by Kira Hillins
She smiled. Had Ben sent her a gift? Or maybe Renji had sent her a present to celebrate their chance to buy the bakery.
She picked up the package. It was light. The contents rolled around.
She tore the paper and opened the pretty blue box. She looked down inside, expecting see a bracelet or necklace. Instead, she found a copper bullet.
The breeze kicked around her legs. It felt like hands clawing at her, keeping her frozen in place. She shook so much she couldn’t hold on to the box. It dropped to her feet.
“Hey, Zoe.”
A scream worked its way up her throat. Before it could escape, a hand clamped over her mouth.
Zoe turned so quickly that Nicholas released her from his grasp. She kicked him between the legs. He cried out and then let go.
He punched her in the eye. She yelped from the stabbing pain and stumbled back. Her head slammed with a crunch into the side-view mirror of the rental. Her vision blurred. She twisted her ankle and fell toward the ground. The curb of the sidewalk came fast—too fast to do anything about.
“Zoe!” Ben’s voice rang in her ears, but she couldn’t turn to see him. She couldn’t find her voice to call back. She just lay on the sidewalk, helpless.
The engine of a truck revved and then quickly faded. The pounding in her head worsened as Ben helped her turn over on her back. She stared up into the blue sky, powerless. Nauseated. She leaned over and heaved.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Zoe sat on the hospital bed in the ER, eyes closed.
What a mess. Elevated blood pressure. Slight fever. Nauseated. She had a gash on the back of her head and a bruise forming over her eye.
Ben had to pull over once on the way to the hospital for her to vomit. Then a second time when Fred stopped him for going way over the speed limit. At least he didn’t get a ticket. Once Fred found out what Nicholas had done, they got a police escort all the way to the emergency entrance of the hospital.
Zoe sighed as she lay back. The protective paper crinkled as she rested her head on the pillow and then stared at the ceiling tiles.
Nicholas had shown his ugly self again. This time, at least she had proof of the attack. The cops could put him in jail for hitting her. Unfortunately, Nicholas had disappeared.
Could life get any worse?
“Ms. Kearny,” the doctor said as he appeared from behind the long curtains, a pretty nurse on his heels. He positioned his glasses on his thin, slanted nose and then tucked his hair back behind his ears. “I’m Dr. Shin. Looks like you have a little bump on your head.”
“Yeah,” Zoe replied in an exhale.
He tapped out a note on his tablet, then set it on the small stand beside the curtain. “Deputy Jenkins says you were punched.”
She shuddered. Fred had already told the doctor everything.
“He hit my eye.”
“Any flashes of light?”
“No,” she replied.
“Vomiting?”
“Once in the car.” She shrugged. “I’m still a little nauseated.”
The doctor palmed her temple, then held her bangs up away from her face. She leaned her head back as he inspected her sore eye with his penlight.
“I don’t see any immediate damage to the retina, but I suggest you make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Just to be on the safe side.”
“Okay,” she said as he set his tool down on the tray.
He massaged the underside of her jaw. “Any dizziness?”
“I fainted earlier, but I’m fine now.”
He pressed his fingers on her abdomen. It felt like he pushed against a full bladder. When he moved his hands around in a circular motion, she held her breath.
“When was your last menstrual cycle?”
“April…eighth, I think.” She winced from her sore belly.
“You’re late. Is that normal?”
“Sometimes.”
“You’re also a little tender.” As he applied pressure on each side of her navel, he spoke in a low tone to the nurse. “Get a blood and urine sample.”
“Wait.” Zoe raised her head off the pillow. “You’re ordering tests?”
“It’s just procedure,” he said in a calm, even tone. “I want to rule out infection and pregnancy.”
“Pregnancy? Oh no, I am not pregnant, Dr. Shin.”
“Relax, Ms. Kearny,” he said, grin on his face. “Let’s just run the test to make sure.”
