by Creator
“A lot actually. I was an orphan when I moved here, and I’ve never had a lot of friends in the area.”
“Why did you stay if you didn’t have friends here?” Ramsey asked.
“I’m not sure. I just felt like I was supposed to be here,” she said, her brow furrowed.
“I get those feelings sometimes, too. It’s part of why I’m still here. Gabriel asked for my help not too long ago and I decided to stick around.” He looked at her over the rim of his glass. “I’m glad I did.”
Chloe blushed. “Me, too.”
“So other than your independent streak, is there anything else I should know?” Ramsey asked.
“I’m stubborn. I have a temper. And I won’t tolerate a guy losing his temper with me and becoming physically violent.”
Ramsey studied her a minute. “When I came to pick you up tonight, I saw you jerk your arm away from Michael. Is that all he did?”
Chloe nodded. “He mostly just yelled. Other than grabbing my arm, he wasn’t physical with his anger.”
“If he was, you’d tell me?”
Chloe chewed on her lip. “Is there something I need to know?”
“I’m not sure. Gabriel called while you were in the hospital. Some of the comments he made have made me wonder about Michael and his temper. I’ve seen Gabriel angry enough to tear a man apart because he dared to lay a hand on a woman in anger. But I wonder if Michael follows the same code.”
“Do you think he'd have hurt me?” she asked softly.
Ramsey sighed. “I’ve worked with him for a few months now. I’d like to say he wouldn’t have, but I’m not so sure. I’m not sure I know the real Michael, and that worries me.”
“I know I don’t have any right to ask, but could I ride with you to work tomorrow? Kiera offered to take me to work in the morning,” Chloe said, deciding to change the subject.
“Of course you can. Do you need me to pick you up afterwards?”
She shook her head. “Kiera said she would be in the area and would pick me up. I thought I’d visit with her until you got off work, if that’s okay.”
Ramsey reached across the table and took Chloe’s hand. “It’s fine. You’re not a burden, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I’m just not used to relying on other people.”
“You have a lot on your shoulders right now. Let someone help you carry the load. I don’t mind helping you and neither does Kiera. We wouldn’t offer if we didn’t want to help.”
She nodded. Tears clogged her throat and she stared down at the table. She wasn’t sure how she had been lucky enough to find Kiera and Ramsey, but she was glad that she had. They had both become very dear to her in a very short amount of time.
“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Ramsey said.
“It isn’t you. It’s my stupid pregnancy hormones. I cry at the drop of a hat.”
“Honey, you can blame your hormones all you want, but I don’t think all of your tears are to blame on hormones. You’ve cried at least three times in the past twenty-four hours. Sometimes you just need to cry to let things out, and that’s okay.”
“Why are you so understanding? Why are you so nice to me?”
“Is that a bad thing?” Ramsey wondered.
She shook her head. “It’s a wonderful thing. It makes me want things I can’t have, though. It makes me lose my focus, and that isn’t a good thing right now.”
“What do you want that you can’t have?” he asked.
“Someone like you,” she whispered.
“Any guy would be lucky to have a woman like you in his life. Why do you think you can’t have a decent guy in your life?”
“Because I’ve never found one. Before Michael, I dated a guy that told me he was only using me for sex. I dumped him right after that, but I felt so used. Then I found Michael, and he swept me off my feet. We were only together a week and then he vanished.” She took a sip of her drink. “After that I started hearing rumors about the infamous Michael Andrews and his one night stands. I felt like such an idiot.”
“So because two men who like to use women just happen to find you, you’ve decided you aren’t worth loving?” he asked.
“Why would anyone want me now?” she said indicating her swollen belly. “What man would want to take on someone else’s child?”
Ramsey swallowed. The anguish on her face was just about his undoing. “I would,” he answered quietly.
Chloe stared at him across the table and saw the sincerity in his eyes. “You’ve done so much for me already. I could never take advantage of you like that.”
“It wouldn’t be taking advantage of me if I wanted to be with you.”
Chloe dropped her gaze to the table. Before she could answer, she heard a commotion across the restaurant. Looking up, she spotted Michael with a group of friends. A blonde woman was clinging to his arm.
Ramsey followed her gaze and cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry. I swear I didn’t know he would be here.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay.”
She watched as Michael laughed and flirted at something the blonde said. Chloe’s heart wrenched painfully. It could all be perfectly innocent, but it still hurt to see him with another woman.
Looking away, she fiddled with the silverware on the table.
Ramsey reached across and took her hands in his. “Do you want to leave? We can cancel our order and go somewhere else.”
She looked up into his eyes and shook her head. “No, I want to stay.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Chloe nodded.
“Well, well… what do we have here?” a booming voice said across the restaurant.
Chloe cringed, but Ramsey held tight to her hands, giving her strength. She steeled her nerves and looked up as Michael and the blonde approached their table.
“Hi, Michael.”
