Page 104 of High Stakes

Bella

It’s official, I hate pregnancy. I’m seven months gone, and already I’m finding it hard. I can’t sleep, and I constantly feel like my insides are being shoved out of my vagina. I’m grumpy and fed up, and the only bonus to it all, is that the winter weather is so cold I’m not overheating.

The middle of the night is when the baby dino always likes to play, and so I find myself taking a short walk through the empty village to try and wear myself out. It’s two in the morning and the only sounds I can hear in the street are animals that surround us in the fields.

After ten minutes I decide to turn back. The dino is much calmer.

I get to my gate when I hear my name. I notice Grant sticking his head out of his bedroom window and smile.I head over to his gate. “What are you doing, you crazy woman?”

“I can’t sleep again; I thought a walk would help.”

“Must be something in the air, me either. Come in, I’ll make us some cocoa.”

I wait at the door, and he eventually opens it, pulling me inside. “Mrs. Bennett will be gossiping if she sees you sneaking into the doctors house in the wee hours,” he grins mischievously.

“They’ll think you got me in this state,” I tease pointing to my swollen stomach.

He unbuttons my coat, hanging it next to the door. “That beats the rumours that I’m gay.”

“Yeah, I heard that one, it makes no difference to me though.”

Grant looks at me blankly. “Bella, you know I’m not gay right?” he asks, and I shrug, “I’m not gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s not for me. A man can’t possibly just be single these days,” he says with a huff.

“Well in a small village like this people will wonder. A good-looking doctor with no interest in the local women, it raises questions,” I say. I sit at his breakfast bar whilst he pours milk into a saucepan.

“I was married. She died,” he says quietly.

“Oh, crap Grant, I am so sorry. It’s none of my business.”

He turns the gas on the stove up and places the pan down. “We married at eighteen. She was my childhood sweetheart. She died five years ago after a short illness. I came here to be alone. I don’t want to find love because she was it for me, so I found this small village that needed a GP.” He pours the milk over the cocoa and gives it a stir. “What about you?” he asks sitting down.

“I met Aiden through my dad. I fell in love, and he hurt me. He isn’t ready for babies or settling down and I didn’t want him to feel obliged, so I came here. He doesn’t know about the baby, and I don’t plan on telling him. Single parents raise babies all of the time.”

He nods. “That they do Bella, that they do. Don’t you ever get lonely though?”

I think over his question, before shaking my head. “No, never. This village is the best. I’ve got you and Blair. Brook. All of the locals really. And even if you were all busy, I know I could just go into the local pub and find someone to chat to.” I take a sip and close my eyes in delight as the smooth chocolate warms my insides. “Do you get lonely?”

He nods. “All of the time. I miss her so much. And I miss the little things we did together like lying in bed on a Sunday morning reading the newspapers. Enjoying a glassof wine in the garden together and debriefing about our day.”

I never really had that with Aiden. We argued and had sex, and I can only recall a few times when we lay in bed chatting. It makes me feel sad that we never really got that far. I won’t have any good tales to tell my child about his or her father. “Well, I can drink wine in the garden once this dinosaur is born,” I say with a smile, “And I’m always free to chat, Grant, don’t be alone. I know it’s not the same.”

Aiden

Dating has been interesting. And using the app was not the best idea. Firstly, I discovered there are a lot of liars out there catfishing people. Secondly, there are way too many unstable people in the world and that damn app gives them the perfect opportunity to meet unsuspecting people. So, when JP suggested I meet his old college friend, Jenifer, I was a little wary. But it turns out, she’s normal. And to my relief, she’s exactly my type looks wise too.

We’ve been on four dates, and I’ve managed to keep my hands to myself and be the perfect gentleman. A first for me if you don’t count Bella. We’ve even been to the cinema, something I haven’t done since school. And I’m enjoying it. I don’t know why I didn’t try it before. She also confided that she’s looking for a career change afterworking years in a sandwich deli, and rather than ignore it, I took action, offering her a non-existent position at the bakery.

So, on Monday morning, I drop by to find Aria whipping up something in a large bowl. She sighs when she spots me. “What?”

“What time does he turn up to open?” I ask.

“He’s coming in late today, why?”

It irritates me that he’s not open like Aria. “I’ve hired an apprentice. Get him to call me when he decides to show up.” I head for the door.

“What? You can’t just hire someone, that’s a joint decision for you and Bella to make,” she argues.

I round on her, irritated she’s questioning me. “Does Bella know he’s not opening up on time?” I snap.

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