Page 17 of Tiny Precious Secrets (The Brothers of Calloway Creek The Montanas #4)

Allie

I’m running out of time. And I’m running out of luck. But it’s becoming apparent my ‘luck well’ ran dry a decade ago. I’ve been faking flu symptoms for over a week. I think Mom is almost to the point of dragging me to the hospital if I don’t get back on my feet soon.

Natasha and I have all but swapped rolls. I’m doing her admin duties from home while she’s running the tastings and handling events. I swear if my last name wasn’t on the sign, I’d have been fired long ago.

I’m also getting bigger. If I was eleven weeks when I went to the clinic, I’m close to thirteen now.

Maddie was right. I’m showing earlier this time.

I’m not sure others could see it. But I can.

I used to have a concave stomach. Now I have a little pooch.

I don’t look pregnant yet, but those who know me well could notice if I wore form fitting clothes.

I’ve been doing yoga every night before bed. I’ve been meditating. Maybe I’ve even been praying. At this point, I need all the help I can get.

But the time has come. I can’t put it off any longer. I call Mia. “Do you have any idea where I could find your cousin at this hour?”

Her relieved sigh comes all the way through the phone. “I’m glad you’re going to see him. I can call him if you want, and I’m sure he can work you in tomorrow. Cousin favor.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not going to his office. If there’s something wrong with this baby, I don’t want the town gossiping and looking at me with pity. I’ll do what I did last time.”

“Go to Washington?”

“It wasn’t Washington,” I remind her.

“Right. Sorry.”

“I was hoping to talk to Hudson in person before I lose my nerve.”

“He’s probably at Donovan’s with his brothers. Wait, does this mean you’re ready to tell people? Have you told your mom? Asher?”

“I’m not ready to tell anyone yet. Especially not Asher. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him if I can spare him what I went through last time.”

“You really believe he wouldn’t want to be there for you?”

I sigh, knowing he probably would.

“He might hate you for hiding it from him.”

“Yeah? Well, I’d rather have him hate me than have to live with what I’ve had to live with.”

“Allie, the chances are—”

“I know what the chances are, Mia,” I say a little too sharply. “They’re the same as they were last time. No more. No less. But as long as there’s a chance, I’m not telling him.”

“And if you find out the baby is healthy, what then?”

“Then I’ll tell him, and we’ll decide what to do.”

“What do you want him to do?”

“Honestly, Mia, I haven’t thought that far ahead. Do you know how much planning Jason and I did, and it was all for nothing. I’m not doing that again. Day by day is all I can manage right now. Can you please just be a friend and support me?”

“Okay. Meet me at Donovan’s in twenty minutes. I’ll pull him aside and then you can tell him what you need.”

“Thank you.”

I pull on an oversized sweatshirt even though it’s probably too warm out to be comfortable. It’s stupid to think anyone would notice yet, but I’m starting to be self-conscious about it, knowing if anyone even suspects, I’ll be gossip fodder for months.

Eighteen minutes later, I’m waiting in the parking lot behind the pub for Mia. She spots me, parks, and comes over.

“I saw him on the patio. I’ll text him to come out to my car, then you can get in and talk to him.”

I nod, feeling sweat trickle down my back despite the mild evening temperature.

Mia sits in her car. Hudson looks out at the parking lot, waves at her, then holds up a finger. He speaks to his brothers then walks over to her car. I wait a minute to make sure Hawk and Hunter aren’t looking, then I get out of my car and move quickly to hers, getting in the back seat.

Hudson turns, looking between Mia and me. “What’s this about? Wait, who needs medical advice?”

I hold his stare. “You’re bound by law not to talk about anything I say, right?”

“That’s right.”

“I have a problem, and I need your help.”

He cracks a slow smile. “There are antibiotics for that.”

Well if that isn’t a lovely reminder of how the Montanas and the McQuaids aren’t exactly friendly.

The feud that divided this town a hundred years ago still exists today.

