shook her head. “I hate to say it but Logan does have a point.” She nudged the twins in Dominic’s direction. “It’s much safer for you two to watch from the field with everyone else.”
The boys groaned in disagreement but darted over to Dominic and pushed at his legs.
“Then let’s go so we can get the best seats,” Kayden said.
Dominic shook his head. “We had the best seats until you ran off from them.”
He smiled and led the boys away. Colt and Jen said their goodbyes and followed, all of them disappearing into the darkness.
Logan waved an arm, signaling to a crew of men to start the proceedings. Scattered shouts from the hands rang out as a couple of the crew moved around, testing and reaffirming everything was in order. Logan took Amy’s hand, leading her away from racks of fireworks and farther behind the safety line.
They reached his truck and he released her long enough to rummage inside the cab for another hard hat and set of earplugs.
“Are those really necessary?” Amy asked as he draped the earplugs around her neck.
“Yes.” He hooked a finger under her straw hat, swapping it for the hard one. “These aren’t backyard firecrackers, Amy. They’re extremely dangerous.”
She glanced up at the brim of the hard hat. “I guess it’ll be worth it.” She smiled. “They might be dangerous but you’ve always put together the most beautiful displays I’ve ever seen.”
“Still do.” He smiled. “Wait ’til July rolls around. I’ll really impress you then.”
His smile slipped. If she was still here.
Amy hesitated, shadows creeping into her eyes. “We need to talk, Logan. About tomorrow.”
Logan tensed. The tight note in her voice unsettled him. Tomorrows. He’d never been on good terms with them.
She tucked her hair behind her shoulders, fingers trembling slightly. “This was the last day I had on leave from work. I planned on heading back to Augusta first thing tomorrow to start the move.”
“But that plan’s changed.” His chest tightened. “It has changed, hasn’t it?”
She stilled, her mouth drawing into a hard line.
“Hey, Logan.” Jed waved a flashlight from his stance by the racks of fireworks. “Countdown’s about to start. You wanna lead?”
Logan frowned and waved him off. “Nah, you go ahead. You know the drill, yeah?”
Jed nodded and signaled with his flashlight to the rest of the group. They began running final checks for the fireworks show.
“Please tell me you’re staying, Amy.” Logan’s gut churned at her stoic expression. “Things have gone well between us the past few weeks and they can continue that way.”
Amy held up a hand. “I want to stay. I really do. But...”
“But, what?” Logan shook his head.
“There’s another consideration,” she whispered. “A small one.”
“What kind of consi—”
“I’m pregnant.”
Logan froze. He watched her mouth and waited. Waited for her to take it back. To say she’d misspoken. That it was all a mistake.
A mistake. God help him. Sara.
“That’s not possible.” He bit his lip, a sharp metallic taste seeping onto his tongue. “The doctors said—”
“The doctors said it was highly unlikely.” She shook her head, features softening. “Not impossible. We’re lucky—”
“Lucky?”
“Yes.” Her mouth tightened. “We’re lucky to have another chance whether we were looking for it or not. Good things can happen just as much as the bad. Life’s given us another gift.”
Her hand dropped to cover her belly. His gut churned and he swallowed hard, looking away.
Sporadic yellow lights flickered over the ground as the hands moved about with flashlights on the other side of the lot, checking the racks and getting into final positions.
“How long have you known?” His voice sounded strange, even to his own ears.
“It was confirmed a couple of days ago. I didn’t want to mention it until I knew for sure.” Her tone gentled. “I’m sure now.”
Sure. Logan’s mouth twisted. She’d been sure when she’d gotten pregnant with Sara. Had been sure their daughter was okay even when he’d insisted something was wrong. Sure they’d deliver a healthy baby girl.
Logan shoved his hands in his pockets and moved away. There was no such thing as being sure. Nothing was ever certain. Not for this pregnancy and not for Amy.
What if...
“We can’t go through this again,” he choked. “What happens when we lose this baby? You think it’ll hurt any less than before?”
“I want this child.” Amy squared her shoulders. “I was told that as long as I’m careful, things may work out. There’s a chance nothing will go wrong this time.”
“As much chance as there was the first time? With Sara?” His voice cracked, his throat tightening to the point of pain. “What about her? She was once part of our family, too. Have you forgotten her?”
She winced, whispering, “I’ve never forgotten Sara. Not for one day. And I never will.” Her chin lifted. “But nothing you or I did caused us to lose her. It just happened. I won’t let the pain of losing Sara stop me from living.” She touched his arm. “Life goes on, Logan.”
He flinched, pulling away. “It shouldn’t.”
A searing heat washed through his chest, flooding it as though his heart was bleeding out.
The shaking in his hands was becoming a violent tremor. “What if something happens to you? I just got you back.”
“You’ve never had me,” she said. “Not really.”
“You’re my wife.”
Amy’s smile was sad. “That’s just a word, Logan. One you throw out to excuse the lie I told. What you use to console yourself every time you give in to me. Something you say to feel honorable for keeping your promise and sticking it out.” She shook her head. “I’m not your wife. I’m just an obligation. Another one of your regrets.”
Pain swept over Logan, leaving him hollow and weak.
“That’s not true,” he said.
A voice boomed over the loudspeaker, signaling the start of the New Year’s Eve countdown.
