After ten minutes of hiding in the bathroom, Felicity heard footsteps and a click followed by fast chatter on a police radio.

“Ma’am, it’s the police. We’ve entered the premises. Remain in the bathroom until we knock.”

“Okay.” She pressed a hand to her stomach.

It seemed to take years before somebody knocked on the door.

“It’s all clear, ma’am. It’s safe to come out. I’m Officer Winston, and my partner Officer Bowen is standing beside me.”

“Ma’am, the officers are at your location. It’s safe to hang up,” the 911 dispatcher said.

“Thank you,” Felicity breathed and disconnected the call. Then she got to her feet, her knees knocking together as she unlocked the door.

Two uniformed officers stood there, frowning.

“Ms. Hart?” the older one asked. He looked to be in his midforties.

“That’s me.” She stepped out of the bathroom.

“Whoever was here when you arrived is long gone. We need you to file a report and list anything that’s missing.”

She nodded numbly.

“Do you have anyone you can call?” the second officer asked. He was younger, probably in his early thirties. Both of the officers were looking at her in concern. “We were told you’re pregnant,” the younger officer continued. “My wife’s four months pregnant, and if she’d gone through a scare like this, I’d be worried about her being alone.”

“I can call my boyfriend.” She would call Jared and then she would call Layla.

“You should call him and have him come over to help you pack a bag. I would urge you not to stay here tonight. It’s unlikely for burglars to come back, but the dispatcher said you saw him, even though he was masked. It’s still a risk I wouldn’t advise taking.”

“Right…” She dialed Jared’s number and waited, watching the cops move about the apartment doing one last examination.

Jared answered on the fifth ring, sounding frustrated. “Felicity? What’s up? I’m in the middle of something—”

“Jared…” she whispered, her voice cracking again with another unwelcome flood of emotions.

“Honey? What’s wrong?” His tone changed instantly to concern.

“I was robbed. I got home and I came in and there was a man and I walked in on him, and I saw him.” Her heart was still pounding, and she couldn’t stop shaking. It took a second for her to collect herself and continue. “I locked myself in the bathroom. I called 911. The police are here, and they told me I shouldn’t stay here tonight.”

“Fucking hell! Of course you’re not staying there! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just shaken up.” She glanced at the two cops, who were now standing by the door.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Jared hung up.

While she waited for Jared to arrive, Felicity had called Layla and told her everything and assured her that Jared was coming to take care of her. Then she’d filled out the police report and tried to go through room by room to see what was missing. Her secondhand laptop and a tiny TV had been stolen. Other than that, everything was completely destroyed, but nothing else was missing. Broken dishes littered the kitchen floor, and everything in the bathroom was scattered on the tile. She felt numb as she stared at the pieces of her life that lay damaged and broken.

That could have been me lying on the floor…with the baby…

Raw emotions swept through her, leaving her vulnerable and rattled. There was no way she could stay here in this apartment, not after this. For her baby’s sake, she had to move out of here as soon as possible.

She was standing by the bathroom door, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, her eyes darting to the front door. She jolted when Jared burst into the apartment. His hair was mussed as though he’d been clawing his hands through it, and his tie was loosened, his jacket hanging off one arm as though he hadn’t even stopped to put it on before rushing out of his office to come to her.

“Felicity, honey?” His voice was low, harsh, and full of worry.

“Here.” She rushed to him, throwing herself into the safe cocoon of his arms. The floodgates opened, and she was crying. Again. Since when had she become so weak that she cried at the drop of a hat? No, I’m not weak. This is just hormones and stress and trauma.

Jared wrapped his arms tighter around her, pressing his lips against the crown of her hair. “I’m here. You’re safe.” His low murmurs soothed some of the panic. He was warm, strong, and holding her like a sturdy rock, immovable against even the mightiest of storms.

“Sir, we had her complete a report and will get it filed. We advised her to stay somewhere else tonight.”

Felicity didn’t look at the cops as they came over to her and Jared.

“I’ll take her to my place.”

“Good. Try to have a good night,” the older cop said.

“You too,” Jared replied. When the cops left, he pulled away from her enough that she had to look up at him. He cupped her chin.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re safe now.” The way he said it, with his strong arms and tall, muscled body cradling hers, she felt it had to be true.

Safe. She was safe. The baby was safe.

A startling burst of clarity struck her in that moment. She couldn’t wait another minute to tell Jared about the baby. If something had happened to her tonight, he might not have known about the baby until it was too late. She couldn’t keep the truth from him any longer. It was time to tell him and face whatever may come.

“We have to talk,” she said, her voice stronger now that she knew what she had to do.

“Ok—ay.” He drew out the word slowly as though sensing whatever she had to say was important, and that seemed to worry him. “It can wait until we get to my apartment, right?”

She bit her lip and nodded.

“Good. Pack a week’s worth of clothing. I’m not letting you stay here until I feel it’s safe for you to come back.” He released her after one more kiss to her forehead.

