CHAPTER ONE #2
A soft knock sounded at her bedroom door, and Kiara froze, hoping it was Angie. She wasn't ready to face anyone else yet, especially not looking like this.
"Kiara? Are you in there?" It was Angie's voice, soft and concerned.
"Just a minute," she called, quickly splashing more cold water on her face and running her fingers through her tangled hair.
When she opened the door, Angie looked at her with concern. “Were you sick again?
“Yeah.” Kiara turned away from the door, leaving it open as an invitation. “Same old, same old.”
“How did your appointment go?” Angie asked as she followed Kiara to the bed and settled beside her on it.
“It went well.” Kiara plucked at the fabric of the comforter she’d drawn over her legs. “The doctor asked me if I wanted to keep the baby.”
“She was offering you an abortion?” Angie asked, her tone incredulous.
“No. She was suggesting adoption,” Kiara corrected.
There was a long moment of silence before Angie said, “Are you considering that?”
Kiara shook her head. “I know not every adoptive family is like ours was, but having the experience we had with Jim and Sandra… Well, I can’t take the risk.”
“Oh, I’m glad,” Angie said. “You won’t be alone. I’ll be with you through all of this.”
“I just hope I’m going to be a good mom,” Kiara said, voicing the one big fear she had.
Angie reached out and grabbed her hand. “You’ve been a great big sister to me. You’ve always cared for me and protected me. You’ll be a great mom.”
“I wonder if I should leave,” Kiara said.
Angie’s grip on her hand tightened, almost painfully. “Leave? Why?”
“I just think it’s going to be hard to raise a child here, knowing who the father is.”
“You need to tell him,” Angie said. “He should take responsibility for his part in what happened.”
Kiara shook her head. “He doesn’t remember. He might not believe me.”
“That’s what a paternity test is for. If he doesn’t believe you, he’ll probably want a paternity test. Agree to it.”
It was so much more than just getting Julian to accept that he was the father of her baby. He was a man known for dating beautiful women. She doubted that he would want the world to know that he’d been with her.
“It’s just an option,” Kiara said. “I haven’t decided.”
Angie frowned. “I don’t like that it’s an option.”
“It’s not like I’d disappear completely,” Kiara assured her. “I just need to have a little distance from… here.”
Angie let go of Kiara’s hand and wrapped her arms around herself. “We’ve never been apart.”
“I know,” Kiara said. “But you have Jude now. You don’t need me around.”
“That’s not true,” Angie protested. “I want you close. Jude isn’t replacing you in my life.”
“I know that,” Kiara said. “We’ll always be sisters, but Jude can protect you now. He can help you.”
“I still don’t want you to go,” Angie murmured.
“Nothing is for sure yet,” Kiara said, trying to head off the emotional reaction that was sure to come if they continued down this path. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Angie stared at her for a long moment, her blue-green eyes holding sadness. “Just promise me you won’t make a decision without talking it through with me first.”
Kiara held up her hand. “I promise.”
Angie didn’t look completely convinced but had obviously decided to let the subject drop for the time being. “Are you going to come down for dinner tonight?”
Kiara would have preferred not to, but she felt like she needed to give Angie something after she dropped the bombshell about possibly moving away.
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
Angie smiled. “Good. I’m going to get ready for dinner, then go see Jude. I think he’ll be joining us too.”
Though she did feel that Jude had replaced her in Angie’s life, she didn’t hate the guy. He had saved Angie from Jim, and Kiara was forever grateful to him for that.
Once Angie had left, Kiara went to the bathroom and tried to work her curls into some semblance of order, then applied a little bit of makeup to hide the dark circles under her eyes.
She changed into a dark knee-length skirt and tights and paired it with an oversized sweater. So far, her clothes all still fit, but maternity clothes were definitely in her future.
Down in the dining room, it was just her, Angie, Jude, Duncan, and Elizabeth. They were spaced out around the table, which had been shrunk down to its smallest size.
As usual, the food was delicious, but she was careful to eat only small amounts because she didn’t want to risk triggering her stomach. Dessert was the most tempting, as it was a warm blueberry crumble with vanilla ice cream, and she had a fierce sweet tooth.
“Ready to get back to your room, love?” Angie asked, probably having noticed that Jude had only eaten half his dessert before putting his fork down.
He was still staying in the medical suite in the basement of the house where the doctor Duncan had flown in helped with Jude’s care, since he hadn’t wanted to stay in the hospital in Coeur d’Alene.
“Yeah. I think so.”
Kiara watched them go, then focused on the remainder of her dessert. Eating more than she probably should have, but it tasted so good.
“Kiara, I’m glad we have a moment to speak,” Duncan said when it was just the three of them.
She looked up at him, concern growing inside her. “Um… okay?”
Duncan glanced at Elizabeth, whose brow furrowed. “We’ve been concerned with your recent illness. Are you feeling better?”
Kiara didn’t want to lie. “A bit.”
“Is there any chance you could be pregnant?” Elizabeth asked, her voice gentle. “Because the way you’ve been sick lines up with how I felt when I was pregnant with Benji.”
Kiara’s heart pounded as she was faced with having to reveal her secret. She wished that Angie was still there. But she was on her own, and it was a secret that was going to come out eventually. So maybe this was the best way.
“Yes. I am pregnant.”
The older pair exchanged a look, apparently able to communicate with just a meeting of the eyes.
Duncan looked back at her, his gaze unreadable. “If you don’t mind me asking, who is the father?”
“I’d rather not say,” Kiara replied. She had no idea if that was a secret she’d keep forever, or if she’d talk to Julian about it eventually.
“Is it Julian?”
Kiara hoped her shock didn’t show on her face. Why would Duncan come to that conclusion? There were other men on the estate that she’d been around. Derrick, who had helped her at the shooting range, as well as other security guards.
Was there something in particular that had led him to that conclusion?
“I’d rather not say.”
For a moment, Duncan’s expression tightened, but then it relaxed. “I know the two of you were spending a lot of time together in the evenings. I thought perhaps it had led to something more.”
Kiara just stared at him, not sure what to say to that. “Yes. We did spend time talking.”
“I hope you know that we would welcome any child that becomes part of our family,” Elizabeth said. “And we’d like to support you as best as we can.”
“Have you seen a doctor?” Duncan asked.
“Yes. I went to the clinic in Serenity Point. Apparently, the doctor I saw is married to Cole’s brother.”
Duncan nodded. “However, if you want a different doctor, let us know, and we’ll find one for you.”
“I’m happy with her,” Kiara told him.
“That’s good,” Elizabeth said. “It’s important to feel comfortable with your doctor.”
Kiara was a bit surprised that neither of them asked her if she wanted to keep the baby. She appreciated that, especially now that she’d made up her mind to do just that.
“I do feel that the father bears some responsibility for this baby,” Duncan said. “So keep that in mind.”
Kiara nodded, because what else could she do?
She took another bite of her dessert, wondering how much time needed to pass until she could make her escape. Thankfully, distraction came as Benji, who had stayed at school to work out with some of his friends, arrived and sat down at the table to eat a late dinner.
Once she’d greeted him, she excused herself and hurried upstairs to her bedroom, afraid that the emotional turmoil that had resulted from the conversation she’d just had would cause physical turmoil. And she didn’t want to be anywhere but her bathroom should that happen.
In the sanctuary of her room, Kiara sank down on her bed and took several deep breaths. What would happen if Duncan approached Julian to ask him about the likelihood of his being the father of her baby?
The best-case scenario would be if Julian didn’t remember that night—which seemed to be the case—and then denied there being any chance of that being true. If that happened, then she could make the decisions she needed to in order to figure out the future for her and her baby.