Chapter Four
Shiloh’s hands clenched into fists, and her teeth nearly ground to dust as she read the email from Drake Edwards. How that vile man could possibly be related to Dallas, she’d never understand. They couldn’t possibly be more different. When she’d named Drake as the father of her baby, Dallas hadn’t hesitated to take her word for it and give her his support. Her baby-daddy, however, was an asshole who needed his ass kicked. If he thought she’d accept a penny of his money, he’d better think again. For all she cared, he could roast in hell after that email.
A paternity test, indeed.
She finished dressing for work before shooting off a text to Dallas.
Shiloh: Your brother is an asshole.
Dallas: I won’t argue. I heard about the email.
Shiloh: I’m never speaking to him again.
She jammed her phone into her purse, grabbed her keys, and stormed out the door, letting it slam shut behind her. After five attempts to crank her car engine, she was finally on her way to work, a thick cloud of smoke trailing after her. She might have a POS car, and her trailer might be just as shitty, but at least she was standing on her own two feet. Not once did she ask Drake Edwards for a handout, and she sure as fuck wouldn’t now. This baby was her responsibility. She’d raise it on her own and to hell with Drake Edwards.
By the time Shiloh reached the construction site, she no longer had a death grip on the steering wheel, and her temper had cooled a little. She slammed her car door and cursed as it bounced back open. Her ballet flats were the only thing keeping her from kicking the shit out of her car.
Mr. Latimer leaned against a tree and shook his head. “I think you need a new car.”
“Cars take money,” she said as she approached him. “I hope I’m not late. It’s been a rough morning.”
“I’m surprised you made it at all, driving that death trap. You know, part of your job will be running some errands for me, or rather, for the office. How can I in good conscience send you around town in that thing?” he asked.
“It gets me where I need to go.”
He eyed her car again before motioning for her to follow him into the trailer they called an office. She was surprised to see a laptop, a stapler, and a cup of pens on the desk she as to call her own. It had been completely bare when she’d last seen it. Her computer skills weren’t all that great, but hopefully, she could manage any tasks he gave her. The laptop was shiny and obviously brand new.
“I set up the laptop for you this morning. Your login information is on a sticky note on the screen. There are legal pads in your desk drawer, and the supplies are stored in the hall closet if you need anything else. For the morning, why don’t you just familiarize yourself with your new computer and answer any incoming calls? I’ll have some other stuff for you to do after lunch.”
She nibbled her lower lip. “You don’t have to go easy on me.”
“You’re pregnant, Shiloh. This business can be fast paced, and I don’t want to stress you out on your first day. We can ease into things until you get up to speed. Are there any upcoming doctor appointments I need to know about?”
“No. I mean, I went to the free clinic for an official pregnancy test, and they gave me a prescription for prenatal vitamins, but I don’t have a regular doctor I’m seeing.”
He frowned. “That can’t be good for the baby.”
Shiloh folded her arms over her chest. “No offense, Mr. Latimer…”
“Charlie,” he interrupted her. “We agreed you’d call me Charlie.”
“Charlie.” She sighed. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m healthy, and the baby is fine. You didn’t mention anything about insurance, so I’m assuming there isn’t any. If I think something is wrong, I’ll go back to the free clinic.”
“I’m sorry, Shiloh. I wasn’t even thinking about insurance. There’s a ninety-day waiting period usually, but given your condition, I think we’d better waive that.”
She shook her head. “You’re going to treat me the same as your other employees. If I need to see a doctor before the ninety days are up, I’ll go to the clinic. Now, I think it’s best if I get to work. And if there are errands that need to be run, I’m more than capable of going. My car may not be the prettiest thing in the parking lot, but like I said, it gets me where I need to go.”
He muttered something under his breath as he went down the hall to his office.
Shiloh blew out a breath before storing her purse in an empty drawer of her new desk and taking a seat. Having a disagreement with her new boss hadn’t been on the list of things to do this morning, but she hoped he understood that she wasn’t a charity case. She’d never been afraid of hard work, and she wasn’t going to start accepting handouts now. Her pregnancy complicated things a bit, but she was more than capable of taking care of herself and her child.
