Free Growing Love (Brookfield) by Lacey Wolfe Page A

liked having her here. Just the scent of her alone made his heart pitter -patter. Though he didn’t care for the fact she was in his dining room talking with another man, there wasn’t much he could do about that…yet. Deep down he hoped that once their son arrived, she’d let Tom go.
    The place was now quiet. He assumed she was off the phone. Leaving his bedroom, he glanced back at the messy bed where she’d slept. Without even pressing the pillow to his face, he knew her scent now lingered in the fibers.
    “Hey,” she said as he entered the li ving room. “I’m gonna shower, but while I’m in there, take a look at this.” She handed him a catalogue. “I’ve dog-eared a few pages of furniture I like. I want your opinion.”
    She wasn’t even here forty-eight hours and she already wanted to redecorate. She’d never change.
    “Sure. Yeah.”
    “Great.” She moved past him and toward her bedroom. A moment later the door closed.
    He tossed the booklet onto the table and headed for coffee first. He didn’t want to worry about redecorating right now. But he’d take a look at her ideas anyway. Starting off this new friendship on the wrong foot was not a good idea.
    Once he had his coffee in hand, he pulled out a chair and sat. After his first sip, he set the mug down and pulled the catalogue to him. Flipping it open, he realized it wasn’t a furniture booklet, or not one he was used to her giving him. Instead, he stared at images of nursery furniture. Dark woods, light woods, and white. Changing tables, cribs, rockers. She wanted his help with their child’s furniture.
    His eyes grew moist and he cursed under his breath. Men didn’t cry. Especially over baby furniture. With his finger, he flicked the tear drop away. Get yourself together .
    He looked at the p ages she’d chosen and noticed she either liked the off-white furniture or the dark cherry woods. Considering most of his décor was more contemporary—a black leather couch, glass and chrome tables, and the walls a bare brick—he was leaning toward the darker furniture. Maybe with navy blue-and-red-checkered-patterned theme would work too, especially against the stark-white walls in what would be the baby’s room.
    He closed the catalogue. This was getting more real than he’d imagined. He was going to be a father. And soon.
    Matt finished his coffee just as he heard the water shut off to Diane’s shower. He had to make this work with her. Somehow he needed to get rid of Tom so they could be a family.
    * * *
    “I want to grab a book at Alyssa’s shop then we can eat. Sound good?” Diane asked.
    “Perfect.” Matt smiled.
    The Reading Corner was coming into view. Diane loved a good smutty romance and her favorite author just happened to have a new release today. Hopefully her sister had been nice enough to put a copy aside for her.
    She pushed the door open and entered the book shop. Connor , with his boyish grin the ladies loved, greeted her from behind the counter, “Alyssa told me you’d be by here today.”
    Diane giggled. “Us women need our romance.”
    “Have you read one of these books the women are craving now days?” Connor asked Matt.
    “No. You?”
    Connor chuckled. “Yeah, by a bet. When Alyssa and I were dating, I bet her to read a sci-fi and she bet me to read an erotic historical. I couldn’t finish it.”
    “ You poor guy,” Diane said. “I’m sure if they made it an on-screen presentation, you’d watch it.”
    He shrugged. “L et me go find Alyssa.”
    Matt put a hand on Diane’s shoulder. “I’m gonna grab a coffee from the back. Want anything?”
    “Nope. I’m good.” She leaned against the counter.
    Alyssa appeared a second later and Diane expected her to come her way, but instead , she darted toward Matt, a distressed look on her face. Diane walked slowly toward them, watching as her sister leaned close to Matt and appeared to be giving him a stern talk.
    “What’s going on?” Diane asked, wondering