“Who is this guy?” I asked, my mind spinning.

He studied me, almost as if gauging whether or not he should tell me. After a protracted pause, he said, “His name is Damian Mills and, if I’m not mistaken, he grew up next door to you when you lived in Fayetteville.”

My jaw dropped, not expecting to hear that name. “They think I have something to do with his disappearance?” I asked, confused about why they would follow me and put a tracker on my car.

“They do not believe you’re responsible. Apparently, they were two of the agents who had arrested Mr. Mills nearly a decade ago when he hacked into the FBI computer system trying to find the location of one Serafina Galloway.”

“He was arrested?” Despite my shock at that news, my heart warmed a bit with the knowledge Damian had never forgotten about our friendship, just as I never did.

“It appears so. I’ve looked into his story and it all checks out. Mr. Mills was given a choice. He could either go to prison or work for the FBI. He chose the latter and has been there for almost a decade. Agent Evers said he and Damian had grown close over the years. He talked about you, your childhood, stuff like that. Then, just a day before he took his mysterious leave of absence, Damian made Evers promise to do everything he could to find you and keep an eye on you if anything ever happened to him. I checked the timeline and this coincides to around the time Mr. Montgomery was named as the man behind all those murders. After months went by, Evers couldn’t help but think something is wrong, especially with Damian’s mother’s recent death.”

I absorbed his story. “So they weren’t tracking my car to get to my father.”

“No, ma’am. They were tracking you to keep an eye on you, as Evers promised Damian he would.”

I nodded.

“But I’ve assured him I have that under control. He won’t be bothering you anymore.”

I couldn’t help but feel slightly deflated at the thought. Agent Evers knew Damian, had worked with him. He may have been the only link I had to him. I wished I had confronted this agent myself. Maybe he would have told me what he was doing and I could ask all the questions I had about the person Damian had grown up to be.

“I’m sorry, Miss Delano. Even though I checked out his story, it’s still too risky to have him tailing you. You understand that, right? I’ve been tasked with your safety, and it’s a job I take very seriously. My decisions may be extreme, but I’d rather be safe than sorry…at least until we can neutralize the threat to you.”

“Fine,” I hissed, feeling as if Wyatt was trying to decide what was best for me without my input. It was like dealing with my father all over again. How many more people would I have to convince I didn’t need them to decide what was best for me?

I spun around and jumped into the SUV, trying to focus on my upcoming doctor’s appointment instead of the idea that Damian could be in trouble.

~~~~~~~~~~

WHITE WALLS SURROUNDED ME as I surveyed the waiting room, children running around playing or fighting with each other. I felt bad for their mothers, who were trying to wrangle not only the infant in their arms, but two or three older kids, as well. By the look of things, some of these women barely gave their uteruses a break between popping out kids. And this was what women wanted? I didn’t get it. I guess I never had that maternal instinct. I never saw myself wanting children, but here I was, forced into a situation I never expected.

My eyes shifted to the far corner and I spied a woman with beautiful red hair who couldn’t have been much older than I. I was captivated, watching her cradle a newborn swaddled in a blue blanket, rocking him gently. Something about it spoke to me in a way the other puking, screaming, mauling rugrats running carelessly around the waiting room didn’t. I saw something strange between the mother and child. I saw a bond. It wasn’t just one-way, either. The baby was no more than a month old, but was staring into his mother’s eyes as she hummed a song, swaying him.

I placed my hand over my own stomach, excited and nervous about meeting the little person growing inside me. Regardless of this baby’s connection to what I still considered to be one of my biggest mistakes, I wanted that same bond with my baby and my heart warmed.

“Mackenzie?” a sweet voice called. I tore my eyes from the young mother and saw a woman dressed in scrubs standing in the doorway leading to the exam rooms. “We’re ready for you.”

I raised myself from the chair, wondering how much longer it would be until that became difficult, and made my way across the waiting area, dodging toys that had been left on the floor. The nurse gave me a comforting smile as I approached her, but I knew what she was thinking. The first few appointments, they had asked if my husband was going to join me. They stopped asking at my last appointment. Part of me was happy I no longer had to answer that question. The other part of me felt pathetic, stupid…and ashamed.

I went through the usual routine of getting weighed, giving them a urine sample, and having an ultrasound. Every time I looked at that machine, I didn’t see my baby. I saw overdue bills. I saw sleepless nights. I saw my world falling apart around me. I knew it was only a matter of time until the bottom dropped.

“Do you want to know the gender?” the ultrasound technician asked enthusiastically, cutting through my growing unease. I snapped my head to her and looked into her vibrant brown eyes. “You’re eighteen weeks along, so I can tell you the gender with certainty.”

Tearing my eyes from her warm face to the screen, the sound of the little heartbeat echoing in the room, I nodded. “Yes.”

She smiled at me. “Congratulations, Mama. It’s a boy.”

I sighed, letting out a breath. “Brayden will be happy. He’s been convinced it’s a boy.”

“Is that your husband?” she asked, pressing a few buttons on the machine and producing yet another printout to add to my collection.

Shaking my head, I swallowed hard. “No. He’s just a friend.”

After being assured my baby was developing well and my health was on track, despite their concerns that I hadn’t gained as much weight as they would have liked to see, I grabbed my things and proceeded to the desk.

“How can I help you?” the girl asked when she saw me approach.

“I was wondering if you offer any sort of payment plan for my bills. I know I’m overdue on a bunch of them and I wanted to see if there was a way to pay over time. My name’s Mackenzie Delano.”

Nodding, she turned to her computer, typing feverishly. She stared at the screen and scrunched her eyebrows. My heart sank in my chest, worried the amount was so much, it wouldn’t make a difference anyway.

“You did say Mackenzie Delano, correct?” she asked, turning to me.

“Yes…,” I answered cautiously.

“I’m sorry. I don’t understand. What exactly do you need to work out?”

“My bill. I have an unpaid balance from my last several appointments. It’s at least a few thousand dollars from all the ultrasounds and the testing. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but I can’t pay it all at once. I–”

“You’re not showing any unpaid balance, dear,” the woman said, interrupting me. “It’s showing your bill was just paid on Saturday. There’s a note to send a copy of all future bills to a Colleen Burnham in Massachusetts. She has asked to be listed as the guarantor of any and all medical bills.”

Confused, moved, and relieved, my mouth fell open. I wanted to pinch myself to make sure this wasn’t just a dream. Covering my mouth, I let out a small sob, elated.

“Is that your mother?” the woman asked, a genuine smile on her face.

“No. My baby’s grandmother,” I replied, placing my hand on my stomach.