his offer. “You’re right. I really need to get it done before it breaks down completely. It shouldn’t be too hard to get rides, or maybe I could rent a car for a little while.”
“Caleb would help if I asked him to.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask him to do that. He’s already done too much carting me to LA and back.”
“It’s not like he went out of his way. If anything, bringing you along means he can use the carpool lane. He doesn’t have a lot to do in Orange County anyway, and he thinks you’re good company.”
Taryn was pleased at this revelation. She found her conversations with Caleb interesting and looked forward to them as part of her weekends with Slate. In fact, she’d been disappointed when Slate offered to come to her this weekend because it meant she was missing out on seeing Caleb.
Still, she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Slate and Caleb were new to her. She would be much more comfortable working something out with Mel, Rob, or her coworkers. They’d all known each other for years, so there was a little give and take about their relationships.
Then Slate laughed. “Oh man. We’re so dumb.”
“What?”
“If I drive your car to LA, that means you have my car. Problem solved.”
“Oh, yeah. But that’s even worse. How will you get around?”
“You know my place is only about a mile from the shop. I don’t mind the walk.”
“Slate, you shouldn’t—”
“I want to do this for you.” He sat up, crossing his legs as he looked at her. “I want to help. This whole pregnancy thing.” He gestured vaguely at her stomach. “I can tell it’s a pain in the ass. I feel bad. I’d help you with all that if I could. Since I can’t, let me do this one thing for you. Really. I want to.”
It was impossible to argue with that smile of his.
Exhaling on a gust, Taryn nodded. “Okay. Twist my arm if you must. I just hope it makes it back to your place.”
“No big deal if it doesn’t. My mom pays for triple A for me.”
“That’s nice of her.”
“She worries. She’s a mom, you know?”
Taryn said nothing, but she pressed her palm against her still flat belly, wondering not for the first time what kind of mother she would be. Despite all the morning sickness, her conversations with her family and Slate, so much of this didn’t feel real. She took things one day at a time, dealing with the changes in her body, at work, and the way she ate.
“Speaking of Mom . . .” Again, Slate rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t told her yet—about all this, I mean.”
Taryn didn’t know what to say. If things hadn’t gotten so out of hand so quickly at her parents’, she doubted she would have told them yet either.
Taking her silence as anger, Slate was quick to continue. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I know my mom. She’s going to have a million questions, and I only have one or two answers.” He tried to smile, but it was a twisted expression at best. He couldn’t keep his nervousness off his face.
“I understand. My parents are the same way. So many questions. And they’re all over me because I didn’t schedule my first doctor’s appointment until this Tuesday.” She twirled her fork around and around in her pasta, nervous. She’d been putting off this conversation, but no more excuses. “They want to meet you.” Now it was Slate’s turn to be silent. Taryn chanced a glance over. Slate had a look on his face as though someone had a hold on his balls and was threatening to squeeze. “I told them not yet. You’re right. We need to have more answers.”
“Yeah.” He was silent for a handful of beats. “Well, anyway. About your doctor’s appointment. Hopefully the car will be done by then, but either way.” They both watched him push a roll back and forth restlessly on the table. He took a deep breath. “If you’re uncomfortable, feel free to tell me to fuck off, but I would really like to be there.”
Taryn smiled. “I think
“Caleb would help if I asked him to.”
“Oh, I couldn’t ask him to do that. He’s already done too much carting me to LA and back.”
“It’s not like he went out of his way. If anything, bringing you along means he can use the carpool lane. He doesn’t have a lot to do in Orange County anyway, and he thinks you’re good company.”
Taryn was pleased at this revelation. She found her conversations with Caleb interesting and looked forward to them as part of her weekends with Slate. In fact, she’d been disappointed when Slate offered to come to her this weekend because it meant she was missing out on seeing Caleb.
Still, she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. Slate and Caleb were new to her. She would be much more comfortable working something out with Mel, Rob, or her coworkers. They’d all known each other for years, so there was a little give and take about their relationships.
Then Slate laughed. “Oh man. We’re so dumb.”
“What?”
“If I drive your car to LA, that means you have my car. Problem solved.”
“Oh, yeah. But that’s even worse. How will you get around?”
“You know my place is only about a mile from the shop. I don’t mind the walk.”
“Slate, you shouldn’t—”
“I want to do this for you.” He sat up, crossing his legs as he looked at her. “I want to help. This whole pregnancy thing.” He gestured vaguely at her stomach. “I can tell it’s a pain in the ass. I feel bad. I’d help you with all that if I could. Since I can’t, let me do this one thing for you. Really. I want to.”
It was impossible to argue with that smile of his.
Exhaling on a gust, Taryn nodded. “Okay. Twist my arm if you must. I just hope it makes it back to your place.”
“No big deal if it doesn’t. My mom pays for triple A for me.”
“That’s nice of her.”
“She worries. She’s a mom, you know?”
Taryn said nothing, but she pressed her palm against her still flat belly, wondering not for the first time what kind of mother she would be. Despite all the morning sickness, her conversations with her family and Slate, so much of this didn’t feel real. She took things one day at a time, dealing with the changes in her body, at work, and the way she ate.
“Speaking of Mom . . .” Again, Slate rubbed the back of his neck. “I haven’t told her yet—about all this, I mean.”
Taryn didn’t know what to say. If things hadn’t gotten so out of hand so quickly at her parents’, she doubted she would have told them yet either.
Taking her silence as anger, Slate was quick to continue. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but I know my mom. She’s going to have a million questions, and I only have one or two answers.” He tried to smile, but it was a twisted expression at best. He couldn’t keep his nervousness off his face.
“I understand. My parents are the same way. So many questions. And they’re all over me because I didn’t schedule my first doctor’s appointment until this Tuesday.” She twirled her fork around and around in her pasta, nervous. She’d been putting off this conversation, but no more excuses. “They want to meet you.” Now it was Slate’s turn to be silent. Taryn chanced a glance over. Slate had a look on his face as though someone had a hold on his balls and was threatening to squeeze. “I told them not yet. You’re right. We need to have more answers.”
“Yeah.” He was silent for a handful of beats. “Well, anyway. About your doctor’s appointment. Hopefully the car will be done by then, but either way.” They both watched him push a roll back and forth restlessly on the table. He took a deep breath. “If you’re uncomfortable, feel free to tell me to fuck off, but I would really like to be there.”
Taryn smiled. “I think
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