Page 85 of Samuel

“Sam, will you help Evie lay down on the sofa? I’ll be able to find the baby’s heartbeat easier that way.”

He didn’t respond. Evie placed her hand over his, and smiled as he blinked her into focus.

“You okay there, Cowboy?”

“Evie…I…”

“It’s okay. Let’s just hear Jellybean’s heartbeat. I promise it’ll help you feel better.”

“Okay.”

Sam stood and grabbed Evie’s hand, helping her shuffle back on the cushion and then lowered her down to the pillow. She lifted her shirt and wrinkled her nose as Jake squirted the gel on her belly.

Sam swore. Her eyes darted to his and didn’t miss the pain reflecting back at her as he looked at her belly.

“There’s some bruising here on your hip, Evie.”

“That could be from Ryan, at the bar. He pushed his body against me hard.” She bit the inside of her cheek.

“Okay. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything bad. Let'slisten to the baby’s heartbeat and then I’ll let you know what I’m thinking.”

The first heartbeat he found was slower than Evie was expecting, and she glanced at Jake, worry about to spill out of her mouth with a million questions. Sam squeezed her hand reassuringly.

“That’s your heartbeat, Evie. Nothing to worry about. I’m sure the baby’s heartbeat is right around here.” He moved the transducer around her belly, gathering more gel to spread across her skin. Right at her belly button, he stopped, and a fast galloping sound filled the room.

“Her heartbeat is perfect. Right where I’d expect to see it.”

“Evie still needs to go in and see her doctor, doesn’t she?” Sam asked.

“I think you should at least call into the office and let them know what happened. They’ll let you know if they think you need to go in or just rest until your next appointment.”

“I can’t. It was a risk having you even come over here, Jake. If he knows I told anyone…” Her whole book convulsed under the weight of what her attacker had said.

“What did he say to you, Evie?”

She started to shake her head, but two warm hands slipped up to her cheeks and turned her head.

“Tell me. Please.” The pain in Sam’s voice was the final straw. She’d spent hours looking all over the apartment for anything that looked like a listening device. But even now, she didn’t care. It was burning her alive, this threat that stayed looming over her head. She wanted Sam to know. She wanted him to keep her safe.

“He said he needed me alive as some part of his plan. But if I didn’t stop looking into the accounts that are taking money from the ranch, he’d come back and cut Jellybean out of my belly before he killed me.”

“Christ, Bluebell.” Sam wrapped his arms around her and pulled her body so that her back was resting against his chest.

“It’s not my place to say anything,” Jake sighed as he packed up his equipment. “But I think you need to report this. You have John right across the road, and Hank next door. Our friends’ group is a strong one, Evie. We’ve survived so much because we count on each other. It’s not just Sam who will keep you and your baby safe. We all will.”

“I’ll think about it. But honestly, I just want to sleep and forget what happened last night.”

Twenty-Two

“Have you had anything to eat today?” He stepped out into the hallway to thank Jake again for checking out Evie while she went to the bathroom. But once he was back inside the apartment, Sam couldn’t stop himself from pacing back and forth in front of the couch, desperately needing something to do with his hands.

“I was about to?—”

Sam held up his hand. “So, the answer is no. I’m going to make you a sandwich. Christ, I wish I would have demanded you talk to me last night.”

“You’re mad at me?” she snapped.

“What? No, I’m not mad at you! I wish I could have been here with you. That I could have taken care of you. You’ll never know how sorry I am that I messed everything up.”

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