Page 108 of A King’s Obsession

I reached toward the shelf for another bag when a familiar voice stopped me cold.

"Jru?"

My hand froze against the shelf.

Oh, hell no.

"Jru Sinclair?"

I turned slowly, and there stood Malachi, dressed in dark jeans and a fitted black shirt, staring at me like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Well, I'll be a motherfucker." He blinked, then broke into a disbelieving laugh. "Girl, where the fuck you been hiding?"

"Hey, Malachi." I gave him a nervous smile, wishing I could disappear behind the shelves.

"Hey, Malachi?" He laughed again, shaking his head as he approached me. "You know how much fucking hell I've been catching behind your ass? Ezra got me running all over the damn country looking for you, and my wife won't let me hear the end of—"

He stopped.

His eyes had dropped to my stomach.

For a second, he just stood there, staring at the unmistakable roundness beneath my blouse.

Then his gaze snapped back to my face.

"Hold the fuck up."

I swallowed, tightening my grip on the basket.

Malachi looked at my stomach again, his eyebrows climbing toward his hairline.

"Jru..."

I instinctively rested my free hand against my belly.

He took a small step back, dragging a hand down his beard.

"Is that Ezra's baby?"

Chapter 23

"Is that Ezra's baby?"

Jru stood there looking at me like I'd asked her for the damn nuclear launch codes.

My eyes dropped to her stomach before returning to her face. I blinked twice, trying to make sure I wasn't seeing shit.

"OH, HELL NAH!"

"Malachi!" she hissed, glancing around the grocery aisle. "Lower your voice!"

"Lower my voice?" I pointed at her stomach. "Girl, you disappear for six months and pop up pregnant as fuck in the middle of Bumfuck, Wherever, and you want me to whisper?"

She looked down at her belly before giving me a look that suggested I was the dumbest motherfucker she'd ever encountered. "What does it look like, Malachi?"

"Don't get smart with me, Jru! I'm trying to process some shit!"

A woman pushing a shopping cart slowed beside us, pretending to examine a bag of pretzels. I caught her looking and raised my eyebrows.