Zoe’s stomach twisted into a knot as the nurse led her to the bathroom. The nurse handed her a clear container and then shut the door.
The overhead light buzzed. Zoe turned and stared in the mirror, cup in hand. This was ridiculous. Bandage my eye. Give me a prescription for pain. But don’t assume I’m pregnant.
Zoe sat down on the toilet. It was all the sex she and Ben were having. That was the only reason why her insides were sore. Stress made her period late.
She hated peeing in a cup. It took good aim, something she didn’t have right now.
On her way back to the curtained area, she swallowed hard. Infection? What kind of infection could she have? Maybe it was just a stomach flu. Or food poisoning, though that didn’t make sense. She hadn’t eaten anything out of the ordinary.
Seeing Nicholas, him hitting her again was pretty shocking. It was scary to think he could be out there waiting on them, waiting for her to be alone so he could do whatever the hell he wanted to do with her.
What did he want? What the hell did the bullet mean? Did he want to shoot her? Was he out for revenge? Was he just having fun terrorizing her?
Her stomach ached. She felt like she could pee again, but not enough to make another trip down the hall.
Lying back on the bed, she shivered. Chills. Maybe it was just an infection. She had a virus. She should get dressed and go home to her comfy bed. There she could curl up with a bowl of chicken soup and crackers, drink plenty of fluids, and let Ben take care of her.
The doctor came in. He grabbed the short stool near the curtain side and rolled it close to her. While he tapped out a few more notes on his tablet, his glasses slid down to the end of his nose.
“What’s wrong with me?”
“The urinalysis came back negative for infection. But your pregnancy test came back positive.”
Sourness stuck in her throat. “No. I can’t be…pregnant.”
“We tested twice with the same results. You’ll need to take good care of yourself in the coming months. Limit your daily stress. Light exercise. Plenty of rest. Eat small portions five or six times a day and drink plenty of fluids. I’ll write a prescription for prenatal vitamins.”
“Prenatal…vitamins?”
He tapped out more notes. “Prenatal vitamins have extra ingredients your body needs for a healthy fetus.”
Zoe stared at his pasty forehead. “But I’m on the pill,” she whispered.
He arched his bushy black brows. “Contraceptives aren’t always one hundred percent, especially if they’re not taken properly. Now, I’m going to put you at about four weeks, though we won’t know for sure until you’ve had an exam.”
“Oh God.” She shook her head. This can’t be happening. Things were worse. Much worse. This was not how she wanted this day to end.
“Is the father the same person who hit you?” the doctor asked.
“No.” Her right eye burned from the tears forming. “What am I going to do?”
“There are options.” He cocked his head to the side. “Set up an appointment with your gynecologist and talk it over with her. Or if you’d like, I can have the nurse set you up an appointment.”
“Okay.” Zoe breathed out, then stood on shaky legs. Vision blurred, head pounding, she leaned against the hospital bed.
The doctor steadied her with his arm. “Lie down and rest a few more minutes before you go.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, finding the strength to release her death grip on his lab coat.
Zoe slipped into her clothes. Muscles tense,
body trembling, she stepped toward the lobby door. Now close enough, she looked through the small rectangular window on the door.
“You didn’t protect her!” Renji shouted.
Sheriff Clemens held Renji’s thick arms. Fred restrained Ben.
Ben growled. “I didn’t know she’d left the apartment.”
Renji managed to wriggle free from Sheriff Clemens’s hold on him. Renji threw his fist, clocking Ben in the stomach. The hit forced Fred to let go of Ben, who buckled over. He drew in a few quick breaths and then retaliated by punching Renji in the face.
Zoe shoved her way through the lobby doors. “Stop it!”
Ben and Renji turned their attention to her, out of breath. Renji strode toward her, but she stepped back, palm out.
“Don’t,” she said as calmly as she could. He stopped within an arm’s length. “You’re both acting like little boys.”
“Are you all right, Zoe?” Fred asked. “Want me to lock these clowns up in a cell?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Zoe said. “I’m fine. Just a little sore.”
