Christy had tried to press him to tell her what he thought was wrong, but he’d just asked her to get dressed and told her they’d talk in his office.
Now here she was, waiting again. Never had she needed David more. Christy dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. She wished he could be beside her now, flashing that smile of his and putting his arm around her, calling her Chrissy and telling her everything was going to be fine. Telling her that she wasn’t alone because they were in this together.
But she was alone. A tear traveled down her cheek. She’d made sure of that. Since she’d walked out on David, she’d refused to return his phone calls or to see him. What choice did she have? Lauren’s baby’s life hung in the balance. This wasn’t about her love for David—it was about the greater good.
“Mrs. Warner, I’ve got a diagnosis for you.” Dr. James strolled into the office, shook her hand and took a seat behind the massive cherry-wood desk. “The urine test confirms my physical findings.”
“You already know what’s wrong with me?” Christy sank into a nearby chair, her knees like jelly.
“Indeed I do.” His gaze turned sharp and assessing. “I was hoping your husband would be here with you.”
This was her opportunity to let the doctor know that she was on her own, that she and David were no longer together. But the words wouldn’t come. She swallowed hard and the tiny lie slipped past her lips. “David wanted to come. But he had a meeting and couldn’t get away.”
“That’s too bad.” Dr. James took off his half glasses and slipped them into the pocket of his lab coat. “I usually enjoy giving this kind of news to both of you.”
“Enjoy?” Christy tried to stem the well of hope that rose at the unexpected word. “This is good news?”
“I certainly think so.” Dr. James smiled. “There’s nothing wrong with you, Mrs. Warner. Nothing that five more months won’t cure.”
She puzzled over his words before realization dawned. “Are you saying I’m pregnant?”
Dr. James nodded, a broad smile blanketing his face.
“But how can that be?” she blurted out. “My doctor in Chicago told me with my endometriosis I’d have a hard time getting pregnant.”
“Apparently he was wrong.” The doctor chuckled.
“But what about the ultrasound?” she said. “I heard you tell the nurse she needed to schedule one.”
“To confirm how far along you are,” he said.
“A baby?” Too shocked to even think clearly, Christy’s hand dropped protectively to her abdomen. “I’m really going to have a baby?”
“Right about Thanksgiving time is my guess,” he said. “The ultrasound should confirm that. I’ll start you on prenatal vitamins and we’ll want you to…”
Christy barely heard what he said. All she could think of was that David’s and her child would be born at Thanksgiving…just in time for their divorce.
David waited until two to take his lunch break, hoping that the small park close to his office would be deserted.
The crowd that filled the green wooden benches over the noon hour should be back at work, so he’d have the entire place to himself. Which was good, since the last thing David felt like doing was making small talk.
In fact, he hadn’t felt like doing much of anything since Christy had moved into a hotel. It had been less than a week, but it seemed like forever. He missed running with her in the morning, talking with her on the phone in between meetings and seeing her smiling face when he came home from work. But the nights were the hardest. They’d been married four months and he’d grown so used to having her beside him. He’d loved lying next to her and breathing in the scent of her perfume while her warm body curved against his.
We were so good together.
He angrily brushed some moisture from his eyes and tried to still the hurt that encircled his heart like a noose.
“David. Joni said I might find you here.”
David jerked his gaze up to find Lauren standing before him. He blinked twice and resisted the urge to wipe his eyes with the back of his hand. “What’s up?”
She gestured to the bench. “Do you mind if I sit down for a minute? I don’t mean to interrupt, but I really need to talk to you about something.”
“Sure.” David scooted over to make more room for her. “Have a seat.”
Lauren sat down and David could tell by the two lines of worry between her brows that something was bothering her.
“I was talking to Sara yesterday and she told me there was a disturbing rumor going around at the party.”
The first thought that popped into David’s mind was that the word must be out that he and Christy were separating. But then David realized that Christy hadn’t walked out on him until after the party. Things had been good between them until that point.
“David?” Lauren’s eyes narrowed. “Are you listening to me?”
“I’m sorry.” He offered her an apologetic smile and his full attention. “My mind wandered for a minute. What were you saying?”
“I asked how Christy was doing?”
David’s heart clenched. Though he and Lauren had been friends for years, David couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth. He knew it was because he still hadn’t given up hope that he and Christy would reconcile. “Christy is fine. Busy.”
Lauren gave a long audible sigh. “I’m glad. I was so afraid that—”
“You were afraid what?” David said when she didn’t continue.
“There were some horrible rumors going around at the party. I was worried Christy might have heard them and—” Lauren hesitated and gave a helpless shrug “—believed them.”
David met her gaze. “What kind of rumors are we talking about?”
“I guess I might as well tell you.” A flush traveled up Lauren’s neck. “They were saying I was pregnant with your baby.”
“Pregnant!” David sat upright. “We never even—”
“I know that,” Lauren said. “But apparently whoever started this story didn’t know that or didn’t care.”
“But where would someone have ever gotten such a crazy idea in the first place?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Lauren said. “Although I have my suspicions.”
“And that is?”
“Remember when we were in Conroy’s and I told you I was thinking about having a baby by artificial insemination?” She paused. “You told me a baby needs both parents and I really needed to think long and hard about this decision?”
“I remember,” David said. “But what does that have to do with anything?”
“Did you tell Christy about my plans?”
“Not a word,” he said. “You told me not to say anything.”
“I was afraid of that.” Lauren leaned back against the bench and exhaled a deep breath.
“Lauren, don’t leave me hanging here,” David said. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Okay,” she said. “But you’re not going to like it.”