Gibson
I couldn't believe my eyes.
The last person I expected to see in the drugstore on a Monday afternoon was Sacha. The woman who had taken over Bianca's place in my dreams and my fantasies. The fact I would never see her again had made those dreams and fantasies safe, but now that she was standing in front of me, I wasn't sure what the hell to do.
"Gibson? This is so weird. I was looking for you."
She looked back at Mitch and thanked him, then stepped away from the line of customers. Those haunting green eyes stared up at me, waiting, and I wondered why she had come looking for me.
"Yeah, I'm kind of in shock to see you. But glad."
She smiled then looked away. She was nervous about something. Well, we had parted on less than friendly terms. I looked down at the vial of pills in my hand-Marvil's prescription-and joined the line of customers.
"I have to pay for this, but we can go somewhere to talk if you want."
"Yes, I'd like that. Somewhere private."
She pretended to browse the store while I waited in line. My mind began a systematic search for reasons why she would appear out of the blue like this.
She feels guilty about throwing me out.
She wants me.
She's madly in love with me.
She's buying a cabin and needs some work done.
She's figured out who I really am and wants to date a billionaire.
I discarded all of the possibilities but hoped at least the first three were close to the truth. My turn at the register finally came, and Mitch gave me a wink.
"Glad I could help you out, son. Hope it all goes well."
I gave him a thumbs-up sign and walked to where Sacha stood waiting by the door. I must have been nervous, because my voice warbled when I spoke, but I covered it with a cough. "I know where we can talk, if you don't mind sitting outside."
For mid-November, it was a warm day. The sun was out, and though it was getting near sunset, the breeze was slight. She didn't seem to mind my suggestion.
"Sure. Where?"
"Follow me."
I drove my truck the few blocks to the park along the river. There was no one in sight, so I pulled up next to a picnic area. She parked her car nearby and stepped out. I gestured to one of the wooden tables, where she sat on the bench across from me.
"So…um, how have you been, Gibson?"
Her petal-pink lips twitched. She was nervous, but I didn't press. Let her take her time with whatever it was. I was enjoying her company too much to rush. She was still gorgeous, but her face seemed rounder than I recalled, giving her a wholesome look.
"I've been fine. And you can call me Gib. How have you been?"
"I'm good. Well, Gib, I came here because there's something you should know."
My stomach dropped. The tone of her voice was serious, and I couldn't imagine what it had to do with me. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"I wouldn't say trouble, but..."
"Just say it."
"I'm pregnant. It's yours."
Her deep green gaze was locked on mine, as though daring me to react. The challenge on her face was unmistakable. My negotiation skills had been curated over many years of business experience, so I willed myself not to react. But inside I was a mass of emotions.
Shock.
Fear.
Disbelief.
Joy.
What? No way.
"Please don't take this the wrong way, but I have to ask. Are you absolutely sure?"
Her brows narrowed, lips tightened, and I saw the same expression she'd had right before she told me to leave her motel room. Her next words were muttered through clenched teeth, and the amber specks in her eyes became more visible, like tiny sparks.
"Absolutely, or else I wouldn't have driven three hours to search all over this godforsaken place for you."
Oops. I had to lighten the moment, so I gave her my most charming smile and touched her hand.
"What I meant was, you've taken tests, been seen by a doctor?"
Her expression hadn't changed, but she left her hand on the table, covered by mine. "I know what you mean. But yes, I've been tested. I'm almost twelve weeks along. That's how long it's been since I was here, with you. And I haven't been with anyone else."
"My memory of that night is a bit spotty."
I didn't want to upset her further by being graphic about what we had done. At this point, I wasn't even sure what we had done, at least not every detail. She withdrew her hand and covered her face with it.
"So is mine, but we actually did, you know…do it."
I wracked my mind, trying to conjure up images of that night. They were fragmented. I had a vague feeling of unease about it but didn't want to tell her.
"I don't know. I was pretty out of it. I do recall telling you about forgetting the condoms. I was trying to be a gentleman."
Her face softened. A breeze lifted a lock of her long, brown hair to caress her cheek. She brushed it away.
"You did. But we must have been drunker than we both realized. It was a mistake to sleep together. But does that really matter now?"
For some reason, I trusted her. It still made no sense, but my gut was telling me she was on the level. At least about this. Still, it bothered me she felt our night together was a "mistake." Her clinical attitude wasn't making this any easier to process. "Not at this moment. I mean, we can establish proof later if necessary."
She straightened her shoulders. Her eyes glistened with tears she was trying to hold back. But her words belied any emotion she might have been feeling.
"Personally, I don't really care. I don't expect anything from you, that's not why I'm here. I thought you had a right to know. I plan to raise the child on my own, in any case."
I wasn't sure how I felt about this. I barely knew her. But one thing I was certain of-she was having my child, and I wasn't about to let her cut me out of the picture.
~*~