Lone Wolf (Wilde Brothers Ranch #6)- Scarlett Grove Page 0,27

no matter how she tried to hide it under her clothes to make it look as if she had just gained weight. That ship had sailed.

Instead of picking up the phone, she sent it to voicemail and got back into her work. The baby would be coming soon. And although she didn't need to worry about caring for an infant, she knew that the recovery would still take some time.

Later, when she'd finished her work for the day, she checked her voicemails, and Marcy's voice came up on the other end of the line.

“Where have you been? I haven't seen you in ages. We really need to get together. The girls and I are planning a lunch tomorrow, and we want you to come. I'm not taking no for an answer.”

There was no way that she could face her friends like this. After speaking with Dr. Zimmer, she knew what other people, including her friends, would think about her choices. If the therapist was willing to judge her for her, then what could she expect from normal women who wanted the very same thing she was throwing away?

The next morning, she woke up, dressed, and got ready for her day while avoiding several more calls from Marcy. Maybe she would forgive her after the baby was born and everything went back to normal. But that was a bridge that Annie would cross when she got there.

As she was sitting down at her desk to work on her latest project, there was a knock at the door. She hadn't buzzed anyone inside, so she assumed it was one of her neighbors or maybe the building manager. She pushed herself up from her chair with great effort and made her way to the door. She opened the door without checking the peephole, realizing too late that she'd made a mistake. Marcy, Amelia and Tricia were standing in her hallway. Their eyes went wide with shock, all of them staring at her belly.

“I knew you weren’t just gaining weight,” Amelia said. They all pushed inside her apartment, overwhelming her with questions.

“How did this happen?” Marcy demanded. “Why didn't you tell me? We've been best friends since junior high school. Why would you think you had to go through this alone?”

They pulled her into the living room and surrounded her on the couch. Annie felt like she was on trial for keeping her secret. But as much as she had wanted to hide it from her friends, that simply wasn't an option anymore.

“It happened at the wedding,” she finally admitted.

“I still don't understand why you didn't tell anyone,” Marcy said.

“I didn't know what to say. I'm not planning to keep it. And I didn't want you all to judge me for that.”

“You're not going to keep it?” Marcy asked. “What happened, Annie? Did someone hurt you? Is that why?”

“It's nothing like that. I just don't have room in my life for a child.”

“You signed up for that shifter dating app, didn't you?” Amelia said.

Annie sent her a sharp look, but that seemed to be the only evidence Amelia needed.

“I knew it. You signed up for the dating app. And then you met a shifter.”

“You met your fated mate?” Marcy asked, staring at Annie as if she'd grown another head.

“Yes. That's how it happened, if you must know.”

“What about the father?”

“He knows. He's agreed to take custody. All the paperwork has been drawn up. There's really nothing more to do or say. It's been decided.”

“Is he a bad man or something? Like one of those hyenas?” Amelia asked.

“No. By all regards, he's a good man. A very good man. I simply don't have room for a man or a child in my life. I didn't ask for this. It just sort of happened.”

“How do you mean ‘it just sort of happened’?” Marcy asked. “We all know how babies are made, Annie. And I don't think any of us would agree that it just sort of happens.”

Annie was getting angry. This was exactly why she didn't want to tell her friends. She knew that it would result in judgment and accusations. They would never understand her. They never could.

“We met the night of the wedding after I signed up for the app. I'd been drinking, and he just happened to be at the lodge. One thing led to another, and here I am, carrying a child I never asked for. I considered not keeping it. But I couldn't go through with the procedure. So instead I'm