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“Like you would have it any other way,” I tossed back.
Kingston shook his head. “There are so many things I’d go back and change, but Zoe is definitely not one of them.”
I burned to ask him what he’d go back and change, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t here as an equal—I was here to take care of his daughter.
And I really shouldn’t forget that.
“Dada?” Zoe’s grumbly voice came from the bedroom. “Up. Dada, up!”
“The queen beckons.” Kingston tossed me a wry look as he stood up.
“I’ll just give you guys some space,” I muttered as I stood as well, following a safe distance behind him.
“Don’t feel like you have to sit outside all afternoon. I still have another hour of downtime. Hang out with us.”
“Okay.” It wasn’t like I was going to argue. I was pretty sure my rear had a permanent waffle pattern from the steps outside.
“Bwi-are!” Zoe shouted from her daddy’s arms, her small face beaming at me. “Dada, Bwi-are here. Bwi-are here.”
Kingston grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but grin back.
Maybe Lyla was right. It’d taken a little bit of time, but I was definitely starting to feel like a member of the family. Not that I was going to dork out and tell Kingston as much. Instead I knelt down on the carpet and played tiny people animal farm with Zoe and her dad.
An hour later, after Kingston had returned to set and while Zoe was playing with her tiny people set, I picked up my phone and made a phone call.
“Golden Health Women’s Group, how can I direct your call?”
I blanked. “Um…uh…”
“Ma’am? How can I help you?”
“I need to make an appointment?”
“I can definitely help you with that. I just need your name and some details.”
I blindly gave the receptionist all the info she asked for as my heart pounded in my chest.
“And who are you seeing?”
“Uh, I don’t know. I wanted to talk to someone about my fertility options. I had some complications a few months back, and I don’t know what, if anything, is possible anymore.”
“We can definitely help you with that. I’ll need you to fill out some forms so we can transfer your records from your previous doctor. I’ll email those over for you.”
“Okay.”
“When can you come in?”
“I…” My heart pounded in my ears. My time wasn’t my own anymore. I didn’t know when I’d be able to slip away for an appointment, so I blindly took their next available spot in a few weeks.
I was finally taking control of my life. I was done living up to other’s expectations or assumptions or whatever. This was me being me.
Finally.
An hour later, my day took another weird turn. Zoe and I were still alone in the trailer when Adam entered with a huge, muscular, and heavily tattooed man following him.
I jerked up from the couch where I’d been sprawled reading Dr. Seuss to Zoe. Zoe squawked and clung to me.
“Briar, this is Makoa Lee.” Adam gestured to the larger-than-life man standing next to him. “He’ll be your escort from now on. Everywhere you go, he or another bodyguard will be with you. Any questions?”
