Now, the error of our ways was growing in my stomach. But that didn’t mean I was going to shirk my responsibilities like Gray apparently wanted to. He could order a damn paternity test all he wanted, but I knew this child was his. In the pit of my gut, despite the fears raging in my mind, I knew this child was Gray’s. And even though he didn’t love me, I loved him. So, in my mind, this child had been conceived in love. So, there was no reason in this world why a grown woman like myself with a strong back and an entire life ahead of her couldn’t scrape enough of a life together to take care of a child.
Gray thought I was trying to trap him. To get at his billions. But I couldn’t give a shit less about his money. It had obviously made him bitter and resentful, and my life was full of enough of that. My childhood had been full of enough of that and I didn’t need anymore. If his money came with that kind of attitude, he could keep it and all the shit that came with it. I didn’t need him or his dollar bills or anyone else to help me. I was determined to make a life for myself, even if Illinois didn’t want me.
I’m sure there was a place in my home state for me.
It did hurt to know that Gray thought so little of me. Especially when I thought so much of him. But the only thing I knew to do was put distance between us. To get out of his hometown in case he kept finding reasons to come back and make my life a living nightmare. Getting away from Andy and Grayson was what I needed to do. Getting away from Cecily and all the gossip was what I needed to do.
If I disappeared and stopped contacting Gray, maybe he wouldn’t even fuss with his army of lawyers.
It was time to grow up. Time to stop pussyfooting around and make a life for the tiny life inside of me. The first step was leaving Stillsville, then the second step was buying a bus ticket back to North Dakota. I hailed down a taxi when I saw it, then tossed my stuff in and unrolled a little bit of money for the ride. I didn’t want to be walking on the side of the road if Gray was lurking around somewhere. I wanted to get to the bus station as quickly as I could and get a one-way ticket back home.
At least, back to the place where I grew up.
Paying the cab driver, I tipped him a bit, then walked into the little bus stop ticket office. Part of me hated spending the money, especially since I needed to be saving it for the baby. But once I could get home and get a place to stay and establish residency there, I could start applying for some aid. Things that could help me buy groceries and get an apartment of my own and things like that.
“Where ya headed?” the m
an at the desk said.
“A one-way ticket to North Dakota, please,” I said.
“Any specific place? Or you just want to be dropped off at the first city I got a bus going to?” he asked.
I bit down onto the inside of my lip, knowing it was a risk to tell him. If someone knew where I was headed, then there was a chance Gray could bribe them for my location. Pay them money to know where I had gone so he could track me down.
But I needed to get home.
I needed to get back to somewhere familiar.
“Get me as close to Williston, North Dakota as you can,” I said.
And the man graciously took my money before handing me a one-way ticket out of that damn town.
Chapter 3
Grayson
I pulled up into the driveway beside a vehicle already sitting there. The engine was still running and a few people stood around it while Mr. Angier talked their damn ears off. I scowled as I shut my engine off, then got out of my car and drew in a deep breath. I had to keep myself calm. This was my best shot at unloading the last of my dedication to this stupid ass town before I could head back home and deal with everything else that was being thrown at my life. I knew I was twenty minutes late, but the mere fact that Michelle hadn’t bothered to invite people in when she knew it was being shown made me even angrier.
Selfish bitch.
“Apologies for my tardiness,” I said. “I needed to pick up a few things. I’m Gray MacDonald. The godson of the man who owned this property.”
“We’re so sorry for your loss,” a woman said as she held out her hand. “But we’re very interested in the property. And if you approve of our offer to purchase it, we promise it will be put to good use.”
“I have no doubt of that. I’ve done my research,” I said.
It was a lie. I hadn’t even looked at their damn website. I had been too busy dealing with other things. But giving people the impression that I’d done my research always kept them on their toes. It gave them the idea that I had the upper hand, not them.
And I really needed the upper hand with how things were going in my world.
“Come on. I’ll show you the property,” I said.
Opening the front door, I expected to smell her around the corner. But instead, the lights were off and her door was hanging wide open. I furrowed my brow and took a look around, expecting her to be lurking around or doing something to pass the time. I couldn’t waste any more time trying to locate her, though. Wherever she was, I’d deal with her along the way if we ran into her.
“The property is five thousand square feet with five bedrooms and four bathrooms—”
“Can the fifth bedroom be set up to have an ensuite bathroom?” the woman asked.