“Running won’t save you from this conversation, Lovely.” Peanut said from the doorway, his eyes dropping to her bare stomach as a frown clouded his already stern expression.
She gasped and jerked around to face him as he barged in with her hands protectively holding her stomach. She knew that the gig was up. He was already processing the facts as he took in the tiny little bump that was protruding from her stomach and the way she held it.
“Is that–are you—you’re pregnant?” Peanut demanded.
Phoebe felt uneasy as she stood there. She let her shirt drop and she felt a blush stain her cheeks. With everything she’d been through with Johnny she should have been terrified but she knew deep in her soul that Peanut would never hurt her. She didn’t know how she knew but she did. It was a knowledge that went bone deep and she suddenly realized that she trusted him in ways she’d never trusted anyone before.
“I was going to tell you. I just didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I’ll leave if it’s an issue,” Phoebe said. She meant it too. She’d leave if he wanted her to. She didn’t know where she’d go or how they’d survive but she wasn’t going to force him to keep her on if the baby was a deal breaker for him. She needed this job and she was already in love with his daughter, but she was going to make a life for herself and her baby with or without him and Jasmine.
“No,” he stated harshly. “You’re not going anywhere.”
“I will if I choose to,” Phoebe said, her chin tilting and her eyes darkening with determination.
“I meant to say it’s not an issue,” Peanut revised his earlier statement. Phoebe nodded and walked over to pull the covers back on the bed.
“I’m kind of tired. Can we just say what happened in the kitchen was a mistake and call it a night?” Phoebe climbed into the bed and pulled the covers over herself, expecting him to comply and leave the room.
“Oh, and turn off the light as you go,” she stated as she lay down.
“Really, that’s what you’re going with? Have you even seen a doctor? Do you even know how far along you are or anything? Are you on the right vitamins and shit? There is so much shit that needs to be handled that I can’t even wrap my head around it right this second. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me that you needed to see a damned doctor. What the fuck, Phoebe?” Peanut growled sounding livid.
Her heart rate picked up as fear gripped her. It wasn’t really fear of Peanut it was more the tone of his voice and the fact that he was obviously angry, triggering the fight or flight response she’d been conditioned for years to have when Johnny got angry. She looked up at him where he was standing beside the bed glaring at her.
“Phoebe, don’t ignore me. Have you seen a damned doctor? Shit can go wrong with pregnancy sometimes which is why I’m calling Hambone to get the name of Kate’s doctor and we’re going in tomorrow to see him or her,” Peanut growled. Phoebe gripped the comforter, sitting up to glare at him. He couldn’t tell her what to do and the fact that he thought he had any say in when she went to the doctor ticked her off royally. She hadn’t escaped one controlling asshole to find another one.
“I will not. I’m not going to someone I haven’t researched, and I have to think about how much money I have. This isn’t your problem, Peanut,” she hissed.
“Damn it, Phoebe. I’m just trying to help. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you or the baby because you didn’t get prenatal care. That bastard you were married to could have caused problems with his abuse and you wouldn’t even know it because you’re too damned stubborn to let me lighten your load by helping,” Peanut snarled through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists. Phoebe had to push her fear down hard to not cower away from him. It helped that she was still stuck on him saying the bastard she’d married.
“How do you know I’m married, Peanut?” she asked, feeling the blood drain from her face as she eyed him warily.
“Damn it, this isn’t how I wanted to tell you this—fuck! I had you investigated the first week you were here. You have to understand, Lovely, I didn’t do it for me. I did it because shit is going on with the club and I knew that they’d never accept you weren’t involved unless I had you checked out.” Peanut moved to pull her into his arms but she jerked away, climbing out of bed to stand on the other side of it, glaring at him with her hands resting on her hips.
“Do you even realize how shitty that is?”
“Yes, I fucking realize. I do, but I didn’t have a damned choice, Phoebe. It was necessary in order for the club to trust you. Look, me having a background check on the woman staying in my house with my daughter for shits sake shouldn’t be the issue here. You need to see a damned doctor to get checked out. Let me help,” Peanut said, looking defeated as he almost pleaded with her.
Phoebe had to admit that his impassioned plea was getting to her. She didn’t want to admit that he had a right to have her looked into. It wasn’t unheard of at most jobs for them to do a background check and she was keeping his child which would make that step all the more important, but she still couldn’t shake the feelings of betrayal that she felt knowing that he hadn’t trusted her.
“Look, I’ll get the doctor’s name and you can research before we make an appointment. I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. It would break Jasmine’s heart,” Peanut finished lamely and she found herself examining his expression.
“I guess that’s acceptable. I was already researching doctors today,” Phoebe stated, her eyes closing in defeat.
“Thank you.”
“Sure, it’s not like I don’t know I need to see someone. I’m entering my second trimester, I’m pretty sure this week is week sixteen. I just don’t have a lot of money and babies are expensive,” she explained.
“You know I’ll handle that. I don’t want you worrying about the money, we will work something out, okay? You can pay me back twenty dollars a paycheck or something. I know all the money I’ve given you so far is likely hidden under your mattress.” Peanut shook his head smiling.
