Page 35 of Upon an April Night

Jamie laughed. “Well, it worked.”

“What happened?”

“I was planning to take the abortion pill, but when I got there, they told me I was too far along for that.”

Shannon’s eyes widened. “Wow, you actually went.”

“Yeah. My only other option was surgical, and I couldn’t do it. Especially not after seeing the baby on the ultrasound.”

“You saw the baby?”

Jamie nodded as she moved to the french doors, peeking through the glass. “Now I have to figure out how to tell your brother.”

When she turned back, Shannon was seated on the edge of the bed, brushing a tear from her cheek. “You should probably know that this picnic is also Duncan and Dréa’s engagement party.”

“What?” Jamie’s stomach dropped, and she felt all the color drain from her face.

“You showed up right after the speeches.”

“No.” Jamie’s hand rested against her belly as a wave of nausea hit, and she raced out of the room toward the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her knees hit the tile in front of the toilet just in time. Morning sickness was a total lie. Hers hit at all hours of the day. And this news certainly hadn’t helped.

Engagement party?

She groaned as she stood, flushed the toilet, and went to the faucet, filling her cupped hand for a drink. In the top drawer of the cabinet, she found a tube of toothpaste, squeezed a little on her fingertip, rubbed it across her teeth and around her mouth, then rinsed her mouth once more.

Why did she have to come here today of all days? She planned to show up, find Duncan, ask to talk privately, and spill the news. But she couldn’t do that at their engagement party. Their entire day would be ruined.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Was she really glowing? Could people tell she was pregnant? She did feel different now that she’d made the decision to keep the baby. Part of her was unwilling to admit it, but she felt excited. It wasn’t what she had originally planned for her life, but since she’d decided, she couldn’t help but feel a bond forming between her and this baby.

“Well, Peach, I guess we’ll have to wait a little longer to tell your daddy.” She had nicknamed the baby after reading an article comparing the growth of a baby each week of pregnancy to a similarly sized fruit. At thirteen weeks, the baby was roughly the size of a peach.

Jamie opened the bathroom door, smiling down as she rubbed her palm back and forth over her belly, and ran straight into a broad, solid chest. Strong hands gripped her upper arms to steady her.

“Hey, you.”

Jamie’s eyes lifted to meet Duncan’s, and they both stared for several long beats. She knew she should move away, but she found herself locked in place by his hands and their mutual gaze.

“Hey,” she squeaked out. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“You were rubbing your stomach. Are you sick?”

“I was, but I’m better now.”

“Something you ate? Or should I be worried you’ll give me the stomach flu?” There was a twinkle in his eyes.

“The first one,” she replied, still staring and wondering why he hadn’t let go yet.

“So, you’re back.” He finally loosened his hold and took a step away.

“Just got into town and came to see Shannon.” It was a half-truth.

His gaze turned to a watercolor painting of the lake hanging on the wall beside them. “Did she tell you … this is our … mine and Dréa’s engagement party?”

Hit me while I’m down, Duncan. Go ahead.

“Y-yeah.” She tried to force herself to congratulate him, but the words wouldn’t come. It would’ve been a bald-faced lie, anyway. She wasn’t happy for them. Not at all. And as selfish as it was, she secretly hoped it wouldn’t work out. Though she knew that was a long shot. Compared to Jamie, Dréa seemed perfect in every way, and he would be crazy not to marry her.

“Where did you go?” he asked.

---