Chapter Six
When his brother had said that Shiloh was struggling, Drake hadn’t understood exactly what that meant. Looking at the rusted-out trailer she called home, which matched her rusted car perfectly, he got a sick feeling in his stomach. The cement steps were cracked and the door looked so flimsy a stiff wind would blow it down. The trailer park she’d decided to inhabit was filled with junkies and prostitutes. He might not know Shiloh very well, but he did know that she didn’t belong here. The prickly woman wasn’t about to accept a handout, though, so he didn’t have the first clue how to rectify the situation.
He gathered the things out of her backseat and carried them inside for her. The furniture inside was definitely secondhand, but the place looked clean. Or as clean as it could get. The walls were dark and the carpet was stained, but he could smell whatever cleanser she’d used during her last cleaning spree. A small window unit hummed in the living room, making the room comfortable enough. Pretty soon she wouldn’t need one, but he wasn’t sure how great the heating unit would be in a place this broken down.
Shiloh motioned for him to follow her down the short hall and she stopped at the first door, pushing it open. The room was a sunny yellow and only held a crib and changing table. This was where she intended for their child to stay? There were no pictures on the walls, no stuffed toys around the room, no rocking chair for her to sit in. It seemed so barren, so sad despite the cheery color. The blinds in the window were torn in places and there weren’t any curtains. Seeing how dire her situation was made things more real for him.
“Where do you want this stuff?” he asked.
“You can just put it on the changing table for now. I’ll organize it later.”
Drake set everything down and surveyed the room again. Just how mad would she be if he took matters into his own hands? If she insisted on living in this place, he could at least make sure his son or daughter had a nice room. It was part of his fatherly duty, wasn’t it? Would Shiloh see it that way, though?
“I’m just going to run to the bathroom,” Shiloh said. “Make yourself comfortable, or if you have to leave, I’ll lock up when I’m done.”
She hurried out of the room and he took the opportunity to explore. There was only one other room. Her bedroom. The box springs and mattress were lying on the floor. A dresser missing two drawers took up a small part of one wall. She had a worn-out pair of tennis shoes on the floor at the foot of her bed and the open closet only showed a handful of knit dresses inside. The woman needed help in the worst way, but he had no doubt she’d tell him to fuck off if he offered any.
Before she came back from the bathroom, he hurried into the living room and sat down. The sofa creaked under his weight and he’d have sworn there was a spring poking him in the ass. The longer he was in this place, the more he wanted to scoop her up and carry her off to safety. He’d been raised to respect women, and as archaic as it might sound, he’d been brought up to protect them. Shiloh didn’t seem like the type of woman who wanted protection though.
There was a pallor to her face as she sank onto the sofa next to him. She kicked off her shoes and winced as she curled her toes. He didn’t know a damn thing about women’s shoes, but they didn’t look very comfortable. Even his boots had more padding than her flats did. How in the hell was he supposed to get an independent woman to let him help her?
“Have you thought of any names for the baby?” he asked.
Shiloh shook her head. “I decided to wait until I know what I’m having.”
“You said you work for Latimer Construction. Why did you stop working for my brother?”
“Dallas fired me when he found out I was pregnant. He said I couldn’t work around the smoke anymore. It took me a little bit, but I found a job at the construction company. I just answer phones and handle the filing. It’s nice to not be on my feet all the time, but I made more in tips than I do working for Latimer Construction.”
Drake frowned. “I know we don’t know each other, but that’s my kid in there, so if you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“Let me start over.” He held a hand out to her. “I want to get to know you, Shiloh. Will you please let me take you out to dinner tonight? We can go anywhere you’d like. Or if you don’t want to go to dinner, then maybe a movie. Or both.”
She smiled a little. “You want to take me to dinner and a movie? What is this, a date?”
“What if it was?”
Her smile faltered a little. “Why would you want to take me on a date?”
“Because I want to get to know you. I think it’s no secret I think you’re beautiful and sexy as hell, but I want to learn more about you. Dallas has talked about you some, but I want firsthand knowledge. We’re having a kid together and I think it’s important that we form some sort of relationship.”
