Page 30 of Protected by the Sheriff (Magnolia Falls #2)
Olivia
I ’m not going to lie, going back to work is hard. The memories of what happened there, with Knox, still haunt me. Piper and Hadley both rally and help keep me sane. They know the full story of what happened at the ski lodge and why we have patrol cars stopping by the shop multiple times a day.
Knox’s station sits empty, a stark reminder of his absence. I know he’s never coming back but something stops me from clearing his workspace. Guilt, probably. Though everyone tells me I have nothing to feel guilty about.
Mason has gone into overdrive with his protectiveness. He texts or calls on the hour, every hour. He’s working day and night trying to locate Richards, but the trail has gone cold.
It’s been over a month since Richards disappeared and two weeks since I’ve been back to work.
Savannah comes to see me in the shop because I’m not allowed to drive over to The Lucky Horseshoe and have drinks with her.
Our Saturday morning breakfasts together are also on hiatus, as per Mason’s instructions and honestly, I’m just sick of everything.
I’m moody and tired all the time, and I can’t seem to shake this stomach bug I’m battling. If I could just wrestle some control back, then things might finally go back to normal.
One morning I finally snap and demand just that. “Mason, I’m tired of all these damn restrictions. Face it. Richards is long gone. He’s not stupid. He knows the cops are looking for him, and he’s not coming back.”
“Baby girl, I can’t take a chance with your life.”
“You can and you will. I won’t be kept like this, and I won’t allow some asshole like Richards to control my life.” I choke on the last word as vomit burns the back of my throat.
Sprinting for the bathroom, I clamp my hand over my mouth, the acidic taste rising as I struggle to avoid throwing up on the floor.
Kneeling over the toilet, I feel Mason come up behind me, his fingers cool as he moves my hair. With a splattering sound, the contents of my stomach empty into the toilet bowl, the acrid smell filling the air.
“Get out. This is gross and I don’t want you to see it,” I say in between heaving up all the food in my stomach.
“Baby girl, don’t you think you should see a doctor? You’ve been feeling nauseous a lot lately.”
“It’s just a stomach bug or probably stress. It’ll pass,” I dismiss.
Mason grabs a fluffy washcloth, wets it in the bathroom sink, and brings it to my forehead. It’s soothing and cool. Once I’ve recovered enough to stand, I flush the toilet and go over to the bathroom sink where I brush the acrid taste from my mouth.
“Olivia, I don’t think this is a stomach bug,” Mason offers. There’s a glimpse of something that crosses his face— something that looks a lot like guilt.
“Mason, I’m letting you know now that as soon as I feel better, Savannah and I are going out with Hadley and Piper for a girls’ night. I’m not asking your permission.”
“Olivia, no alcohol,” he demands.
What the fuck? “I don’t know why you think you can dictate what I drink, Mason. What makes that your choice?” Anger surges through me.
“Since you’re pregnant with my child, that’s when.” As soon as the words are out of Mason’s mouth, fear crosses his face.
Unable to help myself, I laugh. “You are insane. I’ve told you I have an IUD, and I can’t get pregnant with an IUD, Mason Walker. Stop with the pregnancy shit.” Rolling my eyes, I walk towards the door, and he moves in front of me, blocking the exit.
As I glare at him, his eyes meet the floor, and he avoids looking me in the eye. Ice flows through my veins, and I freeze. “What’s going on? Why are you acting like a psychopath?”
The man I’ve fallen in love with looks me dead in the eye, and what he says knocks me off balance. “You’re pregnant, Liv.”
Taken aback, my brows furrow as I try to make sense of what he’s saying. “That’s not possible, Mason. I’ve told you; I have a device that is very effective at stopping pregnancy. I’ve had it for years.”
Mason flinches. “You had an IUD, but you no longer have one, Olivia. I’m telling you this, even though you are going to kick my ass, because I don’t want you to do anything that could hurt the baby.”
Anger and rage like I’ve never felt rises in me. “There is no fucking baby. How many times do I have to say it? What the hell are you talking about, Mason? Have you lost your fucking mind?”
Mason has the sense to look nervous. “I’m not sorry, and I will never be sorry for doing what is best for us.”
His words make no sense, and as I go to speak again, he pulls out a box and hands it to me. Looking down, I realize it’s a pregnancy test. “I still don’t understand. This is ridiculous, Mason. You aren’t listening to me.”
Grabbing both arms and pulling me close to his body, he explains, “No, Liv. You aren’t listening. You don’t want to hear what I’m telling you, baby girl. Go take this test.”
“But this makes little sense.” I look down at the pregnancy test, trying to process Mason’s words.
When it finally clicks, an explosion goes off in my head.