Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91622 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Cole’s hand tightened on the doorframe. “Fucking Mike.”
Erin winced. “Actually, it was Sam.” She just hadn’t had a chance to tell Cole he was off duty before her clothing dilemma sidetracked her.
He shrugged as if he didn’t care, but she knew the damage was done.
“I’ll be at Joe’s, enjoying my break. Make sure you call or text when you’re on your way back, and I’ll meet you here.” He walked out, his footsteps ringing as he hit the hall, leaving Erin with a stomachache and a tiny hole in her heart.
* * *
It was so good to have her parents back and the whole family in one place. Sam, Mike and Cara, and Erin were all at the house. Erin didn’t realize how much she’d missed her folks until she found herself wrapped in their welcoming embrace. Suddenly the stress of her life caved in on her, and she burst into tears.
Ella Marsden stepped back and braced her hand on Erin’s shoulders. “I’m here now.” She looked over Erin’s shoulder to Simon, Mike, and Sam. “We’ll be back. You all catch up without us.” Then taking Erin’s hand, Ella led her to the kitchen, her mother’s domain and sanctuary.
“You know what that’s about?” Erin heard her father ask her brothers.
She cringed, not knowing what they’d reveal, but after her emotional outburst, she figured everything was a fair guess.
“What’s going on?” her mother asked.
Erin looked at her mom, who appeared healthy and happy. The wavy auburn hair she’d shared with Erin framed her face. If possible, the stress of Simon’s cancer last year had dissipated, thanks to their overdue vacation, and Erin was pleased.
“I guess you wouldn’t rather tell me about your trip?” she asked, hoping to stall the inevitable.
Her mother shot her a look that, when Erin and her brothers were kids, had meant Talk now, or else.
“Okay.” Erin glanced down at her hands, which she’d begun twisting together. “The night of Mike’s wedding, I was feeling . . . out of sorts.”
“Lonely,” Ella said softly.
Eyes filling again, Erin nodded. “It seemed like everyone around me was finding that special someone. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself, so I stopped at Joe’s on the way home, and . . . Cole Sanders was there.”
Ella’s face remained understanding just as she kept silent, letting Erin tell the story at her own speed.
“We danced. One thing led to another, and . . . we had a one-night stand.” Erin didn’t meet Ella’s gaze. Discussing sex with her mother wasn’t exactly comfortable. “And it was just that one night.” No need to mention how many times that evening, Erin thought. “He barely spoke to me in the days afterward.”
“And that hurt your feelings,” Ella said with a woman’s wisdom and a parent’s understanding.
Erin nodded. “A lot. But I understood. He’d just come back to town, and he obviously had been through something bad before coming home.” She drew a deep breath. “About a month later, I started getting nauseous.”
“Oh my God.” Ella clasped Erin’s clenched hands. Obviously, there was no need to go on. Her mother got the point loud and clear.
“I guess I didn’t want to face it because I didn’t let myself make the connection, and as a result, I didn’t take a test for a while. Anyway, I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone because I needed to process it myself.”
“Does Cole know?”
Erin exhaled a long breath. “He does now, but he didn’t then.” She lifted her head, met her mom’s gaze. “There’s more.”
“I’m listening.” To her mother’s credit, she held on to Erin’s hand and didn’t say a word, not judging or asking questions.
“The day after you left, I was on my way to work when I was shot in the parking lot.”
“What!” Ella’s face leached color.
“I’m fine, Mom. I promise. The bullet passed through my arm. No permanent harm done. And I’ll explain everything I know about the shooting, which isn’t much, in a few minutes. Anyway, I was taken to the hospital, and when Mike went to find Sam, he had Cole wait outside the cubicle where they were treating me. Cole heard the doctor mention I was pregnant. That’s how he found out.”
“Good Lord, I don’t know what to react to first.”
Erin winced. “How about you let me finish.”
Her mother’s eyes opened wide. “There’s more?”
“Not too much. Cole and Mike argued over who would take me from the hospital. I insisted that I was going home. Cole said he was going with me. Mike wanted me to have round-the-clock protection and finally agreed to Cole staying with me, which I thought was ridiculous since I figured it was a random shooting.”
“It wasn’t?” Her mother’s voice took on a harsh yet worried tone.
Erin shrugged. “It doesn’t look like it.” She told her mother about the roadkill delivery to her front door. “In the meantime, Cole told me that Mike and Sam have a lead, thanks to the ballistics on the gun. But now they’re not sure the two things are related, because a shooting is major and roadkill is a de-escalation. It doesn’t make sense. Plus the note with the animal said, ‘Leave him alone,’ and that’s just odd.”