didn’t come home, it would mean he didn’t care. And she wanted him to care. But she didn’t want to know if he didn’t.
Still, he was here, and he looked worried, which was good.
“I wanted to know you were all right,” he said gently, and smiled. “You’re my daughter. I care about what happens to you.”
Her chest tightened. “Really?”
“Absolutely.”
She stared into his eyes and tried to see if he meant it or not. She wanted to believe him so badly she could barely breathe. Maybe if she apologized for taking his credit card, he would say something else really nice.
She opened her mouth. “I know I was-”
Francesca walked into the room. “So maybe it’s time to come up with a different hobby,” she said with a grin. “Something safer, like painting.”
Irritation ripped through Kelly. As much as she liked Francesca, she hated that she’d just waltzed in here when things were going so good with her dad. If Francesca hadn’t interrupted, she, Kelly, could have apologized.
“Unlike you, I actually have my life together,” Kelly snapped without thinking. “I don’t intend to be a poor struggling student when I’m almost thirty. I intend to be successful.”
As soon as the words were out, she knew she’d made a really big mistake. She felt small and mean and sick to her stomach. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The really bad part was the look in her father’s eyes when he turned back to stare at her, and the pain and betrayal on Francesca’s face.
Francesca made a small, choking sound and quickly left the room. Sam stood.
“Dammit, Kelly,” he muttered. “What is wrong with you?”
Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
“You’re telling the wrong person.”
Horror filled her. She’d hurt Francesca, which she’d never meant to do. “I didn’t mean it.”
“But you said it.” He shook his head. “You might have your life planned out, but at the rate you’re going, you’ll be living it alone because no one is going to want to be with you.”
She was crying too hard to see very much, but the silence that followed told her she’d been left all alone.
Francesca made it down stairs, but she couldn’t find her purse. She was still fumbling through the kitchen when she felt Sam come up behind her. He turned her, pulled her into his arms, and held her close.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured.
She shook her head, trying to say it was okay, that she understood, only it wasn’t and she didn’t. Kelly’s words had pierced her like poisoned arrows. They’d struck deep and true, wounding her to the soul. In a couple of short sentences she’d reduced Francesca to that scared, stupid kid she’d always been. The one who was afraid of never being smart enough to make it in the world. The girl whose grandfather had told her over and over that she wasn’t to worry her pretty head about it-some nice man would take care of her. But Francesca had never wanted to be taken care of. She’d wanted to be strong enough to stand on her own. And she was. Only it didn’t feel like it.
“Oh, honey, I know it hurts,” Sam whispered into her ear as he stroked her back. “You’ve been on Kelly’s side since the second she walked into this house. You’ve put yourself out for her, and this is your reward. I wish I could change things.”
He drew back and cupped her face. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re amazing. These past few weeks have shown me that you’re a very special woman, and I’ve been lucky to have you in my life.”
Light poured from his eyes. A warm, gentle light that bathed her in a glow that should have made her happy enough to float.
Instead, it terrified her.
“Sam, don’t,” she said, pushing away from him. “Don’t say anything nice about me.”
He stiffened. “Because I’m changing the rules? Because I want more than something casual?”
It was as if someone had ripped her heart from her chest. If she hadn’t been pregnant, if she hadn’t spent the past month lying to him, she couldn’t have been happier to hear those words and know that he cared about her. Maybe even loved her. Because over the past few days she’d come to see that he mattered more than anyone ever had.
She could imagine a life with him, a future. She could see them growing old, being happy. Sam didn’t see her as a pretty face, or an ornament. He saw her as a confident, capable woman. He depended on her, believed in her. He thought she was strong. He thought of her as his equal. A partner. With him, she’d finally found everything she’d ever wanted.
But could she keep it?
“Please sit down,” she said, moving to the kitchen table and pulling out a chair. “We have to talk.”
He grimaced. “Four words every man hates to hear.” He took a seat. “Let me guess. You’re not interested in anything more than an affair.”
Tears burned in her eyes, but she blinked them away. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”
He brightened. “Great. Then what’s the problem?”
There was no easy way to break the news, so she went for blunt and simple. “I’m pregnant.”
He stared at her, then laughed. “Right. So tell me. What’s going on?”
She sighed. “I’m not kidding. I’m pregnant.”
He didn’t speak, didn’t react. Instead he just sat there, looking at her. She tried to read his expression, but she couldn’t.
“When?” he said at last.
She wasn’t sure if he was asking when she’d gotten pregnant or when she’d found out. Neither was going to please him.
“I’m about seven weeks along. It must have happened the first night we were together.”
He stood up and very deliberately pushed in the chair. Tension tightened his body and his face. His mouth got pinched, his eyes narrowed.
“Pregnant?” he asked, his voice low and disbelieving. “You’re having a baby?”
She nodded. “I know this is a shock to you-”
“A shock?” He paced to the far counter, then leaned against it, his arm folded across his chest. “A shock? How the fuck did this happen?”
The attack shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. She gripped the table. “The usual way.”
“We used a condom.”
“I know. I was there.” Something occurred to her. “Are you doubting that this child is yours?”
“Of course not. I don’t think you’ve been sleeping around, if that’s what you’re getting at, but holy hell, did you have to go and get pregnant? Isn’t having Kelly drop into my life enough for one month?”
She’d known he wouldn’t be happy, even though that had been her fantasy. She shouldn’t be surprised he was upset. Neither of them had wanted this. Except after she’d recovered from the shock, she’d found that she liked the idea of a baby-especially Sam’s baby.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” she said. “I would say we have equal responsibility here.”
He shook his head. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to blame you. But a baby. Now. I didn’t want…”
His voice trailed off, leaving her to fill in the rest of the sentence. He hadn’t wanted Kelly and he certainly didn’t want a baby? Was that it? Or was it even worse? He didn’t want to tell her he refused to have anything to do with their child?
“I’ll be fine,” she said as she rose. “You don’t have to be involved.”
He frowned. “I’m not going to abandon my responsibilities here.”
His responsibilities. Because of course he didn’t want the baby.
“How long have you known?” he asked.
She was so caught up in feeling rejected that she spoke without thinking. “About five weeks.”
The quality of the stillness in the room changed to something dark and dangerous. Francesca instinctively took a step back.
Sam didn’t move, but that didn’t mean he was still the same caring man she’d grown to love. He seemed to get bigger, angier. Whatever last hope she might have clung to died when his expression of frustration and confusion turned to loathing and contempt.
“It’s not what you think,” she said quickly. “Dammit, Sam, don’t give me that look. I’m not the enemy here. I
