He proceeded to send a massive wire transfer through to Lean on Us that very minute.
“Please, be my guests and stay here at my estate for the night,” he said once he’d sent the money. “There’s no need for you to drive all the way back to Harrington’s resort.”
“I so appreciate your lovely invitation,” she said, “but all my things are at Dane’s resort, and I would hate to impose.”
Westerbourne looked a little gruff again. “You wouldn’t want to disappoint an old man, would you?”
“Of course not,” she replied with a grin. “Okay, I’ll stay. But only if you promise to give me a personal tour of your gardens.”
“You have a deal. And don’t worry about your things. I’ll send my driver.”
“That’s so kind of you, Mr. Westerbourne.”
“Please, call me Clyde.”
It was no wonder she had him eating out of her hand. She was a million times more magnificent than any garden could ever be.
* * *
After an entertaining lunch during which Clyde told them stories of his youth that kept them laughing, he said, “Thank you for humoring an old man. Now it’s time for you young people to go off and enjoy yourselves while I take a rest.”
“Thank you, again, Clyde,” Lyssa said. “For everything. But especially for making me laugh so much my stomach hurts.” Though a little prickly at first, he was a sweet man, and he’d totally related to her parents’ story. “And don’t forget, you still owe me a garden tour.”
He kissed her hand gallantly before he wheeled himself off, leaving Lyssa and Cal alone at last.
Seeing Cal again after what happened on Catalina Island had been a shock to her system. She’d felt a powerful jolt of awareness, remembering his kiss, the feel of his hands on her, his admission that he’d run away from her because he couldn’t resist her.
But after that first instant, she’d shoved everything to the background and focused on her job.
Now that Clyde was sending them off, however, Lyssa was once again a bundle of nerves. Even repeating her mantra—no matter how Cal reacts, everything will be okay—wasn’t helping.
“I should get back to the airport,” Cal said after only a few steps away from the house. “I need to be in Miami for a meeting.”
She gaped at him. She knew for a fact that he and Dane had budgeted enough time to do more than just talk business with Clyde, if they were invited to do so.
Heck no, Cal was not running away from this conversation. If she had the guts to start it, he was damn well going to have the guts to listen.
“First of all,” she told him, “Clyde will be extremely disappointed if you leave. Not to mention how disappointed I will be if you run away from me again like you have too many times in the past weeks. Especially when it’s beyond imperative that we talk. Not about the foundation, but about us.”
He swallowed hard, but nodded. “You’re right. Hopping on a plane is a bad habit I have when I don’t want to deal with—”
He seemed to realize what he was saying and stopped himself. But it was too late. He’d already confirmed what she had come to know on her own: He didn’t want to deal with her.
Which was okay, she reminded herself. She was a Spencer. She had it in her to take care of her baby on her own. Especially when she had a wonderful family to lean on if she needed help.
Knowing he’d made a misstep, Cal said, “Sorry, that came out wrong.”
“It’s okay.” She waved away his apology, meaning it. She didn’t want Cal to pretend to be anyone he wasn’t. She certainly didn’t want him to pretend to care about her beyond their employee-employer relationship. “Why don’t we take a walk in the garden, where we’ll have privacy to talk?”
She didn’t want to build things up too much and make him nervous about what she had to say. At the same time, it was hard to downplay what she was about to tell him. Thankfully, some of her equilibrium returned as they strolled the wide path of flagstones through lush jungle ferns and exotic blooms, past fountains and a babbling brook, colorful birds calling out to one another from the trees overhead and lizards running beneath broad green leaves for cover from the sun.
As much as Lyssa was bursting to tell him about the baby, she figured easing into it was wiser. “I’m really pleased with how our meeting went.”
When Cal nodded, she tried to ignore the fact that he was scowling slightly, as though he’d rather be anywhere but in a billionaire’s Caribbean garden with her. “He’s a nice man and very generous. It will be a pleasure to work with him as we put his donation to good use.”
With the staggering amount Clyde Westerbourne had just donated, they could build and staff a complete facility in any city.
The path opened into a sitting area with a fountain surrounded by stone benches. It reminded her of the glade on Catalina. With the slight falter in Cal’s step, she knew it reminded him too.
“It was the heartfelt story about your parents that touched him.” Thankfully, Cal sounded more like his normal self. “You have a knack for connecting with people.”
“Thank you.” She was amazed that even after running away from her for weeks, he could still praise her abilities. “Let’s sit for a minute, Cal.”
“Lyssa—”
She held up her hand. “I really need you to listen. Just for a few moments.”
He gave in, sitting on a stone bench. She sat next to him, wishing things could be easier. Then again, if easier meant giving up the life within her, she would never want to do that. She was keeping this baby no matter what.
“I’m pregnant.”
He stared at her, clearly stunned, his mouth agape, his eyes suddenly wide. She couldn’t read his expression when he finally spoke. “When we were on the plane?”
“Yes,” she answered simply.
“But I thought… You said—”
“I thought I had it covered. And I didn’t forget a pill or anything. But the pill is only ninety-nine percent effective. Which meant that my getting pregnant on the plane had a one percent chance of happening.” She paused. “And the five pregnancy tests I took confirmed it definitely happened.”
He didn’t speak for several long moments. She couldn’t seem to take in enough oxygen, her lungs about to burst, while she waited for his response.
“Say something, Cal,” she got out.
Finally, he spoke. “Wow.” Then a beat later, “Great.”
It was her turn to stare at him, shocked right down to her tingling toes. “What do you mean, ‘Wow, great’?”
A slow smile formed on his lips. “I mean it’s great news.”
She was sure she must be missing something. It didn’t make sense. “Do you mean great with a sarcastic undertone? Or do you mean great great?”
“Great great.” An emotion she hadn’t expected gleamed in his eyes, one that mirrored her joy. “Awesome great!”
She’d absolutely, positively stepped into the Twilight Zone. Especially when a full-blown smile bloomed on his face.
Didn’t he realize he’d just been hit with a life-altering revelation? Didn’t he realize he was going to be a father in a little less than nine months, despite the fact that he didn’t want to have a relationship with her, that he was her boss, and that he was twenty years older?