Page 69 of Hero's Heart

“No, not really.” Sloane’s voice sounded thin to her own ears.

“And emotionally? I know it’s not an easy thing to talk about, but keeping details bottled up inside won’t do you any favors in the long run.”

Sloane hesitated, images of dark rooms and Nikola’s cruel face flashing through her mind. “I’ve had some nightmares,” she admitted. “But it’s getting better.”

Annie nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “That’s completely normal. Have you had anyone to talk to about what happened? A therapist or a support group, maybe?”

“No.” Sloane shook her head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“What about your sister, Marissa? You two went through it together. That’s got to create a special bond.”

A rueful almost-laugh escaped Sloane’s lips. “Marissa and I…we’ve never been close. She has her own way of dealing with things.”

Marissa had made it abundantly clear that, as far as she was concerned, Sloane was the reason they’d been targeted in the first place. There would be no sisterly heart-to-hearts in their future. Not that there had ever been.

Annie seemed to sense she’d hit a sore spot. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about your family. But Sloane, I hope you know my door is always open if you need someone to listen. Even if it’s not related to your health.”

Tears pushed at the backs of Sloane’s eyes. She looked away, blinking rapidly. This kind woman had no idea of the burdens Sloane carried, the shameful secret growing inside her that could blow apart the fragile new life she was trying to build.

“Was there something else on your mind?” Annie pushed gently. “A reason you wanted to come to Oak Creek, specifically?”

A sob broke free from Sloane’s chest, despite her best efforts to contain it. The tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks in hot trails. She pressed a hand over her mouth, mortified at losing control.

“Oh, sweetie.” Annie’s voice was soft with concern. She reached out to rub Sloane’s arm. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m here to help, not to judge.”

Sloane wanted so badly to unburden herself, to hand her problems to someone else just for a moment. She parted her trembling lips, fighting to form the words that felt like jagged rocks in her throat.

“I…”

Annie turned to grab a tissue from the counter behind her. When she turned back, she was holding something else in her hand. A slim plastic wand. Her eyes met Sloane’s, bright with a tentative realization.

“I think I see what’s going on here.” Annie’s words were gentle, but they still made Sloane flinch. She held up the test strip, where two unmistakable pink lines stood in stark contrast to the white background.

“You’re pregnant.” There was no judgment in the older woman’s eyes, but Sloane felt bad anyway.

“I’ve known for just over a week,” Sloane finally admitted in a small voice. “It’s why I left home. My family, they…didn’t support me.”

Her cheeks flushed with shame at the memory, bile rising in her throat. It had been so much worse than that, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk about what had happened.

Annie reached out and gently squeezed her hand. “Sloane, I need to ask… During your kidnapping, were you…?”

She trailed off delicately, but Sloane understood.

“No, I wasn’t raped,” she said quickly, shaking her head. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “The baby is Callum’s.”

Surprise flashed across Annie’s face before being replaced by relief. “I see. And do you want to keep the baby?”

“Yes, absolutely,” she said without hesitation, one hand drifting to her still-flat stomach protectively. “I never even considered…”

Despite what her family had wanted her to do.

Annie nodded. “Have you told Callum yet?”

“No. I don’t know how to tell him. What happened between us in Moldova, it was…” She bit her lip, fresh anxiety swirling inside her. “I just wanted to replace the bad memories with something good. But we didn’t make any promises to each other. I’m not even sure if he really cares about me…”

“Callum is an honorable man,” Annie assured her. “Even if he doesn’t want a romantic relationship, he would still want to be there for his child.”

Sloane swallowed hard. That was what she feared—that Callum would feel obligated and trapped. But deep down, she hoped desperately that he would wanthertoo, not just their baby. She had such strong feelings for him, but she didn’t know if he returned them at all.

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