Baby For The Mountain Man

by Nicole Elliot

  “Apology accepted, man.”

  We separated. “Have you heard from her lately?” Tobias asked.

  I shook my head. “No. I wanted to ask you if she was all right.”

  Tobias swore. “I haven’t seen her in a few days. I don’t know what the hell is going on or where she ran off to. Do you know I’ve got a few strands of gray hair now? I know she’s the reason for it.”

  “Wait,” I said, “…she hadn’t been staying with you?”

  “No. She packed up and left. And it’s my fault. Of course, I never would have kicked her out, but I can’t say I’ve been exactly hospitable to her lately.”

  “I’ll help you find her.”

  Tobias nodded. “Thanks. I have a feeling something isn’t right.”

  “Me too,” I said, trying to keep my panic at bay.

  CHAPTER 24

  Joanna

  Tobias had either been working late at the office, or staying out of the house longer than normal simply so that he could avoid me. Either way, after taking the pregnancy tests, I was grateful for his absence. It had taken me a while to get over the shock, but when I did, I began packing my bags and I called the first person I thought of.

  “Hello? Joanna? Oh my god, what’s wrong?” Libby’s voice had said on the other line.

  “Libby, I need a place to stay, just temporarily. I hate to be a burden and to ask for such a huge favor at the last minute like this—”

  “Of course you can stay with me,” she had said, cutting me off. “Come over as soon as you need to.”

  I’d sniffed back tears. “Thank you, Libby. I’ll be there in a little while. And I’ll explain everything.”

  “Did you just seriously wipe me out of my second tub of ice cream?” Libby said with a frown. It was two hours later, and I was sitting on her couch, holding back tears. Libby had been patient with me, respecting that I needed time to work up to telling her my story. I had requested ice cream along the way, and she happily served me some.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll buy you some more,” I said. “I’ve just been craving it lately.”

  “Ahh, that’s all right,” Libby said, waving her hand dismissively. “Nothing is ever as bad as it seems when you’ve got ice cream. So, are you ready to spill it already? What’s going on?”

  “I guess there’s no real reason to hide it anymore,” I said. “Anderson and I have been…seeing each other.”

  Libby gasped so loudly and dramatically that she almost fell off the couch. “I knew it! All that stuff about you growing up with him and whatnot! Ha! I knew it!” She slapped me across the arm. “You know you could have just told me, right? Why the secrecy?”

  “Because my brother is overly protective,” I told her. “Anderson and I both knew he wasn’t going to approve. And to make a long story short, he doesn’t.”

  Libby’s excitement quickly subsided. “Oh girl, I’m sorry,” she said. “But who cares? You can’t live your life according to what your brother wants. You’re your own woman. And hell, for a man as gorgeous as Anderson Lawrence, I wouldn’t give a damn what anybody says!” She laughed, nudging me in the arm and trying to get me to join in. But my eyes involuntarily filled with tears in response.

  “I wish it was that simple,” I said. “Tobias is really upset. He feels like we betrayed him. Now he’s not speaking to either one of us. And I feel like shit because Anderson and Tobias have been friends for as long as I can remember. And…” I drew in a breath, feeling my chest squeezing together as I struggled to finish the rest of what I needed to say.

  Libby threw her arm around me. “And what? It can’t be that bad, whatever it is. As long as it doesn’t involve Zander.”

  I shook my head. “No, it doesn’t involve Zander.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  I produced a weak smile as I tried to figure out how to proceed.

  Libby gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “What is it then?” she asked.

  I took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.” My confession hung in the air. It was the first time I had uttered the words out loud, making them official. Making them real. “I’m pregnant,” I repeated. “By Anderson.”

  Libby gasped again, covering her hands with her mouth. “Oh my god,” she said. “Congratulations!”

  I laughed, although I wasn’t entirely sure I found anything funny. “Thanks. I’m not sure how much I have to celebrate though, given the circumstances.”

