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She tried to push past him again. He held firm.
‘I’m sorry, Red,’ he said, touching her arm. ‘You don’t know how sorry I am for what I said. About you, and about the baby.’
She felt herself weaken. Just for a moment. She could hear the torment in his voice, see the misery in his eyes. She could imagine how much he had suffered all those years, thinking he couldn’t have a child. But then he reached up and ran his finger down her cheek. She jerked her head away, the gesture bringing back a rush of memories.
‘Don’t touch me.’ She slapped his hand away. ‘I don’t want to hear that you’re sorry,’ she cried. ‘I don’t care that you’re sorry.’ A thought struck her and she felt as if she might break apart. ‘You’re only sorry now because you found out the baby’s yours.’
He flinched.
‘I’m right, aren’t I?’ she said. ‘That’s the reason you’re here?’
‘It’s not the only reason.’ He paused, seemed to think about it for a moment. ‘But it is one of them.’
‘I knew it.’ Jessie’s voice shook on the words.
‘Is there still a baby, Jessie?’
Jessie could hear the anguish in his voice, see the fear in his eyes and the urge to hurt him as badly as he had hurt her overwhelmed her.
‘No, there isn’t.’ The lie lay like lead on her tongue the minute she’d said it.
He cursed, closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the high leatherette seat of the booth.
I don’t care, Jessie told herself silently. I don’t care if I’ve hurt him.
But then he tur
ned and studied her. Instead of the bitterness, the anger she had expected, there was just a terrible sadness in his gaze. ‘Jess. I’m sorry for that, too, then,’ he said softly.
She would have told him the truth then, would have done anything to take the self-loathing out of his eyes, but the wave of nausea hit without warning.
‘Oh, get out of my way.’
‘What is it?’ he said, lifting his head off the seat.
‘Mo-o-ove!’
He jumped back. Jessie rushed past him, her hands clasped over her mouth.
She managed to make it to the kerb outside before her stomach heaved.
When the vomiting finally stopped, her legs started to wobble. She was about to collapse in a heap when strong arms wrapped around her waist and held her upright.
‘I’ve got you, Red.’
He handed her some napkins. The shrill whistle in her ear made her jerk. A yellow cab screeched to a stop in front of her and she was lifted against his chest.
‘What are you doing?’ she said weakly. ‘Leave me alone.’
‘Not a chance.’
Monroe settled her on the cab seat before giving the driver quick instructions. Jessie wanted to rise, to get away, but her legs simply wouldn’t do what she told them. He lifted her effortlessly into his lap as the car sped off into the midday traffic.
‘I can sit on my own, thanks.’
She struggled, but he held her in place.
His lips curved slightly. ‘Forget it, Red. We’re going to have that talk.’