“Have you been spying on me?” She narrowed her eyes at him and glared.
“No, I just figured out that the money I’ve been paying you each week wasn’t going into the account I helped you open. You’re the only one on that account, you can trust it. That bank isn’t going to let me take your money, Phoebe.” Peanut rubbed a hand over his face, looking tired and more than a little frustrated.
Well boohoo. She didn’t really give a damn. She didn’t want to put her money in the bank where she’d have to go get it if she had to leave quickly. She wanted it in the shoebox she had in the bottom drawer.
“I will keep my money where I want it. I don’t need your approval or your input on where to keep my money. It’s none of your business what I do with it. And while we are on that subject, I’m paying for my own doctor’s visits. You’re my employer, not my keeper.” Phoebe crossed her arms and glared at him again.
“I know I’m not your keeper, Phoebe. I just want to help. Let me help, damn it!” Peanut demanded with a little growl of disapproval.
“You are helping. You’re finding out who your friend’s wife saw. That’s helping.”
“You are so damned stubborn. Fine. We can do it your way but I’m going to the doctors with you and anything they recommend getting done is happening. We will work out the money issues later.” He didn’t wait for her to respond, he just stomped out the door slamming it behind him, likely waking Jasmine in the process. Damn that man.
Phoebe sat down on the edge of the bed with a heavy sigh, her eyes closing as she debated leaving just to prove to him that he wasn’t in charge, but she quickly decided that wasn’t a good idea. She ended up laying in bed for the next hour stewing over their kiss and the argument that had followed. She finally managed to get to sleep but it was fitful, and she woke up the next morning out of sorts and a little pissed off.
Chapter Thirteen
Phoebe walked through the door of the office as Peanut held it open.
After another argument about the doctor’s visit this morning and the restless night she’d had before, she wasn’t in a very good mood. Since Peanut had arranged to have this appointment this afternoon after talking to his friend this morning, she’d agreed to come. She wasn’t too happy about his highhandedness but after a simple google search she’d decided to allow it. Dr. Gilbert was one of the leading OB/GYN’s in the area specializing in complicated and at-risk pregnancies. Getting an appointment with him should have taken weeks but somehow Peanut had gotten her one the same day. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to know how he’d managed it.
She walked to the receptionist’s desk and waited while the woman was on the phone. She checked for a sign in sheet but didn’t see one. The woman at the desk smiled at her as she hung up and asked for her name. When she gave it, she was handed paperwork to fill out and told to have a seat. Peanut was a silent shadow as she walked to two chairs along one wall. She was glad that Jasmine was in school today. She didn’t want Jasmine to feel the tension between her and Peanut. She was still angry with him and he’d been taciturn all morning.
She filled out the forms as best she could without knowing a lot of her mother’s or father’s medical history. It made her heart twinge a little because by the time her mother died she’d barely even known her. How had her life gotten so off kilter? She didn’t know but from now on she wasn’t allowing it to happen. She’d do what she wanted for a change. No more letting other people push her to do things she didn’t want to do.
Phoebe didn’t want to admit that she was already letting Peanut push her into something by being here today. Fine, so she had some work to do but she was going to get there. She returned the papers to the woman at the desk before sitting down next to Peanut again. He sat with his legs stretched out and his hands resting on the arms of the chair, looking more like he was in his living room than a doctor’s office. Several women eyed him warily. One was openly eye-fucking him, which was rude considering he had obviously come here with her. For all the woman knew they could be married, and she was sitting there watching him like he was a piece of meat. Phoebe found herself glaring at the redhead sourly. She probably looked like a jealous wife or girlfriend, but she couldn’t help it. Frustrated, she grabbed a parenting magazine off the table and started flipping through it.
“Stop abusing the magazine, Lovely. You can’t still be mad about me making the appointment when someone had just canceled. You said it yourself, Dr. Gilbert is one of the best baby docs in the state,” Peanut grumbled from beside her.
“I’m not mad,” Phoebe hissed.
“Then why are you turning those pages so hard you’re almost ripping them?”
“Because I don’t like doctors,” Phoebe stated lamely. She was about to admit that she didn’t like the way the redhead across the room was staring at him. She would never admit that she was upset because she truly had no claim on him, and she was beginning to realize she might want one. Shit, when had that happened?
“Um, right. Well, some things can’t be helped.” Peanut didn’t sound convinced, but he shut his mouth and she went back to reading the magazine. It was about ten minutes later when her name was called by a nurse. There was a bit of arguing when he insisted on coming back with her to see the doctor. Not wanting to cause a huge scene when she realized he was going to be stubborn about it, she followed the nurse to an exam room with Peanut in tow. The nurse took her vitals and asked a few questions about the history form she’d filled out before telling them that the doctor would be in in a few moments.
“You didn’t need to come back with me, Peanut,” Phoebe insisted as she sat on the exam table the woman had asked her to wait on.
“Yeah, I did. I want to know that you’re okay. You haven’t had any prenatal care and your ex was an abusive asshole,” Peanut grumbled, sitting in the chair with his arms crossed and a dark scowl.