Her shoulders relaxed. “Right. Because you’ll be visiting with the baby and we don’t want things to be awkward between us.”
Visiting? It didn’t feel right that he had to visit his own kid. They’d really fucked up, but Drake knew he’d do whatever it took to make things right. If she only wanted to give him rotating weekends and some days during the week, then he’d accept it. One way or another, he was going to be part of his kid’s life. It was going to suck, but they hadn’t exactly started things off in a traditional way.
She chewed on her lower lip and he could tell she was thinking hard about it.
“I promise I’m not a bad guy.”
“It isn’t that. It’s just that I like to put on my pajamas on my days off. My clothes are getting snug, except my dresses, but my flats aren’t all that comfortable.”
He’d figured the shoes were killing her.
“Then why don’t we do this instead. You go get your pajamas and anything else you need to get comfortable, and I’ll take you back to my place. We can order in or I’ll go pick something up and we can stream movies all night. Whenever you’re ready to go home, I’ll bring you back here, or you can crash at my place.”
Her brow furrowed. “Isn’t your brother going to be there?”
“He has plans with Rebecca and said he wouldn’t be home until late, if at all.”
“Where would I stay if I didn’t come home?” she asked.
“You can take my bed. I’ll crash on the couch.”
He could tell she was really thinking about it, and he hoped she’d say yes. Considering they’d already slept together, he didn’t think they were moving too fast. It wasn’t like he was asking to share the bed with her. He’d sleep better knowing someone was around if she needed help. If something happened to her in this trailer, no one would ever know. Hell, the junkies would probably take advantage of the situation, except she didn’t seem to have anything worth stealing.
“What if I decide I want to come home?” she asked.
“Then I’ll bring you home, no matter what time it is. I want the chance to get to know you, Shiloh, but I’m not going to make you do something you don’t want to do.”
“All right. I’ll go get my things together.”
She stood and walked to the kitchen only to return a moment later with a plastic sack from the grocery store. Did she not even own a tote bag for her things? He’d thought women always had tons of bags and purses. It seemed everything he knew about women he’d have to throw out the window, because none of it fit Shiloh. She was a puzzle and he was determined to figure her out.
When she came back a few minutes later, he escorted her out to his truck and breathed a sigh of relief as he put her trailer in the rearview mirror. How in the hell had Dallas not pushed harder for her to move into the apartment over the bar? With Drake gone and Dallas spending so much time at Rebecca’s, it wouldn’t have been a hardship for her to be there. Maybe she’d like being at the apartment so much she’d decide to stay.
He pulled into a space at the bar closest to the stairs. Drake wanted to curl his arm around her waist and help her up the stairs, but he wasn’t sure his touch would be welcome. He watched her like a hawk until she reached the top. After unlocking the door, he pushed it open and motioned for her to enter first. The lights were already on and the last rays of the day’s sunlight drifted through the windows. He was glad he’d taken a moment that morning to pick up a bit. If he’d known that Shiloh was coming over, he’d have put in a little extra effort.
He held out his hand. “If you’ll give me your stuff, I’ll stick it in my room.”
“Would you mind if I took a shower and changed into my pajamas? I know it’s still a little early, but…” Her cheeks flushed.
“You don’t need to be embarrassed.”
“It’s just my body is already going through some changes from the pregnancy and my bra is cutting into me. I’m a bit more top heavy than I was before, and from what I’ve read, it’s only going to get worse.”
He couldn’t help it. His gaze dropped to the breasts in question. Yep, those were definitely larger than he remembered. And fuck if he didn’t want to reach out and touch them. It hadn’t been lost on him that the last woman he was with was standing right in front of him. Even though he’d been home for several days, and had been hit on multiple times at the bar, he hadn’t been the slightest bit tempted. The memory of Shiloh had kept him company at night in Afghanistan, and even now she starred in his fantasies.
