Page 19 of Daigo

“What nonsense?” he asked mildly.

“We’re not speaking--”

“We’re speaking now,” he pointed out equably, deliberately misinterpreting her meaning.

“What I said to your wife--”

Any thoughts he had of gentling towards her disappeared at her words.

“Her name is Shelby-Anne, or Shelby if you prefer. She’s my wife, your daughter-in-law, and hopefully the mother of my children. If you cannot accept that, then this conversation is over. I have work to do.”

His dismissive tone had her bristling. She blamed the woman to whom he was married. Before she came into his life, she had been the most important woman to him; now she was being replaced and disrespected on top of it.

“I’ve always been there for you--”

“Stop.” He held up a hand, suddenly weary of the tone and the words. “You expect me to be grateful to you for doing what a parent, a good parent, is supposed to do. I’m not playing that game anymore.” He leaned forward, eyes icy. “You’re my mother, but she’s my goddamned wife. I love her. You hurt her with your heartless words, and for that, I’m trying my damnedest to make it up to her. Here’s what’s going to happen. Until you apologize to her, we’re no longer having any conversation unless it pertains to business. Am I clear?”

“You cannot--”

“Mother.” He did not shout, but the single word had her freezing.

“If that’s the way you want it.”

“It is.”

She rose stiffly, her chin lifting. Without another word, she swept from the office and closed the door with a finality that had him closing his eyes. Raking a hand at the side of his hair, he picked up a blue and green paperweight Shelby had given him for Christmas and rolled it on his palm. He was about to go back to his work when his phone rang.

*****

His heart was bursting from his chest by the time he came to a screeching halt in the parking lot. Before he even shut the vehicle off, he was out and running.

“Where is she?” he demanded of the employee manning the cash register. Ignoring the gawking gaze of the customers, he focused on the woman.

“She’s in her office. I--”

Not even bothering to hear the rest, he practically ran towards the back. She had sounded strange and had not wanted to tell him what was wrong over the phone.

She was standing by the door when he burst inside. “What--”

When she rushed into his arms and burst into tears, he felt his knees buckling.

Sweeping her into his arms, he went to sit behind her desk, cradling her, his heart beating unsteadily as he waited her out.

When her tears subsided, he eased her off his chest, anxious eyes studying her tearstained face.

“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. I promise you this.”

“What--” Belatedly realizing that he was thinking the worst, she shook her head. “I’m an idiot.” Laughing, she took his face between her palms and simply beamed. “It’s absolutely good news.”

“It is?” His frown had her laughing again.

“We’re pregnant,” she announced, eyes sparkling.

“What?”

“The transplant was successful. We’re pregnant.” She pressed her lips to his and had heat pouring through his body like lava. “I’m going to have to go in for them to do an examination.” She took a breath. “Oh, Daigo, it’s really happening.”

Brushing back tendrils of hair that had escaped the careless bun on top of her head, he gave her a look that spoke volumes. “I exceeded the speed limit getting here. Almost rear-ended an SUV that was obeying the traffic laws. If I had ended up maiming or killing someone or myself on the way here, I’d have ended up strangling you.”