"I'm rather busy at the moment as you can see. It'll have to wait."
He walked in and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her out of the kitchen toward the office. Guiding Stacey to a chair, he turned and shut the door.
"Right, spill it now. Is that my baby?"
She glared at him before dropping her gaze to the swell of stomach. Picking at the hem on her loose shirt she gazed back up.
"What if it is?"
"I think I have a right to know, don't you?" He walked over and leaned his hands on the desk. "Or is this something you were going to show off once we were up and going with the new mine?"
"Damn you, Morgan. You have no rights, none at all."
"Excuse me, but I must disagree. You said you were protected when we had sex, otherwise I would have used something. This, this.."
"Baby. Say it, it's a baby and yes it might be yours but that does not give you any rights at all in my books, okay. I'm quite capable of bringing up this child on my own so get off your frigging high horse. I don't need you or your money if that's what is bothering you. Just leave me alone." Her breathing was hitched and the need to lash out at him before her hormones had her reduced to tears was building.
"Forgive me if I don't believe you. It always comes down to money sooner or later and I doubt if you are any different than any other women I've ever dated with their eyes on the prize."
"Get out you sanctimonious prick. Get out before I get you thrown out." She rose to her feet and pointed at the door with a shaking finger.
"This isn't the end of it, not by a long shot." He walked to the door, put his hand on the frame and looked back at her. "I know how your female minds work. Once they see how deep the family coffers are, they pounce. I have to give it to you though, you hid it well. For a while there I was convinced you were different. My mistake."
Stacey fell back and sat stunned in her chair as the door slammed behind him. Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head, trying to make sense of his words. Surely Morgan didn't think she had trapped him. She had no idea who he was when they first met and didn't care in the slightest, still didn't. It was a holiday fling that they had both enjoyed, nothing more. Unfortunately for her, she had been slack with her protection and was now paying the price for it.
But to get categorized in the same pile of women like the one who had sued him was humiliating. Money had never meant anything to her and probably never would. This baby would be brought up with or without him and his family fortune. It just stuck in her throat that she had to have him and his crew in the hotel. There wasn't enough money coming in to turn away long staying customers no matter how much of an ass he was. Pop's legacy had to be kept running.
Stacey wiped the tears from her cheeks and made her way back to the kitchen.
"You okay pet?" Her new cook Nigel wiped his hands on his apron before he picked up the fry pan, pouring gravy onto the plates in front of him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Let me help take those out for you." She picked up two plates and headed for the dining room placing them in front of hungry looking men. Morgan walked in as she turned to go back for another load and she averted her eyes brushing past him without comment.
When every plate was out Stacey resisted the urge to run up to her room and crawl into bed with her arms protectively wrapped around her belly. The only thing she could be sure of was the life growing inside her. Everything else in her life was open to change, being a mother was a certainty with or without a partner. She just had to get through this next couple of months until the mines temporary accommodation arrived and he wouldn't be in her face every day.
After the men had finished their meals she helped Nigel clear the tables and load the dishwasher while Jane served out in the bar. By the time closing came around the bar was empty. The workers had gone to bed early ready for their early starts. Saying goodnight to her staff, she walked into the hallway and locked the front door. Turning for the stairs she put her hand on the railing as pain hit her body.
An ache was settling in on her chest and she rubbed between her breasts thoughtfully. If it was still there in the morning she would go and see Doc after everyone left for the mine. Her tired feet carried her up the stairs to her room.
Closing her door quietly, Stacey slipped off her clothes and stumbled into the bathroom. The heat from the shower spray soothed her tired muscles and she wondered how long she would be able to keep this job up before it became necessary to hire more staff to do what she did.
Snapping herself out of the melancholy thoughts she grabbed the shower puff and pumped it full of rose perfumed liquid soap. After a couple of squishes it started to foam and Stacey lathered her body in her favorite smell. She was transported back to her mother's front garden on Sydney's north shore.
To run home to the comfort of the lush green grass and delicate pinks of her favorite rose bushes was very tempting right now. It would be so easy to ring up and tell them she was coming home and to hire someone else to take over Pop's pub.
But she couldn't do