You’re either Team Calloway or Team McQuaid.

And the Montanas are Team Calloway. Somehow, regardless of the fact that Mia is a Cruz and Cruzes are Team McQuaid, we’re still best friends and always will be.

Mia hits him in the arm. “Don’t be an asshole.”

Hudson must key in on my total lack of reaction to his jab, not to mention my red-rimmed eyes and all-around shitty demeanor. His smile falls. “What’s up, Allie?”

I briefly look down as I say the words. “I’m pregnant.”

He raises a brow. “Congratulations?”

The way he says it lets me know he understands this isn’t exactly a happy occasion.

“But seriously, why the clandestine meeting? There are a hundred OBs you could go to within thirty miles. Why me?”

“Because you can be discreet. And because you deal with high-risk.”

“What makes you think you’re high-risk?”

I close my eyes and swallow, barely able to get the words out. “I had a baby once.”

“You…” I don’t need to see his reaction. I can hear the surprise in his voice. “Okay, well obviously not many people know that. Did you give it up for adoption?”

I shake my head, open my eyes, and stare right at him.

He’s a doctor. He can read between the lines.

He sighs. “Shit. What was it?”

“Chromosomal abnormality.”

His entire attitude changes. He’s in full doctor mode now, displaying all the empathy Dr. Miller did when she was my doctor. “Which one?”

I can hardly say it. “Trisomy 18.”

He sighs again. A deep, almost painful sigh. “I’m sorry, Allie. I had no idea.” His eyes flutter to my stomach. “But you know the odds—”

“I know the odds, Hudson. I still have to find out anyway. Before I tell anyone. I need the blood test. The one that checks for all that stuff.”

“The NIPT. Sure, we can do that. But you should be at least ten weeks along first. If you just found out—”

“I’m more like thirteen. Well, almost. I went to a clinic in the city. They did an ultrasound and found a heartbeat.”

He nods. “I’m sure I can work you in tomorrow. I can bring you in through the back.”

“No. No way. You aren’t my gynecologist. If anyone sees me there, people will talk.

” I feel my pulse race and I swear I’m about to hyperventilate.

“If anything is wrong with this baby, nobody can know. I wouldn’t be able to live with all the questions.

The ‘when are you due’ and ‘who’s the daddy. ’ I can’t. I just can’t.”

Hudson gets out of the car and joins me in the back seat. He puts a hand on my arm like his family doesn’t hate mine. “Allie, it’s okay. We’ll figure something out. After hours maybe, you could meet me there tomorrow after everyone leaves.”

“It’s still too risky, and besides, I don’t want to wait. Do you know how hard it was for me to come here and talk to you about this? Can we do it now? But not there. At my place. Or in the car even. Hudson, you don’t know what I went through. Nobody can know.”

“Okay, okay.” He looks back at the pub. “Let me go back to my brothers. In about ten minutes, I’ll say I was paged.

I’m on call, so they won’t think anything of it.

I’ll go to the office and get what I need and meet you at”—he looks at Mia—“the autobody shop? We need somewhere with good lighting for the blood draw.”

“That works for me,” Mia says.

I nod. “Thank you...” I glance over at his brothers.

“Allie, nobody will know about this. I promise. The blood draw will be quick and painless. I’ll send it out in the morning. We should have the results early next week. But try not to worry.”

“All I do is worry, Hudson.”

“I’m sure you do. But more than likely, come next week, there won’t be anything to worry about.” He goes for the door then turns back. “Out of curiosity, who is the father?”

I sneer at him. “Do you ask that of all your normal patients?”

He sweeps an arm at our surroundings. “You’re hardly a normal patient, Allie.”

“You don’t know him.”

“Sure I don’t.” He opens the door. “I guess I’ll find out soon enough. Nothing stays a secret in this town. See you at the auto shop in thirty minutes.”

Nothing stays a secret in this town.

I spend the next thirty minutes, and then the next thirty-six hours in a state of constant panic.