wait.
I tried not to stare at the timer. Women were late all the time. It didn’t necessarily mean anything. While I waited, I gathered up all the evidence of my shopping trip and stuffed it in the bottom drawer of my dresser. I doubted Tyler would ever look there.
Finally. The timer chimed, and I raced to the test.
In the little window of the test, there was a pink plus sign. It wasn’t faint, not at all. It was a bright, bold line.
I was pregnant.
With Tyler’s baby.
I wrapped the test up in several Kleenex and dumped it in the trash.
What was I going to do?
I had to tell Tyler… eventually. I wasn’t going to keep his child from him. I could tell him now, or I could wait, but at some point, it had to happen.
If I stayed here, then he’d notice himself, in a few months. Saying nothing and letting him figure it out didn’t seem like a great plan either.
Once he knew, would he want custody? Would part-time be enough? What if he wanted the baby full-time?
No. I wouldn’t agree to that. I didn’t plan this child, but I wasn’t going to be a half-ass mother. I was going to raise my baby. If Tyler wanted to be involved, I’d make that happen.
But from where? Would I go back to Chicago? Or would I stay here?
Here in Pine Hills, the baby would have a loving aunt, Abigail, a kind grandmother in Mrs. Whittaker, and a fun uncle in Barrett. Would I leave all that behind to raise the baby in Chicago while I worked full time as a journalist?
Certainly I couldn't go back until the situation with Chirstopher and Carl was resolved.
I really wished I knew how Tyler would react. I knew him well enough to know he’d honor his obligations. He’d never deny the baby was his, and he’d pay all the child support that was required. But would he enjoy being a father? I did not want my child to be an obligation, not to anyone.
It wasn’t a lot, but I knew that much about being a mother already -- I knew I would never let my child feel like I was interested in his or her life. And I might hire a nanny to watch my child while I worked, but when I was off, the baby would be with me.
I put my hand on my stomach. “I won’t abandon you,” I murmured. “And I won’t be shitty like my parents were and make money and power my priority over you.”
In the distance, a cow mooed, and I laughed out loud. Here in Pine Hills, it seemed like an easy promise to keep.
Chapter Twenty
Tyler
On Thanksgiving Day, the house was packed. My mother and my sister were both there of course, and Barrett. And Mrs. Smith came too, as well as Joe, the fire chief. The chief was single, but had a four-year-old daughter that stayed with him on the holidays, and he figured she’d have a much better time with us than alone at home with him and a frozen meal.
So it was only eight people, but it felt like a thousand to me. However, Ava looked like she was in her element, so the noise and commotion was worth every second.
I didn’t really care about the food, but Ava was thrilled. Every dish was cooked to perfection.
Over and over, the guests praised the turkey and the dressing, and the sweet potatoes. During the main course, I heard gravel crunch outside. I was still cautious, so I went straight to the door. But it was our other deputy, Thomas, the one who served as our detective. He didn’t ring the doorbell, but only knocked. Sadie hopped up from her spot under the table, and barked.
“I’ll be right back,” I said. “Don’t start on the pie without me.”
I opened the door, assuming he’d just stopped by because there was nothing going on during his holiday shift, and he’d heard Ava talk plenty about how much food she was cooking. “Hey man. You want to come in? Ava cooked everything from scratch.”
“I wish I could.” Instead of smiling, he grimaced. “Look. I think I spotted one of the guys from the mug shots you showed me.”
“Here? In Pine Hills? Where?”
“Yeah,” he said. “At the old motel on the edge of town. I didn’t even want to risk putting it on the radio, or even calling on a cell phone. I’ve got eyes on him over there.”
“Okay. Thanks. I’m