Page 34 of Bound By Love

“Be honest, how was your first week working here?” she asked from the door.

“It’s been wonderful. I was just looking over the bridal show schedule. The one in November looks amazing.”

“It’s a lot of fun. The best part is seeing who our competition is.” She winked. I’d had a feeling she was competitive, and my hunch was right. I liked her even more. “I must say, you’re doing a fantastic job.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

“I can’t get over how much Alistair talks about you. He thinks you’re prettyawesome.” She chuckled. It was a word I hadn’t heard her say before.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s just being nice.” I hoped that was the case, or it could get awkward around here.

Brea instantly came to my mind. She was such a sweet person and my only friend in town. And also mellow compared to Jasmine, who turned into a five-alarm fire after lunch every day. The girl stressed me out big time.

“I actually think he likes you. When I mentioned the baby…” Her voice trailed.

She mentioned the baby?I clasped my hands together in my lap and squeezed them tightly. How dare she tell him I was pregnant. I’d only told her as a courtesy. I wouldn’t be able to hide the fact for much longer, but I wasn’t ready for anyone else to know, especially not Alastair.

“Well, he’s been concerned about you. I guess because the father isn’t in the picture, much like his own.” Nina looked at me the way a mother would showing her approval for the girl her son likes.

No, no, no!

Now that Nina told Alistair about the baby, it was bound to get out. I was barely showing and figured I’d have another month or two.Dammit!

“There’s nothing to be worried about. The baby and I will be just fine. In fact, this is how I planned it.” Where did that come from? Me and ad-libbing didn’t mix, usually. Where was I going with that statement?

“What do you mean, ‘planned it?’”

“Um, well…”Think, think, think. Why did I say anything at all? Because I panicked about Alastair. Duh! Then clarity hit. “What I mean is I got artificially inseminated.”

Nina blinked oddly with confusion.

“Sperm donor,” I whispered.

“Oh… I understand.”

Whether she believed me or not, I didn’t care. “Yes, I planned to raise the baby on my own.” I nodded self-assuredly. If I hadn’t been researching “having a baby by yourself,” artificial insemination wouldn’t have been on my mind. It had surprised me how common it was with single women as they neared their forties. The more I read, the more I understood their reasoning. They didn’t let not finding the right partner prevent them from having a baby.

Here I had thought I’d found the right man. But he was only a sperm donor.

“Well, what you do is your business, dear. You’ll get no judgment from me.” She smiled, but the sparkle in her eyes I was used to seeing was absent. “I’ll be leaving an hour early today for a hair appointment.”

“Okay, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“Oh, I’m not worried at all.” She issued a small wave and was gone.

Thank God!

My stomach soured, wrought with guilt for calling Will a sperm donor. He was the man I lovedandmy baby’s father. None of this felt right. Especially if Alastair liked me. I didn’t need more complications in my already-complicated life.

And to make matters worse, I felt like Nina was disappointed I didn’t return Alastair’s sentiment.

Why did Will have to cheat?

Maybe I needed to do more with moving on in my life. Was there a timeline on how long it took to heal a broken heart? It had only been two weeks since the last time I saw Will, but the cheating had been going on for months. Not that I ever stopped loving him during that time.

But my heart died the morning Will left with Cori to Vegas. I’d felt used and tossed in the trash—my baby and me.

I shouldn’t feel guilty about anything. I did nothing wrong.

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