Page 32 of A Chance to Believe

‘Even worse. The McGregor’s are friends of the family. I’m pretty sure Mrs McGregor would feel it her “duty”,’ she did the quote thing, ‘to warn my grandmother I’m engaging in unsafe sexual activity.’

Cassie discarded her hat on the bed. She was tempted to dismiss the girl, avoid the conversation, but Kimberley Smith was a young woman and should be treated as one. This was Shayne’s daughter, and she wanted to help the girl. ‘And are you?’

‘Of course not. That’s why I wanted the condoms.’

‘You know they aren’t a hundred per cent effective?’ She indicated her stomach.

‘I know. Besides, you probably took risks. Maybe deliberately.’

That wasn’t a surprising conclusion, considering past history. Her stomach roiled. ‘Are you accusing me of intentionally getting pregnant to trap your father?’

‘No.’ Kimberley looked down at the box in her hand. ‘Maybe. Didn’t you?’

‘We were extremely careful. No foreplay even until the condom was in place.’

Blotchy colour stippled the girl’s face and throat. ‘Foreplay?’

‘You do know what foreplay is?’

‘Kissing and stuff.’

Cassie hesitated. She wasn’t a parent, but the girl’s mother was on the other side of the world. There probably weren’t a lot of opportunities for mother daughter talks on family video chats. ‘It’s the “stuff” stuff I’m talking about.’

‘Like oral?’

‘Like bodily fluids being exchanged. Rubbing against each other without protection.’

The girl’s face had paled. ‘You can get pregnant from that?’

‘You’ve done sex education, haven’t you?’

‘At school. Yeah.’

‘Maybe you need to have a refresher. Guys can be fertile before they come. Or if they come outside, it can be transferred. Especially if the woman is … excited, too.’

‘Oh. I didn’t think about that.’

Cassie was pretty sure her own face was as pink as the girls but that was no reason not to finish the conversation. She wiped her clammy hands on her scarf and discarded it onto the timber chest at the end of the bed. This had gone further than she’d expected when she’d started it. Shayne might not appreciate her being so honest about their time together. Or even engaging with his daughter on the topic.

‘It’s not my business what you do in your relationships, Kimberley, but have you discussed this with your mum or dad?’

‘Mum’s too busy with the boys and the ranch and everything and Dad is like, a guy.’

‘What about your doctor?’

‘That’s even worse. Doctor Cavanaugh is younger even than my dad and the doctor we had before was like a hundred years old. Besides, Morgan Cavanaugh is Dad’s cousin.’

‘He wouldn’t tell your father. There are rules.’ Kimberley looked unconvinced and Cassie tried to think of an alternative. ‘They do have clinic nurses. Maybe one of them could advise you.’

‘It’s just sex. I’m nearly seventeen. I know about protection and diseases. Besides, he, I mean the guy I’m thinking of isn’t experienced either, so he wouldn’t have anything.’

Two inexperienced kids. A recipe for disaster if she ever heard of one. Been there, done that, had the painful memories to prove it. Though she’d welcomed the pregnancy at the time. ‘It’s never just sex, Kim. Do you have feelings for this boy?’

The colour returned to the girl’s skin. ‘I like him a lot.’

‘Does he like you?’

‘I think so.’

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