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If I was pregnant with Ash’s child, I had no way of knowing if I would be okay or how he would react.
I moved to close the door but stopped myself.
“When will Ash be back?”
“This afternoon. Do you want me to call him back early?”
“Oh no,” I murmured. “I just wanted to talk to him.”
“I’ll have him come to you when he returns.”
Thanking her, I started to close the door and paused yet again.
“Hey, Rachel?” The fae stopped mid-step and glanced at me from the corridor. “Have you heard from my father yet?”
The corners of her lips tightened, and she shook her head.
“I personally have not,” she replied with her usual decorum. “But that’s not to say he hasn’t been in touch with Ash. That’s something you should discuss with him.”
“Do you think he’s going to pay the loan back?” I asked quietly. “Or was his plan to leave me here forever?”
Sympathy fell over Rachel’s face, and she padded back toward me. “I really can’t answer that question, Briar. I don’t know your father or his situation.”
“But you’ve been working for Ash a long time,” I pressed. “You know the kinds of people who come to him. I’ve been here three weeks, andIknow the kinds of people who come to him for loans. They aren’t exactly upstanding members of society.”
Rachel sighed heavily. “Look, all I know is that desperate people do desperate things, Briar. I have seen many men come to Ash with pure intentions, men who made bad choices and genuinely tried to make it right for their families.”
Hope twinged inside me. “And you think my father is one of those men?”
Rachel grimaced. “I didn’t say that,” she countered, crushing my short-lived faith. “All I’m saying is that there are many reasons that someone might come to Ash. I believe that Barney’s deadline is in two days?”
I shrugged.
“It’s certainly close.”
“Then I suppose you’ll have your answer, anyway. Regardless, you’re not in danger anymore, so you don’t need to worry about that. Go get some rest, Briar. You really don’t look well.”
She didn’t give me an opportunity to respond before sliding off down the hall and leaving me to my newfound apprehension.
What will Ash do to Father if he doesn’t pay the loan? He doesn’t have collateral anymore, and he’s not the kind of man who will forgive a debt that easily.
Closing the door, I hurried back toward the bed and pulled the covers up over my head, hands cupping the gentle swell of my belly.
I’ll just have to talk to Ash when he gets home,I decided, rocking myself gently.He and I will work this out together.
Chapter19
Briar
Iremained in my room all morning, Rachel remaining true to her word by sending someone up with a tray of hot soup, but I was too nervous to eat more than a few bites when I placed it on the vanity.
Every time I took a spoonful of the broth, I caught a glimpse of my pale cheeks in the mirror and winced.
Would Ash be able to tell the second he looked at me? Would he smell the new life growing in me?
I tried to reason with myself, telling myself that it was too early to be sure about a baby, but as the hours ticked by, I swore I could feel the growth inside my womb.
I would have to do a test to be certain, but I trusted my instincts. I was a rabbit, and that was what I was bred to do. It was why my father had always been so protective of me, so eager to keep me hidden from the world.
