His Wine Cost More Than My Unborn Child Chapter 11

His Wine Cost More Than My Unborn Child Chapter 11

Nothing had changed in Hollow Grove.

When we got off the train, a driver was waiting with a sign.

I looked at Lachlan.

“You really thought of everything.”

“It’d be hard getting around the village without a car.”

He shot me a look. The kind that said, are you serious right now?

Before we went to the hospital, I gave him a heads-up.

“You’re young, good-looking. My family’s definitely gonna assume you’re my boyfriend.”

“If they say anything, just don’t take it to heart, okay?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’ll have you know, I’m great with old people.”

I ignored him and checked my bank balance one more time.

I’d come back for two reasons. To see my grandma. And to pay for her surgery.

It was more money than I’d ever held in my life.

I didn’t trust Uncle Boyd enough to wire it directly.

I wanted to hand it over at the hospital myself.

When Lachlan wasn’t smiling, he had an intimidating presence.

Anyone with eyes could tell he came from money.

Uncle Boyd and Aunt Darla had always treated people differently depending on what they could get

from them.

This time was no exception. They couldn’t have been more polite to him.

Grandma didn’t look great. But the second she saw me, her face lit up. She held my hand and just

talked and talked.

Then she asked when Lachlan and I were getting married.

Married? I’d already decided I wasn’t getting married in this lifetime.

Lachlan was surprisingly sweet with her. Whatever she said, he answered with a smile.

I guess that whole “great with old people” thing wasn’t just talk.

After we left the room, I spoke with the doctor about my grandma’s condition.

It wasn’t critical, he said. But at her age, the surgery was going to be tricky.

Lachlan listened quietly. Then he stepped outside to make a phone call.

When he came back, he said he’d arranged for a visiting surgeon.

I didn’t know the doctor’s name.

But our doctor definitely did. His eyes went wide. I thought he might actually jump up and down.

Lachlan noticed me staring at him.

“Don’t look at me like that. I can’t stand that face.”

He sighed. “Can you stop acting like you’re worth nothing?”

“That’s exactly why people treat you like you’re cheap.”

I looked at him. “You paid for my grandma’s surgery. You found one of the best surgeons.”

“You came all the way back here with me. And you’ve been so nice to me.”

He shrugged. “I have money. That surgery costs less than one good dinner. Getting a top surgeon took one phone call.”

“I came because I wanted to see the countryside. And I’m nice to you because I’m a decent human

being.”

“You haven’t done anything to deserve being treated badly.”

He paused. “And the stories you told me. Your personality. The way you make me feel-that stuff

has value.”

“To me, it’s worth every penny of what I’ve put into this.”

“So in that sense, we’re even.”

“If I didn’t think you were worth it, I wouldn’t spend a dime on you.”

“So stop putting yourself beneath everyone else.”

“Yeah, compared to me, you don’t have a lot. But that doesn’t make you cheap.”

The more he said, the more my eyes stung.

He immediately pointed a finger at me.

“I’m warning you now.”

“A lot of women fall for me because I treat them well. Don’t be one of them.”

“I could lose interest anytime. This arrangement could end anytime.”

“So guard your heart. Stay in your lane.”

I laughed. And for the first time in a long while, there wasn’t a trace of sadness in it.

“Don’t worry.”

“I’ve always been good at staying grounded.”