Page 34 of Forsaken Trail (Runaway 4)

With the greenhouse locked, I rushed along the sidewalk to The Gallaway, hoping the chef had something warm. The clam chowder would do. Or pasta. Or chowder and pasta. Maybe some bread too.

Could I eat clam chowder? I typed in a quick search on my phone. Soon, I’d have to find a doctor and learn the specifics. Clara had cut out certain things when she’d been pregnant with August, but since we hadn’t lived together, I couldn’t remember the exact items.

Today, all I cared about was that clam chowder was safe and so were carbs.

In the kitchen, the chef greeted me with a wide smile, as though he’d expected to see me. After only days, my odd eating schedule was becoming predictable. He whipped up a bowl of chowder and one of his fancy grilled cheese sandwiches. I devoured it all in the employee break room along with a cookie and a Coke from the vending machine.

With a full belly and a subdued temper, I pulled out my phone and called my sister.

“Hey,” Clara answered. “You okay?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

“Brody is—”

“Don’t. Please,” I begged. “I don’t want to talk about Brody. Not right now.”

“Okay. Do you still want to come here tomorrow?”

“Yes.” I wasn’t letting Brody steal my Christmas. “I’ll be there.”

Maybe if I was lucky, he’d find somewhere else to spend the holidays. Yes, we had a lot to discuss and figure out, but it could wait. We had months, if Brody even wanted to be involved.

Would he want to be in our child’s life? Or would he be like Devan and disappear? My heart sank. How was I going to explain to a kid that his father didn’t want him? That her dad had abandoned her in favor of private jets and cold mansions?

Maybe Brody would surprise me. Maybe he’d stick. How were we going to raise a child from different states? How would we handle holidays? Would I only get to have my baby every other special occasion?

“There’s so much to figure out,” I whispered.

“You will.”

“Yeah,” I murmured. “We’ll have lots to talk about tomorrow.”

“Talking would be good.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Brody.”

“I understand.” And the truth in her voice eased some of the guilt. We’d figure this out, like we had every hurdle life had put in our path. Together.

“I’ll text you when I’m at the airport tomorrow.”

“Love you,” she said.

I smiled. “I love you too.”

The next shift was due to start soon and one of the night-shift clerks came in to leave his dinner in the employee fridge. I waved, talked to him for a moment, then headed out to the lobby.

“Aria.” Andy was at the receptionist counter and his entire face brightened when I walked through the door.

I forced a smile. “Hey.”

“Feeling better?”

“I am, thanks.” Surprisingly, much better. Now that I’d told Clara, I wasn’t alone in this. Secrets had never been my thing and sharing the news that I was going to have a baby had lightened the load.

That was how it worked with Clara. We shared burdens.

Pregnancies. Brody.