She closed her eyes and pretended to sleep until he was gone, waiting until she heard the door close behind him before opening them again. She’d definitely grown careless and said too much. There was no point in rehashing the past, which would have no effect on the future. Surely, she wasn’t still hung up on Weston anyway, was she? Shouldn’t she have outgrown that inappropriate crush by now?

If it was simply a crush, she most definitely would have done so. The problem was it hadn’t been a crush. She’d genuinely cared deeply about the other man, and apparently, still did. She cared about Weston more than she should, or she wouldn’t be in the situation she was in right now, with her sister’s baby in her womb.

The baby she’d conceived with the man Piper couldn’t get off her mind. How crazy was that? Pippa might be gone, but just barely, and even though he sounded like the marriage had been in trouble, that didn’t mean he was ready to jump into a new relationship with someone else already, especially the sister of his dead wife.

The thought crept up on her without her permission that she was suddenly and deeply grateful that Pippa had gone to all the trouble and expense to have plastic surgery that altered her appearance drastically from Piper’s. At least she didn’t have to worry about Weston seeing her sister’s face in hers. From his comments, she didn’t think that was even something to worry about, but it was certainly a relief.

She shook her head in irritation at herself as she got up and moved across the quarters. Why was she thinking this way? There was absolutely no future for her with Weston, and she had to keep that in mind. She was here to do a job that would be finished in a few short months, and then she would return to her life at Greer. It was a perfectly good life, and she was content with it, so why was she questioning things now? Why was she longing for a future she’d given up on years ago, especially with the way it would play out now?

* * *

The next morning, she left his room and found Weston waiting for her in the kitchenette. “Would you like breakfast?” he asked.

She thought about it for half a second before shaking her head. Her stomach was far too upset still to hold down anything. “I just wanted to stretch my legs a bit and let you have your bed back.” She headed toward the door, intent on returning to the quarters he’d assigned her.

Him clearing his throat made her stop and look at him. “Gretel said not have you be alone right now, if you remember?”

She nodded. “I remember.”

He cleared his throat again as he got to his feet and walked over to stand near her. He was a perfectly respectable distance away, but it still made her heart gallop crazily. “I thought you might as well stay with me.”

Creeping dread settled in her stomach, and she frowned so hard her face hurt. “I can’t put you out of your bed all that time, Weston.”

His eyes darkened for a moment, and he seemed on the verge of saying something. When he blinked, his expression cleared. “I have a spare room.”

The dread settled deeper in her stomach, spurring a surge of nausea. “I really don’t think I could sleep in Pippa’s room.”

“Let me show you something please.” With those words, he started walking down the hallway from which she had come.

Suppressing a sigh, and trying to figure out how she could be forceful about rejecting the room without hurting his feelings, she drew to a halt at the doorway of the cleared room. It was sparse and utilitarian, including very little, except a blanket with Olympus Station’s logo embroidered on it. “What happened to everything?”

“I boxed it up last night and had it put in storage this morning.” He waved a hand around the room but didn’t enter. “You can decorate it yourself this way, and however you’d like.”

“Thank you, Weston.” It was still too cozy, and far too close to him, but she couldn’t think of a gracious way to decline. Piper wasn’t even certain she really wanted to. From a strictly medical point-of-view, she liked the idea of having someone close enough to hear her shout if she had problems. From an emotional viewpoint, she appreciated the link as well, though she had a feeling she could appreciated it too much if she wasn’t careful.

He nodded. “There’re a couple of shops here on the station that can help you get anything you might need. Use my credit account to get whatever you’d like.”

She managed to smile. “That’s very kind of you, but I do have my own credit account.”

His gaze dropped to her stomach, with its barely visible protrusion. “And you’re here to do me an amazing favor, so I won’t quibble with you about the cost of that. Just use my credits.”

With a sigh, she nodded. There wasn’t much she could imagine needing anyway, since it was only temporary quarters. “There are two doors.” She made the observation aloud as she moved closer. The first door proved to be a small closet, currently empty, but the second one opened into what looked like a small room between this bedroom and Weston’s.

