Yet somehow, finding out she was pregnant had given Sammi the determination to stand up to her mother. All the decisions ahead of her seemed less daunting now that she was responsible for her child. Despite all the obstacles before her, the possibilities were endless and exciting.
Feeling stronger and more focused than she had in weeks, Sammi hit the gym to assuage her guilty conscience after slacking off. While she was blessed with the metabolism that let her eat pretty much whatever she wanted and maintain her slim figure, sweating through a workout cleared her mind. Maybe her lack of gym time was one reason for her muddled thoughts of late.
She spied her best friend working out with free weights as she entered and made her way past the gym equipment toward Kimberly.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” the lanky blonde said, her welcoming smile at odds with her scolding tone. “You’ve been skipping our workouts for two weeks now.”
“I haven’t been feeling great,” Sammi said, bracing herself to deliver the news.
So far she’d told only her mother and Oliver. She had an appointment to tell her agency later that day. Hopefully, they’d keep her on as long as possible. She needed to earn as much money as she could in the weeks before she started showing.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Kimberly paused between sets and eyed her. “You do look pale and thinner. Are you feeling better?”
Sammi stripped off her jacket and picked up a set of five-pound weights. “The nausea comes and goes.”
“If it’s been going on for two weeks, you should see a doctor.”
“I did.”
Her friend’s blond ponytail swung as she shot Sammi an inquiring look. “And...?”
“I’m pregnant,” Sammi said, delivering the news without preamble.
“Please tell me it isn’t Ty’s.”
Kimberly had made no secret her dislike of Sammi’s ex-boyfriend. They’d double-dated on several occasions with Kimberly and her documentary-filmmaker fiancé. Sammi wished she’d taken Kimberly’s advice and dumped him sooner.
“Ty is not the father.”
“You’re sure?” Kimberly fixed her friend with worried blue eyes.
“Very. In fact, we never...”
Kimberly’s mouth fell open. “You dated him for almost six months and you never slept with him?”
Sammi nodded. “It never felt right with Ty.”
In fact, she’d started wondering if there was something seriously wrong with her, since her libido had seemed on permanent vacation. And then along came Oliver and rocked her universe.
“So who is the father?”
“Oliver Lowell.”
“The photographer?”
Sammi’s stomach clenched at her friend’s surprise. Was Kimberly about to issue another dire warning about Sammi’s poor relationship choices? To her surprise, the other model showed curiosity rather than disgust.
“Oh, he’s hot,” Kimberly said, fanning herself. “And I’ve heard he’s great to work with as long as you take direction well. But I didn’t think he was doing fashion shoots anymore.”
Sammi thought about the twenty-three dollars she’d paid for a portrait session that had never happened. “I didn’t meet him at a shoot.”
“Then how? You aren’t one for clubbing or parties.”
“He approached me the night Ty and I broke up.”
“Interesting timing.” Kimberly’s expression shifted from thoughtful to curious. “So you’ve been dating all this time and haven’t said anything?”
“Not exactly.” Sammi hoped her friend would think the heat overtaking her cheeks was due to the workout rather than embarrassment. “It was just that one night.”
“That’s so not like you.” Kimberly gave a shrug. “But I suppose that after Ty dumped you, a hookup makes sense.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Sammi said. “I didn’t sleep with him because I was upset that things ended with Ty.”
“Then why did you?”
Sammi paused before answering, the memory of that night still holding power over her. “He’s charismatic and troubled and so sexy. When I’m with him, I can’t decide whether to tear his clothes off or run like hell the other way.”
Kimberly’s eyes glowed with curiosity. “What usually happens?”
“Neither. You know how I am—I just push it all down and pretend nothing bothers me.”
“One of these days all that emotion is going to explode out of you, and heaven help the person who gets mowed down by the rush.” Kimberly grinned with relish. “So, obviously you’re into him. How does he feel about you?”
“I’m not sure. I guess he was looking for me after the night we spent together, but he didn’t get my name right.”
“Men,” Kimberly scoffed, rolling her eyes. “And now? How is he feeling about his impending fatherhood?”
“I can’t quite tell. I mean this whole thing has come as a huge shock, and he’s not totally convinced the baby’s his.” Sammi stretched out her shoulders after a series of overhead circles with a weighted ball. “The paternity test results are due sometime today.”
“And then he’ll know.”
“And then he’ll know,” Sammi echoed, her stomach clenching.
“Any idea how he’ll react?”
“Not a one.”
“But you’re hoping it’s the start of something?” Kimberly ventured.
“I’m not sure.”
“But you’re really into him, right? Wouldn’t it be perfect if he felt the same way about you?”
“I don’t know. I mean the sex was amazing, but what if that was all it was for him?”
“You won’t know if you don’t try again, right?”
Sammi nodded. She’d been thinking along the same lines, but what happened if more great sex led nowhere? Already Sammi felt far too emotionally vulnerable thanks to the pregnancy hormones.
“It’s just that I had a huge crush on him when I was a teenager, and I’m lusting after him now big-time. What if I get hurt?”
“What if you don’t?”
“I think I should take things really slow.”
“Or you could take a crazy risk and see where it leads.”
“You are always so optimistic,” Sammi said, envious of her friend’s confidence. “How do you do it?”
“I owe it all to my parents. They brought me up right.”
Having met most of Kimberly’s family, Sammi understood where her friend was coming
