Miss Parker held out her hand. "Deal." But she still wasn't sure if Lyle was telling the truth. She guessed she would have to trust him this time.
***
Miss Parker sat at her desk and stared at the picture of her mother holding her as a baby. She couldn't believe that she went through with it. She was going to have a baby but not just a baby...Jarod's baby. She didn't want to tell her father she was pregnant until she knew for sure. She knew he wouldn't like the idea of his Angel having a baby out of wed lock. He might however, approve of it if he knew who the father was but she didn't want anyone to know.
She let a sigh and knew it was time to face her father. She got up from the chair and headed down to his office. As she entered she heard her father talking but didn't see anyone.
"Daddy." She paused as when he held up his hand for her to stop.
He finished his conversation and hit a small button on the phone. He turned his attention to his daughter. "Angel." He stood.
"Daddy, I have to talk to you." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm late for a meeting. Can we talk later?" He hurried out the door.
"I guess so." She watched him leave. She threw her hands up in the air and followed him out.
***
Parker kicked back on the sofa, her hands resting on her small swollen stomach. She was tired. Chasing Jarod this time really wore her out.
As she thought about how she was going to tell her father, the baby moved. She was beginning to get excited about feeling the baby. Her hands rubbed her stomach, hoping the feel the baby again. She gave up after a while and started thinking about her father again.
She has done well with her weight that no one seemed to notice the extra pounds. So, telling him would come as a shock to him but then again, he never really paid *that* much attention to her.
"I don't know what to say." She told herself as she looked at her stomach.
"Don't worry. Things will work out." One of the voices told her.
"Jarod." She paused at the thought of him. "I hope he doesn't get mad for me not telling him."
"Daddy, won't be mad." A small voice inside of her told her over and over.
Parker's eyes began to get heavy. She decided to move into the bedroom.
***
Parker was sleeping soundly when a noise woke her. She reached for her gun when a small voice stopped her. She sat it down and went in search of the noise. When she turned the corner she ran into a man standing there.
"Jarod." She stopped as she flipped on the light.
"Parker." He embraced her.
"What are you doing here?" She stepped back.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" She hoped he haven't figured out he was the father.
"The baby."
"It is none of your concern." She turned back to sit down in a chair.
"Concern? Yes it is!"
"What?" She snapped.
"I'm worried that you and child will be in danger."
"Danger." She laughed. She watched his lips move but she was concentrating more on the voices in her head. Especially, the one that kept saying "Daddy" every time she stared at him or said his name.
"No." She was thinking but apparently said it out loud because she focused on Jarod when he touched her arm and said, "No?"
"What?" She glanced into his eyes.
"You said no. No to what?"
"Nothing." She whispered. "You know as much as I love this little visit, I'm tired and I believe you are interrupting my sleep." She stood from the chair and walked toward the door.
"I'll go but you can't avoid me forever." He stepped out onto the porch.
"I know." She barely whispered as she shut the door in his face.
***
The next day she stormed into her father's office.
"Daddy, we have to talk." She didn't wait for him to answer when she spit out. "I'm pregnant!"
"I'm going to be a grandpa?" He asked excitedly.
"Yeah." She froze. She couldn't believe he took the news that well.
He walked around from his desk and gave her a kiss.
Lyle walked in about that time.
"What is all the excitement?" He stood next to his sister.
"I'm going to be a grandpa!" Mr. Parker hugged his daughter.
Lyle and Parker just looked at each other. They couldn't believe what they had just seen. They had never seen their father that excited about anything.
"Well, daddy since I have told you my big news I guess I better get going. I have some paper work to catch up on." Parker still had a funny look on her face.
"I'll catch up with you later." Lyle informed her as she turn to leave.
***
The next night Jarod entered her house again. This time he beat her home. He sat on the couch and watched the door knob move as she stepped through.
"Jarod!" He took her by surprise. "What are you doing here?" She sat her things down and hurried passed him into the bathroom.
He waited for her to return before he spoke.
"You didn't answer my question?" She entered the living room again.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine." She took a seat on the other end of the couch. "What do you want?"
"I was thinking."
"So?" She smirked.
"I was thinking that since you are all alone that I could help you out."
"What?" She laughed.
"You know, help out with the baby."
"Why? Besides, I have people to help me out." Her eye brow raised slightly.
"I want to help you out cause I have noticed that a man has not been here. I'm guessing he doesn't know about the baby."
"Out!" She shouted.
"Parker wait. I'm not saying anything bad. Besides, I didn't mean to upset you. I read that a woman's hormones are really bad when she is expecting." He held up his hands hoping she wouldn't hit him.
She felt several kicks from inside her stomach. She knew the baby was informing her to go easy on his father.
"What is it?" Jarod asked as he watched her placed her hands on her stomach.
"The baby is moving."
"Can I feel?" He moved down to where he was closer to her.
"I...Sure." She changed her mind. She took Jarod's hand and placed it on her stomach.
"Wow! The baby is very active."
"He usually is this time of night."
Jarod bent closer to her to where his face was inches away from her stomach. "You sure are an active little one." He talked into her stomach.
Parker sat there a few minutes without saying a word. She just watched Jarod play with her stomach and rub it back and forth. She wanted to tell him everything but knew it would be dangerous. He would insist she leave with him to keep the baby safe and she wasn't ready to go, at least not yet. So she let him have his fun after all, he was the father.