Stolen Course(60)

“Nope,” I answer honestly.

“You will be.” And no sooner than he finishes that sentence, a fast thumping fills the air.

“Baby has a perfect heartbeat of 136,” she announces, hanging the wand back up. “You are measuring at ten weeks, two days. He or she looks great! Here are some paper towels for you to clean up with. I’ll be right outside with some pictures for you to take home. Okay?” She heads for the door, and I know I must look like a deer in headlights.

“Holy shit,” I whisper as the door clicks behind her.

“That was the most intense two minutes of my entire life,” Hunter says, bringing my hand to his mouth again.

“I’m pregnant,” I announce as if he hadn’t just been sitting there. “With a gummy bear,” I add.

“It will be the most beautiful gummy bear in the world,” he says reassuringly.

“What the hell am I supposed to tell Caleb?” Tears once again fill my eyes.

“I’ll go with you,” Hunter offers as I wipe the goo off my stomach.

“No. He really hates you.” I pull down my shirt and stand from the table.

“Whatever. He’ll have to get over it.” He pulls me against his chest and holds me while I try to dry my eyes. “Hey, regardless of how he responds, we’ve got this, okay? Uncle Hunt is not going anywhere.”

“I’m know you’re just trying to help, but please never talk in third person again.”

“Creepy, right?” He pulls back and offers me a tissue.

“Very.” I wipe the makeup from under my eyes, grab his hand, and head out the door.





I ANSWER the phone, flipping through the file of my latest case. “Detective Jones.”

“You son of a bitch!” I hear shrieked across the line.

“Um…” I’m taken aback for a second.

“You got her pregnant!” the woman screams. And this time, she has my complete attention.

“I’m sorry. What?” I ask, confused and extremely fucking curious.

“Caleb, what the fuck? This is way worse than just trying to get back at me. Emma was innocent in all of this. And now...a baby.”

Ah, yes. Sarah. I knew I recognized that shriek. I begin to be a smartass when her words suddenly hit me.

“Wait. Who’s pregnant?” My stomach drops to my toes.

“Emma!” She confirms.

My mind is racing a million miles a minutes.

“I haven’t seen Emma in two months.” I’m so surprised that I somehow feel the need to explain things to Sarah.

“Well, she’s ten weeks pregnant. You do the math.”

Oh fuck.

I’m stunned into silence as I run over a hundred different scenarios that would make the baby Emma is—allegedly—carrying not mine. But those thoughts hurt even worse. I’m nowhere near ready to have a baby, but if she were to have a baby with someone else, I would never be able to recover.

I’ve been busting my ass to get myself to a better place the last few weeks. A place where I could let go of this vendetta I have against Sarah. A place where Emma and I can be together. I even started seeing some whack-job counselor Jesse hooked me up with. I’m really fucking trying to fix my shit, but now a baby?

“Damn it, Caleb! Say something!” Sarah yells, reminding me that the phone is still attached to my ear.

“I love her,” is all I manage to choke out.

“Right. Of course you do,” she says flippantly, and it makes my blood boil.

I’ve spent the better part of the last five years searching for ways to put this woman behind bars. Now, she’s on the phone giving me shit. Really?

“Fuck you. You’re really fucking lucky I love your sister, because she might be the only saving grace you have. You kill anyone recently?” I jab with the words from our past, and I can almost hear her face pale across the line.

“I’m trying to get better,” she breathes.

“Stay out of my life. Forget I exist. God knows I’ve spent years trying to forget you.” I slam down the phone and look around the room to see if the world really is upside down.

I lock up my computer and head for my car. I need to catch a plane to Savannah, but I have to make a phone call first.

Brett answers on the first ring. “Hello.”

“I need Emma’s address in Savannah,” I say shortly.

“Well that took you long enough. I’ll have Jesse text it to you. They exchange funny cards and shit. Why women do that I will never—”

“She’s pregnant,” I announce because I need someone to tell.

“Uhhhh…” He stutters across the line.

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Is it yours?” he asks, sounding slightly awkward.