“I need your statement,” Fred said, notebook and pen in hand.
“Mind if I give it tomorrow? Before the party.”
“Sure.” Fred lowered his arms to his sides. “I’ve got everyone out there searching for him now. If Nicholas sets one foot in town, we’ll get him.”
“Thanks.” Nicholas was the least of her worries at the moment.
This surreal situation put a new perspective on her relationship with Ben. As much as she loved Ben, she wanted him to leave her alone. She needed time to think about what she was going to do about this pregnancy, and about her ownership of the bakery. Right now, she couldn’t think.
Sheriff Clemens patted her shoulder. “If there’s anything we can do for you, darling, just let us know.”
“I’ll protect her like I always do,” Renji said.
She eyed Ben, who paced the floor along the window. “Please, Renji. I need you to go home.”
“I just want to keep you safe.”
“I’ll be fine.” She sighed. “I promise I’ll talk to you later.”
“Come on, son,” Sheriff Clemens said, near the exit door.
“You heard the sheriff,” Ben said, coming to her side.
“Fine.” Renji glared as he backed toward the door and then finally left.
This was awkward. Ben stood behind her, hands gently massaging her shoulders. What was she to do now? How would she tell him their lives were about to go belly-up? Literally.
He moved in front of her and lifted her hand to his lips. “Are you okay? What did the doctor say?”
“Nothing much,” she said with a huff. “He wants me to see an ophthalmologist.”
He held her head between his hands. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“No.” She pressed her cheek to his chest. “None of this is anyone’s fault but Nicholas’s.”
Ben wrapped his arms around her. This felt so good. Once he found out she was pregnant, no telling what he’d do. Neither of them had plans to move.
Zoe leaned back on her heels. “We need to talk.”
“Okay.”
She suddenly remembered a friend she had had in college. She’d dated a guy for five years. He’d taken off faster than she could say baby.
“Oh boy,” Zoe whispered. Her gaze went to the dog tags resting against his T-shirt. “I…I don’t know how to say this.”
The doctor’s words rolled through her head. How could she possibly say she was pregnant after everything they’d been through?
He palmed her arms and gently squeezed. “Out with it.”
“Fine.” She drew in a deep breath. This would be it. No more fun in bed. No more sexual tension. Worse yet, no more Ben. “The doctor says I’m…pregnant.”
For a long moment he stood with a blank stare. His dark brows lifted as her words sank in. “Did I hear you right?”
“Depends on what you heard.”
He lowered his hands to his sides. “You’re pregnant? As in…having a baby?”
“No, Ben,” she muttered. “I’m having kittens.” She brushed past him and went out into the evening air. She breathed deep and then began the walk across the darkened parking lot toward the car.
“How’d this happen?” he asked, following her closely.
She belted out a laugh. “How do you think it happened?”
“I thought you were on the pill.”
She stopped at the car and waited for him to unlock it. “They just weren’t effective.”
“What do you mean, weren’t effective?”
“I don’t know,” she said, wishing he’d quit grilling her. “I just want to go home.”
BEN STOOD BESIDE her, hands on top of his head, keys dangling before his left eye. Holy shit. What the hell? This was un-fucking-believable. He had plans for his near future, but this wasn’t part of them.
Zoe reached up and yanked the keys from his hand. “Just get in the car.”
He grabbed the keys back and then opened the passenger-side door. “I’m driving. In case you have to vomit again.”
“Can you sound any meaner?” She sat and then slammed the door shut.
“I’m not trying to be mean.” He sighed as he got in the car. “I’m just stating that you threw up.”
He started the engine and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Nothing they could do now but deal with this problem. Maybe he could look at this in another light. He’d wanted kids someday. Someday just happened to be now while he was about to start up a business, and she fought off the stalker.
“You should just go home,” she said. “Forget about me.”
