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“Wow. What brought on that sudden change?”
“Our baby.”
It took a moment for it to sink in. “Baby? Oh my god, Charli are you—”
“Pregnant. Yes.”
For the first time in the history of their relationship, they both literally squealed like girls. Oakley didn’t know where the hell that came from, only that it filled her with joy to think about Charli and Grady having a child.
“Charli, that’s fantastic. I’m happy for you and Grady. You’ll make great parents. And I don’t blame youfor holding back on things that would cause him stress. We both know they can’t afford to be distracted.”
“Thanks for understanding, but back to you. What will you do?
“First, wait. See if Mason asks for a meeting. How fast he responds will tell us if Samir left or is still here. If he’s here, then the wolves and I will disappear.”
“To where?”
“Where we can’t be found, and no one will think to look.”
“But what if they do?”
“Then they’ll be in for a fight.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Let me come fight with you,” Charli finally said.
“No.”
“Why?”
“You’re pregnant.”
“I’m not that far along and—”
“Don’t.” Oakley barked the word, then blew out a breath. “I’m sorry.”
“No, I am.” Charli replied. “I never stopped to think.”
“Nor should you. Like I told you a long time ago, always be your authentic self with me. That’s the person I love, so don’t stop being her.”
“Thank you. That runs both ways, sister. Still, I should have thought.”
“It’s okay, Charli.”
Both fell silent, although Oakley wasn’t aware of Charli’s quiet. She was caught up in a memory, one that had altered her life. Flashes of memory skipped through her mind.
All at once, her own heartbeat thundered in her ears. Her legs felt strangely numb, and she couldn’t seem to do anything but stare at that damn plus symbol on the plastic device she held in one hand.
Pregnant. She was pregnant.
No. No, no, no, this couldn’t be right. It couldn’t. She was determined the test gave a false positive, so she went back for another test. Three days and a dozen tests later, and she accepted it. She was pregnant.
Oakley remembered that feeling, could feel the echo of it. Nothing had ever unnerved her that much. It took her two weeks to schedule leave, and she had to wait an additional week before she was on a plane headed home.
She and JC hadn’t been together that long, around eight months. Oakley sure hadn’t planned on getting pregnant. Heck, she didn’t even want to be married, much less a mother. But here she was. What would JC say?
A whole lot as it turned out. And none of it is nice. He accused her of entrapment, the old Indian girl trying to snare a white man, have someone support her and her litter of brats.
Oakley never said another word. But she did hit him hard enough to have him fall like a redwood, and she left him unconscious on the floor. When she left, she stopped on base to speak with the MP’s and let them know there was an unconscious man on the floor of her house, and she wanted him gone.
