Her Silver Fox Mountain Men (Lucky Lady Reverse Harems)

Chapter 20

20

Elise

“ I ’ve never understood people’s fascination with pumpkin spice lattes,” Janice mutters as we stop outside the girls’ favorite café. “I don’t care for it. It’s like drinking a pumpkin pie. Who the heck thought that would be a good idea?”

“I don’t know, Jan, but it sells like hot cakes every fall,” I reply with a shrug. “And whoever came up with the idea is a multimillionaire by now.”

There’s a line extending all the way out to the sidewalk from the café’s counter inside. With Halloween just around the corner, the drink’s popularity is at its peak, which makes our original mission a tad more difficult than we had anticipated.

Tricia looks up, gently holding my hand, while Janice has Ainsley.

“Ellie, why are there so many people out here?” Tricia asks me.

“Because of the pumpkin spice latte frenzy, I’m afraid.”

“Does that mean we’re not gonna get our cinnamon cookies and little lady cappuccinos?” Ainsley questions, her ginger brows furrowed with concern.

Janice thinks about it for a moment. “It’s quite the line, Elise.”

“Yeah, but we promised them,” I remind her. “They waited for us to get our hair and nails done, knowing they were going to get cinnamon cookies and… what did you call your drinks again, honey?” I ask Ainsley.

The girls reply in unison. “Little lady cappuccinos!”

“Right, little lady cappuccinos. They need to get their fix,” I laugh lightly.

“We still have a couple of shops to hit just down the road,” Janice says.

“Tell you what,” I propose. “You run to the other shops and pick up what we need from our list, and I’ll hold the line here with the girls. We’ll probably still be here by the time you’re done.”

“I might as well hit the hardware store, too,” Janice replies. “Knock a few more items out while these little ladies get their sugar rush.”

“Sounds good. You do what you need to do, and we’ll be right here.”

She goes ahead while Tricia and Ainsley stay close to me. I find a strange comfort in the murmurs of the people around us. Fractured pieces of conversations reach my ears while the girls have a back and forth of their own. I begin tuning it all out, however, when a quiet queasiness begins to settle in the pit of my stomach.

“I want vanilla this time,” I hear Tricia tell Ainsley, breaking me out of my reverie.

“Na-ah. You had the vanilla last time. I’m getting the vanilla, and you’re getting the chocolate syrup.”

“You said you were going to get the hazelnut one.”

“Oh, right.”

Next thing I know, they’re both looking up at me with those big green eyes as they smile with sweet, pink round cheeks. “Ellie,” they say at the same time.

“Fine, I’ll get the hazelnut,” I giggle. “As long as Ainsley gets the vanilla, which means you’re getting the chocolate cappuccino, Tricia.”

“Deal!” Tricia agrees.

I glance up and I see a familiar face across the street. “Kara?” I whisper to myself as the queasiness quickly grows into something more powerful, more all-consuming. Dread grips me tightly by the throat. “No.”

I’ve seen no other icy blonde walk around like she owns the town, certainly not one accompanied by two gentlemen dressed in dark suits and grey overcoats. All wear black shades, and I can’t tell if they’re looking at me. As I hold the girls’ hands tightly, my boots start moving backward in a cautious set of steps.

Clad in a soft, creamy fur and caramel brown leather boots, delicate diamonds glistening from her earlobes, my sister-in-law is merely a hundred feet from me.

Oh, God, what do I do ?

“Are you okay, Ellie?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Ladies, I need you to do me a favor,” I say with a trembling voice as I look over my shoulder. I spot a store I could take cover in. “I need to go into that shop over there and get a few things. Can you forgive me if we stop back for the little lady cappuccinos in, say, five minutes?”

Ainsley frowns. “We’re gonna have to wait in the line again.”

“I know, I know.” In the meantime, Kara and her goons are getting closer. Another minute of me standing here, and she will surely spot me. “Five minutes, girls. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll get an almond croissant for us to share, too, along with the cinnamon cookies.”

“Get the chocolate one,” Tricia says. “It’s better.”

I shake my head in agreement, thankful that I’ve got the twins cooperating. “You drive a hard bargain, Tricia. Fine, we’ll get a chocolate croissant instead.”

“Make it two. One for you, and one for Ainsley and me.”

We’ve reached the shop door. I groan with frustration as Tricia resists my pull until I give her a conceding nod. “Fine, my darling. Two chocolate croissants.”

“Thank you,” she grins, and we’re in. Just in time, too.

My breath is ragged, my heartbeat intensifying. Fear is getting the better of me, and I’m afraid I might lose control.

“Okay, let’s see,” I mumble, trying hard to keep it together as I peruse through some of the clothing racks. There is absolutely nothing here that interests me, but the girls are being good and patient.

“See something you like?” a young lady asks as she approaches. She wears a tacky green sweater and has a flat smile on her face.

“Thank you, but we’re just browsing for now.”

My head is spinning.

“You said you needed to get some stuff.” Ainsley has a way of keeping me accountable, bless her heart, at the worst possible moment.

Heat spreads through my chest, fear threatening to close my throat.

“Miss, are you okay?” the salesgirl asks me. She looks worried.

“I… yeah, I’m…” but I lose my words altogether.

The image before my eyes shifts and I feel myself falling.

My whole body goes limp, and I hit the floor hard. The colors fade, and a cold kind of darkness takes over, swallowing me whole. “Ellie!” Tricia and Ainsley scream in pitch perfect unison. I feel their hands on me as the salesgirl says something about calling an ambulance.

“Ellie! Are you okay?” Tricia’s voice pulls me back.

