Keep Me Close Page 2

  I felt emotionally and mentally bombarded with issues I hadn’t ever planned to contemplate. I swallowed. “Okay, what do I do?” I asked again.

  She smiled softly. “For now, you start taking prenatal vitamins. We have samples here that you can leave with. Beyond that, let's schedule your next appointment. While you're pregnant, I’ll need to see you regularly for monitoring and so on. It's six months out, but some of the surgical decisions we were waiting on could be handled immediately following delivery.”

  “You mean right after I have a baby?” I yelped.

  She nodded, all cool and calm. “It's less traumatic for the body than another procedure. Many women get their tubes tied and even have a hysterectomy immediately after birth.”

  “Will the endometriosis come back?”

  “You have a severe case, so that would be my assumption. On the upside, the recovery won't seem like a separate event.”

  “Really?”

  “You'll be recovering from labor. What we would do surgically is less invasive than vaginal delivery or a C-section.”

  Everything she said was completely matter-of-fact. Meanwhile, my internal state was in emotional chaos. “Oh!” I started laughing. “That's hysterical.”

  She smiled. The intercom in her office sounded, indicating her next appointment had arrived.

  “I have lots of questions,” I said.

  “I know you do. Let's make an appointment in two weeks. In the meantime, pick up the sample prenatal vitamins on the way out. Write down all your questions, so we can cover everything at your next appointment. In the meantime, congratulations,” she said softly as she stood. “I know you wanted this possibility.”

  After Dr. Williams left, I sat on the table for a few more minutes, trying to absorb this insane information. I was pregnant. I felt like I should’ve known, except my reproductive system was so out of whack. I dealt with cramping, periodic bleeding, no periods, feeling sick, and intense pain so often that I had simply overlooked the symptoms, chalking them up to endometriosis. I had felt a fullness. However, I'd also had a seven-pound cervical cyst removed two years prior. So fullness was no big deal. That cyst had been the weight of a freaking baby.

  As I got dressed, I contemplated my doctor’s comments about discussing my choice with the father. There was only one person who could be the father. All I knew was his first name, his job, and the town he lived in forty-five minutes away.

  Chapter Four

  Hallie

  I stared up at the sign—Wildlands Lodge & Restaurant. It was daylight, and the place looked exactly as I’d remembered. With the exception that it was now spring, the snow was melting, and the ice was starting to break up on the lake behind the lodge.

  It was late morning, and a mist was rising where the sun's rays angled across the water. An eagle screeched somewhere nearby, with a magpie chattering in return. My heart thudded unsteadily in my chest. I was so nervous, and I wasn’t sure if I could find Chase.

  This place was my best chance. The woman who’d worked at the bar that night knew who he was, so maybe she could point me in the right direction. I also knew he was a firefighter. But we hadn't discussed where he worked, though. In town or somewhere else?

  I looked down at my belly. I was just starting to show at four months. Oddly, my pregnancy was the calmest my endometriosis had ever been. I was used to chronic pain and occasionally debilitating pain and cramps that led to vomiting because the pain was so intense. My morning sickness hadn't been that bad. Another clue that I had overlooked. I should’ve known. My doctor kept reminding me my symptoms of endometriosis could mimic pregnancy, including the bloating and the sense of fullness and discomfort.

  I couldn’t sit in my car forever, so I finally took a deep breath and climbed out, striding quickly through the back entrance. When I walked into the restaurant area, guests were eating at the buffet. The very buffet that I had taken a few muffins from and then left in a hurry, hoping I would get out of there before my one-night stand man woke up.

  I looked over at the bar, and the nervous feeling in my belly spun faster when I saw Delilah there. She was stocking the shelves behind the bar and hadn’t seen me yet. I walked across the empty bar area, stopping when I reached the polished counter.

  I cleared my throat. “Excuse me?”

  Delilah turned. She was striking with dark hair and dark eyes. She had a warmth to her but also a guardedness. “Yes?” She studied me, and I sensed she recognized me but couldn't quite place me.

  “Uh, hi. Delilah, right?” I prompted.

  Her dark brows rose as she nodded. “Yeah. I don't remember your name, but I probably served you here.”

  “Um, yeah, you did.” My voice came out squeaky, and I cleared my throat again. “I’m hoping to find someone, and I think you might be able to help me.”

  She cocked her head to the side, and then her eyes widened. “That's how I recognize you. I vouched for Chase and told you he was a nice guy.”

  “You did. Um, I’m hoping you can tell me his last name.”

  “Why do you need to know his last name? Surely, he would’ve told you if he wanted you to know.”

  This was when I felt stupid and ridiculous. How in the hell did I end up in this situation?

  I decided to go with blunt honesty. “Look, it was a one-night stand. That's all we ever meant it to be. I don't have his number. I don't know his last name, but I really need to talk to him. It's important.” Delilah studied me. “I know he's a firefighter,” I added as if maybe that would be enough information for her to give me more.

  “He is. I'm sure if you stopped by Willow Brook Fire & Rescue, they might be able to point you in the right direction,” she finally said.

