Worth More Than Money (Worth It 3)

“Yeah. A thing. Multiple times. I got caught up, and he got caught up. And I suppose I convinced myself that he might’ve been the one.”

“The one,” he said.

“Yes, Nick. The one. I fell in love with him. I fell in love with Grayson MacDonald. The NFL star turned-wine maker with billions to his name and a full life ahead of him. But I didn’t know any of that upfront. Not when it first started. He was kind and considerate. Controlling, but not in that weird sort of way. And it was easy to talk with him. To open up to him. To—be with him.”

I watched Nick nod before he reached over to turn the fish.

“It was on and off. He went back to Napa Valley and I found a job. A job I was eventually fired from because of rumors circulating around that stupid town about me sleeping with Andy behind Gray’s back.”

“Welcome to small town life,” Nick said.

“And through all of it, I fell in love with this man. With this guy who kept coming back to Stillsville. Who kept asking me to stay with him in Anton’s home. Who kept employing me to help him with things before making me feel things I’d never experienced in my entire life.”

My jaw quivered as I went to batter some more fish.

“Say it, Michelle.”

Nick’s voice was soft, but sturdy. Reassuring and confident. I looked over at him with tears in my eyes, knowing that saying what I was about to admit would make me into the woman I never wanted to become.

“I got pregnant, Nick,” I said breathlessly. “I got pregnant with Gray’s child. Then he got so angry.”

“What do you mean by ‘he got angry’?”

“He accused me of so many things. Of this child being Andy’s and I was only pawning it off on him to get to his money. He accused me of running some sort of con on him. Of being a gold digger. Of trying to hitch myself to him instead of Andy so I didn’t have to lead a dead-end life with the real father of my child.”

Sobs fell from my lips as Nick dropped what he was doing. He wrapped his arms tightly around me and drew me close. I fisted the fabric of his shirt and caved into him, my legs giving out from underneath me.

“Sh-sh-sh-sh,” he said. “I’m right here. Come on. Let’s get you sitting down.”

I felt him help me onto one of the kitchen chairs before he went back over to the fish. I wiped at my tears and watched him move with tension in his body. His jaw flexed and his hand gripped the pan a little too tightly. I knew he was getting angry. Which meant he was on my side.

And that made me feel a little better.

“This Gray sounds like a real piece of shit,” Nick said. “Guess money can’t buy manners.”

“It is bad that I feel guilty?” I asked.

Nick flickered his gaze over his shoulder before tending to the food again.

“Why would you feel that way?”

“I never meant for any of this to happen. I’m on the pill. Have been for years.”

“Both parties are responsible for this, Michelle. You didn’t make that child alone.”

“And what if he’s right? What if this is somehow Andy’s child?” I asked.

“Is that possible?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t think so. But I’m not sure.”

“How far along are you?”

“I don’t know.”

“You haven’t been to a doctor, Mich?”

I rolled my eyes at the nickname as a breathless giggle fell from my lips.