Page 126 of Love Without Control

Maz beamed. “He’s good. We should be able to release him next month. You want to come watch?”

Though actual care of the animals wasn’t in my job description, the staff always included me on release day. They knew it was one of my favorite things to watch, seeing a turtle return to its home in the sea. I always hoped they’d be able to find their families, though that was a bit of a crazy idea due to the vastness of the water. Perhaps I was projecting my own situation a wee bit.

“I would love to.”

She rose to stand and walked toward the door, where she paused and turned back to me. “Oh, by the way, have you heard they caught that serial killer in south Florida?”

My heart stalled like an old car in cold weather, and I couldn’t control my stammer. “Th-the one in Marytown?”

“Yep. Check it out. It’s all over the news.”

She was barely out the door before my fingers were clicking on my computer screen. I’d been following that story closely because Monty was the lead detective on the case.

Link, link, where’s the fucking link?My hands trembled on my mouse as I clicked on the first one… and there he was. My little brother. Except he didn’t look so damn little standing behind a podium and answering questions during a press conference.

“Monty,” I whispered, smashing my palm over my mouth as the tears began to flow. He was in a light-blue polo with his police department’s insignia on the chest, and he was fielding questions like a pro. And his voice! It was so deep.

I was so fucking proud of Monty, and tears sprang to my eyes at the way he talked about the bravery of the women who had survived what the media was dubbing “The Prince Charming Attacks.” Then his eyes glazed over, staring into space for a long moment, and I couldn’t help but wonder…Is he thinking of me?

With his next request, delivered in a hoarse voice, I was pretty sure he was. “I’d like to ask you all to please give these women, as well as their families, the privacy they need to heal. I’m aware you have a job to do, but please consider this. If it was someone you loved, how would you want them to be treated?” Then he turned and quickly exited the stage.

When that video was done, I clicked on the next one. And the next. Monty commanded every press conference, every interview, every room he was in. My baby bro was all grown up.

Auburn was too, running the Bouvier fashion empire like a boss. And he was a daddy now! He and Gianna had gotten married and adopted twins, a boy and girl. Jaxon and Jane. I was an aunt, and I hadn’t even gotten to meet them.

I didn’t think it was possible to be so happy and so sad at the same time. My stomach rolled over, and I reached for my coffee, but the smell of it only made nausea rise in my throat, so I put it back down and grabbed a bottle of water from the mini fridge behind my desk. The liquid was cool and soothing, and I went back to my computer feeling nostalgic for my family.

In my opinion, social media was the best thing ever invented. It gave me a way to keep up with my family from afar. My father wasn’t very active on Facebook or Instagram since his retirement, so I did a Google search for Paul Bouvier. There wasn’t much new stuff, only a few older articles announcing that he’d filed for divorce from my mother, and I wondered what the final straw that broke the camel’s back was. My dad and Chloe hadn’t been close for years. They’d had separate bedrooms for as long as I could remember.

Over the years, my family still shared info about my disappearance, and again, that warmed my heart and made it break at the same time. They still loved me. They still thought about me and missed me. And I missed the hell out of them too.

My stomach did another weird flip, and I clamped my hand over my mouth as the water I’d drunk attempted to make a reappearance. Leaping up, I dashed to the restroom down the hall, ignoring the curious stares from the other people in the office.

After I’d emptied my stomach in the toilet, I emerged from the stall to find Maz leaning against the sink with a cool, damp cloth. “You okay, Eden? Do I need to check you out?”

“You’re a veterinarian,” I said, my voice scratchy from vomiting.

She chuckled and felt my forehead before dabbing my face with the cloth. “Anatomy is anatomy. You don’t seem to have a fever. When was your last period?”

Oh. Shit.

“Umm, I’m not sure. It’s been a little spotty since I had my birth control implant removed a few months ago.” Maz arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow, and I clarified. “We’re not trying for a baby, but we’re not exactlynottrying either.”

Dane and I had actually talked about starting a family a few times over the years, but the timing had never been quite right. At first, I’d wanted to wait until we returned home so we could share the experience with my family. Then we got the fur babies, and they certainly kept us busy. But now…

Maz nodded thoughtfully. “Go on home, just in case you are coming down with something. I don’t need the entire hospital puking.” Rubbing a soft circle over my upper back, she urged me toward the door. “And you might think about stopping by the pharmacy on the way home.”

I did as she suggested, but rather than taking the pregnancy test, I shoved it into a bathroom drawer, behind my hair products. There was no way I was pregnant already. Though the doctor that removed the implant told me it was possible my fertility would return within weeks, he also cautioned that it didn’t usually happen that quickly.

My cycles had been erratic since I’d had it removed. I would have a heavy period one month and then a bit of spotting the next. No, I definitely wasn’t pregnant. My breasts didn’t feel heavy, and I felt completely fine. Well, other than today’s vomiting incident, but I was sure that was just an emotional response. And it was only once.

If I got sick again, I’d take the test.

Chapter 43

Iputthefinishingtouches on a wedding cake that was to be delivered this weekend and stood back to admire my handiwork.

“That’s gorgeous,” Barry said, walking up beside me. “Those silvery pearls are a nice touch.”

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