Page 1 of I Knead You Tonight

Slice One

Drew

“You have got to be kidding me…”

Turning the key currently shoved into the ignition of my old beat-up car, I get the same result as the other four times I tried this—nothing.

“Come on, come on, come on,” I chant, trying yet again to get my car to crank.

Nada.

My eyes begin to brim with hot tears. I blink as they threaten to spill over, but I’m too late. The floodgates have opened and there’s no stopping the stream running down my cheeks.

It’s not just because my car won’t start.

It’s everything.

It’s the mounting bills, the late-night shifts, the pure and utter exhaustion that’s creeping in.

Oh, and the fact that my stupid ex-boyfriend dumped my ass when he found out I was pregnant, leaving me to take care of our baby on my own.

My lips pull into a grin as thoughts of my sweet perfect little Riker sweep through my mind.

I don’t care how things pan out for me, just as long as my baby has the best life I can give him.

It’s crazy, you know. They always say the moment you hold your baby in your arms, your life changes. They say everything that was important before suddenly dims in comparison, all the desires you had simply disappear, and your entire life belongs to the heartbeat in your hands.

I never believed the hype. I felt him inside of me for months and months. He had already changed my life. How was it going to be possible that I could love him even more than I already did?

Oh, I could.

I could and I do.

When I first discovered I was pregnant, I wasn’t happy. I mean, who would be happy to get knocked up by some dude you’ve only been dating a few months, one you’re basically just dating for sex anyway?

Not one single person.

I was even angrier when he left me soon after those pink lines appeared on the test. He pulled out of our future quicker than he ever pulled out of me.

Hence where I’m at in life.

Exhausted. Broke. Single mom to a healthy, beautiful three-month-old.

And I wouldn’t change a single moment of any of it.

I push my shoulders back and give myself a shake, wiping the drying tears from my cheeks and not letting yet another setback get me down.

Besides, I don’t have time for that. I need to get home to relieve my sitter, and no one is going to make that happen except me.

So, the city bus it is. Again.Ugh.

You’ve got this, Drew. It’s fine. You’re fine. Things will be just fucking fine.

They have to be.

For Riker.

I grip the door handle and reach for my bag where I stashed it in the passenger seat. I grab my phone charger and make sure to shove it inside the black pit I call a purse so I can charge my phone tonight.

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