“Fine, but I’m only staying for an hour.” I’m not yet used to being back to shift work and I need my sleep.
His lips tip up in a smile, but it’s not there long enough for me to fully appreciate it. It never is.
“I’ll drive you there and back.” He opens his passenger door.
I look at his big truck that makes my SUV look like a Tonka toy. “Did you hunt down my car to park beside me?”
“Easier to make sure you got to your car safely.”
“You mean easier for you to swindle me into riding with you.” I toss my bag in the back seat of my SUV and shut the door. “What’s your game plan here, Fisher?”
“Game plan?” His poker face is in place as he stands outside the open passenger door. “I’m simply offering you a ride so you don’t have to drive through the woods late at night.”
Again, he has a point. His house is more remote than my apartment in Lake Starlight.
I blow out a breath. “I’m only riding with you so I can get home sooner and get to sleep.” I use the handlebar to climb up into his truck, plopping down on the seat.
It’s ridiculous that we’re even meeting up at this hour, but we used to do it all the time after my shift at the hospital. I was always a bit wired and even if I went home, I couldn’t sleep.
Fisher rounds the front of the truck and situates himself in the driver’s seat. I forgot what a presence he has. Just watching his strong hand put the key in the ignition, turn down the radio, and pull the shifter down to reverse has me remembering the magic those long fingers are capable of.
I shake it off, ignoring the scent of his soap that lingers in the fibers of the fabric. I cannot allow myself to still be attracted to him after what he did to me.
Remember, Allie, he’s no prince. He’s the villain in your story.
He tossed my belief in true love into a meat grinder.
Thankfully, he doesn’t say anything on the way to his house, so I use the time to mentally prepare my answers for all the questions he’s sure to ask.
The house is dark, the driveway free of any cars or trucks. For the first time ever in his presence, I have an inkling of fear that maybe he doesn’t want this baby, and I stupidly agreed to go back to his empty house in the middle of the night. He’s the sheriff; surely he knows powerful people who can help him get away with murder.
“On second thought, maybe…”
“Get out of the car, Allie.”
I pull out my phone. “Just so you know, I’m messaging Stella Bailey right now.” I lean forward and squint at the house numbers hammered to the railing of his balcony. “I’m giving her the address. If you’re planning anything crazy, she’ll know.”
He takes the key out of the ignition and stares at me. “What exactly do you think I’m gonna do?”
“Well, this is all a surprise to you. Maybe you want to kill me to get out of this situation.”
“What?”
Yeah, his scrunched-up expression says I’m being all kinds of crazy. But you can never be too sure.
“It’s happened before. Maybe you want us out of the way.”
He mumbles something I can’t make out and gets out of the truck, walking over to my side. The door opens and he’s standing there with his hand out like a gentleman. A fake ass gentleman, because a gentleman would return a goddamn phone call.
“I’m not going to murder anyone.” He reaches closer for me to accept his hand.
“Sheriffs aren’t above the law.” I slide my hand into his and step down from the truck to the driveway.
“Stop watching so many crime shows.”
“I have people who would miss me.”
That’s semi true. Eventually my parents would figure it out when their weekly Sunday call went unanswered. Stella’s perfect family keeps her busy, so it might take a few days for her to figure it out.
“The hospital!” I blurt out. They would notice when I didn’t show up for my shift.
“Stop with this shit. I thought women just watched those Hallmark movies, but you seem to be obsessed with murder mysteries.”
Investigation Discovery channel is my favorite, but I keep that to myself.
“I’m just putting it out there,” I say, walking into his house first.
“I’ll make us some tea,” he says and goes into the kitchen.
“I never pegged you for a tea guy.” I slide a chair out from the kitchen table and sit down so my back is facing the wall.
“I’m really not. Molly left some behind after they moved out.”
“So you live here alone now?” I look around the place that doesn’t appear to have been redecorated since he was a kid.
“Yeah.” He glances over his shoulder. “It’s just you and me here.” He releases an evil laugh and I roll my eyes.
“You’d think with you being sheriff, you’d appreciate my abundance of caution.”
He brings two cups over to the table and sets them down before folding himself into the chair across from me. “You got in the truck and you’re here now.” He raises his eyebrows.
Ugh, he’s so damn annoying.
“Now, tell me why I’m just finding out you’re carrying my baby?” He eyes my stomach, and all the joking gets pushed aside.
Time to face reality.
“For one, you could’ve answered your phone four months ago when I called.” She sips her tea and diverts her eyes. That’s one characteristic of Allie’s that always grabbed the part of myself I try to ignore. She’s so strong-willed and speaks her mind, but the minute she’s vulnerable and turns shy, I want to shelter her, take care of her, and protect her.
“I was on a call and—”
She shakes her head. “Don’t make excuses. I know why you didn’t.”
She actually doesn’t, but I’m not ready to fill her in.
“I just—”
She cuts me off again. “You don’t owe me anything, but don’t be surprised now that I’m sitting here five months pregnant.”
“You could have called me again. Or come by, or sent a letter, or something more than just one phone call. This is kind of important news.”
She glances at her stomach and back at me with raised eyebrows. “I’m aware. I’m surprised you’d have wanted me to call when you don’t want kids.”
I probably told her that at one point during our friendship. I’ve never held back the fact marriage and kids aren’t for me.
“Correct.” Saying that while the woman carrying my child sits across from me feels wrong. “But now—”
“Nope.” She shakes her head, interrupting me once again.
“Can I finish a sentence?” I push my tea away, standing to retrieve a beer from the fridge.
“I know what you’re going to say. That this changes things.”
“It does!” I twist the top of the bottle. “A helluva lot. You should’ve told me, Allie.”
“I was going to. I tried, and when you didn’t answer, I was going to call you again, but then… it was just a lot, okay? I needed to wrap my head around everything before I tried begging you to return a phone call.”