Page 20 of Nowhere To Hide
“You say that now, but once you get out from under that mountain, it’s going to be freezing.”
“It’s okay.I’ll be fine.This baby keeps me hot enough that I could run around naked and not get cold at this point.”
I turned quickly, trying not to let her see the reaction I had to her words.While I knew they were innocent and weren’t an invitation to try it out, I didn’t want to accidentally make her uncomfortable.It was obvious that things had changed quickly between us after the kiss last night, but I wasn’t ready to jump to any assumptions.Even though things were shifting fast between us, that didn’t negate the fact that she hadn’t known me longer than a few days.The last thing I wanted was for her to feel like there were any expectations of her staying with me.
While I had my back turned to her, I heard Charlie push the blankets off and climb out of bed.Suddenly, I heard a sharp gasp and turned to find her hunched over, clutching her stomach.I raced over to her, gently touching her as I tried to figure out what was wrong.
“Are you okay?”I asked, trying my best to keep the worry out of my voice.
“Yeah,” she said with a hiss as she tried to stand upright.“I think she’s getting too big to stay in there much longer.”
“How much longer do you have?”
“Six more weeks if I want to make it to term at forty weeks.”
I nodded my head, my brain rushing to try to think of something helpful I could do to make her more comfortable.After a few deep breaths, she straightened the rest of the way and placed a hand on her lower back as if the weight of her stomach was too much for her to carry.
“I am going to take a shower and see if that helps.”
“Sounds good.There should be plenty of hot water.I upgraded the water heater to a gas one a few years ago, and it was the best investment I’ve ever made.”
“That sounds wonderful.Don’t worry if I’m in there all day, she seems to calm down and go to sleep when I get really warm, and I need a break from her jabbing and sharp movements today,” she teased as she waddled to the bathroom and closed the door.
I sat on the bed and pulled out my phone, hoping I had enough service to make a quick call.As soon as I heard the water running, I pressed the call button and put the phone to my ear, waiting for Jo to answer.
“Is Charlie okay?”she asked, and it warmed my heart how much she had already taken to her.Jo was a protective mama bear, and I knew nothing would happen to Charlie with Jo and me protecting her.
“I think so, but I need a favor.”
Thirteen
Charlie
By the time I finishedmy shower and got dressed, Axel was already downstairs as the smell of food cooking floated up to the bedroom.My stomach growled as I pulled on the hoodie he’d lent me.It was loose but pulled so tightly over my swollen stomach that it barely covered it without riding up.I headed down the stairs, pausing for a moment when I heard voices.
It was hard always expecting the worst to happen and never knowing when the people I was running from would find me.I held my breath and listened the best I could without giving it away that I was there, only releasing the breath once I realized it was just Jo.
