Page 20 of The Hermit on the Hill

"Hey, Mistletoe." I petted her soft tabby fur. She purred and dug her claws into my thighs. Softening me up so she could get comfy on me.

Comfort eluded me. Since I'd walked out of that restaurant office, I'd been on edge. I'd smiled my way through the rest of lunch and even laughed a few times, but inside I was a bundle of nerves.

Was that all Sam had wanted? Now that he knew the baby was his, would he let me be?

I wanted to believe it would be that easy. I had a plan for raising our baby on my own and having Sam involved could lead to complications and arguments I'd rather avoid.

Still, a part of me, a tiny part, was disappointed.

Instead of dwelling on that, I sat down in front of my books and my laptop and I dove into research. I might not have a job anymore, but I still had connections in the academic world. If I could come up with a solid idea for a book about folklore and a publisher who was interested enough to offer me an advance, it could lead to enough money to hold me over until the local university had a position for me.

I opened a book I'd found at the library about folklore and hauntings local to the Catalpa Creek area and started reading.

When my phone rang, I had no idea what time it was, but the light in my apartment had gone dim without me realizing it. I'd need to turn on a lamp soon.

I answered without looking at caller ID. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Tabitha from Sweets and Treats. Sam Oakley is down here asking about a Jenna Reynolds. I've told him I can't answer his questions, but he's getting belligerent."

"You haven't even seen belligerent yet." Sam's voice came clearly over the line. I could only imagine the scowl on his face.

"I'll be right down."

"Are you sure? I can call the police."

"Tempting, but no. It's okay. I'm on my way now." The last thing I needed was for the father of my child to have an arrest record.

My stomach roared with hunger as soon as I stepped into the bakery and all the sweet smells hit me. I hadn't eaten much at lunch and I'd gotten so distracted by my research I hadn't even realized I was hungry. I needed to do a better job of feeding myself and my baby.

"Hey Jenna," Tabitha said with a cheery wave as I walked up to the counter. "Your usual?"

Sam stood at the counter, but I stepped up next to him without looking at him. "That would be great."

Tabitha nodded and grabbed two cinnamon buns and a bran muffin from the display cases. She put them in a bag and handed it across the counter. I paid and turned to Sam.

"How can I help you?"

He looked genuinely flabbergasted. "That's your regular order here?"

"No sweets shaming in my shop," Tabitha said in a sing-song voice that held an undercurrent of 'don't fuck with me.'

Sam glared at her, but she continued to smile angelically. "Can I get you something to sweeten up your surly attitude, Oakley?"

"No." Sam turned back to me. "Can we go somewhere more private?"

Despite Sam's gruff attitude, he'd never given me any reason to fear him, and it would be silly to keep the location of my apartment a secret from him, but I still hesitated, protective of the baby growing inside me. Like I could keep him from trying to fight for full custody by hiding my address.

He huffed and turned to Tabitha. "Tell her I'm not a serial killer."

Tabitha laughed. "I'm not telling her anything, Oakley. I still remember the time you locked me in the basement to keep me from following you and Hunter around."

Sam ground his teeth together, his jaw clicking in a way that didn't sound healthy. Seriously, this guy needed to loosen up. "It was a finished basement with a television, a pool table, and a bathroom. I also gave you snacks and water before we left."

Tabitha laughed. "All that effort just to keep me from finding your 'secret' fort in the woods. You know I knew exactly where it was all along, right?"

I leaned on the counter, fascinated with this turn of events. "You knew Sam when he was a kid?"

"My older brother was his best friend." She got serious suddenly. "He was absolutely heartbroken when you had to leave town."

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