“Don’t the two of you look cozy?” Michael said, his eyes locking on their entwined hands.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your date?” Ramsey asked.
Michael relaxed his posture.“This is Jenny. Jenny, this is Chloe and Ramsey. And for the record, she’s not my date, we’re just friends.”
“Hi, Jenny,” Chloe said quietly. Her eyes skimmed over the pretty blonde as jealousy ate into her.
Ramsey squeezed Chloe’s fingers, knowing how hard it must be for her to see Michael with someone else.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Ramsey said.
“So what are you the two of you doing out?” Michael asked.
“Chloe was released from the hospital, and I thought she might enjoy a quiet dinner,” Ramsey said his eyes boring through Michael.
“Oh, I hope it wasn’t anything serious,” Jenny said.
“I just had a pregnancy scare,” Chloe said. “But everything’s fine as long as I stay out of stressful situations.”
Ramsey fought a grin. Score one for Chloe, he thought. “I have a list of instructions from the nurses that I intend to follow to make sure both she and the baby are fine.”
“Well, congratulations,” Jenny said with a smile.
Michael glowered at the two of them. “Come on, Jenny. We should go back to our table. Everyone is waiting on us.”
After Michael and Jenny walked away, Ramsey smiled at Chloe. “You did well.”
“I wanted to crawl under the table and hide.”
“But you didn’t. You faced him and his latest conquest. He might claim she’s only a friend, but I have a hard time believing that. I’ve never known Michael to have a female friend before.”
Chloe smiled at him. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Knowing you were here with me gave me strength.”
“I wouldn’t have left you alone to face him. Besides, if he started stressing you out too much, I would have had to ask him to leave. Doctor’s order after all,” he replied.
“Still, thank you for being here. You could have gotten up and left.” She blushed. “And you
Ramsey squeezed her fingers. “I liked holding your hand.”
A waitress interrupted them with their plates. As they ate their dinner, they discussed their childhoods and their lives in Ashton Grove. Chloe talked a little more about her bad dating experience with Davis Atwood and then with Michael.
“What about before Davis?” Ramsey asked as he ate the last few bites of his steak.
Chloe shook her head. “There was one guy in high school, but that’s it.”
“Just one?” Ramsey asked in disbelief.
“I thought he was special. He was my first. We’d talked about going to college together and getting married once we had jobs. Our senior year he dumped me for the head cheerleader.”
“You’re right. Idiots tend to find you,” Ramsey said.
“What about you?” Chloe asked. “Why aren’t you married?”
Ramsey paused. How did you tell someone who didn’t believe in the supernatural that you had to wait on a potential mate to come along? “I’ve dated, but just never found the right woman. Don’t get me wrong, the women I dated were wonderful, but they weren’t the right one for me.”
“Why not?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t feel it here,” he said, holding a hand over his chest.
Chloe nodded. “Did they know that?”
“Yeah, I made sure I told them. Sometimes we parted company immediately, other times they still wanted to date and hang out.”
“At least you gave them a choice.” Chloe pushed her plate aside. “If I eat another bite, I’ll explode.”
“Are you sure? You don’t want dessert?” Ramsey asked.
She shook her head. “I wish I could, but I think I’d just make myself sick.”
“Then I’ll ask for the check and we’ll head home. You’re going to need your rest if you’re going to start work tomorrow.”
“I’m getting a little nervous about tomorrow. What if I mess up? I can’t afford to lose this job before it even starts,” Chloe said.
“I’m sure you’re going to do fine, Chloe. You’re worrying over nothing,” Ramsey assured her.
“I hope so,” she sighed.
“Let’s get you home so you can rest. Just take things one day at a time. That’s the best anyone can do,” Ramsey said.
Chloe smiled and nodded.
Chapter Twelve
The next morning, Chloe was showered and dressed in record time. She was nervous and excited about her new job. Over-riding everything was her anxiety over seeing Michael this morning. She stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Applying a light moisturizer, she put on some mascara and a little lipstick. Braiding her wet hair, she decided she was as primped as she was going to get for the day.
Chloe started to walk down the stairs, but she paused on the top step. She had promised Ramsey she wouldn’t go downstairs by herself.
“Ramsey?” she called down the stairs.
He stepped into view and looked up at her. “Ready to come down?”
“Yes.”
He jogged up the steps two at a time. When he reached her, he wrapped an arm around her waist. “Watch your step. These stairs are on the small side.”
Chloe hid a smile, but did as he said. Holding onto the rail, she slowly walked down the stairs, allowing Ramsey to support her. When they reached the bottom, she smiled up at him. “Thank you.”
“I’m afraid I don’t have much in the kitchen for breakfast,” he said.
“That’s okay. Kiera said she was going to make something before she took me to work.”
He nodded. “In that case, are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready when you are.”
“You look nice this morning,” he said as his gaze roved over her knit dress.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “It’s one of the dresses Cassie gave me. I wasn’t sure what to wear for my first day at work.”
“I’m sure what you’re wearing is more than fine.”
