Page 28 of Dump and Chase

“The job starts Tuesday. Their old PT retired at the last minute, so I had to jump in right away.”

“And where will you live?” Dad asked. “Isn’t Vancouver expensive? How are you going to afford that? I don’t want you living in some lousy basement apartment.”

I was about to step on a huge landmine. And it was only the first one. “About that, Ethan has offered his condo. He’s not living there, so I can stay rent-free.”

“I knew it!” Leah hollered. “Of course he’s all over this. Why are you doing this? He’s only going to mess up your life all over again. The last thing you need is for him to screw you over. How many times does he have to hurt you? Geez, what is wrong with you? And if he’s letting you live there rent free, there must be strings attached. I thought by now—”

“I’m pregnant and he’s the father,” I shouted over her.

She stopped. Everyone seemed a little shell-shocked. I wasn’t sure Dad was even breathing.

“What did you say?” Mom asked.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m almost three months pregnant. Ethan is the dad. It was a one-time thing a few months ago—”

“Holy hell,” Dad muttered.

Leah was finally speechless. Mom kept rapidly blinking.

“I told him when I found out and I waited to tell you all until I was near the end of the first trimester.”

“Wait, was this after Rick’s funeral?” Leah demanded, proving my fears that people would immediately figure that out.

“Things kind of happened,” I hedged.

“Doesn’t he have a fiancée?” Dad asked Mom.

She nodded.

“He wants to be in the baby’s life, and he suggested the job. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and the Ravens know I’m pregnant, so they will accommodate me.”

Mom finally found her voice. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

I wasn’t sure if it was the hormones, but I started to cry. How did that happen? I thought I was handling this pretty well. “I was embarrassed. It shouldn’t have happened,” I said, wiping the tears away. “But I’m not sad either. I want the baby.”

Mom came over and gave me a big hug. Dad did the same, but Leah didn’t leave her seat.

“Sweetie, we don’t care how it happened. And you shouldn’t be embarrassed,” Dad said. “You have our full support, but I’m a little worried that you’re going to leave. Who is going to take care of you?”

“I’ll be fine,” I said. “And I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but Ethan will be there for me. We all know he will be.”

Mom acknowledged that. “He is responsible.”

“Responsible?” Leah laughed sarcastically. “He slept with his ex and got her pregnant while he has a fiancée. Sorry, that’s not responsible at all.”

“Stuff it, Leah,” Mom said.

Leah stuffed it.

“What if me and your dad come and help you get settled?”

“Mom, he has a fully furnished condo. There is nothing to settle. And I’ll be starting work right away. I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I have some time.”

“Where will you have the baby?” Mom asked.

Good question. I hadn’t thought about it. If the Ravens wanted me around until the end of March, there was no way I could fly home. And driving that far and being nine months pregnant? Nope. Ethan and I would have to discuss this. Maybe that was the time for Mom and Dad to come out to help me. Then we could come back to Minneapolis with the baby for the summer.

“I don’t know yet. But whatever I do, you will be the first to know.”

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