Page 61 of Landen

“I do.”She took a shaky breath. “Wouldn’t it be so much easierif we were together?”

“Indeed.”A smile touched his lips. “But who wants easy?”

“Your mother isgoing to fight you on this.”

“I am aware,but I am up for it.” Pushing back from his desk, he rose andtook her hand to help her. “Thank you for telling me.”

“You missed avery chilly dinner the other day.” She told him teasingly,surprising him with her sense of humor.

He told her with agrin. “I suppose I should apologize for my absence.”

“No need.”She smiled graciously. “Goodbye, Landen.”

Chapter 12

“It feels likeyou are ganging up on me, and I cannot defend myself. Not now.”Sitting back down when she felt the weakness invading her limbs, shefaced her siblings. They had called her and said they were on theirway over, and it had been too late to stop them.

She was not doingvery well. The pregnancy, and yes, she was two months pregnant, asconfirmed by Dr. Shelly Lancaster. The pregnancy was beating her. Shecould not keep down anything; even when she forced some tea into herstomach, it came back up. She still had not told Landen because hehad too much on his plate.

The last thing he hadtold her was that the pharmaceutical company was being sued by alawyer representing several clients.

“Do they havegrounds?”

“Some bloody BSabout the face cream bringing on hives. It’s a damn shakedown,of course, but it has to be dealt with.”

“And yourdad?”

“Still in acoma. I am sorry, love. I thought I would be back by now, but thingskeep happening.”

“I am fine.”She had reassured him, even though it was a lie, and had decided notto burden him with what was happening to her. It was customary forpregnant women to go through things like these. It was just that shewas going through more than her fair share.

“We just wantto know what is going on with you.” Karen’s voice waslight, but there was a concerned look on her face. “If I ammissing my guess, you have lost weight, and honey, I don’t haveto tell you that you cannot afford to lose anything. You arepregnant-” She stopped as Tessa gave Brian a dirty look.

“Don’tblame him. I am a nurse, and you looked peaky when I was here thelast time. I asked Brian, and he confessed.” She wagged afinger. “I should not have had to hear it from him.”

“I was going totell you,” Tessa muttered, spinning around to walk over to thewindow.

It was summer, andthe flowers were blooming. She had tried doing some gardening lastSunday afternoon, but the sunlight had made her faint, and she had torun for cover. She could not believe that Landen had been gone foralmost three weeks.

“When?”

“Soon.”

“Honey-”

“No, please.”Turning around, she held up her hand. “I am not in the mood tobe grilled.”

“Are you in themood to tell the guy you are carrying his baby?” Her brotherasked her mildly.

“It’s nota baby yet.”

“Tess-”

“Okay, fine.It’s not the right time.”

“What the helldo you mean by that?” He demanded.

“He is goingthrough a lot.”

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