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The man and woman both raced forward and helped me into a nearby wicker chair. Once I sat down, I leaned forward with my arms hugged around my middle, and a stream of tears flooded my cheeks.
The woman said something in quick sentences to the man and he ran off. He returned moments later and handed me a bottle of water. I took it and offered a small smile through the tears, their kindness softening the blow of the shocking news.
After I calmed down, the woman left my side and came back with a small cardboard box and a bottle. The labels were in Spanish, but I knew what they were. A pregnancy test and a bottle of antacid. I tried to pay, but she shook her head, declining my money.
“It’s for free, Miss,” the man translated. “Do you need anything else?”
“No. Thank you, to you both.” I stood up and started back toward the door.
“Miss, my name is Paulo, and I am a doctor. Come and see me, okay?”
“Thank you, Paulo.”
I pushed out into the bright sun and hurried back across the cobblestone road to where my driver was still waiting, clutching the test in one hand and the bottle of antacid in the other. I asked him to take me back to the canal and we raced off down the street.
When I got back home, Chase and Jackson were still out, and I heaved a sigh of relief. I went into the bathroom and unwrapped the test.
Five minutes later, the news was confirmed.
I was pregnant with Chase’s baby.
31
Chase
“All right, we have officially run out of the good stuff,” I announced, laughing as I wiped at my mouth to remove the lingering taste of the sorry excuse for wine that filled my glass. The sun was setting on another day spent with Melissa and Jackson in our little corner of paradise.
The days were simple, but deeply satisfying. We all kept busy enough to block out the reminder that the only reason we were living in a remote, beachside cottage was for survival. After dinner, Jackson liked to go out and play on the beach, and Melissa and I enjoyed our own private happy hour on the front porch.
I lifted the offending bottle of wine and checked the label. It had been a gamble, but we’d run out of the supply on Matt’s boat a few days ago, so I purchased a few different bottles on our last trip to Manzanilla for groceries and other supplies. This one was a no-go. I smiled at Melissa across the table. “You were smart to bow out this round.”
Melissa smiled softly down at her glass of sparkling water. “Good to know.”
My own smile faded at the sad look in her tired eyes. It had been a few days since I’d seen her smile, despite my attempts to cheer her up. A few days ago she’d fallen into a mood and remained low spirited and somewhat out of it. Not that I could blame her. Sure, we’d found a pretty sweet little spot to hunker down, but it still wasn’t her home—not even close. With her husband’s money, I had no doubt her mansion back in the Palisades was the stuff most people couldn’t even dream up.
I pushed the glass of wine off to the side of the table. “Is everything okay, Melissa? I mean, other than an upset stomach.” I reached across the small table and brushed my fingers along the back of her hand. Jackson was playing a few yards away and we’d agreed not to show affection in front of him.
I enjoyed having Jackson around, his spirit and energy lifted the mood and provided comic relief when it was desperately needed throughout the day, but I was ready for him to go to bed so I could have Melissa to myself.
It wouldn’t be long, he was sitting on the sand, and looked about ready to call it a night. Something we’d both appreciate.
Or, at least, I thought we both appreciated it. Over the past few days, Melissa had become withdrawn from both Jackson and me. She was lost in her own world and I had no idea how to find her and bring her back here again.
She looked up from her water glass and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good. I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“Tell me how I can help,” I replied, tracing my thumb over the back of her hand. “That’s what I’m here for, remember?”
Melissa nodded. “I know, Chase. Believe me, you’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty. I’m just ready for all of this drama to be over with. But somehow, it feels like that’s never going to happen.”
“It will.” I held her gaze and saw a flicker of doubt. “I’ll call Matt first thing tomorrow and see what’s going on. Will that help?”
