Even if she was scared shitless. She needed to tell him.
Before she could back out or change her mind, she pulled out her phone to text him. But, just as she opened the message app, her phone buzzed with a message from him.
Come to the garage. I have a surprise for you.
The similarity to what she was about to write made her chuckle. She was the one with a real surprise. She wondered what he wanted to show her since she was fairly certain he wasn't about to tell her he was pregnant.
She glanced to the barn to make sure all three kids were safe and with Laura. Grayson was giggling, and the other two wore big smiles that told her they were happy. They loved it here, and she hoped that they could continue to come even after the baby came.
Her lip was between her teeth as she thought about it. She wasn't sure what was going to happen in a little less than eight months. To be honest, she didn't want to think about it. She was going t
o have to take time off work, but these kids were her work. She wasn't sure how she was going to make sure they stayed together when she wasn't their social worker because she was on maternity leave.
She shook her head. That was a problem for another day. Today's problem was telling Carter. She could worry about the rest tomorrow.
The walk was somehow fast yet seemed to take forever. She knew it was just nerves. She was fairly sure that Carter would react well, but the possibility of him reacting negatively was what she was afraid of. What if he didn't think the child was his? What if he asked her to get rid of it? What if he never wanted to see her again? The what-ifs were the worst part.
She swallowed hard before knocking on the door and stepping inside. The garage was nice and warm, giving the place a cozy feel after the coolness outside. Carter stood from his desk, grinning from ear to ear as she came in.
“You said you have a surprise?” she asked. After he showed her his, she would tell him hers. Hopefully, he'd be in a good mood, and everything would go well.
He grinned and motioned to the side of the garage. There was a car covered by a white sheet that was new. She frowned slightly at it as he went over and pulled it off.
The vehicle underneath the sheet was a small SUV with shiny black paint. It took her a moment, but then she recognized it from the model and the designs he had shown her of the car he was designing.
“Is this what I think it is?” she asked, stepping forward to touch it. It was beautiful and sleek. She could barely believe it was real.
“What do you think?” Carter asked. He crossed his arms and then uncrossed them as he waited nervously for her opinion on the car.
“It's amazing,” she whispered. “I didn't think it was ready yet.”
“It's not,” he admitted. “This is a prototype. I wanted to show it to you.”
She looked over at him with wide eyes. “I get to see it?”
“You signed an NDA,” he reminded her with a shrug. “Besides, I trust you.”
He went to open the driver's side door, and she just stared at him. He trusted her. Just as he'd trusted she wouldn't get pregnant. Guilt nibbled on the edges of her mind.
“Carter,” she started, needing to get this secret off her chest. But he didn't let her finish.
“Come here,” he said, pulling her to the door. “I want to show you how it turns on. I need your opinion on if there are enough cup holders, too.”
She paused for a moment, trying to decide what to do.
Now isn't the right time, she told herself. She knew he wouldn't be able to focus on her right now, not with the car here. She wanted to have his full attention, and besides that, he was so happy and excited to show her the car. She didn't want to take this moment from him.
So she pushed her secret back down and smiled. “I'm sure I can always use more cup-holders.”
Carter laughed and held the door open for her to get in. As she did, he ran around to the passenger side and got in.
“Here's the startup screen,” he said. “The software is still being installed, so it's not as complete as it will be, but when it's done it will tell you how many miles of charge you have, the weather, traffic conditions, and it can sync to your calendar.”
“Wow,” Mia replied. The seat was insanely comfortable, and she loved the visibility of the car already. “This is incredible.”
“You like it?” Carter asked. She loved that he wanted her opinion.
“Very much,” she assured him. “I can't believe you brought it here.”