Page 102 of Upon an April Night

The rest of the family took turns hugging her. Then Nana took her hand and Duncan’s and squeezed. “God is watching over the three of you.”

“Yes, he is,” Duncan said.

Nana placed his hand atop Jamie’s, and he gently took her hand in his, which sent chills up her arm. And when he smiled at her, an ache started deep inside her heart.

He and Dréa may have broken up, but the fact remained that he had blown her off because she wasn’t good enough for him. He’d slept with her then went off to find the right kind of girl, and that still hurt.

And then there was Max. He was a good guy, and he had no problem with the girl she used to be. So for her, it wasn’t as simple as breaking up with Max for Duncan, even though she wanted to be with him more than anything.

Before she could make any more life-altering decisions, they needed to talk. But right now, all she cared about was the safety of this child she was carrying inside her. That was the most important thing in her life at the moment.

“Let me help you.” Duncan was at her bedside, crouched down, holding one of her socks in his hands.

She reached over and snatched it from him. “I am perfectly capable of dressing myself, Duncan.” But it was too late. His hands were on her ankle, and she was sure he could see the goosebumps covering her skin at his touch.

He stared up at her and held his hand out until she caved and gave him the sock. He slipped it over her toes and tugged it unhurriedly over her foot, her ankle, her calf. His fingertips brushing against her skin warmed her all over. Especially when he finished and lingered there longer than necessary.

He held out his hand. “Other sock, please.”

She swallowed hard and handed it over. “I’m not an invalid.”

“What if you leaned over and got dizzy and passed out again? We don’t know exactly what caused it. I’d rather help you than watch the color go out of your face again.” His expression turned serious as he went silent for several long seconds. “Your body went completely limp in my arms. I thought I might lose you, Jamie. You and the baby.”

“Duncan,” she whispered.

He abandoned sock duty and wrapped his arms around behind her legs as he lay his head in her lap.

She ran her fingers through his hair, comforting him as best as she could. She couldn’t imagine what that must’ve been like for him. “I’m okay, Duncan. I’m right here.”

When he looked up at her, she was surprised to see tears in his eyes.

“Duncan.” She gently touched his cheek, and his eyelids fell at her touch.

“Uh … am I interrupting?”

Jamie glanced over her shoulder at Max, who stood in the doorway, staring at their interaction.

“No,” Jamie replied, just as Duncan said, “Yes.”

She looked down at him with her lips pressed together, giving him a warning glare.

Duncan smirked and finished helping with her sock then her shoes. He grabbed her bag, refusing to give it up when she reached for it. “I’ll carry it out for you.”

Jamie walked toward Max. “You didn’t have to come all the way back today.”

“When Shannon texted me this morning, I knew I had to come.” He reached for her hand and wound his fingers through hers, guiding her out of the room and along the hallway.

She should’ve felt happy and comforted by the fact that Max was there, holding her hand, but she could feel Duncan’s stare boring a hole in her back as they walked. She wanted to look back at him, but she forced herself to keep looking forward until they reached Max’s car.

Max opened the passenger door for Jamie while Duncan opened a back door and placed her belongings on the seat.

“Thanks, Duncan,” Jamie said over her shoulder.

He closed the back door and opened her passenger door a foot. “Can we talk later?”

“Of course.” She was anxious to have a conversation with him since they kept getting interrupted.

“I’ll call you.”

---