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“Did you ask him if that’s what he wanted?” Kate asked.
“I did.”
“What did he say?”
“He wants me to come with him.”
“Well, there you go. Let him make that call. Unless you’re the one who is having doubts.”
“Me? Not a chance. I was the one who urged him to call his dad and tell him about the babies. I wanted to pay for part of his ticket as a Christmas present from the two of us, but when I asked him about it, he skirted the issue.”
Kate grimaced. “Do you want me to be honest?”
“Always.”
“Don’t make an issue where there’s not one.”
“I’m not making an issue of it. I just thought he might wait so we could tell him together. I thought we were bringing him here to tell him about the babies, but Nick told him on the phone when he talked to him...”
“Are you disappointed that he told him without you?”
“No. Well, sort of, I guess...but that’s selfish. I know that, and I wouldn’t admit it to anybody but you. I guess I thought it would be similar to when we told my parents together.”
The truth was, he had gone with her as moral support—not because they were the happy, loving couple giddy about sharing joyous news. Things were different with his dad. Realistically, Nick probably needed an opener, a reason for calling his dad. When you haven’t spoken with somebody in nearly two decades, hello, how have you been? doesn’t always get it. You’re going to be a grandfather does a lot better cutting through the minutia.
“I’m a big girl. I understand why he did what he did. Now I guess this trip is more about the two of them, and that’s great.”
“But his dad wants to meet you. Or Nick wants to introduce you.”
“Right. He does. Or so Nick said. But since he’s already told him we’re expecting, this trip is more about them healing their relationship and making things right between them. I’m all for that. It has to happen before anything else can be right. He’s only here for two nights. I just don’t want to cut into their time.”
Kate smiled at her. “You’re going with him. Be glad about it, and everything will be fine.”
Kate hugged Becca.
“I don’t mean to give you a hard time. I just wish you’d stop giving yourself such a hard time.”
In the car, Becca grappled with her feelings. Kate was right. She was always so logical. Becca needed to stop reading more into this than was really there. She needed to ignore the hollow feeling that wanted to consume her. In fact, when she felt too empty and off-kilter, she knew that’s when she needed to erase her mental Etch A Sketch and focus on the positive.
As she drove to meet Nick, though, she should’ve been focusing on the car to her right. If she had been, maybe she would’ve been able to stop before it ran the stop sign and hit her car.
Chapter Twelve
By the time Nick got the news that Becca had been in an accident, he was already at Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, waiting for her, wondering why she was late when she was usually early.
Kate had called him and told him she’d been in a fender bender. She’d witnessed the accident. Apparently, a teenager had been texting and ran a stop sign and hit the right fender of Becca’s Honda. The boy hadn’t been going very fast, but as a precaution, Becca had been transported by ambulance to Southwestern Medical Center, where she’d been examined.
Even though Kate had assured Nick that the accident wasn’t serious, as he waited, Nick was in a numb haze.
Thank God for air bags and seat belts.
Several hours later, after the doctor had released Becca and assured him that she and the babies were fine, he’d insisted on driving her home. Kate had put her car back in the parking garage. He told Becca he’d drive her to work tomorrow and they’d make arrangements to take her car into the body shop to be fixed. But on the way home from the hospital, realization set in. If he’d picked up Becca as he’d promised, rather than being so consumed with talking to that damn reporter, this would’ve never happened. He could’ve gotten her and his children killed by not following through. She hadn’t even wanted to go on the blasted tour. This would’ve never happened if he hadn’t been so focused on himself and so insistent on not inconveniencing his colleague at Southwestern Medical Center.
He felt Becca’s gaze on him, but he kept his eyes glued to the road, not wanting to have a wreck be the cause of Becca being in two accidents in one day.