“Eyes up here,” Shiloh said, pointing to her face.
He smiled a little. “Sorry. For what it’s worth, those are rather spectacular even if your bra doesn’t fit anymore.”
Shiloh shook her head, took her sack from him, and went to the bathroom. He heard the door shut and the lock click. Now he knew where he stood. At ground zero. If he wanted to convince the mother of his child to give him a chance, he was going to have to work hard. He had no idea what to feed a pregnant woman, but he wanted something nicer than pizza or Chinese. Those were the only two options for delivery, unless he could convince someone to pick it up for him.
He shot off a text to Dallas.
Drake: What does Shiloh like to eat?
Dallas: Anything. Seriously.
Drake: If I place an order with The Roadhouse, will you pick it up for me?
Dallas: Why can’t you get it yourself?
Drake: At the apartment with Shiloh. Don’t want to leave her.
Dallas: I’ll head to The Roadhouse in twenty.
Drake smiled and pulled up the number for his favorite steak place. He hoped Shiloh wouldn’t be pissed that he ordered without her input, but judging by her car and home, he doubted she had many opportunities for steak and lobster. He was going to spoil her, as much as she would allow. And maybe somewhere along the way, she’d realize he wasn’t such a bad guy. If they were going to raise a child together, they needed to get along. But more than that, he wanted an active role in his son’s or daughter’s life. As in an everyday kind of role. Bleeding all over the sand in Afghanistan, he’d had a moment of clarity. Whatever it took, he was going to show Shiloh just how great they could be together.
He placed their order and paid over the phone. The shower was still running in the bathroom, but he wasn’t going to worry just yet. He had no idea what type of movies she liked to watch, but out of the thousands available he was sure that she would find something. He turned on the TV and Blu-ray, and then signed into his Netflix account. If she couldn’t find anything there, he’d buy something from Vudu. One way or another, he was going to keep her entertained tonight. Shouldn’t be too hard since the only TV he’d seen in her trailer looked like it only had basic cable.
When Dallas dropped off the food and the shower was still running, Drake decided he’d better check on Shiloh. He knocked, but she didn’t answer. Twisting the knob, he remembered it was locked.
“Shiloh, are you okay in there?”
No answer.
He knocked really loud in case she hadn’t heard him.
“Shiloh?”
The silence bothered him and he gripped the knob tight, twisting it with such force the lock busted and the door pushed open. His heart hammered in his chest as he slowly opened the curtain, giving her time to scream at him to get out. The breath was knocked from his lungs when he saw her lying in the bottom of the tub. Shutting off the water, he pulled her into his arms and wiped the wet strands of hair back from her face.
“Shiloh? Honey, wake up.”
Her face was pale and he checked for a pulse. He found it easily, but he was too rattled to know if it was too fast or too slow. He wrapped a towel around her and carried her to his room, lying her on the bed. Trying to rouse her one more time, he reached for his cell phone. He spoke quickly with the 9-1-1 operator and stayed on the line as she routed an ambulance to him, only leaving Shiloh long enough to open the apartment door.
He stayed by her side until the paramedics arrived and they motioned him out of the way. He watched as they checked her vital signs. Shiloh began to rouse and looked around the room in confusion. When she sat up, her towel dropped to her waist and Drake had to fight the urge to cover her. The paramedics never once looked at her tempting breasts, but it didn’t stop his inner caveman from roaring to life.
“What happened?” she asked.
“You passed out in the shower,” Drake said.
“I did?” Her brow furrowed.
“Have you had any dizzy spells?” one the paramedics asked. “Any fainting besides tonight?”
“I’ve been dizzy off and on for about a week, but I’ve never fainted before now.”
“Your blood pressure is a little low. Do you have a regular doctor?” the second paramedic asked.
“Not yet. I was waiting on my insurance card to arrive. I’ve been to the free clinic though. They said everything was fine with the pregnancy.”
“You’re pregnant?” the first paramedic asked.
She nodded.
“You should probably ride with us to the hospital so a doctor can check you over and discuss your options.”
