AllFreeNovel
Share Us
42
Today had been the longest day of Cooper’s life—not to mention the most unproductive. He shifted in his truck, eyes locked on Megan’s apartment door. He’d taken the day off work, hoping to finally confront her about her false accusation. She’d apparently quit her job at the newspaper, so he’d spent the entire day staking out her place.
It was now the eve of Election Day, and he was running out of time. But at this point the campaign wasn’t really the driving factor. He just wanted to set the record straight. Getting to the bottom of an injustice wasn’t just part of his job. It was in his blood.
A flash of red snagged his attention. Across the parking lot Megan exited her car and strode toward her apartment building. Her long brown hair waved behind her like a flag in the autumn breeze.
Finally.
Cooper jumped from his truck and followed her into thebuilding. She was unlocking her door when he caught up with her. He had to be careful not to scare her away. All she had to do was slip inside her apartment and refuse to answer the door.
“Megan...”
She whirled around. Her lips parted and her pallor went ashen. Her face was a little fuller than when he’d last seen her. His gaze dropped to the considerable bump of her belly.
“Go away.” Megan scrambled with the lock.
“Megan, wait. I just want to talk.”
“I don’t want to talk. I’ll call the—”
Panic flickered in her eyes as she no doubt remembered hewasthe law. Her fumbling finally paid off. She twisted the knob and pushed open the door.
“Please, Megan. I’m not angry. I just want to understand.”
Her eyes locked with his and she hesitated.
He held up his hands, palms out. “You know me. You know I won’t hurt you. I’m not that guy. Just give me five minutes. Please.”
Her eyes teared up. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I ever did it.”
“Why did you then?”
Her attention dropped to the frayed carpet at the threshold. A moment later she stepped back and opened the door.
The apartment was warm from the heat of the day. She opened a window, and the breeze fluttered the thin curtains. “Might as well have a seat.” She lowered her weight into an armchair. A gray-striped cat jumped into her lap.
He sat across from her on the sofa and measured his words. “What happened? Why did you tell people the baby was mine?”
Her cheeks flushed as she stroked the cat. “I don’t know where to start.”
“Try the beginning.”
She stared down at the cat, seemingly lost in the past. “Soon after we had that disagreement, I lost my job—the one I’d movedhere for. I was feeling . . . pretty low. I went to a bar and ended up going home with some guy—I don’t even remember his name. He was just visiting the area.”
She gave him a wry look. “I guess you can see what happened after that. I got a job at the paper, but it was a severe pay cut. I wanted the baby but I didn’t know how I’d take care of it.”
“What about your family?”
She scowled at him. “I don’t have any, remember?”
He really had been a jerk. “Sorry. I forgot.”
“Back in September some man approached me when I was out with a friend. He said he’d pay me if I’d go into Riverbend Gap and spread the word that you’d fathered my baby and were denying it. He somehow knew we’d had a... dispute and that I was upset about it. He told me I could pay you back for being so awful to me. I said no at first. But then he told me how much he was willing to pay me, and I was still mad at you for calling me a liar.”
Cooper clenched his jaw. Shewasa liar. “So you took the money.”
“I was afraid I couldn’t support my baby, and I’ve never had that much money!”
