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The next day, Sloane fidgeted on the exam table, the paper crinkling beneath her as Dr. Annie Mackay smiled warmly. “Well, your urine sample and blood work are processing, so we should have some answers soon—at least to rule out the worst-case scenarios. But I have to say, you’re looking much better than when I saw you a few days ago at Callum’s house.”

Sloane tried to return the smile, but it felt brittle on her face. She knew what the tests would show. The question was how to tell the kind doctor about those results—how to tell anyone, really. The secret churned in her gut.

“Thank you so much for lending me your extra car,” Sloane said instead.

“Not a problem at all. That car’s just sitting there—neither Zac nor I use it anymore. And trust me, I know what it’s like to be in Oak Creek and not quite have everything figured out in your life. So please, feel free to use it for as long as you need.”

“Okay.” Sloane hated to be beholden to anyone, but she was so glad to have a way to get herself around.

“Okay, deep breath.” Annie pressed the stethoscope to Sloane’s back. Sloane inhaled, exhaled, mechanically following directions as Annie checked her eyes, ears, and throat. The routine was almost soothing in its normalcy. For a moment, Sloane could pretend everything was fine.

“So, how are things going with you and Callum?” Annie asked casually as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around Sloane’s arm. “Did he take care of you the way he was supposed to?”

Heat bloomed in Sloane’s cheeks. “Things are…good. I slept a lot the first couple days, but yesterday, he showed me around town, introduced me to some people. Told me about Linear Tactical.”

Annie chuckled. “Ah yes, I’ve stitched up my share of the Linear men and women over the years. Including my own husband more times than I can count.” She jotted down Sloane’s vitals on a clipboard. “They’re a brave bunch. Oak Creek is lucky to have them.”

“It seems like a great town,” Sloane said, looking down at her hands. “When Callum told me about it, back in Moldova… I don’t know, something just clicked. Like I was meant to come here.”

She could still hear Callum’s voice in her mind during all the hours he’d talked when she was forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other, then later when they were in their safe house. The people and places he’d gushed—as much as someone like Callum gushed —about had made her long to see this town for herself.

And, of course, the fact that Callum was here.

Sloane twisted her fingers together, a familiar ache building behind her eyes. She blinked hard. Dr. Annie was regarding her with a gentle, probing look that made Sloane want to spill all her secrets. But how could she begin to explain the mess she was in?

Annie set aside her clipboard, her expression turning serious yet compassionate. “Sloane, I know we don’t know each other well yet, but I want you to feel like you can talk to me. About anything.” She paused, seeming to choose her next words carefully. “What you went through…the kidnapping, being held captive… I can only imagine how traumatic that must have been.”

Sloane’s throat tightened. She gave a small nod, not trusting herself to speak.

“Have you had any physical problems since then? Pain, dizziness, anything like that?”

“No, not really.” Sloane’s voice sounded thin to her own ears.

“And emotionally? I know it’s not an easy thing to talk about, but keeping details bottled up inside won’t do you any favors in the long run.”

Sloane hesitated, images of dark rooms and Nikola’s cruel face flashing through her mind. “I’ve had some nightmares,” she admitted. “But it’s getting better.”

Annie nodded, her eyes full of understanding. “That’s completely normal. Have you had anyone to talk to about what happened? A therapist or a support group, maybe?”

“No.” Sloane shook her head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“What about your sister, Marissa? You two went through it together. That’s got to create a special bond.”

A rueful almost-laugh escaped Sloane’s lips. “Marissa and I…we’ve never been close. She has her own way of dealing with things.”

Marissa had made it abundantly clear that, as far as she was concerned, Sloane was the reason they’d been targeted in the first place. There would be no sisterly heart-to-hearts in their future. Not that there had ever been.

Annie seemed to sense she’d hit a sore spot. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about your family. But Sloane, I hope you know my door is always open if you need someone to listen. Even if it’s not related to your health.”

Tears pushed at the backs of Sloane’s eyes. She looked away, blinking rapidly. This kind woman had no idea of the burdens Sloane carried, the shameful secret growing inside her that could blow apart the fragile new life she was trying to build.

“Was there something else on your mind?” Annie pushed gently. “A reason you wanted to come to Oak Creek, specifically?”

A sob broke free from Sloane’s chest, despite her best efforts to contain it. The tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks in hot trails. She pressed a hand over her mouth, mortified at losing control.

“Oh, sweetie.” Annie’s voice was soft with concern. She reached out to rub Sloane’s arm. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m here to help, not to judge.”

Sloane wanted so badly to unburden herself, to hand her problems to someone else just for a moment. She parted her trembling lips, fighting to form the words that felt like jagged rocks in her throat.