“I’ll be fine,” she told him. “I want to stay here.”
The paramedics shared a look.
“If she stays here, what signs should I look for?” Drake asked. “I can keep an eye on her.”
“If she gets dizzy again, make sure she sits. She may experience some nausea as well. If she’s dizzy when sitting or lying down, get her to roll onto her left side. If she experiences a headache, shortness of breath, or starts vomiting, you need to get her to the ER.” The paramedic packed up his stuff. “And you can always call us again, but if I come back out here, I won’t take no for answer and will take her to the hospital. Dizziness is fairly common in the first and second trimester, but fainting can be dangerous.”
“I’ll take care of her,” Drake promised.
The paramedics left and Drake locked up behind them. When he returned to the bedroom, Shiloh had her back to him as she pulled her pajama top over her head. She’d already pulled on a pair of tiny shorts that hugged her ass in the most tantalizing way. Drake backed out of the room to give her some privacy and decided to set up their food in the living room. Maybe food would make her feel better, even if it wasn’t quite as hot anymore.
If nothing else, good food and a good movie would be relaxing for her. Hell, for both of them. His heart was still trying to beat out of his chest. During times of combat he’d been cool and collected. But the moment he found his baby-momma passed out, he freaked the fuck out.
Pussy.
****
Shiloh couldn’t believe she’d actually passed out in the shower. She remembered feeling dizzy and then feeling a little faint, but then she didn’t remember anything until she woke in Drake’s bedroom. It was scary and she was a little worried. If it had happened at her place, no one would have known she needed help. She may have eventually woken on her own, but what if she hadn’t? Until now, she’d not been concerned with what might happen if she got hurt, but her visit from the paramedics made her realize that she was jeopardizing the safety of her baby by being so damn stubborn. Rebecca had offered to let her stay at her place, and Dallas had offered to let her stay at the apartment. She’d turned them both down, and now she felt stupid.
When she stepped into the living room, the smell of dinner had her stomach rumbling. Drake was setting their plates and two bottles of water down on the coffee table. She felt a little shaky as she sank onto the sofa. Both plates contained the same meal: steak, baked potato, lobster tail, and a side salad. One steak looked bigger than the other and she assumed the smaller one was hers. Not that she would be able to eat everything on her plate. He must have thought she was carrying triplets.
“You can go ahead and start eating,” he said. “You have to be starving.”
“I can wait for you.”
He shook his head. “I’m just going to scroll through the new releases and see if anything looks good. We can watch whatever you want.”
It had been so long since Shiloh had watched TV that she didn’t much care what they watched. She didn’t even own a DVD player, and going to the movie theater was out of the question. She was barely scraping by so extras were out of the question.
She took a few hesitant bites of her food and the flavors exploded on her tongue. It had been a long time since she’d had steak and she’d never tried lobster before. Everything was mouthwatering good and before the movie had even started, she was nearly halfway finished with her food. The opening credits started on a romantic comedy she’d wanted to see for a while and she smiled. It seemed Drake knew her better than she’d thought.
After she finished her food, she curled into the corner of the sofa and propped her head on a throw pillow. Drake reached for her, pulling her feet across his lap and he dug into the arches of her feet, giving her the best foot massage she’d ever had. She struggled to stay awake long enough to finish watching the movie, but she didn’t quite make it. There was a shift and she felt herself being lifted.
Shiloh opened her eyes. “I can walk.”
Drake smiled. “I’ve got you. Just rest.”
She snuggled into him, breathing in his spicy scent. Drake gently laid her on his bed and she blinked up at him sleepily. When he turned to leave, she reached out and grabbed his hand.
“Don’t leave.”
He hesitantly sat on the edge of the bed. “I’m not quite sure what you’re asking of me, Shiloh.”
“I don’t want to be alone. Could you sleep in here tonight?”
He smoothed her hair back from her face. “Let me clean up the living room and I’ll come back and lie down with you for as long as you want. Okay?”
She nodded and closed her eyes again.