Serving Trouble Read Online Free PDF

around the number she’d thrown out.
    Seventy thousand dollars. Most ­people he knew didn’t make anywhere close to that in a year, or even two.
    She shook her head. “This is my responsibility.”
    Why? He needed to know. He had to find out what the hell had happened to Dominic’s little sister, to the girl he’d thought about for the past five years, hoping like hell she was happy, or at least safe. But hearing that number—­something had gone very, very wrong. While he’d been off fighting for his country, for Caroline, for a damn paycheck, Josie had landed herself in trouble.
    â€œThe job is yours,” he said. And yeah, he had a sinking feeling those words would come back to bite him. “If you tell me who you owe.”
    â€œYou can’t tell Dominic,” she said fiercely. “Or anyone else.”
    He nodded and hoped like hell she didn’t make him say the words. He couldn’t promise until he knew how she’d landed in this mess.
    â€œI owe the hospital in Portland and a team of doctors.” Her voice wavered, but she held his gaze.
    â€œFor what?” His imagination pieced together parts of an imaginary puzzle. Had she been in an accident? Had someone hurt her?
    â€œKeeping my baby alive for twenty-­seven days.”
    â€œAh, Josie.” He wanted to reach for her and wrap his arms around her. But he could see her determination eroding. If he pulled her close, she might crumble. And he had a feeling that she needed every ounce of strength right now. “I didn’t know . . .”
    That she’d been pregnant. And not a soul in this gossip-­crazy small town had breathed a word about her losing a child.
    â€œNo one did. I didn’t even tell my father I was having a baby.” She let out a sharp laugh. “I was planning on it. But then Matt, the guy I was seeing, left.”
    He felt a rush of white-­hot anger so damn potent that he would have killed, with his bare hands, the man who’d abandoned Josie. Sweet Jesus, if he’d known . . . But what could he have done from halfway around the world? Hell, he’d been stationed with Caroline and in the end he hadn’t been able to save her.
    â€œIf I came home pregnant and alone, I’d just confirm everyone’s opinion that I’m a wild screwup.” She spoke quickly as tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. But she didn’t look away.
    â€œCollege was my shot to prove them wrong,” she continued. “So I stayed in school. I tried to do everything right. Prenatal vitamins. Organic food even though it cost so much more. I got a babysitting job. And I applied for Medicare. I hadn’t bothered with insurance before. I was healthy. But then my water broke and there was nothing they could do to stop the labor. And he wasn’t ready. My baby was just too early.”
    â€œI’m so sorry,” he said. The words sounded hollow and insufficient. His friend’s little sister, a woman who’d been his friend and, hell, even his lover for one brief night, she’d given birth alone. And she’d watched her baby die surrounded by hospital staff.
    â€œBut you understand why I need the money.” She swiped at the tears as if determined to press forward. “My world stopped when my water broke, when he was born and he couldn’t breathe. And everything crumbled when he died. There was nothing I could do for him. But I can do this. I can pay back the hospital and doctors who gave me twenty-­seven days with him.”
    â€œYes, you can,” he said.
    â€œThank you.” She lowered her chin to her chest and let the tears flow.
    Hero or not, he was going to fight like hell for her. He’d known it before the first tear fell. But this time he was stepping into the fight with a big fat failure on his record. When he’d jumped to Josie’s aid in the alley, he’d known he would