All In: Raising the Stakes by Lane Hart Page B

morning sickness has been really rough, too. I wish I could help take care of her, but I guess that’s Will's job and not mine.
    I already know that I'm enough of a wedge between Will and Lacy that I shouldn't force my way into their life any further. I guess I am jealous of Will, because he's in that protector/provider position for Lacy and the baby that I never will be. Sure, if it's my child then they wouldn't stop me from seeing him or her, but it'll never be a permanent situation where we all live together as a family. An outsider, a mere spectator, is all I'll ever be in my son or daughter's life. Damn, that's depressing. Although, that would probably be best for him or her since there's nothing stable about my life, and I don't know the first thing about taking care of babies. What sort of role would Chad play in their life? Am I supposed to just be content with whatever he and I are doing for the long-term? And the flings we have with Lacy and Will can't keep going on forever. Chad could start dating a woman and then where would that leave me? Alone. That's a scary thought, but nothing new. I've been lonely my entire life, so you would think I'd be used to it by now.
    My mind is racing a mile a minute on all the what ifs when the seat belt light comes on and then my ears pop, telling me we’re losing altitude. Katie stays quiet beside me, both of us in our own heads as the plane lands and the front passengers begin to file out.
    "Do you know how we're supposed to get to the hotel?" I ask her, just to have something to talk about.       
    "I think they're sending a shuttle."
    "Oh good," I reply. Standing up, I grab my bag from the overhead bin, and hand Katie hers.
    "Thanks," she says absently when she takes it from me.
    "Are you feeling okay, Katie Kat?" I tease her. "You've been nice to me all day."
    Her eyes lower and her pale cheeks color to a beautiful pink right before my eyes. "I just figured that if we're going to have to work together, I should try and be a little nicer to you."
    "Oh, well, I’m glad."
    "And I may have misjudged you," she adds quietly.  
    "Really?" I ask. A crazy sensation of hope wells up in my chest.
    "Yeah, you're not the cocky, nonchalant, playboy I thought you were."
    "Oh, I wouldn’t go that far." I laugh in relief of hearing her say those words. She's finally getting to know the real me.                                      
    "Maybe I just don't want to keep being the bitch you think I am," she says on a heavy exhale.
    "Katie, I've never thought that about you," I tell her honestly.
    "We should probably go." I think she's actually embarrassed or upset about giving me a hard time. I've always figured she had her reasons for not liking me, even if I wished she'd just give me a chance.   
    As the passengers in front of us begin to file out of the plane, I squeeze out from our seats to follow. A few rows up, someone's luggage comes crashing down from the overhead, causing me to have to stop abruptly. Behind me, Katie slams into my backside, one of her hands reaching out to grab ahold of my waist.
    "Shit, sorry," she says, jerking her hand away from me like I burned her. It’s the first time she's ever actually touched me, and I smile at the contact. Hell, I consider repeating the sudden stop again just to feel her pressed against me.  
    After we both round up our luggage, we go outside and search for the Coconut Grove Resort's shuttle, the place where we'll be staying all three nights and attending seminars in their conference rooms during the day.
    When we pull up out front I’m surprised by how nice the place is, an enormous, oceanfront resort with palm trees lining the front canopy, and a large waterfall sign. The state has gone all out for setting us up here for the whole weekend. Everything about the place; the salty smell of the ocean air, the cool breeze, the environment as a whole instantly invokes this calming effect on me.