The truth was, it was easier for him, since he was worried he was getting too attached to someone who didn’t want something real or lasting with him.

A million times, he’d regretted letting her go so easily, but he’d known a one-sided attachment couldn’t last. And it was all further complicated by geography. She wouldn’t return to Darby Crossing, and it was the only place he wanted to be.

But she was here now. Upstairs. Singing in his shower. The bacon sizzled in the pan, shooting out grease that burned his wrist.

“Dammit,” he muttered, going to the sink to run cool water over the burn. He was drying off when his phone rang. Seeing it was his brother, he grabbed for the phone.

“Mornin’, Jake.” His twin had probably already been up for an hour and in the barn with the horses.

“What the hell are you thinking?” Jake demanded, skipping any kind of greeting. “You were miserable for a solid year after breaking up with Caitlin before. You settin’ yourself up for another broken heart? Because don’t think you can come crying to me when that happens.”

“You’ve heard, then?” Brian wasn’t surprised, with the way gossip flowed around their small town.

“Yeah, Aurora told Amy who told me. Of course, Amy doesn’t know about the history between the two of you.”

His sister-in-law Amy hadn’t come into their lives until after his relationship with Caitlin had come and gone, so all she probably knew was that someone was staying at his house. Jake knew the full extent of it. But even his twin didn’t know about the night he’d spent with Caitlin a couple weeks back. He’d kept that to himself, thank goodness. He could only imagine how irate Jake would be if he knew. His twin would probably rant on for an hour or so about how Brian clearly wasn’t over her and how he was setting himself up to get hurt. And that just wasn’t true. Brian knew how to protect himself—and he wasn’t in love with Caitlin. Of course not.

Attracted, yes. Very attracted, just as he had always been. But love? No. That wasn’t an option, for either of them. Caitlin was too committed to leaving as soon as she could. And Brian was too focused on work, which consumed nearly all of his time. He liked it that way, but it made relationships impossible. A year or so ago, he’d tried dating a woman who worked for a local insurance agency. After he’d rescheduled a date multiple times—each time because of a different emergency at the sheriff’s office—she’d told him not to bother calling her again. He’d shelved the idea of dating then. But that shouldn’t be an issue with Caitlin, who didn’t want to date him in the first place.

“I’m fine. It’s no big deal.” Brian balanced the phone between his shoulder and ear while he removed the first waffle from the iron and poured in more batter.

“Like hell, it is,” Jake said and hung up. Brian tossed the phone down, irritated with his brother. Jake meant well, but he could be a hothead at times—and lately, he’d been worse than ever. The entire family was feeling some stress since Cal Pierce came into their lives. His newly found half-brother seemed decent enough, but he was getting pretty chummy with Amy as they worked together on rodeo promotions, and the sparks between the pair of them were making the whole family nervous. They all wanted Amy to be happy, of course, but getting her heart tangled up with someone who wasn’t planning to stick around seemed like a recipe for trouble. Brian didn’t want to see her or Henry, her son, get hurt.

“We’re all just a hell of a mess,” he said to himself while he put plates, butter, and maple syrup on the table.

“Something wrong?” Caitlin asked from the doorway. He hadn’t heard her come downstairs, which showed how distracted he was. The third step from the bottom squeaked. How had he missed the sound?

“Nothing,” he said, putting a waffle on a plate for her. “I thought you might want some breakfast before you start your new job. Waffles and bacon.”

“That’s really nice of you,” her eyes traveled over the table, “but I don’t have time. I’ve got to get to work. I need to learn the menu and—”

“Take five minutes to eat,” he insisted. “You’re going to be on your feet all day. You’ve got to have something in your stomach.”

“I don’t need you to take care of me.” Her voice was firm.

“It’s only breakfast, Caitlin,” he said but she seemed unconvinced.

“Just some coffee. No time for anything more, but thanks again.” She put her phone down on the table as she picked up a mug he’d just poured and drank quickly.

He was about to lecture her on her nutrition choices, but he stopped himself. She didn’t want his interference in her life. And hadn’t he insisted the evening before that they live separate existences?

“See you,” she said and slipped past him out the side door. He caught a glimpse of her walking briskly toward Main Street from the window.

He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck before plunging the waffle batter bowl into the sink. Guess he was eating breakfast alone. He sat at the table and was about to pour syrup on his waffle when he noticed her phone light up with an incoming message. She’d set it down and forgotten to take it with her. He glanced at the message that appeared on her lock screen.

It was an alert from a credit card company reminding her that her monthly payment was overdue. He grimaced before reminding himself that it was none of his business. Another message came in while he was still staring at the screen. This one from someone named Maggie. He couldn’t help reading it.

Sorry, kid, but I can’t be the one you vent to about living with your hottie ex. I’m still so pissed about Seamus stealing OUR money from you. Can’t deal with your guy drama.

Stealing? He put the syrup down. How bad a spot was Caitlin in? She’d said the day before that she was putting her life back together after a bad breakup, but the guy had stolen from her, too? What kind of jackass did that? And what role did this Maggie play in it? There was no mistaking the anger in her message. Seamus had stolen from her in some way, too?

The door opened and Caitlin rushed back into his kitchen. Her mouth was open as if to speak, but it clamped shut when she saw him looking down at her phone.

“Caitlin, if you’re in some kind of trouble…” He wanted to help her, wanted to solve whatever the problem was. That was why he’d become sheriff: so he could help people. And after all Caitlin had been through with her parents—and now, apparently, with her ex—she deserved to know that someone was in her corner.

“Not your problem, Brian,” she said and held out her hand. He placed her phone in it, and she went back out the door, snagging a piece of bacon on her way.

She had plenty of spine, he’d give her that, but he was worried about his house guest. Still, he knew there was not much he could do for her without the details, and he didn’t think she’d be forthcoming with those. Which meant the only thing he could do was respect the boundaries they’d established yesterday. He did grin when he realized that the hottie ex Maggie had referred to had to be him. Maybe she wasn’t as impervious to him as she was trying to appear—but he had to respect her clear desire for distance on that point, too.

The walls she put up didn’t leave him a lot of options to help her. He ate the last of his waffle, considering what he could do. She had money troubles, so she’d be trying to earn as much as she could while in Darby Crossing.

He suddenly smiled when an idea formed in his head. She might not let him give her cash, but she couldn’t refuse the big, fat tips he planned to leave for her in the diner.

Yeah, he’d do what he could for her. The tough part was going to be trying to forget what she’d once meant to him.