Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
My eyes darted up from the spot on the floor I’d been focused on, and I gave him a forced smile, then nodded.
Lie. I was not okay.
His brows drew together. “Are you sure? You’ve gone pale. Do you need some juice or something?”
I shook my head, holding on to a smile I did not feel.
He didn’t seem to believe me, and he studied me for a moment, concern etched on his face. He swabbed Liam’s mouth, then placed it in a vile before turning back to me.
“You’re still pale. I’m going to get you some juice. Not sure what we have, but we should have something. I don’t want to take your blood if your blood sugar is low.”
“My blood sugar is fine,” I told him.
He opened his mouth to argue again, and I sighed in defeat. I was going to have to admit the issue.
“I don’t like needles.”
He visibly relaxed as understanding crossed his face. “I see,” he said. “That’s common. Why don’t you take a few deep breaths for me?”
I could feel Liam’s eyes burning a hole in the side of my head. I knew he was probably annoyed, and I refused to look at him. So I had a fear of needles and I was a grown woman. He could get over it.
I took deep breaths, as instructed.
“I’ll make this quick,” Holden said. “Tell me something about yourself. What do you love to do?”
I stared at him, and he grinned.
“It’ll distract you.”
I doubted it, but I was willing to try anything. Although I didn’t have much time for things I enjoyed to do. Lately, every day felt like another day I had to wake up and fight to survive. When was the last time I had done something fun?
“Gardening,” I said finally, and a smile touched my lips.
His eyebrows shot up. “Gardening, huh? I can’t keep a cactus alive.”
“My Mama D had the most amazing flower gardens. She would plant everything and anything. She could save a plant on the brink of death and bring it back to life.”
Memories of her always seemed to make bad days better.
“Your grandmother?” Holden asked.
I nodded. “Yes. My dad’s mother. We spent hours in the sun, planting things. I don’t have a yard or a chance to do that now, but I have a scrapbook. I pick up brochures with flower gardens, cut out pictures I like, and save them so that when I do have a yard one day, I’ll have all those ideas to work with.”
Wallace used to make fun of my book full of flowers and plants. I never cared. It made me happy to sit and look over all of them. Daydream about the day I could plant gardens that would make Mama D proud.
“I like that,” Holden said as he untied the rubber strap around my arm.
I looked down to see the bandage taped at the bend of my arm, then jerked my gaze back up to meet his. “You got it already?” I asked in amazement.
He nodded. “Yep, and I think I might just take up gardening.”
A laugh bubbled out of me as I turned, remembering Liam was beside me. I’d forgotten about him. He was studying me as if I were some curiosity he’d never seen before and wasn’t sure what to think of it.
He stood up, turning his attention to Holden. “I was told three days until I get the results.”
Holden nodded. “Yes. We got the instructions to expedite this. You’ll get a call in three days’ time.”
“Let’s go,” he said to me as he walked around me.
“She might need a moment,” Holden said, turning to me. “Are you weak or dizzy?”
I shook my head and scooted off the chair to let my feet fall back down to the floor. “I’m fine.”
“All right then. Good luck.”
I had needed someone to be nice to me today. I liked Nurse Holden. “Thanks.”
He glanced over at Liam, and his smile fell before he nodded, then turned to walk away. Shifting my attention to Liam, I saw the scowl in place that I assumed was only reserved for me. He didn’t say anything more, but headed for the exit. I hurried to keep up and tried hard not to think about what the future held.
This man was determined to hate me, and we were going to have a child together. I needed all the luck I could get.
11
Liam
One thing I knew for certain: if this kid wasn’t mine, she’d have some poor fool doing her bidding and paying her bills in no time. She’d had the fucking nurse ready to propose to her over a damn story about flower gardens. Hell, I had even caught myself mesmerized, but it was brief. I’d snapped out of that real damn fast. Liberty was a prime example of the woman Hall & Oates had written the song “Maneater” about in 1982. She was a goddamn pro.