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He glanced at the card, at the ones she’d already played, then rolled his eyes. “Obviously, I’m not paying close enough attention.”

“Obviously not,” she agreed, turning the cards over to show they were “dead”. “It’s not like you to make a mistake like that when it’s just the two of us playing.”

Savannah was right. It wasn’t like him to make such a simple mistake during a card game, but his brain wasn’t on the game.

It was on the woman sitting across the table from him. They were both sitting on the floor on opposite sides of the coffee table that had been cleared for their game.

Much as most nights over the past couple of weeks, they went to eat, then came home and played games. Cards, chess, checkers, it didn’t matter just so long as they were busy.

If he didn’t suggest something, she did.

It was as if they were afraid to have time alone that wasn’t crammed full of something to do.

As if they might get into trouble with idle time on their hands.

Charlie might.

Although, if one looked closely, her bruises could still be spotted, overall the past three plus weeks had faded all but the larger ones. Her lacerations had healed nicely and even the sutured area on her face was looking good and barely noticeable at her hairline. Her lip was healed. Her leg stronger to where standing no longer hurt. No doubt, when she went to her appointment on Monday, Dr. Kimble would release her to return to Chattanooga. She was doing great, was over five months pregnant. There was no reason for her to stay in Nashville.

Except he didn’t want her to leave.

The thought of his apartment without her left him cold.

And distracted.

“Charlie, you just played the wrong card again,” Savannah pointed out when he dropped a card onto the one she’d just played. “Your head is not in this game. Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he assured her, but wasn’t positive that he was telling the truth.

Savannah would be going home in a couple of days.

He lifted his gaze and collided with her blue one.

She searched his as if seeking the secrets to his very being. No one knew his secrets. Some things were better kept locked away.

“Please tell me what you’re thinking,” she said, her gaze remaining locked with his.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Why do I get the feeling it matters a great deal?”

“I was thinking about how much I’m going to miss you when you go home on Monday.”

“Am I going home on Monday? Dr. Kimble didn’t say that at my follow-up, just that we’d take it week by week, and I wasn’t ready at my last office visit.”

“We both know you’re a lot stronger than you were at that appointment and the one before. The ultrasound showed everything looked great with the baby and you’ve not had any contractions since you were in the hospital.”

“That’s a good thing, though, right?”

“Yes,” he agreed. “I want you well, the baby well.”

“The baby is doing well.” She laid her hand across her belly that seemed to be expanding daily. Considering she’d had very little of a belly a month ago, now she had a definitely pregnant-appearing one.

Her hand moved as her belly fluttered and she smiled. “I don’t know if I will ever get used to that.”

He watched her from across the table as she stared at her belly and laughed out loud after a moment. She glanced up at him and smiled. “Do you want to feel?”

Did he? She’d put his hand on her belly once before but the baby hadn’t moved, not to where he could feel anything other than the warmth of Savannah through her shirt.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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