Page 46 of Upon an April Night

“There was no way you could’ve known when you picked the date.”

“If only you would’ve told me sooner.”

“When? The day I came to your parents’ house and you were there with her?”

He lowered his head.

“I couldn’t stick around after that. I had to get out of there, out of here. But I came to talk to you the second I got back to town.”

“What happened when you were at your parents’? Did you see a doctor?”

“I went to a clinic. They told me I was eleven weeks along.”

“Like a walk-in clinic?”

A few beats passed. “Something like that.”

He searched her eyes. “You mean an abortion clinic.”

“I thought it would be easier for all of us if I just got rid of it.”

He swallowed hard. “What changed your mind?”

“The ultrasound. I saw this little round head and arms and legs. There’s a baby in here. Our baby.” She touched her belly. “And I couldn’t do it after that. I just couldn’t.”

He reached over and lay his hand atop hers.

She was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

“I know this is a mess,” she said, “but we can make it work, right? We can figure it out.”

He nodded. “I want to be part of the baby’s life.”

“I hoped you would, and I know it’s going to be kind of complicated—”

“More complicated than you know.” He looked down at their hands. “I think I’m moving to Denver.”

“Denver?” It came out as a whisper as she pulled her hand from beneath his.

“With my freelance job, I can work from anywhere. Dréa has a steady job there that she loves.”

Jamie didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t considered that they might live in another state.

“We’ll figure it out, Jame.”

She stood and paced across her apartment and back.

“I thought I’d come back here and tell you and, somehow, we’d raise this baby together. I never thought you’d be all the way across the country. How would that even work?”

Duncan’s eyes trailed her. “I don’t know.”

“It can’t. It’s so far. You’d have to travel here or something. I can’t afford to fly out there. Especially when the baby’s little.”

Duncan stood and stepped toward her as she passed him again. Taking hold of her forearms, he turned her to face him. “Calm down.”

“You calm down!”

His eyes were wide with surprise at her outburst, and his lips were tilted to one side like he was holding in a laugh.

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