Felicity packed clothes and took all the items she was afraid to leave behind, including her sketchbook and the family photo album she’d brought from home. Jared collected the textbooks she needed for the week, and together they left her apartment. Jared whistled for a cab and helped her inside. Even though he was there, she still couldn’t stop the slight shaking of her body. The adrenaline that had spiked when she’d seen the burglar was still pumping through her system. It would probably take a few hours to totally calm down.

Jared’s phone buzzed, and he slipped it out of his coat pocket, cursing. He texted something back and shoved the phone into his pocket.

“Work?” she asked.

“Yeah, they’ll be fine without me for another half hour.”

“I’m sorry you had to leave work,” she said just as the taxi pulled up in front of his apartment.

He shrugged as he climbed out of the cab. “They can be without me for a few hours. I’ll go back once I have you settled.”

Felicity didn’t reply. She couldn’t help but dread what she had to do. By the time they got up to Jared’s apartment, her stomach was doing cartwheels and she was afraid to open her mouth in case she threw up. God, it was too silent in here, so quiet she half expected him to hear the racing thoughts that screamed through her head. She was getting ready to tell him he was going to be a father. Was there any good way to spring this news on a man?

“Is Tanner here?” she asked quietly when Jared set her bags down by his bed.

“No, he and Layla won’t be back for another couple of days.”

Good. She had time to talk to him without any interruptions.

Jared approached her and impulsively pulled her into his arms. “When you called me, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” He kissed her forehead, and then his lips moved down her cheek, then to her mouth.

If I don’t say it now, I’ll never tell him.

Felicity pressed a hand to his chest, separating them.

“Jared…” She lifted her lashes and tilted her head back.

“What is it? Talk to me,” he urged.

“In Colorado, when I fell…” She frowned and paused, struggling for words. “They can’t do X-rays on certain people because of conditions…”

“Okay.” He’d crossed his arms and was watching her intensely, his brows drawn together.

“But I wasn’t conscious, so they couldn’t ask me about those conditions, you see?”

“All right…”

When he continued to stare at her, she could feel the tears ready to spill, but she fought to control them.

“So they did the tests to figure out if I had those conditions in order to do the X-rays.” He still said nothing. What the hell, here it goes… “Jared, they gave me a pregnancy test. I’m pregnant.”

The space between them was covered in a cloak of silence. They stared at one another, and she could see the words were slowly settling in.

“Jared? Are you all right?” She bit her lip, trying to figure out how to get through his shock. “Jared, I’m having a baby. Our baby.” His hands, which had been holding her waist, dropped away and he stepped back, his jaw going slack.

“Pregnant?” He uttered the word roughly. “But…you were on the pill, and we used condoms.” He turned away from her, his hands digging into his hair as he began to pace the floor of his apartment.

“The nurse in Steamboat Springs told me that I might have needed to wait longer to have sex without condoms for the pill to be effective.”

He paused in his pacing, like a jungle cat sensing danger. Every muscle in his body appeared to tense.

“How far along are you?” He stared at her belly and she put one hand over herself.

“A little over eight weeks. We must have…”

“Eight weeks.” He whistled softly. “God, a baby,” he muttered and started pacing again. His face was lined with worry.

What if he didn’t want the baby? Her throat went dry at the thought, but she had made her decision long ago and would raise the child alone if she had to.

“I’m keeping it, Jared. I don’t expect anything from you if you don’t want to—”

“What?” He froze and stared at her, mouth agape. “Of course I want to be a part of this. I just need a minute to adjust.” He stopped pacing and faced her, his eyes heavy with concern and shock. “You’ve known for days,” he muttered.

She flinched at his tone and backed up, giving him space if he needed to pace again.

“I wanted to tell you at the hospital, but it was all too much, and then I didn’t want to ruin the holiday. And then it all made sense—the throwing up because of morning sickness, not bad plane food or altitude. And I just needed to process and think and figure things out…” God, she was rambling. Felicity wrung her hands together.

Jared slowly walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. He poured one glass and glanced her way. “Sorry, princess, but I really need this.” He downed the glass and rubbed his closed eyes with his thumb and forefinger. She collapsed on the couch and wrapped her arms around her chest.

“This whole time you’ve been sick, it was the baby?” He said the word baby carefully, as though hesitant.

“Yes. I didn’t know until the accident, but that’s what it was.”

He stared at the bottle of scotch before he put it away and came toward her. She was rooted to the spot, too afraid that now was the moment he’d decide he didn’t want her or the baby and would tell her to leave. He reached out and cupped her cheek, his thumb caressing her lip. His eyes were fathomless depths that swallowed her whole. Felicity’s body trembled and her spine tingled as she waited for him to speak. He lifted her chin and then very slowly lowered his head. One of his hands touched her lower back, his palm heating her through her thin sweater. His touches were light, easy to escape, yet somehow he made her feel trapped, in a good way that made her belly quiver and her womb clench.

