A Wrong Turn Towards Love by Pepper Pace Read Free Book Online Page B

a matter of fact everyone in the bar was looking at Bodie. Bodie pulled himself out of his reverie at the sudden quiet, he turned and looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the bar.
    Standing in the doorway was a very pretty, petite black woman with a very large, very pregnant belly.
    Bodie’s jaw dropped.
    “Bodie, you better go see about your business.” Merle chuckled. And then everyone was good-naturedly razing him.
    Of course everybody on the mountain had heard about the two of them tooling around town together and when Bodie’s temper soured they had all speculated on the reason--had even made jokes at his expense, which soured him even more. But now the focus of that speculation was standing right there in the doorway of a redneck joint, in exactly the spot she had stood over eight months ago.
    The petite black woman placed her hands on top of the swell of her belly and sighed as she stared pointedly at Bodie. He scrambled to stand on legs that were now as shaky as Jello. He thought he was going to hit the floor with his first step but somehow he was standing before her.
    Her eyes narrowed. “Bodie…whatever your last name is, I just want to know whether or not you’re going to take care of your responsibilities.”
    A few people hooted and he shot them a look filled with fire, which quieted the room again.
    “Shaun…you’re…” he gestured to her belly.
    “Having a baby,” she completed his sentence.
    “How many months—oh…I guess I should know that right? It is-?”
    “Yours? Yes,” she concluded for him.
    He felt faint. “Okay.” With hands that shook slightly he helped her inside and got her seated at a table far away from his friends at the bar. Once they were seated he didn’t remove his hand from hers and the stern look on her face suddenly shattered and her eyes softened as she gripped his big hand.
    “Oh Bodie, I’m so sorry! I was really scared,” she said rapidly, not caring about the audience that watched in rapt interest. “I wanted to come so many times-“
    “Shaun-“
    “I know that being scared was no reason to act the way I did but I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you-”
    “Shaun.” She quieted and looked at him with teary eyes. “I missed you so damn much. I tried to find you. I sent you letters and they all came back undeliverable-”
    She quickly perked. “That’s because Craig and I found a bigger place because of the baby. You…tried to find me, Bodie?”
    “Yes.” He took her other hand and leaned in close to her, staring deeply into her dark eyes. “Shaun I wanted to tell you how sorry I was that I didn’t wake up that morning and take you in my arms and tell you how wonderful I thought you were-”
    “Bodie,” she whispered as she stared deep into his hazel eyes.
    “I wanted to but I didn’t,” he continued, “and it wasn’t because you’re black…I thought later that you might think that, but that wasn’t it. It was just because I’ve been by myself for so long and I truly don’t know how…how to be with you.”
    “Oh Bodie! I’m sorry. Every single night since I’ve left I am haunted by how horrible I was. I was scared and I…I was just lashing out!”
    “I am so sorry I let you go off like that alone. I knew you were scared, honey. I should have never let you go like that-”
    “I was a bitch to you-”
    He gave her a stern look. “Hey, don’t call my baby’s mama a bitch. She is a remarkably brave woman.” His frown deepened. “Who makes some crazy decisions—like driving up in these mountains after dark.” He shuddered at the thought of her navigating some of the dangerous turns and sudden drop-offs on those dark winding roads . 
    She smiled. “One thing about your baby’s mama is that she is very impulsive. Sometimes she will get a crazy idea in her head and nothing can change her mind.”
    “What crazy idea did she get in her head this time?”
    “That Chicago isn’t the best place to raise a