Page 72 of All in with the Maverick Montana

She’d done her best to keep busy with Faith and the feed store and planning for this baby. There was so much to do. So many unknowns. She was grateful for all her sisters and the constant stream of parenting and relationship advice trickling down the group chat since their lunch at Lulu’s. She’d missed them and had loved seeing them, but truthfully, she’d found herself missing Tenacity even more. She’d missed the small-town happenings and the quiet and seeing the same people day in and day out. She used to love the city. When had her heart shifted?

The moment I met Josh, she told herself.

She missed him everywhere. Sitting on the porch in the evenings with tea and toast. Bumping into customers in aisles in the store. Mostly she missed being here with him, riding through the pastures, nothing for miles but them and the Montana skyline.

She touched her belly.

There would be no more riding for a while.

And there might not be any more Josh after today.

That last thought churned in her stomach worse than any morning sickness. If Josh had come to the conclusion that he simply couldn’t raise another man’s baby, this would be the end of them.

Amy blinked, fighting off tears. Dammit. If she started crying now, she’d never be able to stop. She’d be a blubbering mess before Josh even uttered a hello. If he said hello. She’d been playing out this moment in her mind, trying to anticipate what Josh might have to say. Amy fought the urge to believe that he’d leave her like Tru, but unlike with Tru, she’d understand. Josh hadn’t signed up to be a father to someone else’s kid. And regardless of what they wanted, Amy was about to be a mother. Tears grew heavy in the corners of her eyes. She swiped at them with her fingers. Get it together, Amy.

This news had blown in like a twister, disrupting both their lives, and it wasn’t fair of her to expect Josh to pick up those pieces or to try to salvage this relationship. She imagined the situation in reverse. What if Josh had sprung a kid on her? To fall for someone only to watch their past creep back in and change everything you thought you knew about them. Her first instinct might have been to step away too.

She supposed there was no more putting it off though. It was time to find out if there was anything left to fight for. Amy climbed out of the car and walked around the side of the house, up the porch steps.

Josh leaned against the railing, looking out at the barn. He had a beer in his hand. He left the bottle on the railing the moment he spotted her. “You came!”

“Of course I came.” She noticed a few more beers scattered about. Uh-oh. Had Josh needed some liquid courage before dropping the news that this was over? Her heart gave a dull, hollow thump, and she resisted the urge to rub at the spot where her chest ached. Fear made it difficult to swallow, and heaviness welled behind her eyes. She didn’t know if she wanted to scream or cry or curse Tru McCoy until the cows came home.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Good.” Her gaze drifted past him briefly. “Having a bit of a party?”

He looked over his shoulder at the empty beer bottles. “Oh, no. More like a celebration, I guess. I, uh, got roped into some detective work with Stanley Sanchez and his grandniece, Nina. We were just celebrating a clue that panned out. Sort of a big deal for the town. At least, Stan says so.”

Amy’s eyes widened. Of all the things she imagined Josh doing in their time apart, detective work was not one of them.

Josh shook his head. “Anyway, I’ll tell you about it later.”

Amy’s heart startled to life, rattling with anticipation. More than anything she wanted them to have a later.

“That’s not what I called you over to talk about,” Josh continued.

Right. Was this it? Should she prepare herself for the blow? Amy wasn’t sure anything could prepare her. She’d been hurt by Tru, but losing Josh would be different. It would devastate her. She hadn’t wanted to admit that to herself, hadn’t wanted to face the heartbreak before she had to, but now there was nowhere to hide.

“How is the…” Josh looked down between them, his voice softening. “How is the baby?”

“Baby’s doing well.” She flattened her hand against her stomach. “I had an appointment with a doctor the other day.” Did he even want to know these things if this was over? His eyes found hers and held them. “Up in Bronco. She did a bunch of tests. Everything’s right on track.”

“That’s great news. Did you get… I mean… Is it too soon for an ultrasound?”

“Doc gave me one.” She cleared her throat. “I got to hear the heartbeat.” I wanted you to hear it too. I wished you were there, seeing this baby. Our baby?

Josh’s hands tightened around her elbows. “And the doc said it sounded good?”

“She said everything’s perfect. I worried a bit, not having realized I was pregnant, that I might have hurt the baby hauling around stuff at the feed store or riding around on Bitsy. But she said everything’s okay. Just no more horseback riding until this little one comes.”

“Guess we’ll have to find something else to keep you occupied on the ranch.”

Amy opened her mouth, closed it. Did he mean that or was he trying to let her down easy?

“I’m sorry it took me so long to call,” Josh said. “Truly.”

“No, it’s okay… It’s…” Her voice broke, and Josh reached for her, gathering her into his arms. Amy melted against him. The embrace felt right, like coming home, and her insides twisted so painfully she just barely managed to bite back a sob. She was clinging to a thread of hope, but this reunion still felt so tentative. Would Josh really hold her like this while ending things?