He entered the bedroom, standing a few feet away from her—and far too close to the bed for her comfort. “This used to be Wesley’s room, and I plan to use it as the nursery. That way we can both get to her whenever she needs us.”

She stared briefly at the room, which was small, but would work for the purpose. “I think that’s a good idea, but I won’t be here for that part. Pippa’s old room would probably make a good place for a nanny.”

For a moment, he looked wounded, and then his expression cleared and went blank. “Of course. That’s a good suggestion. I have work to do, but if you need anything, please let me know. Otherwise, I hope you’ll take it easy today.”

With her stomach rebelling, she doubted she had any choice in the matter. “Thank you, Weston.”

It was only when he left that she allowed herself a ragged exhalation as she ran a hand through her messy ponytail. She thought she had hurt his feelings, though she couldn’t be certain. She squirmed with guilt, but also a hint of annoyance. Why would he assume she would care about the nursery position, and had he really meant to include her in his plans for caring for the child after her birth?

If so, she needed to let him know now that wasn’t happening. There was no way she would settle for the same kind of lackluster arrangement he’d had with Pippa, and she wasn’t going to sacrifice her best years playing nanny to her niece. She deserved to be happy, find a man to love, and have a family of her own.

The words sounded good, but as she laid down to take a nap on the bed that still eerily felt like Pippa’s despite a complete scrubbing of her presence, she wasn’t entirely sure she believed them. If he asked, it was entirely possible she would capitulate and sacrifice her dreams to raise his child. She wanted to think that was impossible these days, and that she had grown beyond such idiotic nobility, but couldn’t be certain of her own behavior. That was why it was important to draw boundaries and keep them in place before such a situation could arise.

* * *

The next two weeks passed, alternating between slow and fast. When she was feeling ill, the days seemed to drag on forever. The first few days were particularly awful, because all she seemed to do was vomit. What little food she managed to keep down wasn’t enough to sustain her, and Gretel ended up supplementing her with a special blend of vitamins.

Finally, when her stomach started to calm down, and her lethargy was under control, she was able to eat again. For the last two days, she’d kept down all of her meals without anything besides residual nausea upon waking.

She had also spent more time with Weston than was probably wise, but he wasn’t there this morning, having left early to greet a diplomatic envoy. That worked to her advantage, because she had a feeling he would object if he knew she planned to leave his quarters today to explore the station.

Being trapped in this room for two weeks was enough to drive her insane, and she wanted to see how things had changed. She needed a breath of fresh air, even if it was recirculated air that had gone through the oxygen scrubber system. She just needed something besides the familiar walls encasing her, and she finally felt physically strong enough to look for a change in scenery.

She set out shortly after finishing her breakfast, which settled happily in her stomach without any sign of coming up. She left the area that housed the crew and made her way into the main part of the station. It was fashioned like a large city, complete with transports, and she took the tube transport to the downtown area, which featured all of the retail shops, most of the restaurants, and a colorful mix of all species.

The station had certainly grown during the past seven-and-a-half years, and parts were completely unfamiliar as she wandered the shops arranged in open-air fashion, occasionally pausing to visit with someone, or make an impulsive purchase. She spent almost an hour at a maternity shop, since that was a dire need. Her stomach had grown considerably in the past two weeks, though Gretel had told her it was normal for her body to play “catch up,” and her weight gain would stabilize soon. Either way, her current clothes were too tight.

She discovered it was easier to use Weston’s credits, since her account hadn’t been transferred to Olympus Station yet. It was a little galling, but she decided it wasn’t that big of an issue. As the station commander, he could probably easily afford the clothes and small luxuries in which she indulged, and she was giving up her body for six months. In that light, it didn’t seem so bad to let him buy her a few things.

Piper was moving through the stalls when a purple hand landed on her shoulder. She stopped and looked to see a small alien with long yellow hair holding out a sparkling charm. She smiled. “It’s lovely.”

The alien woman twirled it until it made a whistling sound. “Oh, and loud too.” She discreetly rubbed her ear with her free hand, since she couldn’t bring up the other one due to the woman still holding her shoulder. Carefully, she tried to ease back, but the woman’s grip tightened ever so slightly. She frowned at her. “Excuse me, but I have things to do.”

