AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Cath walked back to Signals, Inc . The weather was cloudy, rain was forecast, but for the moment, it was merely overcast. She hoped Trace would agree to all the terms.
It had been hard planning for holidays and school breaks when the baby wasn’t even born. But Jillian had been thorough.
Cath passed one of the restaurants she and Trace had previously eaten at. She’d been consumed by him then, thrilled every time he asked her out. Reliving every date when she’d go to bed each night. They’d had so much in common, she’d been fast falling for the man, tossing aside her stringent rules about not risking her heart.
Would she have tumbled the rest of the way in love if they’d seen each other longer? How fortuitous he’d ended things when he had in light of the changes.
She wished Trace had never taken a job at Signals, Inc. Maybe she should wish he had not tried out the new gym before he took on the role of CEO.
But did she wish she’d never met him?
Not for an instant.
If not for Trace, she would not be expecting a baby in seven months.
Trace clicked on the television to watch the football game. It had been a frenetic week with the last of the reorganization he wanted to get behind him. The company was structured now the way he saw it functioning best. He’d hired a couple of men he knew could deliver the kind of results he wanted. He was holding a watching brief on one other manager. The man sounded good, talked a good line, but Trace had an uneasy feeling about him. Still, he was giving him the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
With those hard changes made, he could settle in now and concentrate on the day-to-day running of the firm.
This weekend he was taking some downtime. He’d only seen Cath during the week at a distance. He’d spoken to Thomas in Brussels and surprised the man when he’d asked him to consider remaining in the job a little longer. Thomas was getting back to Trace next week with his answer.
The only other major hurtle was letting his parents know of their coming grandchild.
He hesitated to call. Not because he didn’t think they’d be thrilled. They had been devastated when Cynthia broke the truth and took Zach away. They’d adored their grandchild and had hoped for many more.
This time there would be no taking away once the baby was born.
For the first time since he’d learned the news, Trace stopped to consider the admonition Cath had given.
She might not deliver a full-term baby.
He’d been so caught up with the fight to keep his child nearby, he’d neglected to pay attention to her cautionary words.
Was she in danger? Or only the baby?
He could envision a baby with curly hair and bright blue eyes gazing up adoringly at her mother. For a moment Trace felt a pang that this was not a real family. A forever family.
He suspected going into this arrangement that there would be no happy-ever-after. They’d share the birth of their child and its formative years. But Cath had other challenges to conquer and he’d forged his own future long ago. They’d go their separate ways with only their son or daughter as a link between them. The thought made him sad.
He stared at the television, not seeing the players. What would his life be like with a child? He’d have to arrange for help while the baby was young. He wouldn’t be able to take off time from work every time the child came to stay with him.
How did Cath plan to handle things? Maybe they should hire a nanny between them, and have the nanny accompany the baby at whichever place it was staying. Dare he suggest that to her?
The doorbell rang. He went to the door, surprised to find Cath there.
“I hope I’m not intruding,” she said, peering beyond him into the empty living room.
“You’re not. Come in.”
He stood to one side. She hadn’t been in his apartment before. How had she found out where he lived?
“I got the papers from my attorney. She sent a set to yours, but I thought you might like to see what’s what.”
He closed the door behind her and took her jacket. Cath looked around the apartment and walked over to the sofa, glancing at the television.
“If this is not a good time, I can just leave the papers.”
“Now is fine.”
