Isniffed a quiet laugh. “Maybe.”
“Andyou'll call it A Girl Named Kenny Walks into a Bar and Meets a Guy Named Goose,right?”
“Oh,yeah,” I laughed. “That has bestseller written all over it.”
“Hey,you never know,” he shot back, pointing a finger at me, as he turned to tend toanother customer.
“Iguess not,” I muttered quietly, and smiled as I got to work.
***
If Iwasbeing honest with myself, I had thought that working inGoose's bar could have been a terrible idea. It was possible that I'd regret mydecision and need to head back to my equally distracting apartment. But once myheadphones were on, I easily slipped into the comfort of creativity and myimagination took the lead. Much to my surprise, I had hardly noticed Goose wasthere at all, even as he left baskets of wings and glasses of water beside myhand.
Itwas the best writing sprint I'd experienced in weeks, and if I could keep thisup, I'ddefinitely havethe manuscript to my editor ontime.
“So,can I ask something totally out of line?” Goose asked as I collected my thingsand got ready to leave.
“Maybe.”
“Howare things with your boyfriend?”
Hewas right. It was completely out of line and not any of his business. He didn’treally know me, and he didn’t know Brendan at all. But, I figured, it wouldn’thurt to air out my dirty laundry in the presence of someone so unattached tothe situation. So, poking my tongue in my cheek, I sighed and said, “I wouldn'tknow. He hasn't spoken to me since I told him about the baby.”
Helooked up abruptly and narrowed his eyes. “He hasn't talked to you at all?”
Ishook my head, hoisting my bag over my shoulder. “Nope.”
“You'renotgonnacall him, right?”
Ishrugged noncommittally. “I don't know. I haven't decided yet.”
Leaningagainst the bar, he looked down onto its reflective surface and said, “Look, Iknow it's really none of my business, but I'd like to think we're palsnowand pals give each other advice, right?”
Iswallowed at the trepidation in my throat. “Sure.”
“Youshouldn't call him.”
Ibarked a bitter laugh. “You sound like my parents.”
“Yeah,well, they're right. This guy should be crawling back to you, not the other wayaround. And if he never does, whatever.”
“Whatever?”I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “The guy is the father of my baby.”
“Right,”Goose said with a firm nod. “And if he can so easily walk out of your life,maybe he doesn't deserve to be in it at all.”
Itfelt wrong, but I knew he was right. So, before I left, I promised my new pal Iwould hold firm and wait for Brendan to come back to me before giving in tohim.
Chapter Seven
“That'sa lot of blood,” I commented, staring wide-eyed at the twelve vials of blood.
Myblood.
Iwasn't one to be squeamish over a little bit of drawn blood, but that wasn't alittle bit. It was a lot, and from where I was sitting, it almost looked likeit was enough to make me pass out.
Iput a hand to my forehead.
“Whoa,”I said, as my eyelidsflutteredand a weight madeitself at home against my shoulders.
