They lay in silence, her breasts crushed to his chest and her warm breath on his cheek.
“Scott?” She wriggled free, and he let her roll off him.
“Hmm?”
“This is really scary,” she whispered.
His heart cracked a little bit at her admission.
“One minute I was pregnant and alone, dealing with a huge upcoming life change and an asshole ex, knowing I had to step up as the sole adult and take charge. And the next I have you barging in like some white knight, taking over.”
He met her gaze, keeping one arm around her waist. “It’s overwhelming for me too.”
Surprise flickered in her dark eyes.
“But us—we’re a good thing. You’re not in this alone anymore.” And he meant it. He was falling hard and fast for her, and he wasn’t going to fight something that felt so right.
A tear fell, and he caught it with his fingertip. “Hey. What is it?”
She met his gaze. “I don’t understand what you’re doing with me,” she said honestly. “And that’s not putting myself down or even shortchanging myself. It’s a fact. But it’s also a fact that I’m grateful you’re here, and I’m not strong enough to turn you away.”
“Good. Because you’d have a real fight on your hands. Some things are just meant to be.”
“And in my experience, fairy tales don’t come true.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t think too hard, okay?” Lord knew he was trying not to.
She sniffed and nodded. “I’ll try.”
“Good. Are you tired?” he asked.
“Beyond.”
“Then let’s get some sleep.”
Monday morning came way too fast. Scott had stayed the weekend, and Meg couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed just hanging around and relaxing quite so much. He liked action movies and so did she, which meant they were able to agree on what to watch. They viewed The Expendables on Netflix, so he got his action and she got her fill of Jason Statham, and then moved on to the Taken series, which she’d missed in theaters. Liam Neeson certainly wasn’t hard on the eyes either.
Before she left for work, Scott reminded her that Rick would be following her to school and waiting in the parking lot just in case her ex decided to make an appearance. Scott was heading over to his brother’s so they could hammer out business details and talk to a lawyer to make their partnership and joint ownership of Double Down Security official.
He left her with a kiss and, “Have a good day, baby.”
Her heart fluttered at that, and she set out for work. Maybe because her mood was good, the kids were on their best behavior and the morning flew by. When she sent them off to the music teacher for half an hour, she headed back to her classroom for a brief break but didn’t get much time before the intercom sounded in her room. Allie asked her to come to the office, and Meg headed down the long hallway lined with children’s artwork on various class bulletin boards before arriving at the office.
Allie’s desk was directly in front of the doorway. “Hi,” Meg said to her friend.
“Hi.” Allie smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Meg, these people would like to speak with you.” She gestured to an elegant blonde with a classic bob hairstyle and light makeup wearing a dressy pantsuit. By her side was a gentleman with graying hair and a well-fitting suit.
Meg didn’t know them, and if they’d been the parents of her students, she would have. In a shocking change of pace, they’d all shown up for parent-teacher night. She didn’t recognize either of these people.
“Ms. Thompson?” the man asked.
Meg nodded warily. “How can I help you?”
The woman stepped closer and spoke in a low tone. “I’m Lydia Ashton and this is my husband, Walter.”
“Ashton? As in Mike Ashton?” Meg asked as lights began to flicker in front of her eyes. She was suddenly dizzy. She reached for the wall behind her, seeking support.
The woman gave her a slight nod. “We’re Mike’s parents.”
Meg drew a forced breath. She wasn’t about to have a conversation with them here, where, heaven forbid, the principal could overhear. He was already upset with her pregnant-single-mother status. She had no desire for him to find her having personal meetings during school time.
Meg pulled herself up to her full height. “Let’s go talk somewhere private. I only have another twenty minutes before my students return.” She led them away from Allie’s curious stare to a quiet part of the hallway where no classrooms were located. “Why are you here? What do you want?” Meg asked.
“Mike tells us you refuse to see him,” his mother said.
Meg knew that Rick, her bodyguard, was sitting in his car, watching for Mike, who, thanks to online photos, he’d recognize on sight. Were his parents here because he couldn’t show up himself?
Meg curled her hands into fists. “I have a restraining order against him, which means I don’t have to see him. And he’s already violated that order once. If the police catch him near me, they’ll arrest him.” Meg’s legs shook, and she leaned against the wall to steady herself.
“Yes, that is unfortunate. My son is . . . a disappointment, to say the least.”
Meg’s eyes opened wide at that unexpected statement.
“That’s why we’re here. We”—the older woman pointed between herself and her husband—“want to know we’ll be able to see our grandchild.”
Meg shook her head in disbelief. “You do realize that when I told your son he was going to be a father, he questioned his paternity,” she said, still offended by his insinuation. “I’m happy to take any damned test. It’s his. He was furious, and he pushed me, hard. I fell and nearly lost the baby.” She swallowed hard. “Your son is an abuser.” Her voice cracked,