He gave her a sidelong look, shocked she’d suggest such a thing. “No way in hell am I leaving you here now. You’re coming to Denver.”
“Really? You’re going to tell me what to do?”
He threw her a glance. “What am I supposed to say, Zoe? That I don’t give a shit? You want me to tell you to stay here and get beat up by your stalker con of an ex-boyfriend? Fuck that!”
“Pull over!” She opened the door.
“What the hell…?” Ben quickly applied the brakes. The car came to a halt. She stepped out and slammed the door. As she walked down the middle of the road, he shifted into park.
“Get back in the car, Zoe,” he called out as he took off after her.
“I’m not ready for this,” she said, walking faster. “Everything’s so messed up. Your life. My life.”
He caught up to her, stopping her with his hands on her shoulders. “Come on. We’ll discuss this when we get home.”
“Home?” She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. “Just go away. Leave me alone.”
“I’m not going to leave you.” He pulled her hands down to her sides and then cupped her wet cheeks. “Look at me.”
Her glittering gaze lifted to his. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
“Yeah, not all your fault, right?” He put his arm around her shoulders as he led her back to the car. “We’ll figure this out. Okay? It’ll be okay.”
He wasn’t sure what to do. Shit! He had a kid on the way.
A stiff drink sounded really good right now. Hell. A bottle’d be even better.
* * * *
Ben parked at her apartment. About to get out, he looked over to find Zoe biting the end of her thumbnail. She stared out the passenger-side window at Renji, who stood watching from the sidewalk. Renji folded his arms over his chest, frown on his face.
Ben tried not to think the worst, but how could he not? Renji was always there, sticking his nose in her business. He let her use his truck all the time. He made her dinner. He walked her to and from work. The way Zoe and Renji stared at each other. It was as if they had history—current history.
He got that Zoe was friends with Renji. But she didn’t want to move to Denver. She’d rather stay here and run a business with him.
Ben clenched his jaw, hating the horrible
thoughts swirling through him. Maybe she was carrying Renji’s baby.
“Are you ready to go in?” Ben asked with a clearing of his throat. “We really need to talk about what we’re going to do.”
“I don’t want to talk about it right now.” Her gaze was still on Renji. “I’m tired. My eyes hurt. I just want to go get some sleep.”
“Or maybe you’d rather discuss this with Renji,” he snapped. He pursed his lips, trying not to say anything more, but he couldn’t stop. “Maybe he’s the father.”
Her mouth popped open. He could almost feel the heat emanating off her body. Her lips moved to a thin straight line as she got out and then slammed the car door.
If Renji hadn’t put his arm around her shoulders, he’d definitely have gone after her. Ben backed the car out, then shifted it hard into drive. Seeing Renji go inside the apartment after her made things worse. Just the thought of her being with someone else set something off inside him, something he hadn’t felt since Chase died.
Misery.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
This was a terrible place to be.
Here he sat in the car in front of Holetzer’s, engine off. Good battling evil. Beer versus vodka. Which one would win tonight? The answer was to drive away and never look back, but he got out of the car, locked the doors, and went inside.
Not many people were here. Two women in the corner booth. A man at the other end of the bar. Not that anyone would actually recognize Ben, but word traveled fast in small towns. He wouldn’t want anyone to alert Zoe that he was here looking for a drink when he desperately needed one.
The bartender’s smug, leathery face brightened when Ben sat down at the bar. The letters on the front pocket of his gray shirt read, Chauncey.
Palms against the wooden counter, Chauncey gave him a nod. “What’ll you have, man?”
“Shot of vodka.”
“Hitting the hard stuff, huh?” Chauncey grabbed a shot glass from the shelf. “Must’ve been something pretty shitty.”
“Yeah,” Ben said, hoping the guy wouldn’t ask any more questions.
Clear liquid sloshed a bit from the bottle as Chauncey poured it in the glass, filling it to the rim. “Only been here two weeks. This town is…something else. Much different from South Dakota.”