Although, the thought of all the baby things she would need terrified her. She’d done a little online shopping, or rather, online browsing, and it was crazy how expensive a bed and changing table were. And diapers! She was going to go broke just keeping the kid in diapers. From the little research she’d done online, she knew a lot of expectant moms had baby showers to get a lot of what they needed, but Shiloh was still relatively new to town, and her only friends were Dallas and Rebecca. It wasn’t likely anyone else would show up if she had one.
The morning dragged by as she answered the few calls that came through, and she played with her new laptop. She probably wasn’t supposed to use it for personal things, but she checked her email just to see if Sergeant Asshole had sent anything else. The only message in her inbox was from Rebecca with a flyer attached for a local church who helped expectant mothers. Shiloh had never been the religious type and figured it wasn’t likely they’d help a sinner like her. The last time she’d set foot in a church had been for a cousin’s funeral ten years ago.
Shiloh deleted the email before logging out. Her stomach rumbled, and she saw it was close to lunchtime. She hadn’t discussed her lunch break with Charlie, and her dumb ass hadn’t thought to pack one. All that food at home and she’d been so rattled this morning she hadn’t even thought to grab a sandwich. She had an hour for lunch, so she could hurry home and get a bite to eat.
She stood and stretched before going down the hall and tapping on Charlie’s open door.
“I hate to interrupt, but is it okay if I go to lunch?” she asked.
“Of course. I’m sorry, Shiloh. I should have told you that you can take lunch whenever you like. There are instructions in the desk for turning the voicemail on while you’re gone, and instructions on how to check it when you get back. You never have to ask permission to go to lunch.”
“I’m just going to run home and get something, but I’ll be back before my hour is up.”
He tipped his head. “Would you rather eat out? I wouldn’t mind some company, and I was about to head over to the Blue Plate Diner. Lunch is on me. Consider it a Welcome to Latimer Construction-type of lunch.”
“Oh, no. You’ve already done enough for me.”
He waved away her concern. “I’d like a chance to get to know my new employee a little better. What do you say?”
She reluctantly agreed.
They took Charlie’s truck to the diner and grabbed a seat by the window. Shiloh’s stomach rumbled as she looked at the menu and her cheeks flushed. Charlie encouraged her to order whatever she wanted, even dessert. She felt a little awkward letting him pay for her meal, but she definitely couldn’t afford to eat out until her first paycheck. And even then, she’d need it for rent.
“So, what brought you to our sleepy little town?” Charlie asked.
“My ex-boyfriend convinced me to move across country with him, and we made a pit stop along the way. He said he was going out to the truck for a moment, and the next thing I knew, I’d been stranded at the bar. Dallas gave me a place to sleep that first night and Rebecca let me crash on her couch until I could save enough for my own place.”
“I saw on your application you’re living at the trailer park across town.” He toyed with the salt shaker. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that isn’t a safe place for a single woman, much less an expectant mother.”
“It’s what I can afford for now. Besides, it keeps me dry in the rain, which is more than I can say for some of the places I’ve lived in before.” She smiled. “I appreciate your concern, but I promise I’m fine.”
“I’m not trying to pry. I’m going to tell you a story that you’re bound to hear sooner or later anyway. When I was in college, my younger sister, a high school senior at the time, got pregnant. Her boyfriend refused to take responsibility, and my dad threw her out of the house. Shelly went down a spiral that no one could save her from, and I watched as she slowly destroyed herself and her child. I just don’t want to see the same thing happen to you. Not once have you mentioned the father, so I’m assuming he’s not in the picture.”
She shook her head.
“Shelly is gone, and so is my nephew. I kept the things I found in the trailer where she was living. Not the same place where you live now, but a little further down the road. I’d like you to consider accepting the baby bed for your child. It’s nothing fancy, and you’ll need a mattress and bedding, but I think she would have wanted you to have it. It’s just collecting dust in my attic right now.”
“Charlie, I appreciate the offer, but I couldn’t take something that means so much to you.”
“Just think about it. I’d rather you get some use out of it than have it rot away up there. My wife can’t have kids, so my family is never going to use it.”
Shiloh nodded and hoped he wouldn’t bring it up again. It was one thing to accept a job from him, but she didn’t want to accept anything else. Even though he was obviously married, she wasn’t taking a chance that he might think she owed him in some way. It wouldn’t be the first time someone had wanted sexual favors for helping her out, and she doubted it would be the last.
