Free The Polar Bear's Baby (Honeypot Babies Book 1) by Sophie Stern

for him to meet Mia. He’s met Richard before, though it’s been a few years, and they got along pretty well. There’s no doubt in my mind that Mia will fit in perfectly in my family. My dad is going to adore her and Katherine is going to go nuts over a grandbaby.
    Finally, I get up and go back to bed where Mia is still sleeping in a little ball in the center of the bed. Everything is going to be okay.
    I can feel it.

Chapter 11
     
    Aidan
     
     
    “Everything is going wrong!” Mia cries to me on the phone. It’s her last day of work. Somehow, she managed to make it back home, turn in her notice of resignation, and finish up working at the bakery. Only today, it seems, everything has gone wrong for her, and my heart is breaking.
    “Tell me what happened,” I say. I’m in the middle of mixing the batter for a batch of cookies. I’m trying out a new recipe I think Mia will really love. She’s been having weird cravings this week, so I’m trying to conquer all of them with just the right mixture of sugar and chocolate.
    “A customer said I look fat,” she’s crying and my heart is breaking for her. I wish I was there, but I couldn’t get away from the bakery today. I’m planning on driving out tomorrow with a rented truck and helping her pack up her belongings. She’s on a month-to-month lease and gave her landlord a month’s notice, so we’ll move her stuff to my place, then go clean her unit. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but she’s been exhausted lately. The morning sickness is in full swing, too, so Mia hasn’t been feeling great at all.
    “Baby, you aren’t fat. You’re growing a cub.”
    “I know,” she says.
    “What did you do?”
    “I dumped pie in her lap.”
    “Are you serious?” I bite my lip to keep from laughing. Mia is a feisty little thing and I immediately get the mental image of her dumping a piece of cherry pie into some poor old woman’s lap.
    “So my boss told me I could leave early,” she says, only Mia sounds almost sad.
    “Baby, are you feeling a little down about quitting your job?”
    “No, not really,” she says. “I’m excited to work with you, honestly. It’s just a big change.”
    “I know.”
    “Maybe I should talk to my brother,” she laughs. “He could give me some great counseling advice.”
    “Wait, you haven’t told Richard yet?” The last two weeks have been so crazy that it completely slipped my mind. I guess I just assumed she’d tell him.
    “Nope.”
    I take a deep breath and taste the batter. More salt. Just a smidge. I add it and keep mixing, wondering what I should say to her. I’m not upset she hasn’t told Richard, but I wonder what’s holding her back. Is Mia feeling absentminded because of the pregnancy or is she worried her brother is going to judge her? And how should I respond in a way that won’t make her burst into tears? That’s the most important question.
    I love Mia, adore her, but I love Richard, too. We haven’t been as close the last few years, but I see him all the time in town and it’s not like this is something we can hide forever.
    You can’t hide anything in Honeypot for long: not a relationship and certainly not a child.
    Even if Richard didn’t notice Mia’s growing belly, someone would ask him how he felt about his sister dating the town baker.
    Then there would be hell to pay.
    “Why haven’t you told him yet, honey?”
    “I’ve just been really busy with work and packing and dealing with landlord stuff.” Her words are fine, but her voice is tense and anxious.
    “And?”
    “You’re as bad as Richard.”
    “I know. I did live with the guy for a year.”
    “And I’m scared to tell him.”
    “Why?”
    “What if he gets mad?” She whispers. “What if he doesn’t like us being together?”
    “Would that stop us, honey?”
    “No.”
    “You need to tell him soon.”
    “I know. I will. I’ll talk to him tonight when he gets back from Honeypot.”
    I promise to come over in the morning