Lone Wolf (Wilde Brothers Ranch #6)- Scarlett Grove Page 0,28

giving up custody to the child's father. It's the best option for everyone.”

“Is that how he feels about it?” Amelia asked.

“No. He wants us to be together. And he's been fairly stubborn about that fact.”

“I just don't get it,” Amelia said.

“Neither do I,” Tricia said.

“That's why I didn't tell any of you about this. I knew you wouldn't understand.”

“Annie, I know that there were some bad things that happened to you when you were a kid. But I'm afraid that because of that stuff from the past, you’re going to end up throwing your life away,” Marcy said, gripping Annie’s hand.

“It's my life to throw away.”

“You're right. It is. None of us have the right to judge you. I just hope for your own sake that you’re making the right decision,” Marcy said.

“We should go,” Amelia said.

“I want you to know that even though I disagree with you, I am still your friend, and I'm here for you, no matter what,” Marcy said as Annie showed her and the others to the door.

“I know.” Annie held back the tears threatening to fall.

“Will you do just one thing for me?” Marcy asked.

“Okay. What is it?”

“Will you talk to him one last time before the baby comes?”

“He contacts me constantly. I can't seem to make him stop.”

“Have you spent any time with him?”

“It's something I try to avoid.”

“As your oldest friend, I'm asking you to just spend a little time with him before you go through with it all. If you do that one thing for me, I'll never question your decision again. And then we can carry on with our friendship and put this all behind us.”

“Okay, Marcy. I will. Now I need to get back to work. Thank you all for coming.”

She closed the door on her friends then stood with her back against it, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. This was exactly why she'd been avoiding them.

Marcy had been her only friend for so long. Even though Annie wanted to be alone, she couldn't imagine her life without anyone at all. Marcy had asked her to see Dylan one last time, and that was the least she could do for her oldest friend.

There was nothing he could do to change her mind, so she had no reason to be concerned. She would just see him and get it over with, then she would prove Marcy, Dr. Zimmer, and everyone else wrong. She didn't want Dylan, and she didn't want the baby. They were better off without her. There was no question in her mind about that.

The sooner the child was born, the sooner Dylan would return to Fate Rock. Then she could get on with picking up the pieces of her life and moving on. She grabbed her phone and dialed Dylan's number.

He picked up on the first ring. “Annie, is everything okay?”

“Yes. Everything is fine. But I was wondering if we could possibly meet up.”

“Yes, I’d love that. I am at the mall, shopping for baby supplies. Would you like to meet me here?”

“That's as good a place as any.” A public place like the mall would offer plenty of opportunity to maintain her distance—and keep him from getting too close. “I'll be there in twenty minutes.”

“I'll meet you at the food court.”

She got off the phone with Dylan, feeling as if she was walking into a trap. But it had all been Marcy's idea. Marcy was the one person in the world who could have convinced her to do this.

Twenty minutes later, Annie was walking into the mall, regretting that she'd called. She had avoided spending time with Dylan since he arrived at her door, and he hadn't seen her belly growing since then. She wondered what his reaction would be, and even though she had been avoiding him all this time, she couldn't help but feel anticipation at the prospect of seeing him.

Then she spotted him sitting at the food court, reading a stack of printer paper, which seemed to have absorbed his attention. She saw the intensity in his face, the purposeful tilt of his brow. The sensitivity of his lips. He was beautiful and good in a way she would never be. She was struck with a sharp sense of despair. No matter how much he wanted her, no matter how much everyone wanted them to be together, she could never be with him. She was a lone wolf until the end. No matter how much she ached