Page 49 of Prognosis Temporary

Sebastian’s baby. She was pregnant with Sebastian’s baby. It was too big. Too momentous to even comprehend. ‘Can you tell him that I called in to say I’ve gone away for a few days and that I’ll see him on Monday?’

‘Callie ...’

‘Please, Geri, please. Just this once, okay? I will tell him but I need to figure out how to do that. I need time to think.’

Geri sighed. ‘Okay.’

Callie hugged her friend, her colleague, her boss. ‘What would I do without you?’

Geri patted Callie’s back. ‘You’ll never have to find out.’

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Sebastian narrowedhis eyes at Geri. ‘I don’t believe you.’

Geri shrugged. ‘That’s what she said.’

Sebastian jammed his hands on his hips. ‘So between seven this morning when she texted me that she was feeling better and that she’d see me at work and now - ’ He checked his watch. ‘A quarter past nine, she’s just decided to take off for a few days? Without rhyme or reason? Without telling me?’

Geraldine drew herself up to her very unimpressive height. ‘Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.’

Sebastian was sure that Geri’s regal matriarchal glare, unwavering in its intensity, scared the pants off most people. But he was not most people. And he’d be a pretty lousy psychologist if he couldn’t see that Geri was lying.

Although he had to admit she was fairly convincing.

Had he not worked in the prison system for the last decade, she might even have got away with it. But he was trained to read nuances and Geri’s subtle jaw clench gave her away.

And besides — the whole thing just didn’t make sense.

Employing a stare of his own that had broken hardened criminals, he dropped his voice. ‘Don’t bullshit me, Geraldine.’

Geri regarded him for a moment with pursed lips. ‘Okay, fine.’ She caved in but only, Sebastian suspected, because she thought it necessary. ‘She hasn’t gone away. She’s at home.’

Sebastian nodded. Now they were getting somewhere. ‘What’s wrong with her? Is she okay? Is this something to do with her not feeling well?’

A hundred worst-case-scenarios whizzed around his brain.

Geri shook her head. ‘Oh, no, you don’t. I’m not telling you anything else. Go and ask her yourself.’

Sebastian picked his keys up off his desk where he’d not long thrown them. ‘Fine. I have every intention of doing just that.’

Geri held up her hands in the universal signal to stop. ‘If you want my advice, you’ll give her some breathing room. Don’t hare over there now. Wait till after work. Give her a chance to...Give her some space.’

A chance to what? Some space for what? But Geri had gone before he could form the questions.

Sebastian threw the keys back down in disgust and snatched up the phone receiver, punching in her home number. It went to her answering machine. ‘Callie? Callie, it’s Sebastian. I know you’re there. Pick up the phone.’ He waited for five seconds. ‘Callie please, I’m worried about you.’ More silence followed. ‘I’ll be round tonight after work, whether you like it or not,’ he growled as he banged the phone down.

He sat in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk then reached for the phone again and dialled her mobile. It went straight to her message bank and he cursed under his breath before leaving another similarly terse message.

Sebastian steepled his fingers and brooded, staring into space. What in God’s name had got into her? Had he done something wrong? Had she maybe wanted him to come over last night with a bunch of flowers and some hot chicken broth? Had she set him some kind of a test that he’d failed, and now she was sulking?

No, that wasn’t Callie. It just wasn’t.

God knew, he’d known women like that. Women who constantly tested. Who tried to trap their partners into doing something wrong to prove them unworthy. Women who liked to play games.

Which was one of the best things about his relationship with Callie - no games. No artifice. No lies. Just two adults enjoying each other’s company. Respecting each other.

Or so he’d thought...

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