Stolen Course (Wrecked and Ruined #2)

My head immediately swings over to face him. “What?” I ask in disbelief. “I thought they were engaged?”


“Yeah. Manda agreed to marry him, but she would never set a date. She just wouldn’t commit. It ate away him. Then the night of the accident, she agreed to talk about it and possibly even set a date, but he lost her before they had the chance.”

“Why wouldn’t she commit?” I whisper.

“Oh, I have no idea, and neither does Caleb.”

“Damn.” I lean back, feeling a twinge of guilt, but only a twinge. That sucks, but what he had with Manda is very different than what we have.

“Yeah, it did a number on him. He always wanted a wife and a family, that whole white-picket-fence thing, but Manda just wouldn’t settle down.”

“That’s not my fault though. I can’t be expected to marry him just because she wouldn’t. And I sure as hell am not going to accept him acting like a child at my expense either.” The anger bubbles back up. And whatever guilt I did feel all but disappears.

“Shit, Emma. You are just as stubborn as he is. No, you don’t deserve his bullshit, especially not right now.” His eyes drop down to my stomach. “However, you do need to cut the man some slack. You struck a seriously painful nerve with him today.”

I sit quietly, not responding. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry, but no matter what Brett says, I won’t be made to feel guilty about this. I did nothing wrong. I love Caleb, but I refuse to let him take his issues with Manda out on me.

Brett finally starts the car and begins to pull out of the parking lot. “By the way, I think it’s hilarious that you would think Caleb is noble enough to marry you just because you’re pregnant. He’s a good guy, but not that good. If he said anything to you about marriage, it’s because he wants to marry you. That’s a really big deal to him—as it should be.”

“I’m not her,” I say under my breath.

“Emma, no matter how much you try to avoid it, Caleb’s past is going to affect you. He is who he is today because of his time with Manda. The same way I am who I am with Jesse because of my time spent with Sarah. Trust me. That was harder for me to accept than anyone else.” This time, it’s Brett who looks out the side window, seemingly lost in his past. A few seconds later, he continues. “He loves you, Em. Baby or not. Caleb wouldn’t fight for you if he didn’t.”

“Yeah, he was really fighting for me today when he walked out on me.”

“Sometimes you have to fight down the demons before you can help the angels,” he says, causing the tears to spill over my eyes. “I wouldn’t trade a single second of my life with Jesse, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still struggle with the way things went down with Sarah. Give him a break. I’m not telling you to forgive him. I’m just asking you not to give up on him.”

“Are you happy?” I find myself asking.

“Extremely,” he answers quickly and confidently.

“I know I’ve said it before, but I still stand by it—Jesse is amazing.” I wipe away the tears from my face.

“You have no idea the depths of that woman’s heart. And speaking of, I’m under direct orders to take you back to our place. She should be back by now. I think she’s already got Kara and the entire chocolate section at Nell’s on the way over too.” Now this makes me smile.

“That sounds fantastic.” I’m ready to change the topic. This is entirely too deep for us. Brett and I joke and laugh, not talk about the moments that will define our futures. “Hey, look! I’ve got ultrasound pictures.” I drag them out of my purse.

He plucks them from my hand as he pulls up to a stoplight. “Aw, look! It has Caleb’s black-and-white lines,” he says with a laugh that has me joining him for a much-needed break from the heaviness.

“Thank you.” I smile at him, and we both know that I mean it for more than just a ride home.

“Any time, Em. Any time.”





NOTHING HAS been the same since that day at the doctor’s office. I stayed with Jesse and Brett for a night, then another night at my old apartment that I never even got to share with Sarah. But finally, I had to go back to Caleb’s.