CHAPTER SIX
‘I’MGLADTOSAY the nausea is perfectly natural...’ The doctor sent Katie an easy smile in the cubicle office of the small surgery in Gwynedd.
‘How?’ Katie asked, confused now, as well as exhausted. She’d been sick for the last ten days, every afternoon like clockwork, and it was starting to seriously impact her business. Because baking cookies and cupcakes and brownies when even the whiff of chocolate or vanilla essence made you puke was impossible.
It had been over two months since she’d turned down Jack Wolfe’s insane proposition to become his mistress for six months. But nothing had gone right since the moment he’d slammed her cottage door behind him. It was almost as if he’d cursed her.
Sleep had alluded her for the first few weeks—florid, forceful, disturbing dreams tormented her every night in which he demanded her complete compliance and she obeyed without question. She could still smell him—bergamot and sex—on the sheets, despite washing them a hundred times. Could still feel his lips on her breasts, feel the hard, forceful thrust in her sex whenever she woke from fitful dreams. Then she had become tired and listless, falling asleep at a moment’s notice, the thought of him always there, ready to jump her in her dreams.
The phantom sickness had almost been a welcome distraction at first to explain away the general malaise that seemed to have befallen her ever since he had left. This wasn’t about Jack Wolfe and his insulting offer. This was about her working herself to the bone.
But in the last week, when it hadn’t got any better, she had begun to panic. She couldn’t afford to take any more time off work or she would lose her regular customers. She was on the verge of falling behind on her bank loans—and if that happened Cariad Cakes Etc would go under. But, far worse than that, if she lost the business she could end up losing her home, because she’d mortgaged the cottage to pay for the refit. The only upside was she’d saved money on her grocery bill because the last thing she wanted to do was eat.
The gynaecologist sent her a bright if slightly condescending smile. ‘You’re pregnant.’
‘I’m...’ The word dropped like a bomb into the silent surgery. For several moments she couldn’t even process it. ‘But that’s not possible. I... I can’t be pregnant, I’m on the pill,’ she finally blurted out round the wodge of panic in her throat.
The doctor had made a mistake. That was all there was to it.
‘I see,’ the doctor replied, her brows furrowing. ‘Ah yes, I have it here in your notes,’ she added, reading off her computer monitor. ‘Well, obviously it’s extremely rare for this to happen. But no method of contraception is one hundred percent effective, even the contraceptive pill.’
‘But...’ Katie stared at the older woman, her skin heating under the probing gaze.
‘Of course, if you haven’t had sex in—’
‘I did, but only once. And it was nine weeks ago,’ Katie cut in, horrified by the blast of heat that hit her cheeks. ‘But... I can’t be pregnant,’ she said again, her voice breaking on the words even as her hand strayed to her belly. Was this actually happening? Had she somehow got pregnant with Jack Wolfe’s baby?
Tears prickled behind her eyes as the truth blindsided her.
If their moment of madness had left her pregnant—and somehow, where Jack Wolfe was concerned, it seemed more than possible—she would never be able to forget him for the rest of her life. And she hadn’t exactly had much luck with that already.
The doctor’s expression went from confident to concerned in a heartbeat. ‘Miss Medford, I did a blood test,’ she said gently. ‘You are definitely pregnant. What happens now, though, is of course your decision.’
Is it?
‘At only nine weeks’ gestation, you do have options,’ the doctor added softly.
Do I?
Why did she feel as if she didn’t have a choice, then? As if it was already too late? The sensible thing to do now would be to have a termination. This pregnancy had been an accident. A mistake. There was no way she could keep her business afloat if the morning sickness and the exhaustion kept up for another week, let alone any longer. And, even if she managed to get through the pregnancy without going bankrupt, how was she going to be able to run a demanding business while looking after a baby? She couldn’t afford to pay for child care, or staff—not for a good few years yet, anyway.
But even as the fear and panic overwhelmed her she cradled her stomach and a surge of protectiveness swept through her. That morphed into something powerful and unstoppable.
She breathed out slowly to prevent her frantic heart beating right out of her chest. She’d never planned to be a mother—had never even thought of it. And now was the worst possible time for this to happen—especially with a man as ruthless and powerful as Jack Wolfe.
But what terrified her most of all was the thought of having her life ripped apart once again. The way it had been when she’d been seventeen—and her father had glared at her with hate in his eyes and told her to get out.
She blinked back tears and forced herself to suck in another careful breath... And think.
You’ve been at rock bottom before but you made a new life for yourself. A better life. By doing whatever you had to do to survive. Why can’t you do the same again?
Another breath eased out through her constricted lungs but it felt less painful this time. She caressed her invisible bump.
Okay, kiddo, Mummy’s got this. Whatever happens now, we’re in this together.
It wasn’t until she sat on the local bus back to Beddgelert twenty minutes later, her backpack stuffed full of pamphlets about everything from pregnancy vitamins to the benefits of breast feeding, that the full impact of what she’d have to do next knocked the air out of her lungs a second time.
I’m going to have to see Jack Wolfe again.
Informing the taciturn billionaire that she was pregnant with his child was going to be tough enough. Especially as she was fairly sure he would not be pleased at the prospect. He might not even believe the baby was his.
But what choice did she have? Not only did he have the right to know he was going to become a father, but she would have to ask him for help. She’d already maxed out all her credit cards and the next loan payment was due on Friday. She could ask Beatrice for money, but that would only be a temporary fix, and if her father found out Bea was spending any of her allowance on Katie he would probably cut her sister off too.
The idea of having to travel to London tomorrow, cap in hand, and beg Jack Wolfe for a loan went against every one of her principles. Given the insulting offer she’d turned down two months ago, it would also threaten to destroy every ounce of the independence and self-respect she’d worked so hard to gain since she’d been seventeen. What made it worse was knowing she would be completely at his mercy.
After the endless battles with her father, being at any man’s mercy went against the grain. And, having defied Jack once already, she wasn’t even sure he’d have any mercy.
Be advised, Katherine... I never give anyone a second chance.
The rocky escarpment of Pen-y-pass disappeared behind them as the bus travelled into the lush green valley of Nant Gwynant.
Jack might be forceful and overwhelming. But what scared her most was how vulnerable she felt at the moment. If he knew she was pregnant, would he use it against her? What if he had found someone else to be his mistress? Would that be a good thing or bad thing? What if he demanded she get an abortion? He couldn’t make her do anything, but somehow giving him the power to try scared her even more.
Of course, she wouldn’t be able to hold off telling Jack about the pregnancy for very long. But why did she have to tell him everything straight away? Surely she’d be in a better bargaining position if he didn’t know? Asking him to reconsider the offer of financial help for her business would be hard. Especially as she wasn’t even sure any more whether or not she wanted to be his mistress.
After all, however adamant she’d been two months ago, she still hadn’t forgotten the effect he had on her—not even close. But telling him about the pregnancy and throwing herself on his mercy—or lack of it—felt so much more risky.
This was just another negotiation, she told herself staunchly, but it was one she had to make work for her and her baby and her business. The last thing she should do, given what a skilful negotiator Jack was, was give him an even stronger bargaining position.