Chloe smiled. “I hope so.”
“My keys are in the kitchen. We can go through the side door,” Ramsey said.
Chloe followed him through the house and out to the SUV. On the way to the Victorian, she fidgeted with her purse strap. She had no doubt that she could do the job she’d been hired for, but she was anxious just the same.
“You’re going to do fine today.”
Startled, she glanced over at Ramsey.
He grinned at her. “You look nervous.”
“I guess I am. I know I can answer a phone and make files, but I always get a little anxious when I start a new job.”
When Ramsey pulled into the parking lot of the garage, Chloe gave him a puzzled look.
“I thought I’d walk you over if that’s okay?” he said, noting her expression.
She cast a quick glance in the direction of the garage. The bays were closed, except for the first one. The mechanics were gathered at the back of a car talking.
“If you’re worried about Michael, don’t be,” Ramsey said. “He’s not going to bother you this morning.”
“How do you know?” she asked.
“Because I’m not going to let him.”
“Ramsey, why are you so nice to me?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Maybe I’m hoping you’ll realize what a great catch I am,” he joked.
She smiled. “I already figured that out.”
“Ready to go over and see Kiera?” he asked.
She looked over at the mechanics one more time before nodding. She reached for the door handle, but Ramsey stopped her.
“Wait right there. I’m not about to let you fall out of the car and hurt the baby,” he said as he opened his door.
He walked around the SUV, ignoring the looks from his friends and coworkers, and opened Chloe’s door. Helping her out of the SUV, he placed a hand at the small of her back and escorted her across the street. Once he made sure she was safely tucked away inside the Victorian, he crossed back over to the garage.
He ignored Michael’s sullen look and joined the group in the first bay. “What’s everyone up to this morning?”
“Apparently not as much as you,” Hunter said with a smile.
Ramsey shook his head. “She’s renting my garage apartment and needed a ride. Don’t read anything into it.”
Hunter craned his head to look across the street. “So she’s available?”
Ramsey looked at Michael, but didn’t say anything.
“Did the fact that she’s carrying my child slip past the both of you?” Michael snapped.
Ramsey calmly looked at Michael without saying a word. He wanted to knock the other
werewolf into his place, but wasn’t sure how Gabriel would react.
Hunter looked taken aback. He looked between Ramsey and Michael. “Maybe the person who missed that fact was her.”
Michael growled and lunged at Hunter, knocking him to the ground. Pinning him to the ground by his throat, Michael said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. Chloe’s mine. I don’t care where she’s staying, she belongs with me.”
Ramsey laid a hand on Michael’s shoulder. “Ease up, man. Chloe doesn’t belong to anyone but herself.”
“At least one of you seems to understand that,” a feminine voice said from the doorway.
All three men looked toward the open bay door. Both Kiera and Chloe stood silhouetted in the morning light.
Kiera stepped forward before continuing, “Why do you feel the need to own us? Gabriel understands that he belongs to me as much as I belong to him. It’s a partnership. You have to give as much as you take, Michael.”
Michael released Hunter and stood up. He took in Chloe’s stricken expression and took a step toward her. When she hastily retreated a step, he froze.
He took a step back, giving her some space, and hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry, Chloe. I didn’t mean to frighten you,” he murmured.
“I don’t belong to you,”
she said quietly. “Ramsey’s right. I don’t belong to anyone but myself.”
Michael nodded his head. “I know that. Somewhere inside I know that, but there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to settle for that answer… a part of me that wants you to belong to me.”
“I told you before, a baby doesn’t give you the right to lay claim to me. I’ll make sure you’re a part of the baby’s life, but right now I need to prove to myself that I’m able to stand on my own two feet.”
“I understand that, but I still want to help,” Michael said.
“Then you don’t understand. I need to do this, Michael. I need to try and stand on my own two feet, at least as much as I can. I know that Ramsey could rent the apartment for a lot more than he’s charging me, but at least it gives me a little independence right now. This is what I need.”
Michael ground his teeth together. “Then I guess I better let you get to your job before you lose the only employment you have,” he said.
Chloe didn’t answer. She merely turned around and walked away.
Michael was aware of every eye in the garage on him, but he ignored them all. “What?” he barked.
Ramsey shrugged. “Nothing. Just wondering if you always dig your holes this deep.”
“What’s it to you? I’d think you would be rejoicing about now. I’m making your job easier on you.”
Ramsey grinned. “Very true, however, I want Chloe to make the choice that’s best for her and the baby. If I thought that choice was you, I’d gladly step aside.”
Michael shook his head and slid under the car he was working on.
***
Kiera drove Chloe to the real estate office Matt had opened. She could tell that something was bothering her new friend, but she didn’t want to pry too much. “I know it’s none of my business, but if you ever want to talk I want you know I’m here to listen.”
Chloe glanced at Kiera, startled. “Am I that transparent?”
Kiera shrugged. “I can just tell something’s on your mind.”