Chapter One

It had been years since Cassie had been to the gun range. She and her sister were kids at the time. Though he didn’t have any sons, it didn’t stop their father from ensuring his daughters tried every hobby he enjoyed.

Now, here she was seven months pregnant shooting a gun that had been tossed aside in a struggle between two men. One - her husband. The other - her coworker.

The moment she’d unlocked the door and caught sight of the two, her world had seemingly crashed in around her. Cassie had worked so hard to keep the two apart. Confused and scared, she worked to decipher what had brought them together.

She had no idea how long the two had struggled before she arrived home. The home they so happily moved into nearly a year ago. The house she and her husband were going to raise a family in. And what a find it was. They heard of it through the grapevine. Their realtor was friends with the homeowner’s neighbor. That’s how they got in to see the whisper listing.

A one-story, mid-century modern. It had been lovingly restored to its original splendor when the prior homeowner located the original architect to add more rooms. Decorating it had been so much fun, hunting for furniture and decor at secondhand stores to match the era in which it was built.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Cassie hadn’t expected to be thrust back so violently when she pulled the trigger. The acrid scent of burnt metal hung in the air. The appointment with Dr. Paulson hadn’t gone well. Jake told her he would be there, but never showed up. Cassie sat in the room alone, waiting for the doctor who had checked on her a second time. She stalled and told him Jake would be there. He was running late, she said, as she watched the steady rain pelt the window. Another dismal autumn day. She sighed while flattening the creases of the cotton maternity skirt she wore with her palms."He’ll be here,” Cassie repeated to herself, as if somehow, she’d will Jake to show up. A gentle knock on the door caught her attention.

“Cassie, I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to get started soon.” The doctor said in a hushed tone. “Do you want to try calling him?”

Cassie held back tears and nodded; her hands grasped the cell phone that sat beside her.

“Okay,” he smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

Once the door shut, Cassie glanced at her cell phone. She hoped there would be a text from him. There was none, so she called her husband, as the doctor suggested. When there was no answer, all she could do was leave a message on his voicemail.

The visit with Dr. Paulson was a standard checkup. It was the first since the secret procedure