What the doctor said next would determine whether he plunged into a free fall or stepped back to the safety of his normal life.
Dr. Jenkins cast him a glance. “I can’t say for sure—” he began, but Maggie cut him off.
“Three months,” she said evenly. She met Thorne’s gaze; her blue eyes glinted with challenge, as if she was daring him to question the paternity of the baby.
The doctor nodded. “I’d say that’s consistent with fetal measurements and development. The obstetrician will likely be able to narrow it down further.”
“I see,” Thorne said weakly. He tried to take a deep breath, but there wasn’t enough oxygen in the room. He gasped, his chest tightening with effort. His fingertips began to tingle and he leaned forward, trying to stand.
A hand shot out and grabbed his upper arm, holding him steady. Thorne looked up and Dr. Jenkins’s concerned face filled his vision. “Are you okay?”
Thorne nodded. “I just need some air.” He managed to get his feet under him and staggered out of the room, feeling like his body weighed a thousand pounds.
A baby. He was going to be a father.
He found a chair in the hall and collapsed into it, grateful for the support. How was this even possible?
Well, he knew how it had happened. He remembered every second of that night—every touch, every kiss, every sigh. He’d been living off the memories for the last three months, knowing it was all he’d ever have.
But even though he’d finally indulged in his attraction to Maggie, he’d made sure to use protection. He wasn’t ready to be a father, and he hadn’t wanted to saddle her with a child, either.
Especially not his child.
A cold chill gripped his heart as he thought of his brother Knox and his nephew, Cody. A few months ago, one of Livia’s old cronies, Earl Hefferman, had kidnapped Cody in a bid to get back at Livia for cheating him out of some money. Fortunately, Knox had found his son safe and sound, but the aftershocks of that terrifying ordeal still affected them all.
What would happen if Livia or, God forbid, her enemies found out about this baby? He harbored no illusions about how his mother would react; she would see this child as another pawn to be moved around in her sick game of chess. And her accomplices would feel the same way. His stomach cramped at the thought of an innocent baby being exposed to such wicked people. Maggie wasn’t safe, either. As long as she carried his child, she was a target.
And it seemed like someone was already trying to hurt her.
He shuddered, imagining the giant fireball that had consumed her car. A few more minutes, and Maggie would have been inside the car when it exploded. She was definitely a target, but who would want to do her harm? And more importantly, why?
Given the look of shock on her face, she hadn’t known about the pregnancy, which meant no one else did, either. But it was possible Livia or one of her goons had figured out that Maggie held a special place in his heart. Livia wasn’t above hurting an innocent person to get what she wanted, and if she had her sights set on punishing Thorne for his lack of support during her trial it made sense she would target the one woman he’d shown an interest in, even if he had walked away after their night together.
He wouldn’t put it past Livia to have hired people to keep tabs on her children, reporting back any developments that she could use against them. And his night with Maggie would not have gone unnoticed. It had been years since he’d dated anyone, and he didn’t enjoy one-night stands. A woman staying the night in his apartment certainly would have been news, and he could picture all too well Livia’s gleeful reaction at the discovery of a new button she could push.
Thorne shook his head, cursing under his breath. He’d wasted so much time worrying about Maggie’s reputation should anyone find out about their connection. He should have realized the true threat came from Livia, especially after her escape from prison months ago.
“There you are.”
Thorne glanced up to find his brother Knox walking toward him. A wave of relief washed over him; next to Mac, Knox was the glue that held their family together. He’d always looked up to his older half brother and just seeing him now made Thorne feel like everything was going to be okay.
“What are you doing here?” Thorne stood and met his brother halfway down the hall. “It’s good to see you, but what’s going on?” A terrible thought occurred to him, and Thorne’s stomach dropped. “Are Cody and Allison okay?” God, had someone targeted them, as well?
Knox clapped a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. “They’re fine, everyone’s okay,” he said. “I’m here for you. Mac called me,” he explained. “Said there’d been an explosion at the ranch and you were here with Maggie.”
Thorne nodded, glad to know no one else had been hurt today. “She’s in with the doctor now. She has a concussion and some bruised ribs.” He paused, wondering if he should tell Knox the rest of the news. Maggie might not want anyone to know about the baby yet.
Knox picked up on his hesitation. “And?” he prompted.
Ah, to hell with it. Her pregnancy affected his life, too, and Knox wasn’t the kind of man to spread gossip. Still, Thorne glanced around to make sure no one was nearby to overhear his next words. “And she’s, uh, she’s pregnant,” he said, keeping his voice low.
Knox’s eyebrows shot up. “By the way you’re acting, can I assume the baby is yours?”
Thorne nodded. “I think so.”
“You think so? You mean you don’t know for sure?”
Thorne looked down, resisting the temptation to scuff the toe of his boot on the shiny linoleum floor. “We haven’t had a chance to talk yet.”
Knox leaned back against the wall, blowing out his breath in a sigh. “Well. That will be some conversation.”
Thorne fell into place beside his brother with a small laugh. “Yeah.”
Knox was silent a moment. Then he leaned over and bumped Thorne’s shoulder with his own. “Don’t you know how birth control works?”
“We used a condom.” Thorne felt his face heat and knew he was blushing. “I still have that box you bought me.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Knox turned to face him, incredulity shining in his bright blue eyes. “I gave you that box when you were still in high school! Do you mean to tell me you haven’t used them all yet?”
“No.” Thorne’s shoulders hunched and he looked down again, searching for an escape from this conversation. “Wendy Smithson broke up with me a few weeks after your little sex ed lesson, and I haven’t really dated a lot of women since then.”
“Yeah, but...”
“There were a hundred condoms in the box,” Thorne pointed out dryly. “I’m glad you think so highly of me, but I haven’t had a lot of success with women. I understand horses a lot better.”
“Who doesn’t?” Knox muttered. He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the short light brown strands. “You know