  “Honey, you have plenty to celebrate,” Libby said. “A baby! Wow! That’s a blessing, Joanna. Hold on, I need a drink.” She leapt up from the couch and headed to her china cabinet, talking excitedly as she retrieved wine. Her voice soon became a muffled drone in my ears though, for my thoughts had grown too loud to hear over.

  All I could think about was how in the world I was going to tell Anderson. Although I didn’t know for sure, something told me he wasn’t at a point in his life where he was ready to be a father. Hell, I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to be a mother.

  Sure, I’d thought about having children before, but I would have preferred having them under happier conditions. Planned conditions. In other words, not under an unexpected happenstance that had caused a rift between my brother and his best friend.

  Libby returned with a glass of wine and sat back down beside me. “Sorry I can’t offer you any.”

  Despite my mood, a genuine laugh left my mouth. “Oh Libby, what am I going to do?”

  “You’re just going to take things step-by-step,” she said. “First thing’s first, have you told Anderson?”

  I shook my head. “That’s all I can think about. I don’t know what to say.”

  “How do you think he’s going to react?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, does he strike you as a family-oriented man? Have you ever heard him talk about wanting kids before?”

  “No. No to both of those.”

  “Have you ever heard him say that he doesn’t want kids?”

  “Well, no…”

  “So technically, you’re on neutral ground. That’s a good thing. Don’t be so quick to jump to conclusions.”

  “I guess I never looked at it that way,” I said after a pause.

  “You know there’s only one way to find out then, right?”

  I nodded. “I’m going to need time to get to that point though.”

  “Take all the time you need,” Libby said after taking a sip of her wine. “And you can stay here for as long as you need.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I think you should tell him sooner than later though,” Libby said. “Your absence at the office is bound to start raising some eyebrows, especially his.”

  “If he asks you about me, please don’t tell him anything,” I said. “I just need some time…”

  “Of course,” Libby said, giving me another hug.

  “I think I need some more ice cream too,” I said. “You know, since I can’t have any wine.”

  Libby laughed.

  CHAPTER 25

  Joanna

  While I knew Libby had a point in suggesting that I should tell Anderson about my pregnancy sooner rather than later, it was far easier said than done. As the days went by, I still couldn’t work up the nerve. His calls remained unanswered, and my resolve continued to waiver.

  “Talk to him,” Libby had said to me one day after she’d returned from work. “He asked me about you today, you know. He’s worried. I can tell.”

  “I’ll tell him soon,” I’d said, although I had been saying that for several days already.

  The next thing I knew, Sunday evening had arrived and I had Libby’s house to myself. Her cousin had come to town, and the two of them were going out to dinner and catch up with each other.

  “You’re welcome to join us,” Libby had offered. “It’ll be fun, and it’ll do you some good to get out the house.”

  But I’d turned down the offer, not feeling in the mood to socialize. “I think I’m going to do it tonight,�
� I told her. “I’m going to call Anderson. Maybe invite him over so that we can talk. Is that all right?”

  “Yes!” Libby said. “In fact, I’ll even stay out. I can crash at the hotel with my cousin to give you two some privacy.”

  “Thanks, Libby. I owe you big time.”

  Yet as the evening wore on, the only call I had succeeded in making was to a Chinese restaurant to order some chicken-fried rice and eggrolls.

  It’s still early though, I told myself. I’ll wait until the food gets here, and then invite him over to eat.

  I sat on the couch, staring at Family Feud reruns and trying to collect my thoughts. Growing antsy, I began to pace the floor, trying desperately to find the right words to say when I called Anderson.

  “Anderson, I’m pregnant,” I practice out loud and then shook my head, knowing I couldn’t spring into such a major confession right from the start. I’d have to work my way up to it.

  Besides, I knew that when I called, the first thing he’d want to know was why I’d been ignoring him…

  I continued pacing the floor, my mind running wild as I envisioned all the possible scenarios that could happen.