I peel my eyes open. Sweat drips from my temples and I feel as though I have too many layers of clothes on. It feels so frickin’ hot. Suddenly, a sprinkle of cold water hits my face.

“There she is,” I hear Janice say.

I’m on my back on the floor. Tricia and Ainsley flank my head. I look up and see the salesgirl just above, holding a bottle of water. Her fingers are dripping as Janice kneels beside me.

“Jan?” I mumble as she helps me sit up.

“Are you okay, Ellie?” Ainsley asks.

“Yeah, honey, I think so.”

“You don’t look okay,” Janice replies.

I give her a confused look. “I thought you were going shopping.”

“I was, but then I came back to ask if you needed anything from the hardware store,” she says then sighs deeply. “I spotted you coming in here, and next thing I know, you’re on the floor, passed out and scaring the crap out of everybody.”

I look around again, realizing that there’s a whole bunch of people staring at me with understandable concern. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to give anybody a fright this close to Halloween.” I try to laugh it off, but as soon as I attempt to stand up, the queasiness returns with a vengeance.

“Careful,” Janice warns.

“I might just sit here for a few minutes,” I mutter.

“Actually, I think we’re going to take you to the clinic and get you checked out.”

I give Janice a troubled look. “I’m fine.”

“You can’t stand up,” Ainsley graciously points out the obvious. “We should call Daddy.”

“No!” I blurt out. “No need, I’m good. I promise.”

Janice gives me a hard look. “You’re not good, Elise. You’re pale as a sheet of paper, you’re dizzy, and you literally fainted just now.”

“Should I call an ambulance?” the salesgirl asks.

Janice and I give her a resounding no. “I’ll drive her straight to the clinic,” Janice adds.

I know there’s no fighting her on this. No arguing either. The girls are scared enough already. I don’t need to let this scene evolve into something even more difficult to control.

I allow myself a subtle sign of relief as I glance over Janice’s shoulder. Kara and her men seem to be gone.

“Fine, I’ll go to the clinic,” I say. “But you’ll have to stay with the girls while I get my checkup.”

“Of course,” she replies.

“Do you think the doctor will give us a lollipop?” Ainsley asks, always harboring a sweet tooth. Tricia shakes her head.

“No, you need to be sick for that.”

“I’m sure we can work something out,” I say, smiling as Janice and the salesgirl help me stand up. I’m still dizzy, but I can definitely sense some improvement.

Half an hour later, I’m staring at a black-and-white ultrasound photo in Dr. Simon’s office at the Rustic Clinic’s Emergency Department. I break into a cold sweat as the good doctor lays out the hard truth, handing me a printout of my test results.

“You’re about six to seven weeks along,” he says.

“With twins,” I mumble.

“Yes, there are definitely two heartbeats in there.”

Why the hell am I surprised?

We weren’t careful. At all. While I was with Igor, I took every discreet precaution that I could think of so as not to get pregnant. Deep down, I knew I didn’t want to have children with him. I didn’t want to raise a family with him, so I did my best to put it off for as long as I could without arousing his suspicion.

This time, however, it’s different.

“It certainly explains how I’ve been feeling lately. My period’s been a bit all over the place since I moved to Rustic, mostly due to stress, so I shouldn’t be too shocked that I didn’t catch this earlier. Right?”

“Stress can affect the pregnancy as well,” he warns. “Whatever it is you’re dealing with, you’ll need to figure out a way to better manage your stress levels. Otherwise, you’ll struggle through the whole process rather than enjoy it.”

I nod slowly. Part of me is terrified. I’m nowhere near ready nor adequately prepared for a child. I don’t even have my own place right now! But the other part of me is elated. This child was created out of something profound, something I’ve never felt before. It feels real, perhaps too real.

“It can be scary, I know,” the doctor continues, picking up on my emotional state. “Know that you have options.”

I shake my head with surprising decisiveness. “I’m having this baby. I just don’t know how I’m going to break the news to the father.” Or fathers. Oh, God, what did I get myself into?

“Whenever you’re ready, Elise. In the meantime, however, I don’t want you having any more of these fainting spells, so I’m going to prescribe some prenatal vitamins for you to start taking right away. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. You will need to come in for monthly checkups, unless something feels off, in which case you need to come in right away or call an ambulance.”

“Okay. Yeah. I can do that.”

I think I’ll be able to hide it for a little while longer. At least until I figure out if it’s still safe for me to be here. Kara being in Rustic, Colorado, is anything but a coincidence. If she’s around, then so is Igor.

“Take this to the drugstore,” Dr. Simon says as he finishes writing out the prescription. I take the piece of paper and look at it for a moment. “Twice per day with every meal. And if you can supplement your daily diet with more berries and flaxseed, that should also help in the long run.”

“No more coffee, huh?” I sigh deeply.

“I don’t like to be an extremist, Elise. I’d recommend one cup, tops, on a daily basis. Otherwise, if you can replace it with decaf and maybe switch to herbal tea, even better,” he says. “Definitely no alcohol.”

“That won’t be a problem. I’m not a big drinker anyway.”

I put on a reassuring smile to greet Janice and the twins as I step out into the waiting room. “Clean bill of health,” I tell them. “I just need to make a few adjustments to my diet and pick up some prescribed vitamins from the drugstore. Oh, and drink more water.”

“Water is important,” Ainsley says.

“Listen to the little lady,” Janice tells me, then raises a suspicious eyebrow. “Are you sure, Elise? That’s all?”

“Yes, ma’am. Blood tests show nothing out of the ordinary, except a few low values, thus the vitamins,” I reply. “I’m going to be okay; I promise.”

Or so I keep telling myself.