Page 49 of After-Party Consequences

They had time, lots of time to deal with the reality of becoming parents before the baby arrived. They’d only been together for three weeks, and they weren’t a couple in the traditional sense.

But despite all those careful qualifications, her determination not to let his reticence bother her, she could feel the chill running through her at his blank expression now.

For a moment there, she’d seen the flicker of excitement in the deep blue of his irises. And hope had blossomed like a flower in her chest. Why had she been such a coward about telling him? Why had she avoided talking about the baby, too?

But the excitement had disappeared so swiftly, she wasn’t sure if she had imagined it.

She didn’t want to be needy, to seem insecure. Things were good between them. Things were great. In many ways they’d become friends as well as lovers in the last few weeks.

She loved it when he touched her. Adored indulging the raw passion. But she found his attention even more intoxicating.She looked forward now to the conversations they shared each evening. He’d shown genuine interest in her business—and had offered her some invaluable advice, while also escorting her to numerous events which would give her creations exposure.

But she couldn’t contain her dismay at his reasoning now. The press attention which had forced them together in the first place had died down a lot in the last month. Ever since they’d appeared at the High Line event together, the media had lost interest and moved on to the next big celebrity scandal... After all, Cade Landry wasn’t a one date wonder any more, and she wasn’t a wild child. Now they had shacked up together.

‘The media could just as easily photograph me going to the clinic on my own. And put two and two together,’ she said, deciding to press. She didn’t want him being prevented from this seminal moment in their baby’s life because of something which was unlikely to happen. ‘But anyway, the only time we’ve been photographed recently is at public events. I don’t think we’re much of a story any more.’

‘I guess,’ he said, but she could still see the reluctance in his eyes.

Maybe she was making a big deal about nothing? Whether he came to the scan or not didn’t have to mean anything. Perhaps his reluctance to attend the appointment really was just about logistics.

And anyhow, why did it matter how involved he wanted to be at this point? They were still months and months away from the birth. They hadn’t even spoken yet about where she would be living when that happened. In theory, she would be back in the UK. But that was another conversation she’d avoided.

‘How about you let me think about it,’ he said carefully. ‘I’ve got to be in Manhattan on Labor Day itself. And I may have to head to the East Coast a couple days ahead of schedule.’

‘No problem.’ She forced herself to smile. The jaunty I’m-all-right-Jack smile she’d perfected as a child whenever her mother looked right through her as if she wasn’t there. ‘I’ll see you in twenty, then,’ she said, and fled.

But as she retreated to the guest room—where she kept the array of designs for the public appearances they made—and put together a suitable outfit, she didn’t feel her usual excitement about showing off her work. And when they arrived at the exclusive garden party in the Presidio, and her hand rested on Cade’s forearm as he led her into the event, she felt the bitter pang of loneliness she remembered from so much of her childhood, even though he was right beside her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

One week later

‘CADE,YOUMADEIT!’

‘Yeah, I managed to get out of the meeting early.’ Cade strolled into the obstetrician’s waiting area. Guilt twisted in his gut, though, at the pleasure—and relief—in Charlotte’s expression.

He hadn’t intended to come. He’d lined up a ton of excuses over the past week—ever since she’d mentioned the sonogram. Valid, reasonable excuses as to why he couldn’t make it.

He needed to start easing himself out of this relationship. He was getting too attached. The pregnancy, and the need to protect and support his child, were getting all mixed up in his head with his feelings for the baby’s mother. And his inability to stop wanting her...all the damn time.

But as he had sat in on the internet call with the zoning commissioner and his architects on a development in Monterey that afternoon, all he’d been able to think about was Charlotte having to navigate this milestone on her own—the way she’d probably had to navigate so many others alone, just like he had. As the meeting had dragged on, his attention kept straying to the clock in the corner of his screen—and the guilt had twisted into tighter and tighter knots. Until he hadn’t been able to bear it any longer. And he’d cut off the debate about permits and zoning applications, shot out of the office, jumped in the nearest cab and shouted at the driver to fight through downtown traffic to get here. Just in time.

But as he sat beside her and she grasped his hand, the look on her face so bright and happy to see him there, he felt like a fraud.

‘Thanks for coming, Cade. I’m so nervous,’ she said.

‘You are?’ he asked, surprised. He knew she’d wanted him to attend the scan, but she hadn’t seemed worried. ‘Why?’

‘I think they check for any defects, as well as all the obvious things, like if it has the beginnings of a penis,’ she said, her grin spreading over her whole face as her fingers tightened on his. ‘Will you want to know if they can make an educated guess?’

‘A guess about what?’ he asked, not able to follow the thread of the conversation, the guilt increasing.

Why was he here? When he already knew he couldn’t be a part of this baby’s life, not in any tangible sense. Because it would mean being a part of her life too.

‘The sex, of course!’ she said, just as a woman in a white coat appeared.

‘Dr Chen is ready for you, Ms Courtney.’ The older woman sent Cade a welcoming smile. ‘And, Mr Landry. We’re so glad you could make it, too.’ The nurse led them through the corridors of the state-of-the-art facility, but wouldn’t stop talking. ‘This is always such an important moment in a parent’s journey, and it’s always wonderful to have both parents here to witness it.’

Parents?

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