The Bear’s Surrogate by Layla Silver

Author:Layla Silver [Silver, Layla]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-01-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12 - Dakota

When the agency had called me to let me know that the intended father had offered to give me a place to stay, I had been both relieved and terrified. One, I didn’t know the man, and this had not been the plan. Two, what if he wasn’t nice, and I would have to bear the thought of leaving the child with him? I knew that the agency did background checks and all that, so he would have to be a decent guy somehow. But once upon a time, someone had deemed my uncle fit enough to adopt me. And look how that had turned out. People often looked good on paper, but the reality could be very different. Not that it was my place to judge whether someone would be a fit parent or not; this child was not mine after all. The past couple of months had made it abundantly clear that I could barely take care of myself, let alone a child.

After checking the address that I’d been given, I’d driven slowly towards my destination. I’d been trying to delay the inevitable, and I was feeling really embarrassed that this man had to take me in like some homeless pet. When I had finally arrived, I had taken a deep breath and mustered the best smile that I could before knocking twice. I had been prepared to make a good first impression despite my situation, and it had been a shock to see Lincoln standing in front of me. He looked as good as I remembered, but what was he doing answering the door? This particular door, where the intended father was supposed to be? I didn’t have the wrong address, of that I was certain, which meant that this was really happening. I could only numbly follow him inside after he got over his own shock and let me inside the house.

"This is your room," he said, putting my bags by the side of the bed. "I haven't had time to prepare it, but I'll bring you some sheets and blankets unless you want your own. Let me know if there’s anything you need to make your stay more comfortable," Lincoln said in a flat voice.

He sounded like a hotel manager, I thought. I was not welcome in his home. It was like he was trying very hard to be polite because that was his nature. But beneath the surface, he was cursing me ten ways to Sunday and would have thrown my bags out if I weren’t carrying his baby. I could see the tightness of his jaw; he really was holding back. And I didn’t know what was worse, imagining what he was thinking or him deciding just to tell me what he was thinking. I could only wait and leave the decision up to me. To lash out, or not to lash out.

"Your bathroom is through there. Let me know what you like in terms of soap and shampoo," he continued.

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