Page 3 of Oh My Secret Christmas Baby
“We should talk about that.” His expression turns serious, Okay, maybe there is a girl. That’s a relief.
Not sure what to do with that because this is my baby apparently. I just need to get through this conversation. Then I’ll go from there with my thoughts.
“What’s there to talk about?”
“What if we tried to be together, Gwendolyn?” I hate when he calls me that. It’s my middle name. My first name is Candy. Max told me it sounded like a stripper's name. That it wasn’t sufficient. The thing is, my mother was a stripper, so there’s that. It never really bothered me, but Max makes me feel shame over it.
Candy Gwendolyn Snow. I don't know how my birth mother came up with that, but then again, I don't really know her at all. Still, the name Candy never bothered me. Until he pointed out that it was trashy.
“Max, we talked about this.” This isn’t the first time he’s brought this up, nor the second. But I thought we were past that. It was when we first became friends that he mentioned it.
I quickly let him know that I didn’t want to ruin our friendship. Not only that, but I didn’t see him that way at all. There was no spark or anything. I often still wonder how we’re friends. I was sure that idea was ancient history, but I have been told I’m rather naïve when it comes to men.
“Just think about it. Really think, Gwendolyn. We could be a family. I’d give you everything you ever wanted.” I don’t think that’s love. Not my definition of it, anyway.
“I—”
“Don’t answer me now.” I bite the inside of my cheek, hating when he does that. He’ll cut me off so I can’t give my opinion, and then we never get back to it. He’ll push through, but this isn’t one he can sway me on. “You need me.” I fight not to flinch.
That’s a loaded three words because I’m not sure he’s wrong. If he tossed me out, where would I go? That’s not even my biggest concern. What would happen to my baby?
The more I think it over, the more my reality settles in and my perspective swings to another vantage point. All the small things Max has done for me are pulling me more and more under his control. He’s making it so that I’m dependent on him fully. It doesn’t bring comfort; it brings panic.
It started with small things, like we can share a phone plan, let me help set up your bank account; you should always have a secondary person on it in case of emergencies. Right, because Max has no need to steal from me. My bank account is laughable compared to any of his. Except it might not be about that at all. Control is more like it.
“Let’s go.” Max stands. Why does it feel like I don’t have a choice right now? I’ve done this to myself. This isn’t the moment to push back. Not when I still have this folder right here, so I simply stand and let him lead me out of the coffee shop, where, of course, Bailey is waiting.
Bailey gives me the creeps, and he’s Max’s right-hand man for everything. He can be a driver, a bodyguard, or an errand boy. Bailey opens the back door for me, and I slip in.
“Make sure she gets home,” Max tells him before glancing back down to me. “Stay home,” he orders before he gives me a soft smile that is different, or maybe I’m only seeing it differently. It doesn’t reach his eyes. It’s fake. “You need your rest. You’re pregnant. Think about the baby when you’re running around this city.” Aka, stop being childish.
"Of course." I give him back the same smile in return before he closes the door on me, thinking this is over.
I reach down and rub the small bump there. It's not only me anymore. I'm going to figure out what the heck is going on.
This Christmas is going to be a whole lot different than any other before.
Chapter Two
HOLLIS
When I left the city years ago, the plan was to settle into a small, quiet town. The goal was to lead a simpler life. I could run my company from anywhere in the world, and at this point, it merely involves keeping up on my portfolio and investing in different projects that snag my interest. Not that much catches my attention anymore.
That was the plan. It was simple and straightforward. That might have been the problem because simple things can become mundane. I’m new-ish to the town and have been making some donations here and there to help somewhat settle into the community. I was an outsider, and the town is tight-knit.
The only connection I have here is my mother. She grew up in this town before going off to college and meeting my father. We’d come back now and then to see my grandparents when I was younger, but as I got older, the visits became less and less frequent. Especially after my grandparents ended up retiring down to Florida, not liking the cold winters in Maine.
But as a kid, I always enjoyed the town. That's why, after the accident, I came back. I can’t really explain it, but I felt a pull to return and recover here. But, I'm not sure it helps when I see allthe families. I never considered the idea of having a family of my own.
The only thing I wanted to grow was my investments and portfolio. Then, when the possibility of never having a child hit me, it was all I could think about. I'm still not sure if I want one, but it irks me that it's highly unlikely.
After the car accident, I thought my worries would be over. The scars are healed, and I’ve learned to walk again. It never occurred to me that male infertility was another issue I would have. The doctors weren't sure if I had the problem before the accident or if it came from it.
I have always had a drive in me, and when I'm told I can't do something or it's not possible, it's the only thing I can focus on. I'm trying to reconcile with myself if I want these things because I can't have them or if I do truly want a family of my own one day. I suppose you'd need to find a partner first, but would I be considered damaged goods?
Still, I’m not sure how I’ve ended up where I am and now the current mayor of New Hope on top of it. A position the people of the town pushed me right into after I had it out with the last mayor, and he went running from the town.
He was a shit mayor who was skimming the books. It wasn’t hard for me to figure out when his assistant, Kindred, came to me with the issue, thinking I was the only one who could handle it. Now the town thinks I’m a saint. I’m not. You’re not a saint for doing the right thing.
