She cringed, not knowing what they’d reveal, but after her emotional outburst, she figured everything was a fair guess.
“What’s going on?” her mother asked.
Erin looked at her mom, who appeared healthy and happy. The wavy auburn hair she’d shared with Erin framed her face. If possible, the stress of Simon’s cancer last year had dissipated, thanks to their overdue vacation, and Erin was pleased.
“I guess you wouldn’t rather tell me about your trip?” she asked, hoping to stall the inevitable.
Her mother shot her a look that, when Erin and her brothers were kids, had meant Talk now, or else.
“Okay.” Erin glanced down at her hands, which she’d begun twisting together. “The night of Mike’s wedding, I was feeling . . . out of sorts.”
“Lonely,” Ella said softly.
Eyes filling again, Erin nodded. “It seemed like everyone around me was finding that special someone. I guess I was feeling sorry for myself, so I stopped at Joe’s on the way home and . . . Cole Sanders was there.”
Ella’s face remained understanding just as she kept silent, letting Erin tell the story at her own speed.
“We danced. One thing led to another and . . . we had a one-night stand.” Erin didn’t meet Ella’s gaze. Discussing sex with her mother wasn’t exactly comfortable. “And it was just that one night.” No need to mention how many times that evening, Erin thought. “He barely spoke to me in the days afterward.”
“And that hurt your feelings,” Ella said with a woman’s wisdom and a parent’s understanding.
Erin nodded. “A lot. But I understood. He’d just come back to town and he obviously had been through something bad before coming home.” She drew a deep breath. “About a month later, I started getting nauseous.”
“Oh my God.” Ella clasped Erin’s clenched hands. Obviously there was no need to go on. Her mother got the point loud and clear.
“I guess I didn’t want to face it, because I didn’t let myself make the connection, and as a result I didn’t take a test for a while. Anyway, I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone, because I needed to process it myself.”
“Does Cole know?”
Erin exhaled a long breath. “He does now, but he didn’t then.” She lifted her head, met her mom’s gaze. “There’s more.”
“I’m listening.” To her mother’s credit, she held on to Erin’s hand and didn’t say a word, not judging or asking questions.
“The day after you left, I was on my way to work when I was shot in the parking lot.”
“What!” Ella’s face leached color.
“I’m fine, Mom. I promise. The bullet passed through my arm. No permanent harm done. And I’ll explain everything I know about the shooting, which isn’t much, in a few minutes. Anyway, I was taken to the hospital, and when Mike went to find Sam, he had Cole wait outside the cubicle where they were treating me. Cole heard the doctor mention I was pregnant. That’s how he found out.”
“Good Lord, I don’t know what to react to first.”
Erin winced. “How about you let me finish.”
Her mother’s eyes opened wide. “There’s more?”
“Not too much. Cole and Mike argued over who would take me from the hospital. I insisted that I was going home. Cole said he was going with me. Mike wanted me to have round-the-clock protection and finally agreed to Cole staying with me, which I thought was ridiculous, since I figured it was a random shooting.”
“It wasn’t?” Her mother’s voice took on a harsh, yet worried, tone.
Erin shrugged. “It doesn’t look like it.” She told her mother about the roadkill delivery to her front door. “In the meantime, Cole told me that Mike and Sam have a lead, thanks to the ballistics on the gun. But now they’re not sure the two things are related, because a shooting is major and roadkill is a de-escalation. It doesn’t make sense. Plus the note with the animal said, ‘Leave him alone,’ and that’s just odd.”
Ella stood and began pacing the kitchen. “First, you should have called me.”
Erin exhaled long and hard, having expected this. “You were on a cruise. You’d just gone through a hellish year and you deserved the time away with Dad. Besides, you’re here now.”
“And not a minute too soon. You need your mother.” Ella held out her arms and Erin gratefully went back into her mom’s embrace. Her familiar scent eased the anxiety Erin had been living with for so long.
“Now, tell me what’s going on with you and Cole Sanders.”