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Chapter Five
CHARLIE WANTED TO CRAWL under the table. Olivia rose from her chair with her cheeks blooming bright red. She regarded her brother with eyes squeezed to narrow slits. She broke the silence, speaking slowly, with barely controlled anger. “What did you say?”
“Josh told me about the baby,” said Spencer, jutting out his jaw.
“He what?” Olivia whipped her head around to spear Josh with a vicious glare. “You told him I was pregnant? That’s how you explained it?”
“I did not! That’s not what I said.” Josh jumped to his feet and leaned threateningly across the table toward Spencer. “I never said that—you tell her the truth.”
“You didn’t say it outright, but... but you implied it,” argued Spencer, the certainty having left his voice.
“I did not.” Turning a pleading face to Olivia, Josh said, “I didn’t. I promise I didn’t.” His cell phone made a noise, and he paused to check it, letting an expletive slip though his lips. “I have to go to the hospital. Olivia, you’re probably going to get called in as well.” He started for the door.
“But, I’m not on call.”
“It’s a bad accident. Over twenty patients brought in already. They’re going to need you.” He tossed the words over his shoulder as he headed for the door.
As Josh predicted, her cell phone vibrated, and she groaned when she read her message. “Josh, wait up!” she called, following quickly behind him. “I’m not pregnant!” she yelled back at the table before she disappeared.
Spencer sank into his chair, and a stunned silence fell on the table.
Hannah’s laugh rang out, breaking into the quiet. “Oh, Spencer. You are in so much hot water. You’d better not turn your back on Olivia tomorrow night.” She laughed even harder when Spencer’s face turned red.
“But... but I thought that’s what Josh said...” Spencer sputtered.
“Good grief, Spencer! Really? You’ve got to be kidding. They’re like siblings.” Hannah’s face was incredulous.
“But he asked her to marry him,” Emily argued.
“I know, but that’s some kind of a joke or something. It can’t be for real,” Hannah insisted. “Even if she really had been pregnant, Spencer shouldn’t have said it out loud in front of everybody.” She shook her head with a doleful expression. “I’m just sayin’.”
Charlie’s head was reeling. She couldn’t help the leap of joy in her heart knowing Olivia wasn’t carrying Josh’s baby. But it didn’t explain why Josh was trying to get her to marry him. Maybe he was using Olivia as an excuse to avoid Charlie. The timing was awfully coincidental with her return to New York City. But he seemed really determined to marry Olivia, even though Hannah insisted they were like brother and sister. He might dislike Charlie now, but he wouldn’t marry Olivia out of spite. Would he? No, the only explanation was they had much deeper feelings for each other than anyone realized. Although, it still didn’t explain what Emily had said about a custody battle.
“So...” Derek said, with a rise of color to his face, “Can I see you again?”
“See me?” Charlie asked, startled out of her contemplation.
“Yes. You know. As in, go out on a date?”
“A date?”
“Charlie, you sound like a parrot,” said Emily. “Derek, you’ll have to excuse my sister. This is her first night out in a long while.”
“Where’s she been hiding?” he joked.
“We usually keep her locked up tight.”
Charlie slugged her sister on the arm. “I was caught off-guard when you asked about dating. I figured no one in law school had time to date.”
“We’ve got three weeks of freedom,” Lance chimed in. “We have to squeeze in all the action we can get in a short amount of time.” He casually put his arm around Hannah’s shoulder.
“How old are you, anyway?” Spencer asked Lance, staring at his arm until he removed it.
“I’m twenty-nine. Why do you ask?”
“Because I think you’re too old for my sister.” Spencer’s gaze was unrelenting.
“That’s none of your business,” said Hannah, arching her brow. “You’re already in trouble with Olivia. Do you want me on your case, too?”