“The charm is good luck for mothers. It will bring you a pain-free childbirth.”

Piper laughed, and it was a genuine sound. “I don’t have to worry about that. Gretel assures me she has highly effective nerve inhibitors available.”

The alien woman appeared to frown and jiggled it again. “For luck.”

Since she wasn’t going to be able to escape without making the purchase, she finally nodded. “How much?” At the alien’s price, she told her to bill the commander and took the charm, preparing to slip it into her pocket.

The alien woman frowned and handed her a string of what looked like leather. She shuddered at the idea, knowing it had to be fake. Harvesting animals for their parts had been illegal for a long time, at least in human history. Perhaps it was different with that woman’s species? Not wanting to examine the idea too much, she took it with a sickly smile. “What’s this?”

The woman mimicked looping the charm through it, so Piper did so. When directed, she tied it around her neck, and the charm fell at an awkward place, resting just above her belly button. It certainly wasn’t fashionable, but she was just anxious to escape and hurried on her way, this time without being stopped by the alien woman again.

She wondered if the woman targeted all pregnant women like that. It was certainly an effective marketing tactic, she thought with a small grin. What pregnant woman wouldn’t want good luck and a pain-free delivery? Even Piper, who hadn’t really bonded with the pregnancy or embraced the idea that new life grew inside her in any other way besides intellectually, found it an appealing idea. The encounter was still on her mind when she accidentally collided with someone. “I’m sorry.”

At the same time, the person said, “Excuse me.”

The voice sounded familiar, and Piper looked up into warm green eyes surrounded by sandy-brown hair. She definitely recognized that face. “Hadley?”

Hadley frowned for a moment, and then her expression cleared. “Is that you, Piper? I didn’t know you were back on Olympus Station.”

Spontaneously, she hugged her old friend. “Just for a few months.” She touched her stomach gingerly, wondering if any of the junior officers knew what the commander was doing.

Hadley looked down briefly, and her eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, you’re Pippa’s sister?” Her face tightened with what looked like distaste or disapproval. “I’m sorry for your loss.” There was definitely a lack of warmth in those words.

Piper remembered how close she been to Hadley, though their friendship had inevitably faltered when she’d gone half a galaxy away to Greer, while her friend stayed on Olympus Station in the Junior Officers Corps, pursuing advancement. “I’m sure you recall a few comments I made about my sister here and there. Suffice it to say, we weren’t close.”

Hadley’s gaze went back to her stomach again, and she arched a brow. “Apparently close enough for that. Well, I think it’s wonderful what you’re doing for the commander.”

“It’s for the baby,” she said stiffly.

Hadley looked uncomfortable for a moment, and then grinned. “I see Abira ran across you, or perhaps the other way around?”

Piper shrugged. “Who’s Abira?”

She put her hand up to about her chest. “Purple woman with long yellow hair? She targets all the expectant mothers with her charms.”

Piper grinned. “Yeah, she has a technique of selling. You get the feeling that if you don’t buy, she’ll never let go.”

Hadley laughed with her. “Do you have a little while? We could grab a drink? I’m supposed to meet Weston in a while, since he’s dealing with a diplomatic envoy and needs my assistance, but I have time for a quick drink.”

Piper nodded. “I’d love that. I’ve been in Weston’s room the last two weeks, going stir-crazy.”

Hadley looked very interested as she took her arm and led her a short way down the concourse to a bar that had not been there seven-and-a-half years ago. “Why are you with Weston? I mean in his room?”

Piper flushed, afraid she might’ve revealed too much, though nothing had happened. Other than that first night when he had almost kissed her, or she’d almost kissed him, depending on perspective, they’d both maintained an aloof distance. She shrugged a shoulder. “I was having some trouble with adapting to the hormones, so Gretel suggested having someone nearby. He was about the only person I knew on the station. I didn’t realize you were still here.”

The bartender, a red-skinned guy with black horns sprouting from his forehead, nodded at Hadley in a familiar way. “What can I get you, Captain?”

“Sinuvosh ale for myself, and what will you have, Piper?”

Piper shrugged. “Surprise me as long as it isn’t alcoholic.”