  Would he be happy to hear from me, or would he be angry? Would he agree to come see me, or would he demand I just told him over the phone, right then and there, what was wrong with me?

  Would he be happy about becoming a father, or would he panic and try to worm his way out of it?

  Had he talked to Tobias at all since the gala?

  The doorbell rang, catching me off guard and making my heart leap to my throat. I let out a long breath. “Goodness, Joanna, get a grip,” I said to myself. I reached for my wallet and headed to the door, my stomach growling despite the ridiculous amount of ice cream that I’d eaten over the past few days.

  “How much?” I said, as I opened the door.

  I looked up, stopping dead in my tracks. My blood turned cold and my stomach dropped as if the floor beneath my feet had suddenly disappeared.

  I wanted to believe that I was dreaming, and this was only a nightmare that I would wake up from at any moment…

  But I already knew that wasn’t the case, and that Zander really was standing there in front of me on the porch, sloppy drunk with a bruise across his left cheek. His eyes were glassy with intoxication, but that didn’t prevent him from sneering, proud to have successfully tracked me down.

  “Told you I was coming, didn’t I, love?” he said.

  Survival instincts finally kicking in, I quickly moved to slam the door in his face. My mind raced with what I needed to do, like lock the door and call the police…

  But even in his state of drunkenness, he was able to react quickly enough to grab the door and force his way inside.

  “Did you really think you could get away from me?” he spat, painfully grabbing my arms.

  I twisted, panicking and trying to free myself from his grasp. I kicked him in the shin with every ounce of strength I could muster, catching him by surprise.

  “You bitch!” he yelled, momentarily releasing my arm.

  I turned to run, but his hard and heavy footsteps followed closely behind me. A scream got stuck in my throat.

  And just as I reached the edge of the steps, he lunged forward me, sending me crashing down. My body exploded in pain as I landed roughly on the steps, right on my stomach. The wind was knocked right out of me.

  “What did I tell you about trying to run from me?” Zander bellowed.

  CHAPTER 26

  Anderson

  To say that I was a nervous wreck was probably the understatement of the century. Ever since Tobias had revealed that Joanna had left his house without leaving any indication of her whereabouts, there had been a ball of dread in my stomach, especially since I had learned the full details about her fucking asshole ex. Something just wasn’t right, and Tobias and I both knew it. But with Joanna not answering her phone, returning our calls, or showing up for work, we just had no way of figuring out what was going on.

  We had tried in vain to find her, visiting places she had frequented—such as favorite restaurants, bookstores, shopping malls—all to no avail. Tobias had even resorted to calling a few of her friends, but no one had heard anything. It was like she had somehow disappeared right into thin air.

  “She’ll turn up,” Tobias had kept saying. “She always does.” But the more he said it, the more it became apparent that his words were solely an attempt to comfort himself.

  When we had exhausted all of our ideas of places she could potentially be found, we were forced to throw in the towel.

  “Maybe she’ll show up for work this week,” I had offered, but my words were just as hollow as Tobias’. I strongly doubted she would just report to the firm after avoiding everyone for a full week.

  “Maybe so,” had Tobias said. But we both knew we were kidding ourselves.

  Nevertheless, Monday morning, I had managed to fool myself into believing she might actually turn up and that I would walk into the office to find her stepping off the elevator, wearing a pencil skirt with her curly hair pinned on top of her head, grinning at me and saying, “How’d you fair with the latest set of numbers?”

  I woke early, deciding that I wanted to get to the office early, just in case…

  When I got to the firm, it was mostly empty, just as I had expected. I headed to the break room to make myself a cup of coffee that I didn’t really want. I took a sip, grimacing at how bitter it tasted because I’d been too distracted with my thoughts to make it properly. But I kept it anyway, and then proceeded to Tobias’s office, hoping with bated breath that he had managed to make contact with Joanna at some point over the weekend. I wanted nothing more than for him to look at me and say, “Oh, I forgot to tell you—she came back Sunday evening. She’s fine. In fact, she’ll be here in a little while.”

