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His hesitation scared her.
“I was right, wasn’t I? They think I’m pregnant.”
She studied him. He looked as though he’d rather be anywhere else but where he was right now.
“Nick?”
He cleared his throat. “Yes. The office rumor mill has you pregnant with Patrick’s baby.”
Though she knew the truth before he validated it, it still stung.
The elevator doors opened, delivering them to the parking garage where Joe still waited. She and Nick had just about reached him before he noticed them. He jumped out of the truck, and quickly walked toward them. Thick worry lines covered his face.
She attempted to flash him a soft, reassuring smile. Perhaps she would have better luck convincing him she was okay if she actually believed it herself. He opened his arms to her and she melted to his welcoming body.
After a moment, he eased back and held her at arm’s length. “Are you okay?”
She glanced up into his warm eyes. It amazed her how quickly they calmed her. “I’m fine. But I am glad you sent Nick up. I didn’t realize how nervous I was to be around Patrick.”
She eased back from him, and shifted her gaze to his brother. “Thank you, I appreciate you being here today.”
“Not a problem. I’ll see you guys later. I have to get going,” Nick said as he turned and headed toward his truck.
––––––––
The anxiety coiled in his stomach tightened at the thought of parting from Elizabeth now, but he had no choice. “Sweetheart, I have to get home to the kids. They got off the bus a couple of hours ago, and Ms. Marsh can only watch them until six.”
“I’m sorry, Joe. I didn’t mean to screw everything up.”
“No, you didn’t screw anything up. I just didn’t want you to think I was running out on you after you had such an exhausting day. Why don’t you come over tonight and join us for dinner?” he asked. “And after dinner, and the kids are in bed, we can talk.”
He desperately wanted to know what had gone on upstairs.
“Sounds good. I have to stop at the dry cleaners on the way home, and then I’ll be over as soon as I can,” she replied as she stepped toward him, rose to her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his cheek.
Her simple, light touch sent an electrical shock throughout his body, playing major havoc on his groin. He wanted so badly to pull her tight to him and take her mouth with his. He wanted to kiss her deeply and feel her tongue against his. He wanted to taste her; oh how he wanted to taste her, but he was afraid to push her too fast. It took every bit of strength he had not to let his greed take over.
During his drive home, he dialed his brother on his cell phone. Nick answered and proceeded to give him the details of the conversation he heard between Elizabeth, Mr. James, and Patrick. He informed him of how desperate Mr. James sounded as he tried to convince Elizabeth to return to New York. He told him how he thinks Mr. James and Patrick believe that she is pregnant, and how he obtained the rumor mill information from the receptionist.
“She’s a lot tougher than she looks.” Nick’s voice beamed. “She really let Mr. James have it at one point. You would have been proud. Hell, I was proud of her.”
“Yeah, she is.”
Nick cleared his throat. “Joe, is she pregnant?”
A brief moment of silence followed as he thought about his brother’s question. “I don’t know. It’s so early yet. I’ve asked her to go to the doctor, and I offered to go with her, but I don’t know if she has or will. It’s so unbelievably hard for me to talk to her about this. I don’t want to push her, and I’m not sure what more I can do or say to her. I can’t talk to her friends about it because I don’t think they know. What would you do if you were me?” he asked his brother.
“Christ, I don’t know. I’d like to help, but this sensitive, touchy-feely stuff is more up your alley than mine. Maybe you can get Angelina to talk to her again.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ll talk to you later.”
Joe disconnected the call.
He didn’t want to think about the possibility of Elizabeth being pregnant, and another man’s baby growing inside the woman he loved. It wasn’t fair. He found himself feeling sorry for himself, but then he snapped out of it, realizing that this wasn’t about him. This was about Elizabeth. He needed to pull himself together and be there for her. She didn’t do anything wrong, and she didn’t do anything to deserve this.
