Silence fell between them, and Sybil stood. “I should head home. I’m sure you need time to think about all this.”
“You have my number still, right?”
“Yes.”
“Call me if anything comes up, and text me all the appointment dates and times that you know, please.” He almost asked her to stay and share a pizza so they could talk and begin the process of knowing each other, but he realized she was right again—he needed time alone.
One thing she wouldn’t be right about, however, was putting this child up for adoption. He’d fight with everything in him to keep his child.
He saw Sybil out, then went out back to sit on his deck. After the bombshell Sybil had dropped, the walls closed in on him, and he needed to go somewhere that didn’t restrict him. If ever he needed a drink, now would be that time.
Flexing his fingers, he fought the urge to call up a buddy and go out. He wouldn’t throw away forty-three days of hard-earned sobriety for one minor incident.
Okay, so it’s not exactly minor, but I’m still not giving in.
It would be his luck to have consequences catch up to him after he’d cleaned up his act.Luck has nothing to do with it. He leaned his head back and fixed his gaze on the clear blue sky. Inhaled deeply from his stomach and slowly expelled the air.
“I’m going to be a dad.”
The prospect both terrified and thrilled him. What better motivation to keep his life on track? But the responsibility…that daunted him. Was he up to the challenge? He didn’t have a choice in the matter. Like it or not, he had helped create a tiny human life.
Even now, as he processed what this news meant for him, he knew he wanted this baby. The irony didn’t escape him. He, the man who loved his freedom and didn’t entangle himself with romantic relationships, wanted to fight to keep a child that would involve a lifetime commitment. Surely God had a sense of humor.
His phone rang, and he remembered he’d never called his mom to let her know he’d made it home. He glanced at the screen, expecting it to be her, but saw Wyatt’s name instead. He breathed a sigh of relief while also experiencing the effects of a punch to the stomach.
How could he tell his mom and sister? He wasn’t afraid of what they’d think—he’d willingly own his mistakes and take whatever were the results. No, he didn’t want to upset Cara. Life wasn’t fair. He’d done something foolish and now had a baby on the way. Meanwhile, Cara, who deserved the baby she desperately wanted, struggled to have one.
He clenched a fist and answered the phone. Wyatt’s call came at the perfect time. He needed a friend to confide in and help him sort out this mess. To keep his mind occupied on the problem at hand, so he didn’t cave to temptation and go have a drink.
Chapter Six
Sybil accepted Jared’s help to get into his truck. She didn’t need the assistance, but she wouldn’t reject his efforts at being a gentleman. The poor guy’s face displayed such obvious nervousness that she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him. His smile barely turned up the corners of his mouth for the tenseness in his jaw.
“Ever been to an ultrasound?” she asked after they were on the road.
“Nope.”
“It’s surreal. You can hear the baby’s heartbeat, and it sounds like a galloping horse.” She loved that sound even more than seeing the tiny body parts on the screen. It meant her baby was alive, and she’d been successful at providing a nurturing environment for its growth.
He glanced at her. “Does it really?”
She attempted to draw him into a conversation on several different topics before giving up. His mind focused solely on the appointment, and he couldn’t be distracted.
After ten minutes of silence, he found his voice. “Where do I turn?”
“The first light before the mall. Make a left, and then the second right.” She turned her head and caught a glimpse of him chewing on his bottom lip.
She found his actions endearing. Something about a grown man losing his stoic attitude over an impending ultrasound strummed at her heart chords. It revealed a humility and sensitivity she hadn’t known men were capable of.
Once they parked, they walked into the busy office. Jared stayed several feet behind her while she checked in. She sensed that was his way of respecting her privacy while still being supportive.
The receptionist took her insurance card and twenty-dollar copay, then verified her information in the system. “Have a seat, Ms. Hollis, and we’ll call you back shortly.”
Thirty minutes later, Sybil decided her definition ofshortlyvaried greatly from the receptionist’s. She shifted in the black chair with a thin vinyl cushion. One would think an obstetrician’s office would have comfortable seating for pregnant women.
At least she had a seat. More patients arrived than were being called back.
A heavily pregnant woman left the receptionist desk and glanced around with a hand pressed against her back. Would that be her in five months?
