Page 134 of Reckless Love

Pause and reset, Ava.

Instead, I call Dr. Bennett’s office to see if I can pop over to the medical clinic at the palace uninvited. When it started to seem like I might have trouble getting pregnant a second time, I went to him for a consultation. Apparently, it’s not unusual for couples to try for a year before fertility testing is done. Of course, I left in a huff. When I want something, I want it now.

Since I’m on Dr. Bennett’s patient roster, his assistant says I can pop by for a pregnancy test. One of the nurses can administer it, and I can have the results confirmed before I leave.

Beautiful. No pee-infested tests need to be exchanged. I can hand Stephen a nice, clean piece of paper that confirms we get to do this again—but together. So together.

At the palace, I’m getting out of my car when Brice comes out of a side door of the palace and crosses toward me.

“Hey, Ava,” he says. “Do you have a minute?”

I check my watch. “A minute or two. I have an appointment at the clinic.”

“You’re okay?”

“Yeah, fine.” I wave off his concern and try not to let my potential elation rush whatever he needs to tell me. “Is Maren okay?”

“Yep, yep.” He nods. “I was volunteering at the soup kitchen the other day, and Stephen’s sister was there?”

“Vanessa?”

“Oh. Does he have more than one?”

“No,” I say with a nervous laugh. “No, I’m just surprised. Really?”

“She’s living in her car at the auto wrecker lot on the edge of Tucker’s Town.”

“In her car?” I brush my hair back from my face, stunned. “You’re sure?”

“That’s what she told me at the soup kitchen. I don’t think she recognized me.”

“When I’m done here, I’ll go find her. Thanks for telling me.”

“I just figured I’d want to know if my family was living on the street.”

“It’s a complicated situation,” I hedge. “But, yeah, I’m glad you told me.” Then I push open the door to the clinic.

Her car isn’t hard to find once I enter the lot, being one of the few still intact. I knock on the driver’s-side window, and Vanessa starts awake, wide gray eyes turning to me before her expression turns wary.

She opens her door and steps out, the sun setting in the distance.

“You’re sleeping in your car?” I ask in disbelief.

“Raul might be in jail, but his influence still runs deep. No one will hire me.”

“Come work for me. I have control of The Nile and Reckless.”

“I don’t need your charity. Something will come up.”

I pass her the bag of groceries I picked up—all nonperishables. But when she doesn’t take them, I set them on the ground.

“Let me talk to Stephen,” I say.

“He doesn’t want to hear from me. We pass each other like ghosts whenever we’re visiting Mom and Dad near the same time.”

“Even so, he wouldn’t want this for you.”

“He’s the one who told me I could live in my car, Ava. That’s literally what he said to me.”