  But the second I stepped foot into his office, I knew that wasn’t going to be the case judging from his tensed expression. He looked up at me expectantly. “Heard anything?”

  I sighed and shook my head. “Nope. Was hoping you had,” I said, staring down into my bitter coffee.

  “Shit,” Tobias said, flopping down into the chair behind his desk and staring out the window beside it. The day outside was dark and gloomy, the clouds in the sky threatening thunderstorms even though rain hadn’t been in the forecast.

  “Look, I’m not feeling good about this at all,” I said. “Don’t you think it’s time to file a missing persons report? It’s been too long now, hasn’t it?”

  Tobias bit his bottom lip. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I’ve thought about it, believe me I have. But I also know how Joanna is. On one hand, I’m worried sick, but on the other, I get the feeling that she’s just holed up somewhere, wanting to be alone and not wanting to answer to anybody. She can get like that sometimes. She has before. If I file a missing persons report and she isn’t in any real danger, she’ll be pissed. And that will just push her farther away. She’ll accuse me of meddling in her business, like always.”

  “Okay, fair point. But what if something really is wrong?” I argued. “Better safe than sorry, right? This just isn’t something we should be risking at this point, especially if there’s even the slightest chance that bastard Zander is on the loose.”

  Tobias shook his head. “I don’t think Zander is involved. If Zander was the problem, she would have said something. That’s probably the only thing that would make her say something.”

  I sighed in exasperation. “So what are we supposed to do? Just sit here and do nothing?”

  “I’m thinking about giving it a few more days. And if we don’t hear anything by then, I’ll be ready to go ahead a file a missing persons report. And if it turns out that she’s all right and she gets pissed off at me—then oh well. She shouldn’t have been acting like this. It’ll be partially her own fault.”

  I bit my tongue, refraining from saying that a big part of this was really his fault for throwing such a temper tantrum.
If he hadn’t reacted so negatively to finding out about us, I had a strong suspicion we wouldn’t be in this predicament.

  But I remained quiet, knowing that the time for pointing fingers was long gone.

  “So you want to wait a few more days?” I said. I wasn’t sure I could stand waiting that much longer, and was just about to say as much when someone knocked on Tobias’s office door.

  Tobias and I exchanged glances, each of us silently asking if the other was expecting anyone. It was early in the morning, and the official working hours hadn’t started yet.

  I shrugged my shoulders, letting him know that I hadn’t scheduled a meeting with anyone.

  “Come in,” Tobias said, eyeing the door curiously.

  It slowly creaked open and Libby poked her head through.

  “Hey, Libby. What’s up?” Tobias said.

  “Hi, Tobias. Anderson. I…I’m glad you’re both here, actually,” she said, her eyes locking with mine. She stepped all the way inside and closed the door behind her. Her face was pale, and she looked worried.

  “What is it?” I asked, alarmed.

  “I don’t really know where to start,” she said, “so I guess I’ll just get straight to the point.” She locked eyes with me once again. “Was Joanna with you last night?”

  “No…” I said.

  “Shit,” Libby shook her head.

  Tobias stood from his seat. “Libby, do you know something about Joanna?”

  She nodded her head. “She’s been staying with me, actually. She just didn’t want me to say anything to you guys about it. When I last saw her, she told me that she was going to call you.” Libby turned her gaze back to me. “She said she was inviting you over to talk. That was last night.”

  I shook my head. “She never called me,” I said, the blood in my veins seeming to turn cold right on the spot.

  Libby ran a hand through her hair. “Something’s wrong. I’ve been trying to call Joanna for a few hours now, but she’s not answering. I haven’t been back to my place. I stayed out last night with my cousin, and just left for work from there. I thought I was giving you guys some privacy at my place…to talk and…work things out. But now it seems like she’s not there, and hasn’t been there for a while. Not long ago, I saw that I had a message from my alarm system company reporting a broken window at my place…”