“He’s still my husband. I’m still married to him because I just ran,” Phoebe whispered through numb lips.
“He’s not going to be your husband for long. I already have people working on the problem.”
“What? What do you mean you have people working on it? Didn’t you even think to consult me about what I wanted?” Phoebe was gripping the table, her breathing erratic. What if Johnny found her because of these people Peanut had ‘working on it’?
“I know why you’re freaked out about me trying to get your marriage to that fucker settled, but I wouldn’t ever do anything that might put you in danger. I won’t, however, let you remain in a legal and binding contract that you don’t want to be in. More than one woman has found themselves trapped with men like that forever. I won’t let that be you.” Peanut held her eyes as he made his impassioned speech.
Phoebe couldn’t help the warm safe feeling that suddenly flowed through her. It was odd because his behavior should scare her to death after her experiences with Johnny, but Phoebe somehow knew that Peanut wasn’t trying to control her or her life. Even if he was acting like a total jackass by assuming that he knew what was best, he was doing it because he wanted to help her, not because he wanted to control her.
“You still should have asked.”
“You’re correct, I should have, but I knew your answer would be one that I didn’t like so I decided not asking was better than asking and then ignoring your wishes on the matter.” Phoebe glared at him with her eyes narrowed. He grinned and winked at her.
Phoebe couldn’t help the silly smile that twisted her lips as she shook her head at his logic. He wasn’t wrong that she would have refused to allow him to start the process if he’d asked because she still had a pit of dread in her stomach at the thought of Johnny finding her. She suspected that if he did show up things would go poorly for him anyway. Peanut and his club would likely beat the holy hell out of Johnny if he showed up looking for her here.
“That’s rather high-handed of you.”
“Maybe so,” Peanut shrugged.
“Definitely so. I haven’t forgotten that we were originally talking about the fact that I am perfectly capable of seeing the doctor without you,” Phoebe said, firmly eyeing him as he shifted in the small chair.
“I know, but I’m worried. Last year Joker’s old lady had some really crazy shit happen when she was pregnant and she almost died. I just want to be sure you’re alright, Phoebe. I care about what happens to you.” His dark eyes were solemn as he looked at her and she felt her heart twist in her chest as she saw the sincere concern on his face.
“Peanut, millions of women have babies without any issues.”
“Yeah, but they aren’t you. I’m worried about you.” Peanut crossed his arms again, a stubborn tilt to his chin. Phoebe likely would have argued more about that if the doctor hadn’t knocked softly on the door before entering. The doctor was a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair and a happy smile. She shook both hers and Peanut’s hand after introducing herself. She smiled before reviewing the papers that Phoebe had filled out before coming back to the room.
Dr. Gilbert briefly listed some tests that they’d need to run and asked more questions about her general health before she asked Phoebe to lie back so she could do an exam. Phoebe’s cheeks heated and she looked at Peanut uncomfortably. He rolled his eyes before tugging the curtain that surrounded the little chair. Dr. Gilbert raised a brow but her smile said it was amusing. She likely thought that this baby was Peanut’s. Phoebe expected to be more concerned about that but strangely she wasn’t. She kind of wished that Peanut was this baby’s father. He was a good dad.
“Great, everything looks good. Dad, you can come out now,” Dr. Gilbert said, allowing her to sit up.
Peanut pushed the curtain back. She expected him to correct the doctor about the baby not being his but he didn’t. He just watched her silently as she sat with her shirt pushed up to just beneath her breasts. His eyes were on the small baby bump she was sporting.
“Let’s listen to the baby’s heartbeat, shall we?” Dr. Gilbert picked up
a small handheld device. She placed the wand on her stomach and moved it around for a few minutes before a steady whooshing sound filled the room.
“Ah, good.”
“That’s the baby’s heart? It’s so fast,” Peanut said sounding worried. Phoebe felt a smile touch her lips as tears threatened to spill. Up until this very moment, the baby hadn’t seemed real. Yes, she knew she was pregnant and she’d started to prepare, but somehow hearing the heart beating made everything real. Her own heart beat a little faster and she felt a surge of protectiveness flow through her. She hadn’t been surprised by the fast rate of the baby’s heart because the book she’d been reading had given facts about each week and what was happening with the baby’s growth. The heart rate had been listed as well.
“Yes, babies’ hearts beat much faster than adults. This is about one hundred and twenty-seven beats per minute which is perfect if Phoebe’s estimation of her due date is accurate. We will be determining that with the ultrasound today. I’d like to be sure, especially since up until now she hasn’t had any prenatal care. If Phoebe is right about the sixteen-week estimation. I can say that everything so far looks good. We need to be sure that everything is developing well and that she is correct on the dates. The blood tests will tell us more as well. With first time pregnancies I like to do an ultrasound at fifteen weeks and then again at twenty to twenty-two weeks. I’ve learned in the years that I’ve practiced that most preventable issues with pregnancy happen in the first trimester and checking early helps to head off some problems that can be prevented with proper care.”
Saved by the Devil (Devils Arms Book 3) Page 11
