Page 18 of Need You To Choose Me

Shit, get a grip, dude. You’re in a classroom full of children, for fuck’s sake.

“We have to talk.”

Her fingers grip her arms so tight her knuckles turn white, but her voice is steady as she says, “If there is anything you want to discuss you can ask for a parent-teacher conference.”

I open my mouth to protest, but she stops me. “I have a class to get to. And please, try not to be late next time, Mr. Walker.”

Class, right.

I move closer. Her eyes widen, but she doesn’t back away.

“This isn’t done,Miss Parker. Not in the least,” I whisper so only she can hear me, my voice saccharine sweet. “We’ll continue this conversation later.” My eyes skim over her body one last time, pausing on her stomach before I meet her gaze. “It seems we havea lot to discuss.”

Her throat bobs as she swallows, but she doesn’t try to deny it.

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Waving at Levi, I turn on my heels and get the hell out.

With each step I take, one thought keeps echoing in my mind.

Blondie—my Blondie—is here.

And she is pregnant.

How the fuck did that happen?

The old-fashioned way, that’s how.

I try to remember that night. Did we use protection? I thought we did, but then again, her current state would suggest otherwise. And before her, it had been a while since I used condoms. A while since I had sex, really.

Maybe it’s not even yours,the little voice at the back of my head whispers.Maybe she got back with her ex. Or maybe she found somebody else.

Then why would she react this way at seeing me?

And that wasn’t just a surprise at running into somebody you hadn’t expected or didn’t want to see again, no there was a trace of fear shining in those blue depths too. The protective way that she hugged her bump.

Why would she do that if the baby wasn’t mine? It made no sense whatsoever.

I run my hand over my face. I could feel the soft throbbing building behind my temples as my mind still tried to process what had just happened.

With one last glance at school, I put my car in reverse and head out of the parking lot.

I would get to the bottom of this.

She was working here, it’s not like she could just up and leave.

“I didn’t expect to see you here,” Aaron Fernandez says in the way of greeting when I get out of my truck. A man our age who’s standing next to him says something, and Aaron nods, patting him on the back before he starts walking toward me. “What brings you here, Walker? Don’t tell me you’re already bored of retirement and are looking for a job.”

I let out a snort. “Highly unlikely.”

I was good at a lot of things, but I was no rancher.

“Shame.” Silent amusement dances in my friend’s gaze, but his face remains serious. “I think it would be entertaining to see you try to get your ass on a horse.”

“Entertaining for you, maybe.” I look around the clearing noticing a few ranch hands mingling around. I didn’t think this through very well. “You have a few minutes for me?”

Some days it was hard to remember that other people had jobs and obligations while I was retired at the ripe age of thirty-five and had no freaking idea what to do with my life.

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