“I…”

Annie turned to grab a tissue from the counter behind her. When she turned back, she was holding something else in her hand. A slim plastic wand. Her eyes met Sloane’s, bright with a tentative realization.

“I think I see what’s going on here.” Annie’s words were gentle, but they still made Sloane flinch. She held up the test strip, where two unmistakable pink lines stood in stark contrast to the white background.

“You’re pregnant.” There was no judgment in the older woman’s eyes, but Sloane felt bad anyway.

“I’ve known for just over a week,” Sloane finally admitted in a small voice. “It’s why I left home. My family, they…didn’t support me.”

Her cheeks flushed with shame at the memory, bile rising in her throat. It had been so much worse than that, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk about what had happened.

Annie reached out and gently squeezed her hand. “Sloane, I need to ask… During your kidnapping, were you…?”

She trailed off delicately, but Sloane understood.

“No, I wasn’t raped,” she said quickly, shaking her head. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “The baby is Callum’s.”

Surprise flashed across Annie’s face before being replaced by relief. “I see. And do you want to keep the baby?”

“Yes, absolutely,” she said without hesitation, one hand drifting to her still-flat stomach protectively. “I never even considered…”

Despite what her family had wanted her to do.

Annie nodded. “Have you told Callum yet?”

“No. I don’t know how to tell him. What happened between us in Moldova, it was…” She bit her lip, fresh anxiety swirling inside her. “I just wanted to replace the bad memories with something good. But we didn’t make any promises to each other. I’m not even sure if he really cares about me…”

“Callum is an honorable man,” Annie assured her. “Even if he doesn’t want a romantic relationship, he would still want to be there for his child.”

Sloane swallowed hard. That was what she feared—that Callum would feel obligated and trapped. But deep down, she hoped desperately that he would want her too, not just their baby. She had such strong feelings for him, but she didn’t know if he returned them at all.

“It’s been a couple months since Moldova. Have you and Callum talked since then?” Annie asked gently. “Did he contact you at all?”

“No. So, that probably means he’s not interested, right?” Her voice cracked.

“Not necessarily. Maybe he didn’t want to intrude while you were recovering. Or he worried that hearing from him would make you think about the kidnapping.”

Sloane wanted so badly to believe that. That maybe Callum did care but was just giving her space. Still, the nagging doubts persisted as her emotions swirled in a dizzying cyclone—fear, hope, uncertainty.

She placed a hand on her stomach, trying to draw strength. No matter what happened with Callum, she had to stay strong for her baby. Somehow, she would figure this out…one day at a time.

She took a shaky breath, trying to calm the tempest inside her. “I want to believe Callum has feelings for me. But right now, everything is just so overwhelming. I don’t have much dating experience, and I’m not sure how to tell if he’s actually interested in me outside of the baby. That’s why I haven’t told him yet.”

She twisted her hands in her lap, her gaze dropping. “I also don’t want him to feel trapped. And honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have nowhere to go and no money.” She glanced up at Annie uncertainly. “I hate to even ask, but…can I pay for this doctor’s visit in installments? Once I get a little more settled?”

Annie reached out and squeezed her hand. “Please don’t worry about that. We’ll figure it out. Right now, I think you should take a little time for yourself. Get settled, maybe find a job. You don’t need to tell Callum about the pregnancy immediately. See how things go over the next few weeks, then you can decide when and how to tell him. Maybe an opportunity will present itself naturally.”

Sloane nodded slowly, feeling a tiny bit of relief amid the anxiety still churning in her gut.

“Okay. That makes sense.” She hesitated, biting her lip. “Is…is it safe for me to work while I’m pregnant?”

“Absolutely.” Annie smiled. “You’re young and healthy. As long as we keep an eye on things, working and staying active should only help.”

“What about…um…kissing? Or…sex? Is that okay too?” She felt stupid asking the questions, but she wanted to make sure.

“Also perfectly safe.” Annie winked. “The only thing you can’t do is skip either meals or sleep, which is probably what caused you to faint. You need to take good care of your body so it can grow this little one.”

She stood up from her stool and opened a cabinet. “I’ll give you some prenatal vitamins to start taking as well.”

As Annie handed her the bottle, Sloane felt a flutter of excitement mingled with the nerves. This was really happening. A few minutes later, in a bit of a daze, she let Annie lead her down the hall for an ultrasound.

Despite the uncertainties that lay ahead, Sloane knew that Annie was right. She needed to focus on staying healthy and making a fresh start. For her sake and her child’s. The rest of it with Callum would just have to work itself out.