Page 19 of The SEALs' Single Mom Baby Surprise

Fuck.

I don’t know this neighborhood very well, but I’m thankful for my automatic locks because it looks worse than the one I moved us to.

Two more turns has the car still close on our tail until I pull a U-turn and end up in a rough patch of gravel. Dust flies up around us, but when it clears, the car is gone. Its tail lights disappear in the distance.

Hand to my chest, I take a few deep breaths and meet Reese’s gaze in the rearview mirror before I turn to her. “You okay?”

“Yes. What was that?”

I shake my head. “Just got nervous is all.”

“Did you think that was Alistair?”

Closing my eyes, I shake my head. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Might be the stress getting to me. Did I tell you about the three new men at my job who are stepping on my toes?”

Her beautiful eyes go big and round. “No. Why are they hurting your toes?”

I laugh. “Not hurting my toes, honey. It’s an expression. They were getting in my way today is all. Made it hard to do my job like I usually do.”

“Oh.” Reese turns thoughtful. “Like when Collin uses my water glass in Art, and it makes my paints all gunky when I use it after him.”

“Yes. Just like that. I think it’s just got me on edge. We’re alright.”

She nods sagely. “You should tell them that your toes need more room to wiggle.”

“I will.”

I put my car in reverse to back out and get back on the highway, but my phone rings. Stalling, I pull it from my purse and don’t know whether the unknown number is a good sign or not.

Still, I swipe it open. “Hello?”

“Sloane. Why are you stationary just off Highway 90?” Shepard’s voice turns my anxiety into anger.

“How do you know—you bugged my car, didn’t you?” I latch onto the hot emotions rising. They’re so much easier to deal with than the ones lingering just beneath the surface.

“Sloane. What happened?” His tone is no-nonsense, authoritative in a way he hasn’t used on me yet. I don’t like it. He’s not my boss, and he has no say in my life. Let alone, no right to keep tabs on me like this.

“I’m not talking about this right now. Not with my daughter in the car.” I hang up on him and ignore the ringing of my phone directly after.

The rest of the way home, I play some music, but Reese’s eyes are drooping, and I know it’s going to be an early night for her. She doesn’t need any more of this stress in her life.

Except, when we do finally make it home, I spot Rhett waiting in front of our apartment building with his arms crossed.

Nope. This is not happening. Did Shepard call him to come check on me? If so, how did he make it here before I did?

Renewed anger silences my other thoughts as I realize that he was already waiting before I got spooked. It’s the only way he got here so quickly.

I get out of my car and collect Reese from the back, slinging her bag on one arm and taking her hand in the other.

“Who’s that?”

“Just someone from work who’s overstepping their boundaries.”

“But boundaries are important. Miss Leslie told us so.”

I smile down at her and nod. “You’re right. We’re just going to walk on by him, okay? Get inside and upstairs.”

Reese doesn’t fight me as I usher her past Rhett. After I unlock the access control door and gently push Reese inside, I turn and hold my hand out to Rhett, who looks ready to follow us inside.

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