Mountain Man's Accidental Surprise - K.C. Crowne Page 0,9

had driven me to Salt Lake City for my flight back to Vegas. I’d been bursting at the seams to tell her about my wild night with Graham, but I wasn’t sure how my cousin would respond. We used to be really close growing up, but my father had tried to keep us away from my mother’s side of the family.

Speak of the devil. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, preparing to turn it off when I noticed a voicemail from my father. I stared at the phone, contemplating whether to listen to it, but I had a few minutes as people continued to board.

Putting the phone to my ear, I listened as my father’s voice greeted me. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end just hearing it. I don’t know when that happened, when I dreaded hearing from him, but the sound of his voice always had an adverse effect on me.

“Emilia. Why aren’t you answering your phone? That concerns me. I asked that you be available at all times. That’s the only reason I agreed to this church trip in the first place. You said you would be back Sunday afternoon in time for the lunch with the Lombardos, and I’m holding you to that. Don’t disappoint me, dear.”

My hand was shaking as I closed the voicemail. I needed to call him, but the announcements from the plane would give my location away. I’d told him I was going on a nature retreat just outside of Vegas with my church. He never would have allowed me to travel all the way to Liberty to visit Liv. He didn’t want me partying or getting involved in her lifestyle.

I had to make up this huge story to visit my friends, which sounded ridiculous since I was an adult, but my father controlled all the money. He paid for my schooling, albeit not willingly, and gave me a roof over my head. To plan such an elaborate, out-of-state trip required Liv paying for my flight and hotel even though I had plenty of my own money. I just didn’t have access to it.

I turned off my phone as the flight attendants made the announcement to do so. I stared out the window, wishing I could just stay in Utah forever. Maybe one day I’d find my way back, but for now, I had to finish school and play father’s games until I could stand on my own two feet.

Emilia

FIVE WEEKS LATER

How could I have been so stupid?

I stared at the pregnancy test in my hand. I’d read the directions countless times, hoping I was reading it wrong. But no, it was clear.

I was pregnant.

My chest tightened, and I couldn’t even breathe for a few moments. My head was spinning. I’d had sex one time - once! - and I got pregnant. What were the chances? No, I knew the chances. I just messed up.

Tears welled in my eyes as I remembered the day after Graham and I had slept together. I had briefly thought about getting the morning after pill, but that weekend had been so crazy with the wedding and everything.

There was a knock on the door, interrupting my horror.

“Emilia? We need to talk.”

Crap. My dad. I hurried to dispose of the test, hiding it in some toilet paper. This was exclusively my bathroom, but I still wrapped it up and tucked it into the trash can, covering it with some more toilet paper to hide any trace of the test.

“I’ll be right out,” I called.

I flushed the toilet and went to the sink. I stared at my face. It was clear I’d been crying, and I didn’t want my father to question me. I turned on the cold tap and splashed some icy water on my face, giving it a good scrubbing.

I’d have to tell him about the baby eventually, but I needed some time to think about how I would go about doing that.

Or maybe you don’t have to, a thought flickered in my brain.

No, the only way to do that would be to run away and never look back. I was almost done with school, and once I had my bachelor’s degree, I could apply to graduate schools all over the country and be out of here.

Or could I? I was going to be a mother. What would that mean for my life?

“Emilia,” my dad’s voice called out to me again.

I cringed when I heard the tone. He was losing his