Page 57 of Military Daddies' Nanny

Carlos drags a hand through his dark hair, mouth twisting around words I can't decipher. Nathan, for his part, stays rooted where he stands, expression unreadable.

"And..." Carlos swallows audibly, shoulders rising with a fortifying breath. "Is it...?"

He trails off, but the implication rings clear.Whose baby is it?

In my wildest dreams, I never could have anticipated a scenario like this. It’s both a nightmare and an answered prayer all at once. Because how do you choose, when your heart yearns equally for three different men?

Seeming to sense my anguish, the doctor steps forward, drawing their attention. "We don't have a definitive way to determine paternity this early on," she says in a tone of practiced calm. "We can do an amniocentesis around sixteen weeks if you'd like, or run DNA tests once the baby is born. But without knowing Ms. Jones's exact ovulation window..."

Her voice washes over me, practical and detached. I should pay attention, ask questions, absorb the information being presented. But somewhere between the doctor's reassuring cadence and the pounding of blood in my ears, I drift.

Because suddenly, the enormity of my situation doesn't seem to matter quite as much as one simple, overwhelming need.

I can’t tell Drew. Not now, when he’s made up his mind to return to his ex. Letting him know about the baby will do nothing more than complicate things further for him and his family.

Fresh panic lances through me at the mere thought. How can I involve him, the man who was prepared to sever all ties between us mere hours ago, in something this significant? This life-altering?

And yet...part of me rebels against the notion of excluding him. Of not, at the very least, affording him the chance to claim what is just as likely to be his.

My head is pounding in double-time with my pulse by the time I tune back into the conversation around me. Carlos and Nathan have drifted closer, eyes trained on the doctor with rapt focus as she runs through some point or another.

At my almost inaudible sniffle, however, their attention snaps back to me like a rubber band finally reaching its terminal stretch.

"Hey." Carlos's hand finds mine, thumb rubbing soothing circles across my knuckles. "You still with us,mamacita?"

I swallow hard, mustering what little composure remains. When I meet his concerned gaze, my voice comes out steadier than I'd anticipated. "I would like it if we could please keep this from Drew."

Another weighted pause stretches between the three of us. Then…

"Nancy..." Nathan steps closer, jaw tight. "I know why you’re saying this. I know my brother well enough to know that he’s barely holding it together with Karen showing up again and the relationship we’d begun to build. This would simply add another layer of complexity…but still, not telling him is a bit…”

I look to Jamie for support, to be sure that I’m making the right decision, and not just letting my hurt decide. I filled her in on everything when she met me at the hospital and so, she knows exactly why I’m making this decision.

Her eyes fill with compassion and she shakes her head to let me know I’m not going overboard.

Carlos sighs and nods, picking up where Nathan leaves off. “This is not the kinda thing you want to keep from Drew. I know him well enough to assure you that keeping this from him will not go well for any of us.”

"I know, I know." The placating words spill free, fueled more by instinct than rationality. "But you said it yourself. He can’t afford to know, right?” I look from Nathan to Carlos.

“You know Drew. He doesn’t strike me as someone who makes impulse decisions. If he decided to make things work with Karen, then he probably gave it a lot of thought, right? Now, can you tell me with certainty that Drew would go through with that decision if he finds out about this child?” I ask tersely.

The two men exchange a look, and I see the truth of things in their eyes. To keep Drew, all I have to do is tell him about the child. But I don’t want him like that. I’ve never been capable of such manipulation and even if by some miracle I could pull it off, I don’t want to. I deserve better than that. So I’d rather let him go. He made his choice already.

“He still deserves to know,” Nathan says. “If there's even a chance that he could be the...you can't hide this from him, Nancy. Not in good conscience.”

“Not to butt into whatever this is, but I’ve never known Nancy to make a decision she does not have a good reason for. If she doesn’t think it’s a good idea to tell Drew anything about this, then I think it’s best if you honor her decision. At least for now,” Jamie says.

The last part is clearly added for the guys’ benefit after the deep frown that settles on their faces and the sudden tension in the room following the secret I’m asking them to keep from Drew.

There's an impasse between us, two opposing views locked in a silent tug-of-war. Then, unexpectedly, it's Carlos who breaks the stalemate.

"He’s right, Nancy." His voice is a low rumble, gaze unflinching as it clashes with mine. "I don't like it any more than you do, but he's right. If this is Drew's kid, we don’t get to make that call…" He trails off, shaking his head grimly.

I feel my heart begin to beat faster. Are they going to tell him anyway?

Jamie frowns as she notices my distress. “Can you two put yourself in Nancy’s shoes for one second? She’s already been rejected, and now it’s going to seem like she’s forcing him to change his mind. Would you want to be chosen only because there is no other choice?”

Both men wear grim expressions, Nathan frowning and Carlos pressing his lips together. I look at both of them pleadingly, hoping they can understand.

---