  “Okay.”

  “On Main Street, you'll see Firehouse Café. Keep going past that, and it's on the right.”

  “Thank you. If I don't track him down, can you do me a favor and let him know you saw me here?” I fished a pen and a piece of paper out of my purse, writing down my full name. “Here's my phone number. I live in Anchorage. You can even give him my address.” I added that and thrust the paper toward her.

  She held my gaze for several long beats. “I'll pass on your message.”

  “Thank you,” I said, biting back my sigh of relief.

  “No problem. Take care, Hallie.”

  I swallowed. “I will.”

  “Okay, that wasn't so bad,” I said to myself a few minutes later as I drove my car down Main Street.

  I passed the café where I'd had coffee before, thinking I would stop there after I went to the fire station. I hoped I would find Chase, or at the least, discover a way to find him.

  I pulled into the parking area in front of Willow Brook Fire & Rescue. My heart was pounding again. Oh, my god, I hardly knew Chase. That night had been memorable and the best sex I'd ever had. As intimate as we’d been, I didn’t know him. I still couldn't get over the fact that I’d somehow gotten pregnant despite using condoms. But, but, but… things had gotten pretty hot and heavy before that condom made it on.

  I didn't let myself wait in the car. If I did, I knew the anxiety spinning inside would intensify until I freaked myself right out. I walked briskly through the front entrance, hoping I somehow looked calm even though I felt as if I were teetering on the edge of a full-blown panic attack.

  A woman with pretty brown curls and big brown eyes looked up from where she sat behind a circular desk in the reception area, smiling as she finished a call on her headset. I stopped in front of the desk, and she tapped a button after saying, “Thank you.” Glancing up, she added, “Hi, can I help you?”

  “Yes, um, I'm looking for Chase.”

  “Sure, he’s here today. Give me a sec. I’ll page him.”

  Wow. That was way easier than I thought. Now comes the hard part.

  She tapped a button, saying, “Chase, someone's up front to see you.”

  I noticed the freckles scattered on her cheeks when she looked back up at me
. She eyed me curiously, asking, “So who are you?”

  “I'm Hallie, Hallie Thomas.”

  “I’m Maisie. Nice to meet you. How do you know Chase?”

  I didn't feel like I could tell her we had a crazy hot one-night stand and didn't exchange last names or phone numbers, so I just said, “Um, he’s a friend, sort of…” My words were trailing off when I heard footsteps approaching, and a door I hadn't even noticed before to the side of her desk swung open.

  Chase, the man of multiple orgasms with dark hair, dark eyes to match, and a tall, delectable build, came striding through. He was looking at the floor and glanced up at the last moment. He almost stumbled when his eyes landed on me.

  “Hallie?”

  “Hey, hi.”

  “Ah, wow. I didn't expect to see you.”

  “I imagine not,” I offered. “Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  He looked at me for several beats. I happened to glance to the side to see Maisie unabashedly looking between us, clearly curious and not the least worried we might notice.

  “Uh, sure,” Chase said slowly.

  “Cade just left to go to Firehouse Café. You can use his office,” Maisie offered helpfully.

  Chase nodded and immediately opened the door, holding it as I walked by. A moment later, we were standing inside a square office with a desk and a small round table.

  Chase’s eyes searched my face. “I didn't expect to see you,” he repeated.

  I took a shaky breath, nodding. “Well, we didn't plan to see each other again.”

  “I can't say I'm not happy to see you. What's up?” he asked.

  I was a rip the Band-Aid off kind of girl, so I just went for it. “I'm pregnant.”

  Chapter Five

  Chase

  “I'm pregnant.”

  Hallie's words rang like a gong, reverberating through my brain. I stared at her, not realizing my mouth had dropped open until she added, “I'm surprised too.”

  Snapping my mouth shut, I stared at this woman I hadn't been able to forget. I’d resisted the urge to try to find her. Although Alaska was geographically large, it was small when it came to its residents. If I’d tried, I probably could have found her. But I had remembered Delilah’s observation.

  I'd figured it would be the hottest night of my life for the rest of my life, and I would always wonder what happened to Hallie.

  “We used a condom,” I stated the obvious.

  “I know.”

  As the information slowly filtered through the shock into my rational brain, I gave my head a little shake. I glanced down at her belly when she smoothed her hand over it. She was just barely showing.

  “I didn't know until a few weeks ago.”

  “How far along are you?”

  “Four months.”

  I nodded, absorbing that detail. “What do you want to do?”

  “I want to keep the baby,” she whispered, her pretty hazel eyes searching mine.

  My heart felt as if it gave a rounding kick inside my rib cage. My breath seized for a moment before I dipped my chin. “Okay.”

  “Is that okay with you?”

  “It's your decision.”

  “I know, but what you think matters,” she whispered.

  I took a moment, almost as if testing the idea out in my brain. I'd always figured I’d eventually want kids. Did I want a child with this woman who I didn't really know? Other than that, we’d had the best sex of my life. In the end, those answers didn't really matter. What mattered was, “Yes.”

