Christmas in Cupid Falls by Holly Jacobs Read Free Book Online Page B

Kennedy had a sinking feeling that whatever he was about to say next was not going to make her happy.
    “I’m not going back.”
    Yes, she was right, she was not happy in the least. She thought these awkward interactions with Malcolm had a time limit because he’d have to get back to work. Finding out that they were going to continue was awful.
    She didn’t say anything because the only thing that came to mind was a groan, and she was pretty sure he’d find that insulting.
    “I’m not going back to Pittsburgh until you and I work things out. So there’s no urgency deciding what to do about the Center. I’m taking an indefinite leave of absence.”
    “You’re staying here, in Cupid Falls?” She knew that’s what he’d said in his roundabout explanation, but she needed to hear him say the actual words.
    “I’m staying,” he repeated. “I’m staying here in Cupid Falls until we work out a few things like custody and—”
    She realized she was holding a slice of uneaten pizza. She let it fall to the plate. “What do you mean, work out custody?”
    “Kennedy, this is my baby. I’ve asked you to marry me. You said no. I’d like to think you’ll change your mind, because as the child of divorce I can speak with experience, feeling pulled between two parents sucks. But if not, we’ll have to work out something.”
    “Why? You can go back to Pittsburgh and I’ll stay here with the baby. You can visit whenever you want.”
    Work out custody? That sounded as if he planned to take her to court. She remembered hearing that his father took his mother to court on a regular basis. They were in high school when she’d moved to Cupid Falls, but she remembered Val having to go to court at least once even then.
    Val was one of the most reasonable women Kennedy had ever met. Kennedy couldn’t imagine that she wouldn’t have worked with Mr. Carter.
    She didn’t want to go through that with Mal. She didn’t want to be forced to give up time with her child.
    “Look how many months it took me to get home and see Pap,” Malcolm said. “I won’t let that amount of time go between visits with my child.”
    Mal watched as the blood drained from Kennedy’s face. She gripped the edge of the table as if she were holding on to it like some lifeline. He felt concerned but knew that she wouldn’t welcome him rushing to her. “Kennedy? Hey, are you okay?”
    “You can’t have my baby.” Her voice was barely a whisper, and her hands moved from the table to her stomach, covering it protectively as if he might reach over at any second and grab the baby from her.
    She looked scared as hell as she repeated, “You can’t take the baby from me.”
    “Kennedy, I’m not taking the baby from you. Calm down.” Mal was pretty sure that pregnant women shouldn’t be upset like this.
    “I won’t lose this baby,” she said as she squinted her eyes and grimaced, as if she were in physical pain. It took him a moment to realize she was.
    This time he didn’t care if she minded; he rushed around the table and put his hands on her shoulders. “Hey, are you okay?”
    She shrugged off his touch. “Braxton Hicks. It’s nothing.”
    “It damn well isn’t nothing . That was something.” He’d known about this baby less than twenty-four hours, but he already felt scared to the bone that something was wrong with the baby or with Kennedy. “Let’s get you into the car. We’ll drive you to the hospital and have you checked out.”
    What if he’d caused Kennedy to lose the baby? “Kennedy, please?”
    “I’m fine, really,” she said. “The doctor’s office is closed, and I’m not driving all the way into Erie to have the doctors there tell me what I already know. It’s a Braxton Hicks contraction. I’ve had a few. This was a bad one.”
    What did he know about babies? Maybe he was just being nervous, but it didn’t seem right. “Why are you having them? It’s too early for the baby.”
    “I don’t know. This is my