“Are you mad at me?” Felicity whispered. It was the one question she had to ask, even if the possible answer scared the hell out of her. She curled her fingers into his shirt, keeping him close.

Jared stared at her lips, arching one brow as he spoke. “Mad? No. Shocked? Yeah. It knocked me on my ass, but…” He licked his lips, his voice low and husky, the sweet scent of scotch teasing her nose. “I’m scared out of my goddamned mind,” he admitted, and her heart jolted in fear until he spoke again. “But I’m happy, too. So happy, princess.”

At long last, he kissed her. The slow burn of that kiss melted away the icy-cold fears that had been clawing at her for days. The hollow fluttering panic that she might be facing parenthood all alone had been crushing her. Now, at long last, she could breathe. Jared lifted her up by the waist, and she wrapped her legs around his hips. She continued to kiss him as he carried her to the bedroom. He dropped her on her back and climbed over her. When she was caught beneath him on the bed, his hips wedged between her thighs, he gazed down at her.

“A baby,” he whispered.

She bit her bottom lip and nodded.

“The nurse in Colorado emailed me a video of the heartbeat and some pictures. Do you want to see?” Hope fluttered like nervous doves inside her chest.

“You have that?” His eyes widened. “Of course I want to see.” He slid off her body and lay beside her as she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She scrolled through her videos until she saw the heartbeat label and then tapped the screen, handing it to him. They both lay there, her head on his chest while he watched the screen flicker to life.

“That thing fluttering there, that is the heart beating,” she explained. The rapid pulse thumped through the speakers, and it made her own heart race. She lifted her hand, resting her chin on his pectoral muscles so she could see his face.

He was gazing in rapture at the photo screen, and she saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly when the screen went dark.

“Do we know the sex of the baby?” he asked, his voice rough with emotions.

She shook her head. “Too early to tell.”

“God, it’s beautiful,” he said.

Felicity laughed. “I thought it look like a grayscale gummy bear.”

He was silent for a second before bursting out laughing. “Congratulations, princess. You just nicknamed the baby. Gummy bear.” He chuckled to himself.

“You can’t tell me you didn’t think the same thing.”

“All I thought was that it was perfect. Just like its mother.” He set the phone down and rolled her over again, his mouth slanting over hers as he threaded a hand through her hair. She arched her back, but winced from the pain of the skiing injury. It was still a little tender.

He broke the kiss, and she was startled by the fear in his eyes. “You could have been killed tonight. You and the baby. God, Felicity, I don’t know what I would’ve done if anything had happened to you.”

“But I’m fine. We’re fine.” She touched her abdomen, and he covered her hand with his, lacing her fingers through his.

“You’re never going back to that apartment again.” His tone brooked no argument.

“Jared, that’s my place. I have a lease—”

“I’m a fucking lawyer. I can break a lease in a heartbeat,” he growled.

“And just where would I go?” she demanded.

Jared brushed his fingertips along her jaw, impossibly tender, completely at odds with the fiery expression in his eyes. “You’re moving in here tomorrow, first thing in the morning.”

“But that’s not a permanent solution,” she reminded him. “We have to talk about what we’re going to do.”

“What do you mean?” The genuine puzzlement in his face surprised her.

“About us. And the baby.”

His eyes narrowed. “You aren’t going to give it up—”

“No!” she gasped. “It’s ours. I could never give it up or…” She shook her head. “What I meant is what happens in May? I sent off my application to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and I’m waiting to see if they want to interview me.”

She knew the moment when he put two and two together. The hand that had been stroking her cheek stilled.

“You still want to go to California,” he guessed.

“And you still want to stay here,” she guessed. That awful hollow pit was back in her stomach.

“And I want you and the baby.” He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Felicity held her breath and studied the fan of dark lashes on his cheeks until he opened his eyes again.

“We can be smart about this,” he said slowly. “When will you know about the job in Los Angeles?”

“In a few months.”

Jared resumed stroking her arm. “Then let’s not worry about the future until we know that this is what we have to choose from.”

She knew what he meant. It was a real possibility she wouldn’t get the job. Museum curators’ positions were highly sought after. She would be in tough competition against other candidates who had more degrees than she did, like PhDs. And if she didn’t get the job? She guessed she could stay in Chicago, but she’d be slim on job possibilities.

He caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile. “I know how self-sufficient you are, but just know this. I can support you and the baby if you choose to stay here and can’t find work immediately.”

She tensed. The idea of not paying her own way rankled, but he was sweet to offer to support her. She was a firm believer in women standing on their own two feet, but for the sake of the baby, she would be willing to consider his help. It also meant more time with the man she loved, something she had not thought possible even with the baby. She had honestly expected him to freak out more or be upset, but he’d wholeheartedly embraced the idea of being a father.

“The important thing is that you’re here with me, and now you and the baby are safe.” Jared curled his fingers under her chin, lifting it up, and she leaned into his kiss.

I can worry about the rest of this tomorrow.