Free Deadly Addition (Hardy Brothers Security Book 9) by Lily Harper Hart Page A

little.” Mandy bent down so she could look Finn in the eye. “You’re going to be a father. Man up.”
    Finn sighed. “Thank you for the pep talk,” he said. “I’m calm. I’m … I’m processing. It’s not what I was expecting.”
    “No,” Mandy agreed. “It’s better. Emma isn’t cheating on you, and why you thought that is beyond me. That’s not in her wheelhouse. Your family is expanding. This is a happy thing. Be happy.”
    Finn nodded. “I’m just … surprised. We were always careful.”
    Mandy glanced at Emma. “Accidents happen, even under the best of circumstances. It’s happened. This is where we’re at.”
    “I understand that,” Finn said. “I’m not angry. I’m just … .”
    “Processing,” Mandy finished. “I know. When you’re done, you need to be nice to her.”
    “I’m always nice to her,” Finn said.
    “Be nicer than that.” Mandy straightened and turned to Emma. “Are you okay if we go? I think you guys have some stuff to talk about.”
    “I’m good,” Emma said, her voice small.
    “Okay,” Mandy said. “How about we have lunch tomorrow? Are you having cravings yet? It’s your choice.”
    “I’ll text you.”
    Mandy nodded, reaching forward so she could give Emma a tight hug. “It’s going to be okay,” she whispered. “Just let him process. It’s going to be okay.”
    “Thank you for everything,” Emma said, her voice thick with tears. “You’ve been so good to me.”
    “I love you, Emma,” Mandy said. “I’ll always be here for you.”
    “We’ll both be here for you,” James said. He patted Finn on the shoulder. “When you want to talk tomorrow, you know where to find me.” He held out his hand. “Come on, wife. I’ll buy you that hamburger.”
     
    “DO YOU want something to eat?” Finn asked.
    After collecting himself – as much as he could – he’d watched as Emma collected her vitamins and scheduled a follow-up appointment. The ride back to Emma’s apartment had been long, and quiet.
    Now that they were both home – and no one was cheating on anyone – Finn felt ashamed. He’d jumped to the wrong conclusion, and he’d terrorized the woman he loved in the process. He didn’t know how to make it better.
    The whole “baby” thing was another hurdle – one he wasn’t sure he was ready to handle at the present moment.
    “I’m not hungry,” Emma said.
    “You’re supposed to eat, sweetie. How about some dry toast?”
    Emma shrugged. “Are you just cooking because you don’t know what else to do?”
    “Maybe,” Finn conceded. “I also want you to eat. What sounds good? Aren’t pregnant woman supposed to have wild cravings?”
    “Not until later,” Emma said. “My stomach is upset.”
    Finn ran his hand down the back of her head, unsure. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to pull her onto his lap and tell her everything would be okay. His heart was hammering so hard, though, he could barely hear what she was saying over the din. “Dry toast it is.”
    Emma watched him as he moved through the kitchen. He refused to look at her. He was focused on his task. Emma wasn’t keen on making eye contact herself right now, but she needed something – anything – from him. Just a sign. He apparently wasn’t ready to give one.
    Finn slid the plate with the toast onto Emma’s lap a few minutes later. “Here, sweetie. Eat.” He settled on the couch next to her. It didn’t escape Emma’s attention that he wasn’t touching her.
    “I’m not sure I’m hungry.”
    “Eat it,” Finn ordered. “You have to keep your strength up.”
    Emma bit into the toast and chewed, forcing herself to swallow at the appropriate time. “Do you want to yell at me?”
    Finn jolted. “Why would I want to yell at you?”
    “I didn’t tell you when I first suspected,” Emma said.
    “Why didn’t you tell me?” Finn asked, keeping his voice calm. He didn’t want to scare her. He’d done enough of that for one day. Heck, he’d done