Red Carpet Arrangement. Vicki Essex

and to be some kind of father to the baby. Her needs were secondary.

      She made herself an omelet for dinner. She would have cooked the pork chops if Riley had joined her, but now it seemed pointless to make anything fancier for just one person. As it was, she was making do with whatever she could afford on her own. Riley’s mother had handed her a wad of cash for groceries, but it made Kat ill to think she’d have to accept it every week.

      To that end, she knew she had to find some way to make money after the baby was born. She refused to become a complete moocher. Yes, she needed Riley’s support, but it was for the baby, not her. Bartending and waitressing weren’t conducive to parenting, either. No, she needed a steady source of income that would preferably keep her at home or give her regular hours.

      She’d spent the past week researching online courses and certificate programs to bulk up her résumé. She wasn’t bad with computers and had kept a personal travel blog with a fairly large following. In hindsight, she could’ve monetized it with ads, but she’d never been interested in doing that. Still, web design was an option. And with her clerical skills, she was certain someone would hire her on a more permanent basis, maybe give her more regular hours.

      She finished her unsatisfying omelet and was about to wash the dishes when someone knocked. She thought it might be Riley, or perhaps Winnie bringing her yet another blanket, or a bag of groceries or something else she thought Kat might need.