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“Us.”
“Us? What’s wrong with us?”
“Just about everything.”
Melissa gasped. She couldn’t help it. How could she have missed that James was so unhappy?
Then again, maybe this was why he’d been spending more and more nights in Nashville. She should have seen the end coming. Didn’t she know better than to think anyone would stick around for her?
“What’s her name?”
James wasn’t the type of man not to have a woman in his life. Now that she thought of it, they hadn’t had much of a life together for some time. How had that happened?
“This is ridiculous, Melissa. I say I’m moving out and you automatically assume I’m involved with someone. Do you really think I’d do that? Become involved with someone while living with you?”
Was he moving so he could become involved with whoever it was he’d met? She thought over the names she’d heard him mention over the past few months. Only one stood out.
“It’s Dr Weaver, isn’t it?” She held back a sob at the thought of the pretty cardiologist James had introduced her to at the last meeting she’d attended with him. The brunette had been the guest speaker, discussing the impact of angiotensin receptor blockers on the long-term outcomes of patients with hypertension. Melissa had gotten tingles of unease at the way the woman had watched James, but when she’d asked him about it, he’d laughed away her concerns. Now who was laughing? Certainly not her.
“Kristen?” He frowned, seeming surprised that she had put one and one together so quickly. His mouth opened to deny her accusation, but he must have decided the truth would eventually come out. “Kristen and I work together on a research project at the hospital and as university faculty colleagues. She’s a beautiful, intelligent woman.”
And she’d acted half in love with James at that meeting. Apparently Melissa’s suspicions hadn’t been so unfounded after all.
“I hope you’ll be happy together.” A lie. Petty of her, but she didn’t want some other woman making James happy.
A snortlike sound erupted from deep within his chest. “That’s it? I tell you we need space and you toss me to another woman and say you hope we’ll be happy together?”
“What do you want me to say?”
“The truth.”
The truth. She wasn’t sure he could handle the truth.
She bit the inside of her lip, making fast decisions and probably coming up with all the wrong answers.
“Fine. You want the truth. I’ll give it to you.” But she hesitated, wondering if she should just keep her mouth shut. If he was leaving, did she really want to tell him? She didn’t. But, ethically, now that she knew for certain, could she keep her pregnancy from him, even if only for a short while? Wouldn’t it be better to just get it all out in the open up front?
“I’m listening,” James reminded her when she still hesitated.
“I’m not sure how to say this, except you need to know before we go further with this conversation.” Her eyes lifted to his and she prayed he’d somehow see into her heart and tell her what she needed to hear him say. “I’m pregnant.”
For the first time in his life James wondered if he might be having a panic attack.
Either that or he was having a heart attack.
He preferred to think the pain in his chest resulted from severe anxiety as he was a fairly fit thirty-three-year-old and had no family history of heart problems.
“What did you say?” He searched Melissa’s face, certain she must be joking, although he didn’t find her comment the slightest bit funny.
“We’re going to have a baby.” Her chin lifted with bravado, but her lower lip quivered, giving clarity to the uncertainty he’d seen in her eyes.
A thousand thoughts and emotions hit him at once.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“You missed a Pill and didn’t tell me?”