  Hallie must’ve been holding her breath because she let it out in a big sigh, her palm coming to her chest. “Thank god.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Well, I didn't know how you might feel. I wasn't planning on this.”

  She took a deep breath. For a second, I thought she was going to fall when she wobbled on her feet. I stepped to her side swiftly, sliding one arm around her waist as I snagged a chair at the table nearby and pulled it close before easing her into it. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes.” She sank down with another sigh. “I am. I was kind of freaked out about trying to find you and didn't know if I could.”

  “How did you find me?”

  “Well, I knew your name was Chase and that you lived in Willow Brook, and you're a firefighter. I started at Wildlands. Delilah wouldn't give me your last name, but she told me to come here.”

  “Mills,” I said.

  “What?”

  “That's my last name, Mills.”

  “Oh. Mine is Thomas. Delilah has my name and phone number on a piece of paper. I asked her to give it to you, so if she does, that's why.”

  I felt my lips tugging into a smile. Hallie looked up at me, her gaze earnest.

  “Good to know. Why don't you give me your number now? Since, well, since we're having a baby together. Are you sure I'm the father?” I belatedly thought to ask.

  Hallie nodded quickly. “Absolutely, positively. I understand why you might not believe me, so we can do a paternity test if you want.”

  I shook my head. “I believe you.”

  Considering my own background, that was kind of amazing.

  “Maybe we should do a test after the baby's born anyway,” she commented.

  “Why?”

  “Because it'll just make it for sure for you. I don't know what will happen with us.”

  I shrugged. “All right, if you say so.”

  “It makes it clean, you know? Straightforward.”

  “Sure. I'm not an asshole, if you’re wondering.”

  “I know you're not.”

  “Are you sure, though? We only had one night together,” I offered bluntly.

  Pink bloomed on her cheeks, and lust jolted me. Fuck me. This woman. All she had to do was blush, and it set my body on fire.

  I slipped my phone out of my pocket. She fumbled in her purse and pulled her phone out. I entered her number as she recited it, smiling to myself as I added her last name.

  “What?” she prompted.

  “It's nice to know your last name.”

  I quickly sent her a text: It's Chase Mills. You know? The no-last-names guy.

  She laughed softly, her eyes dipping down.

  “I wanted to find you,” I said, deciding to be honest.

  Her eyes widened.

  “That night was pretty amazing, and I couldn't forget you.”

  “How come you didn't?”

  “Delilah pointed out if you’d wanted me to know your last name, you would’ve told me. I’d asked her if I could get your last name from the hotel. She had a point.”

  “I wanted to find you too, but I thought it might be weird. Then I found out I was pregnant.”

  “When do you see the doctor again?”

  “In two weeks.”

  “Can I go with you?”

  Hallie’s brows rose.

  “I'd like to be involved. It's really important.”

  She nodded slowly. “Okay, I'll text you the appointment information and where it is. It’s in Anchorage. Will that be okay?”

  “I'll make it okay.”

  Chapter Six

  Hallie

  I stared up at Chase, my heart hammering in my chest. I didn't know what I’d expected, but I supposed it wasn't this. I was startled that he wanted to come to a doctor’s appointment with me.

  A part of me wanted to backtrack, but that didn’t feel right.

  “It's in the morning. Is that okay?”

  “Like I said, I'll make it okay. Morning is actually better for me.”

  “Um, okay.” I sat there, not sure what to say next. What do you say to the hottest and only one-night stand of your life? In my mind, I’d tried to intellectualize it and tell myself I'd made him more handsome in my memories than he actually was. Yet having him here in front of me again, living and breathing—holy smokes. Chase Mills was a potent force—pure, raw masculinity with something I couldn't quite sort out. There was an intensity to him. Although I didn't have en
ough information to make an informed decision, I sensed he was a trustworthy man.

  The fact that he’d wanted to look for me—which even I could admit, was a bit thrilling—but hadn't when Delilah had told him not to since I hadn’t given him my last name or number only built onto the layer of trust I already felt for him.

  “What do we do now?” I heard myself asking.

  Chase sat down in the chair closest to me at this small round table. “I have no idea. I don't know what the rules are for this.”

  “For what?” I asked inanely.

  “A woman I met once and had the hottest night of my life with showing up and telling me she's pregnant. I don't know what the rules are for that.”

  I burst out laughing. It was such a relief to finally find him and tell him because I didn't want to keep this a secret. His responding low chuckle sent my belly spinning in flips. I placed my hand over it reflexively. His eyes dipped down and then lifted to mine again.

  “How is it going?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Your pregnancy.”

  “Okay, I guess. I only had a little bit of morning sickness. I know we used condoms,” I added.

  “We did,” he affirmed.

  “I, uh, have endometriosis. It's really kind of a surprise that I'm pregnant at all.”

  “So we've really beat the odds.” His eyes widened.

  “According to my doctor, yes. She pointed out that birth control is never 100 percent. But in my case, it’s even more of a surprise because of the endometriosis.”

  “I don't know a lot about endometriosis. I just know it can cause problems.” He shifted his shoulders, his gaze questioning.