My baby.
But there’s nothing I can do about it right now, and heading up to my parents’ land to clean out the barn will at least buy me some time to figure out what I’m going to do. Pen and ourcousin Reid’s boyfriend, Harlan, have been hard at work turning my father’s passion for rescuing horses into the sanctuary of his dreams.
At the rate things are moving, it should be up and running by the end of the year. My boot catches on the loose gravel, making me brace my hand on the side of the truck for support as my heart trips into a sprint.
Because the official opening of the sanctuary won’t be the only thing we’ll be celebrating this year. The baby will be here before we know it, and there’s no telling what else is in store for us after this summer.
3
INDIE
I’m sorry, the number you have dialed…
I have no idea why I’m still trying Toni’s number other than the desperation coursing through my veins.
“Indie, I’m sorry I can’t give you more hours,” Daisy says sympathetically as she reaches for my hand. I let her take mine and she squeezes it, the gesture more comforting than I imagined. “Truly, none of us saw this coming.”
Swallowing down the nausea, I do my best to keep my smile in place. “I appreciate you giving me any hours at all,” I tell her, because Toni’s salon had been one of many in Bozeman, but we’d still been competing for business.
The whispering around town had only gotten louder since Toni’s hasty departure. A mixture of sympathy, pity, and some more cruel comments had been hurled my way.
Embarrassment heats my cheeks as I look at Daisy. She didn’t have to hire me, and I’d been naïve to think that this was all some kind of misunderstanding. That maybe Toni would come back and tell me she made a mistake and that everything I’d been working for hadn’t gone up in smoke.
“There’s nothing the police can do?” she asks and I shake my head.
“They can’t find her and even if they could, this is a civil matter, not a criminal one.”
She frowns and my stomach rolls again, the humiliation back with a vengeance.How could I have been so foolish?
I should haveknownbetter.
My father retired from being the sheriff of Blackstone Falls, and my brother Jensen had followed in his footsteps, elected the youngest sheriff in the county’s history. How do I tell them I got scammed out of my life savings because I trusted the wrong person?
How long can I keep it from Beau?
I’d hoped that I could get things figured out before committing to a moving date, but I can feel his aggravation every time we talk.
Moving to Wintervale makes sense. I don’t want to go back to Blackstone Falls, and there is no reason for him to leave his home when his family is there anyway.
And my best friend, Pen.
But instead of celebrating and being excited about this next chapter, I’m trying like hell to hold myself together as the facade I’ve put up is starting to crumble. My phone buzzes in my pocket and I excuse myself, thanking Daisy again for being so kind, and head to the back room.
BEAU: How are you feeling today?
Panicked.
Scared.
Completely freaking out.
INDIE: I haven’t gotten sick today
BEAU: That’s good.
BEAU: That’s three days in a row, right?
I smile,despite myself, because I hit the jackpot of baby daddies. I had no way of knowing our weekend of botched-wedding fun would result in a lifetime commitment, but he’s been nothing but supportive since I told him I’m pregnant.
