hallway and spilled out into the glaringly bright parking lot. Leah suddenly doubled over in front of him and Austin dashed forward toward her.
“Leah!” he cried as he grabbed her by the arms. It wasn’t until she threw her head back that he saw her smiling through her tears.
“It’s really a baby!” she breathed, clutching his shirt with one hand and the strip of photos with the other. “I wasn’t even sure I really believed it! It never felt real .”
Austin’s heart pounded in his chest, his hands were nearly shaking from assuming something had been terribly wrong. He’d barely had time to adjust to all this baby stuff himself, but seeing her wide smile went a long way to calm his jangling nerves.
“Do you feel well enough to eat?” he asked, concerned that she was so thin. He nodded at the row of shops across the street, one of which was a small cafe with a few outdoor tables and chairs.
“I…” she glanced over her shoulder at the direction he had indicated. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
It was good enough for him, as far as answers went. Austin guided her across the intersection and they took a table on the sidewalk, covered by an umbrella to shield them from the scorching sun.
He leaned back in the rickety chair and ran his fingertip once more over the glossy photo strip lying on the table between them. A baby, his baby. He didn’t doubt it now, thinking back to how tight she’d felt when he’d been inside her. Leah hadn’t had anyone before him in a very long time and looking at her now, he doubted she’d had anyone since.
His baby.
And now…his woman.
Or at least…his responsibility.
He was a Barlow and he couldn’t walk away. “What are we going to do about this, Leah?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head at him. “ We …don’t have to do anything. You can go.”
“That’s not going to happen. What do you need?” he asked, eyeing her closely. “Seems like you need a lot.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Medical bills,” she declared.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll help you with those, obviously. I can—”
“No. I mean, I have medical bills. Already. From…before.”
Austin watched as she swallowed hard and finally met his gaze.
“It’s why my apartment looks the way it does. Why I look the way I do, I guess. I was on my parents’ insurance until two years ago. When Dad lost his job at the quarry, we lost the coverage. They can’t pay for me, too. I mean, they tried. They wanted to. But I wouldn’t let them.” She sighed. “I had to have one last round of treatment. And that’s all on me. They’ve been through enough.”
From where he was sitting, Leah Pierce had perhaps been through more than enough herself. “How long have you been…sick?” She cast a dour look at him and he knew better than to ask at this point but he still wanted to know. “Will the baby be okay?” he added, thinking she might be more forthcoming if she thought he was asking for the sake of their child.
Their child.
It hit him again how much his life was about to change. It hardly felt real, yet nothing had felt so pressing, so urgent, so overwhelming, either.
She paled at his question and he felt sorry he’d even asked. “I don’t know,” she whispered, blinking rapidly.
God damn, Austin did not want to see her cry even one more time. He’d had enough. He fumbled for a napkin on the table and tried to hand it to her.
She waved him away. “I don’t know,” she repeated.
“Leah, I have to ask. If we need help, if there’s something we can do…”
“There’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing. I just have to hope…”
He had to hope, as well, and she seemed to have left him out of the equation. It might not have been on purpose, though. God knew she had enough on her mind. It seemed petty to remind her of his stake in this. It was a lot to take in. She hadn’t exactly signed on for this, either, he reminded himself.
“I had leukemia,” she said
“Leah!” he cried as he grabbed her by the arms. It wasn’t until she threw her head back that he saw her smiling through her tears.
“It’s really a baby!” she breathed, clutching his shirt with one hand and the strip of photos with the other. “I wasn’t even sure I really believed it! It never felt real .”
Austin’s heart pounded in his chest, his hands were nearly shaking from assuming something had been terribly wrong. He’d barely had time to adjust to all this baby stuff himself, but seeing her wide smile went a long way to calm his jangling nerves.
“Do you feel well enough to eat?” he asked, concerned that she was so thin. He nodded at the row of shops across the street, one of which was a small cafe with a few outdoor tables and chairs.
“I…” she glanced over her shoulder at the direction he had indicated. “I don’t know. Maybe?”
It was good enough for him, as far as answers went. Austin guided her across the intersection and they took a table on the sidewalk, covered by an umbrella to shield them from the scorching sun.
He leaned back in the rickety chair and ran his fingertip once more over the glossy photo strip lying on the table between them. A baby, his baby. He didn’t doubt it now, thinking back to how tight she’d felt when he’d been inside her. Leah hadn’t had anyone before him in a very long time and looking at her now, he doubted she’d had anyone since.
His baby.
And now…his woman.
Or at least…his responsibility.
He was a Barlow and he couldn’t walk away. “What are we going to do about this, Leah?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head at him. “ We …don’t have to do anything. You can go.”
“That’s not going to happen. What do you need?” he asked, eyeing her closely. “Seems like you need a lot.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Medical bills,” she declared.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll help you with those, obviously. I can—”
“No. I mean, I have medical bills. Already. From…before.”
Austin watched as she swallowed hard and finally met his gaze.
“It’s why my apartment looks the way it does. Why I look the way I do, I guess. I was on my parents’ insurance until two years ago. When Dad lost his job at the quarry, we lost the coverage. They can’t pay for me, too. I mean, they tried. They wanted to. But I wouldn’t let them.” She sighed. “I had to have one last round of treatment. And that’s all on me. They’ve been through enough.”
From where he was sitting, Leah Pierce had perhaps been through more than enough herself. “How long have you been…sick?” She cast a dour look at him and he knew better than to ask at this point but he still wanted to know. “Will the baby be okay?” he added, thinking she might be more forthcoming if she thought he was asking for the sake of their child.
Their child.
It hit him again how much his life was about to change. It hardly felt real, yet nothing had felt so pressing, so urgent, so overwhelming, either.
She paled at his question and he felt sorry he’d even asked. “I don’t know,” she whispered, blinking rapidly.
God damn, Austin did not want to see her cry even one more time. He’d had enough. He fumbled for a napkin on the table and tried to hand it to her.
She waved him away. “I don’t know,” she repeated.
“Leah, I have to ask. If we need help, if there’s something we can do…”
“There’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing. I just have to hope…”
He had to hope, as well, and she seemed to have left him out of the equation. It might not have been on purpose, though. God knew she had enough on her mind. It seemed petty to remind her of his stake in this. It was a lot to take in. She hadn’t exactly signed on for this, either, he reminded himself.
“I had leukemia,” she said
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