Nobody Knows (SWAT Generation 2.0 11)

“How would she know me?” she asked. “It’s not like there aren’t thousands of Sierras in the world. Hell, hundreds in just Kilgore alone. Did you know that I graduated with four Sierras?”

My lips twitched.

“Actually, yes,” I said. “You told me, remember?”

In a letter.

There was so much that I knew about her that most wouldn’t normally know about a woman that they’d first truly met.

It was a bit disconcerting.

“And to answer your question about how my grandmother knew.” I pointed down to the dog. “You have Maxie.”

“Axe,” she corrected automatically. “And I guess you’re right.”

“My grandmother moved home just to find him,” I said. “She promised me that she would. And I guess, in a way, she did.”

Sierra’s face took on an expression of confusion, then dawning realization. “Your grandmother saw me at a dog park. I thought it was super, duper weird that she was there without a dog. But now it’s kind of making sense.” She paused in the middle of the yard that I’d grown up playing in. “That’s when I mentioned not having a place to stay. She offered me her place.”

My lips twitched. “She knew.”

“She’s a crafty little lady.” She laughed as she walked to the swing set that’d seen better days and sat on it.

The entire swing set groaned but held her weight.

I made a mental note to come out here and fix a few things.

I couldn’t have her swinging on it and possibly hurting herself.

That definitely wasn’t good for a baby—a fall to the ground like that.

Shit.

She was pregnant.

“So your parents still don’t know that you didn’t go sleep with a random man?” I asked as I leaned against the tree next to where she was swinging.

“No,” she muttered miserably. “My dad came over today and I just… panicked. I said that I was with someone now, and it was new, and we were trying to navigate things now that I was pregnant. I didn’t… shit. I insinuated the fuck out of it that who I was seeing was the father of my child. I just… they really loved Mark. Like so much. They’re in shock that I’ve managed to find myself in this situation. And I lie to make things better, but it only makes them worse.”

I picked up a stick and shook it at Maxie—Axe—who immediately locked his eyes onto it.

She raised her brow at me.

“You might want to drop the leash,” I suggested.

She did, but immediately started to shake her head. “He doesn’t fetch…”

Her voice trailed off when I threw the stick.

It sailed all the way across the yard, knocked through a couple of branches, only to come to a stop at the base of a tree.

The dog was off and running before I’d even finished my throw.

Her gasp was audible as she said, “He never, and I do mean never, chases after things.”

“Only a stick,” I said. “Not a ball. Not a toy. Just a stick.”

She shook her head. “I’ve had that dog sleeping in bed with me for years, and I feel like I don’t even know him.”

I chuckled softly, feeling lighter than I had in a long time.

“I’m glad that he had you, Sierra,” I said softly. “I wish he never had to go there in the first place, but if he had to, I’m glad that he had you on the other side.”CHAPTER 9Don’t let thoughts of Monday steal your Sunday.-Sierra to MalachiSIERRAGabriel,

Did you know that your vagina can turn blue from an increase of blood flow during pregnancy? It’s called Chadwick’s sign.—I don’t have this yet in case you’re wondering.

Also, did you know that boobs grow so fast during pregnancy that sometimes they can grow unevenly?—No, mine are both the same size still, in case you were wondering that as well.

In case you are wondering what signs and symptoms of pregnancy I’m experiencing—that would be a big fat nothing. The only thing that I’ve noticed is that I missed my period and that I don’t like to wear tight clothing around my midsection. That’s it.

Do you ever want kids?

Sierra

• • •

I woke up to my dog nudging me in the bladder.

My very full bladder.

I groaned and rolled over, coming face to face with a pair of sock-covered feet.

I went up onto my elbows and stared blearily at the feet for a few seconds, wondering who they belonged to.

“You sleep really hard.”

I blinked some more at the man that was connected to those feet.

“And you are really confused when you wake up.” He continued to speak.

I scrunched up my nose in confusion.

“I’m… what?” I asked, really not altogether with it this early in the morning.

He grinned.

It was a small, barely noticeable twitch of his lip, revealing only the smallest amount of straight white teeth, but it was still there.

And it had my heart racing.

“You’re adorable confused,” he said as he looked at me with his intense stare. “Do you have to work today?”