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Now that money would go toward the doctors’ appointments and getting things for the baby, let alone a place to live. Before I’d fallen asleep last night I went over my options in my head. Staying in Hot Springs seemed like my best course of action. I knew someone here, and Pete was the father of this baby regardless of his doubts. I knew it was the truth.
I could get a job somewhere in town. Maybe one of the cute antique shops or boutiques. I would save every dime I madeand rent an apartment with two bedrooms and a view of the sweeping, unending pastures that flanked the town.
Pete and I had at least seven months to figure things out. The only solace I had was the fact that Jonah could come here kicking and screaming and legally he had no right to force me to come home.
Neither did my parents but they could hurt me in other ways. I’d taken off with no plans to ever collect my trust fund from them, hellbent on cutting all ties to that world.
But now it wasn’t about me anymore. I had a kid to think about. A million-dollar trust fund could see the both of us settled and secure for years if I played my cards right.
But for that, I needed a lawyer to look into the legalities of claiming the trust, and that would eat away at the money I currently had.
I ran my hands over my face and tossed my purse on the bed. I didn’t want to think about it right now.
I walked out into the main area of the apartment without much thought about what I needed to be doing with my day, let alone my life, and felt slightly surprised to see Pete sitting on a stool at the kitchen island drinking a cup of coffee. He eyed me as I walked into the room. I eyed him back, the magnetic pull between us igniting as his eyes grazed over my face, then chest, before he looked back down at his phone.
“Morning,” he said through a yawn.
“I wouldn’t know if it was even morning,” I replied curtly, opening and closing several cabinet doors before I found the mugs. “Since you, you know, broke my phone in half last night.”
“I threw away your car keys, too.”
“So, youarekidnapping me and holding me hostage,” I mused as I pulled a mug from the shelf and set it on the counter. I moved to the refrigerator and poked around for anything resembling half and half.
“Just make yourself at home,” he said sarcastically.
I shot him a glare as I pulled a jug of milk from the fridge and walked back over to the mug I’d chosen.
“You’re not supposed to drink coffee when you’re pregnant,” he chided, and looked smug as hell when the words left his lips.
“I didn’t know you were a doctor,” I said with mock enthusiasm as I ignored his comment and poured myself a cup of coffee. “Two-hundred milligrams is perfectly safe according to the internet. Anything else you want to boss me around about today?”
His lips twitched, but he said nothing in return as he watched me step around the island and settle on one of the couches behind him.
“We’ll go get you a new phone today,” he said absently, his back still turned. “A real one, not a burner phone. Unless, of course, you’re lying about everything and are actually part of a drug cartel.”
“Secret’s out, I guess,” I snorted, sipping lightly. My stomach turned as a waft of the rich coffee hit my nose but I took another sip to try to squelch the sudden nausea rippling over my heated skin.
He turned to me, one light brown eyebrow arched.
“Don’t I look the part?” I pressed, motioning to my body and outfit. He couldn’t seriously be thinking I was up to no good, especially in a cartel. I didn’t look like a trained assassin, that was for sure.
“I guess we’ll find out later today.” He shrugged, a devilish smile on his handsome face. “We’re going down to the regional hospital for the paternity test—”
“I think the only way to do it is after the baby is born—”
“According to the internet,” he mimicked, playfully tilting his head to the side, “it requires a blood test from the mom and a cheek swab from the father-to-be, that’s it. We’d know in a few days.”
“Fine,” I said, setting my coffee down. I felt like throwing up but fought against the feeling.
“I’ll ask to have the labs expedited—”
“I understand that you need to know that you’re the father, Pete. I’m more than willing to get the test done. I just don’t have a lot of money to pay for it if we need to do it more than once—”
“Why would you pay for it?” he asked, totally serious.
I blinked, unsure I’d heard him correctly. “What do you mean? I—”
“I’d be paying for it.” He turned to face me, his coffee mug abandoned on the island. “I’ll be paying for all of it. The appointments, the food, whatever you need.”
