Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 55458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 55458 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 277(@200wpm)___ 222(@250wpm)___ 185(@300wpm)
“Suzie,” he said bluntly. “She’s pregnant. A few months along. I thought you knew.”
I thought you knew.
Ryan knew and he thought I knew, which meant it was safe to say the whole damn town probably knew. Everyone did.
Except me.
“I didn’t know. How far along is she? Why didn’t she tell me?” I had a thousand different questions, but those two popped out first. “Shit.” She would be even angrier than I anticipated, and with good reason.
Ryan shrugged off my questions. “No idea why she didn’t tell you.” He sighed. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it has something to do with your vanishing act. Women don’t tend to take it well when a man up and leaves without a word.”
Ah, hell. I should have known. “She told you?”
Ryan laughed, his eyes wide with disbelief. “No way, but I got an earful of residual anger from Persy after she found out you’d vanished and that Suzie was pregnant. She was pissed at all men that day; ‘sub-species’ is what she called us. Had to take Titus out for a guys’ night until she cooled down.” He smirked and shook his head at the memory. “So, thanks for that, Gavin.”
I wouldn’t have been surprised if most of the women in town hated my guts at this point, but I needed to see Suzie. To talk to her, to make her understand. “Where is Suzie now?”
“Where she spends most of her time, JRMC.” Ryan raised an eyebrow. “I would advise you against ambushing her at work. There are scalpels and needles all over the place.”
“I won’t. I promise.” The last thing I wanted was to make things harder on Suzie. “I need some time to prepare,” I assured Ryan and walked out of his shop on wooden legs.
Suzie was pregnant. She was carrying my baby.
And she wanted nothing to do with me.
Suzie
The sound of high heels clicking behind me at a fast clip should have warned me to increase my pace, to walk a little faster. I’d been in the hospital since six o’clock this morning and it was already past seven, which meant I was too tired to walk, never mind run. So, I kept my head facing forward, avoiding looking left or right just in case anyone thought to stop my progress toward the exit.
“Suzie.” Persy’s voice was breathless as she caught up with me and put a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve been searching for you for the past hour.”
I nodded. “I was in a meeting with the budget committee.” The scheduled sixty-minute meeting had ended up lasting close to three hours, draining the last bit of my physical and mental energy. “What’s up?”
“I have news.” Her words were vague, a little glum, and a lot worried.
I stopped and turned to face my friend. “What’s wrong, Persy? Are you sick? Having problems with Ryan? Is it Titus?”
She smiled and pulled me into a hug. “You’re the best, Suzie. But no, I’m fine. The boys are fine. Everything is fine.”
“Then what’s with the tragic expression?” I sighed heavily, staring deep into her violet eyes to make sure she was being honest with me.
“I just got a text from Ryan. Gavin is back.”
Gavin is back.
It was the last thing I wanted to hear. Granddaddy hadn’t said a word about expecting a visit from Gavin, but of course he wouldn’t. The older man was excited about the baby, but his loyalty was to his grandson, not me. I nodded slowly and begged the churning in my stomach to stop, at least until I got home.
“I figured he would make his way back to town eventually. He has family here now.”
Persy’s shoulders fell in relief. “Ryan let it slip about the baby. So,” she sighed, “Gavin knows you’re pregnant.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” There was nothing I could do about that. “He was bound to find out, Persy.”
She blinked. “You’re not mad?”
“No, I’m too tired to be mad. I’m going home to sleep, but thanks for racing around the hospital to let me know. Next time, a text might suffice.”
Persy let out a huff of laughter. “This way was more dramatic, and my hair looks amazing blowing in the wind.”
I rolled my eyes. “You always look amazing,” I assured her with a smile. “Good night.”
Gavin was back in town, because clearly my life wasn’t crazy enough or busy enough these days. I sighed and started my car, thinking of nothing but how I would react when we inevitably ran into each other around town. I hadn’t heard from him since the night before he left, so I wasn’t worried about him reaching out to me. I was old news.
But Gavin Ross didn’t become a world-famous rock star by doing what was expected of him, and I found him waiting on my doorstep when I pulled into my driveway. For a brief moment, our gazes collided and I froze. I’d almost forgotten how handsome he was. After I screwed my head on straight, I pushed right past him without a word. He didn’t get to dictate terms, not today. Not ever again.