4. Gage

Chapter 4

Gage

I walk back over to the bar and spot Roxy walking in the front door. From here, she looks like she’s okay and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Just seeing her calms me in a way that I don’t want to question why or how.

I walk in the door behind her unnoticed and she goes straight to the back to put her purse away. I draw closer as I hear her and Cat talking, and I can overhear some of what they’re saying.

“… and are you? Are you pregnant?” Cat asks her.

I come to a stop, nearly tipping over. I stand in the doorway, still unnoticed, and I have my hand on the door frame holding me up.

“I am,” Roxy confirms.

I feel the breath rush from my lungs. Cat squeals in excitement but is cut off when I slam my fist into the door. “Who’s the father?”

Both women stare at me with their mouths hanging open. Cat looks between the two of us, her hand on her softly protruding belly. “I’m going to go out front and start opening up.”

I move to the side and let her pass before going into the room and shutting the door behind me. The terror on Roxy’s face makes me feel awful and I try to calm myself. She’s probably already afraid and confused. She’s so strong, and I know that having a baby is not something Roxy will take lightly. This will weigh on her, it’ll be a lot for her and I’m not letting whatever asshole knocked her up get away with abandoning her. I walk over to her and the closer I get, the more tense she gets. I hold my hands up in front of me and walk over to her. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”

Her body is trembling and she has her arms wrapped around herself. Her face is white and I fear that she’s going to pass out. “Roxy, honey, talk to me. You know I won’t hurt you. Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?”

She releases a long breath, nodding her head. “Yes, yes, please.”

I’m so worried she might collapse I pick her up in my arms before I search for a chair for her to sit in. Her hand lies flat on her stomach and something burns inside me. I can’t believe she’s pregnant. I can’t believe one of my men did this to her. I thought I’d put it out there for no one to mess with her, but obviously someone didn’t listen to me. My arms go tighter around her and I walk toward Ranger’s office. I try to ignore how she feels in my arms. She feels good… and familiar.

“I’m too heavy. I can walk,” she tells me as she struggles to be set down.

But I just shake my head and hold her tighter. “You’re not too heavy. And honey, you look like you’re going to pass out.” I pull the chair out with my foot and set her down easily into it.

I pull another chair up and sit down facing her. I’m close enough to touch her, but I don’t. I can tell she needs her space right now, and whatever she needs I’m going to make sure she gets it. I spot the mini fridge in the corner and open it, pulling out a bottle of water. Uncapping it, I hand it to her and stand over her until she puts the bottle to her mouth.

I’m entranced by her and over time it seems to have gotten worse. When she’s near, I can’t take my eyes off her. When she’s working, I can’t take my eyes off her. And now, the thought of some other man with her makes me want to storm out of here and punch every one of the dumb fucks that would even think of doing this to her.

I want to touch her, I want to hold her and tell her that everything is going to be okay. But Roxy’s tough, and I know she wouldn’t appreciate me babying her. I still reach out and cover her hand that is lying on her knee with mine. A warm feeling spreads across my body and when she looks at me, I can see the hunger in her eyes. I feel like I’ve seen that look before. The feeling of déjà vu hits me but before I can dwell on it, it’s gone. I curl my fingers around hers, not wanting to let her go.

When the color comes back to her face, I tell her in the softest voice I can muster, “I’ll make sure he does right by you.”

Roxy’s strong independent spirit flares so big I can see it in her eyes before she even speaks. She pulls back from me. “You think I need a man to have and raise a baby? Have you met me?”

I can hear the emotional current under her words in her tone of voice and it makes me furious that she’s in the situation she’s in alone.

* * *

Roxy

For a second there, I thought he remembered. I could see something in his face and a part of me was hoping he remembered, but the other part of me was praying he didn’t.

Should I tell him that he’s the father?

I was seriously debating it until he started spewing crap at me. I shouldn’t get so bent out of shape. I know he’s just worried about me. I keep waiting on the look telling me he thinks I’m a slut or something. But it never comes. All I see is worry… and maybe sheer determination.

“What are you going to do? Empty the guy’s pockets and pawn all of his shit to make me a nest egg?” I ask him, fishing for more information from him.

“Nest egg?” he asks incredulously. I can see the heat rising on his face and he gets up and starts pacing the room. “You deserve to have a man stand up and take full responsibility for what he’s done. I’ll make sure the guy gives that baby his last name.”

Baffled, I snort as I start to laugh. “A shotgun wedding? Are you serious right now? No. No way.” I get up from my chair and turn away from Gage, finished with the conversation. I’m hurting and deeply disappointed, and the pain in my chest feels like my heart is breaking in two. I hate that Gage said what he said. It means I can’t tell him about the baby. At least not yet.

I know as soon as I do, he’s going to try to force me to marry him. And if I was ever in a serious relationship with him, I’d want it to be because he wanted to be with me and loved me, not just be a father to our baby.

Our baby. I rub my hand down my stomach. God, I know I should tell Gage. But I can’t. Not now.

“I have to go to work,” I tell him over my shoulder and start to walk out.

I pause when he calls my name. I can’t even look at him, afraid I’ll give it all away.

“We need to talk about this,” he says.

“No. We don’t,” I say before leaving him and walking out to the bar. It’s already starting to get busy and for the first time I’m thankful. I need it to take my mind off it.