The rest of lunch went smoothly, and when she got back to the office, he handed her a stack of papers and showed her how to create files for the new job bids, and where to file the papers for the current job. The afternoon flew by and before long it was time to head home for the night. She poked her head into his office to let him know she was going, and then she crossed her fingers that her stupid car would start.
By the time she got home, her back ached and her feet were screaming from the uncomfortable cheap shoes. She’d gotten them at a thrift store, but even new they probably hadn’t cost more than ten dollars. The soles were in good shape, but there was absolutely no padding inside of them, and they’d pinched her toes. At least she got to sit for most of her job. Maybe she could kick off her shoes under her desk tomorrow, and no one would notice.
Shiloh locked the door and went to her room to strip down. She filled the tub with warm water—since it was that or ice cold water—and added some bubbles. When it was full, she shut off the taps and sank into the lilac-scented warmth. The water only lapped at her ribs and almost her entire upper body was exposed, but she couldn’t be picky. Shiloh relaxed in the tub until her fingers and toes started to prune. She slid down until her hair was submerged in the water and she shampooed it before getting out.
She’d thawed a package of chicken to eat over the next few days and cooked the three breasts with a package of Lipton rice. After she had fixed her plate, she stored the leftovers in the fridge to have for dinner over the next two nights. Or maybe she’d carry some of it to work tomorrow for lunch. She’d seen a microwave and fridge in the breakroom. Even though Charlie hadn’t said she could use them, she assumed it would be all right.
When she was finished, she cleaned up and grabbed a worn paperback to read until bedtime. She refused to check her email again and wondered if she’d made a big mistake telling Drake about the baby. Dallas had seemed so sure that his brother would want to know, but his response had been so angry and accusatory. He’d treated her like trash and basically called her a whore. Was that really the kind of man she wanted around her child?
He may have donated the DNA to make her baby, but she’d be damned if she’d let him anywhere near her child.
****
Drake read his brother’s email and wondered if he’d made a mistake. Dallas seemed certain that Shiloh was telling the truth, and she even had Rebecca’s support. But his brother had a soft spot for a damsel in distress, so Drake wasn’t certain he could trust his brother on this one. Then again, if the woman really was the mother of his child, he’d treated her horribly. Dallas didn’t seem to think she’d take the paternity test, not because she was lying but because she was hurt Drake had even asked for one.
He’d never had a pregnancy scare before and wasn’t sure how to handle it, especially from so far away. There wasn’t much he could do in the middle of the desert. Even if he believed her, it wasn’t like he could marry her so she’d have access to his benefits. That would require him to be stateside, and that wasn’t happening anytime soon. Besides, just because she was carrying his kid didn’t mean he had to do something crazy like run off to Vegas with the woman.
Drake closed out his email and went to join his men. He shouldn’t have even stopped to check right before going on a mission, but he’d been curious if Shiloh had messaged him back. Even if Dallas hadn’t told him that the woman was upset, her silence would have spoken volumes. He shook the thoughts from his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. An insurgent camp had been located not too far away, and they were being sent to wipe the fuckers out.
He climbed into a Humvee with three of his men and the convoy started the trek through the desert. When they neared their destination, they stopped, hopefully far enough away not to be detected. Jake climbed out of the vehicle and motioned for the men to follow him up the hill. They crouched low and belly-crawled their way to the top. Drake peered through his scope and tried to get a read on the situation.
He counted at least twenty men but knew there had to be more hiding in the tents. It would be fairly even odds, depending on how many were hiding. They’d already discussed the plan of attack at base camp and every soldier knew what was expected of them. Drake gave the signal, and they descended into the camp. The grip on his rifle tightened as their presence was detected. Gunfire rang out, and men on both sides dropped to the sand, their blood tainting the desert.
Drake took down several insurgents as he moved through the camp, looking for the leader. As he approached a tent, a kid not more than fifteen ran out. Drake froze for a second, but it was a second too long. The kid raised his weapon and fired.
Pain exploded through Drake’s body as he fell to his knees in the sand. The world spun as his vision dimmed and he collapsed face first. The shouts of the men around him echoed in his ears as he fought to remain conscious. As everything faded to black, the only thing he could think was that he’d never get to know his kid. A woman’s face danced behind his closed eyelids. The mother of his supposed child. At that moment, he didn’t care much if the kid was really his. If he didn’t die in this godforsaken place, he was going to do right by her.
Please, God. If you can hear me, let me make it home.