The bartender grinned at her, clearly liking her style. She turned to Hadley as they took a small table in the center of the room. “You’re a captain now?”

Hadley beamed at her. “Not only that, but I’m second-in-command. If something happens to your Weston, his spot becomes mine.” Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she spoke the words.

“Should I warn Weston to watch out for you?” She decided to let it slide that her old friend had referred to Weston as hers. That was no more than a slip of the tongue and making a big deal out of it would only add to Hadley’s obvious curiosity.

“No, I have no plans to knock off the commander. He’s suffered enough.” Her expression clouded.

Piper nodded. “I heard things were rough with him and Pippa for a while.”

Hadley snorted. “For a while’s a bit of an understatement. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like Weston took me into his confidences or anything, but I’ve known him for years and worked alongside him for the last three, so it was obvious he was suffering. It can’t be easy watching your wife screw around with other men and—” She clapped her hand to her mouth. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry. For a moment, I forgot you were Pippa’s sister.”

Piper’s eyes widened, and her brain struggled to process the rest. Hadley was still a bit of a gossip, but it was in a benign way. “I didn’t realize it was that bad, or maybe just that obvious. Did Weston know?”

Hadley didn’t answer as the bartender brought their drinks, taking a moment to sip her ale. She seemed determined to avoid making eye contact, as though she was struggling with what to say.

To process, Piper decided to focus on her drink. It was some fruity concoction with a flavor she couldn’t identify. Whatever it was, it was delicious, and she’d almost finished it by the time Hadley got up the nerve to speak.

“I don’t know if he knew, or just suspected like the rest of us. I don’t even know for sure that she was. I just saw her with different guys over the years, and they certainly weren’t Weston. And they weren’t engaged in just innocuous conversation. She wasn’t hanging all over them in a sexual way, but there was definitely more than friendship, I thought.” She looked ashamed. “Maybe I should’ve said something to Weston, but he’s my commanding officer, and I really don’t want to be the one to break up someone’s marriage, regardless of who it is, right?”

Piper squirmed in her seat, not really answering. She couldn’t help remembering her own thoughts in the early days after Pippa had announced their engagement. Even knowing she was pregnant with Wesley, Piper had indulged in the fantasy of Weston waking up and realizing he was with the wrong sister before marrying Pippa. Occasionally, she even allowed herself those fantasies after their marriage, though she had known that’s all they were. That’s all they could be then or now.

“Anyway, I’m sorry to blab all that. Please don’t think I go around telling everyone everything. I guess I just remember how easy it was with you, Piper. I’m really sorry we lost touch.”

Piper nodded. “I hope we can get reacquainted now that I’m here for a while?”

Hadley nodded as she looked at her comm when it buzzed. “Crap, I have to go. I’d like that a lot, and if you don’t have plans tonight, maybe we could do dinner?”

“That sounds good.” She waved to Hadley as her friend moved away, spending a moment finishing her drink. The bartender returned a couple of minutes later, and she smiled at him. “That was a fabulous drink. Thank you.”

He inclined his head. “Would you care for another?” When she shook her head, he picked up with their glasses and dusted off the table with a cleaning cloth. “Thank you for your patronage.” With that, he moved on to the next waiting table, and she realized the area was starting to fill up. She’d spent more time than she’d expected wandering around, and it was nearly lunchtime for those on a traditional diurnal schedule.

She left the bar and moved down the concourse, pausing to grab a couple of different foods she had never tried before for lunch. By then, she was starting to feel sleepy, so she decided to return to Weston’s quarters and have a nap.

As she was walking back, she wondered if Hadley was accurate in her guess that Pippa had been unfaithful. Did Weston know? Beyond a shadow of a doubt, anyway? It wasn’t really her place to say anything, especially since her shaky knowledge came from secondhand information with the assumption of confidentiality, she was certain, and certainly wasn’t absolutely verified. Even Hadley herself couldn’t swear that Pippa had been cheating.

And what did it matter now? Her sister was dead, their marriage was over, and the only link remaining between Weston and Pippa was inside Piper’s stomach. Once the baby was born, that would sever the link joining her to both of them. That would be a positive thing for her mental health and future prospects, though the thought sent a fierce pang shooting through her chest.