Page 47 of Charming Crosschecks

And just like that, the careful threads of control he’d tried to weave slipped through his fingers, leaving him staring at the pieces of a moment shattered beyond repair. Gerry and Molly stared at each other, both unable to comprehend the sudden turn of events.

Their mouths opened in perfect unison.

“WHAT?” they exclaimed, their voices colliding in a symphony of disbelief, their faces painted with vivid confusion. Eyes wide, breaths held, they turned to look at each other as if searching for reassurance, expecting the other to either confirm or deny what had just been said. Neither found the answers they sought.

Molly was the first to speak, her voice sharp with incredulity, her cheeks blazing with a mix of embarrassment and indignation. “No, I’m not with child,” she said firmly, her words hanging in the charged air like an accusation.

“Mom, I respect her too much to…” Gerry began, his voice faltering, words tripping over themselves as he struggled to clear the growing misunderstanding. His hands clenched and unclenched, an unconscious plea for the moment to rewind.

“And I respect myself too much to just… fling myself into someone’s bed!” Molly interjected, her voice rising slightly, her tone edged with both anger and humiliation. Her flushed face mirrored her frustration, her expression daring anyone to challenge her integrity.

“We’re not?—”

“I’m not?—”

“Nobody is pregnant!”they blurted out in unison, the words practically hurled across the room as if to obliterate the absurdity of the accusation. Their voices echoed in the stunned silence that followed, the tensionbetween them a palpable force.

Molly straightened in her chair, hands gripping the edge of the table. “I’m not pregnant,” she repeated firmly, her eyes flicking between the two mothers who sat frozen in shock. “We’ve never even slept together.”

“I’m not going to Calgary unless it’s someplace Molly wants us to set up a household together—as my wife,” Gerry added, his voice low but determined, the words tumbling out before he could stop them.

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, chaos.

“You’re engaged?”

“Wait… you two are moving to Calgary and getting married?” The questions came rapid-fire, layering over each other, their voices a crescendo of astonishment and excitement.

Gerry could barely hear over the roaring in his ears. His heart pounded like a war drum, drowning out the clamor around him as his gaze fixed on Molly. She stared at him as if he’d grown a second head, her mouth slightly agape, her expression a mixture of shock and disbelief.

His secret. His deepest, most private wish had just been catapulted into the open, laid bare for all to see. And he hadn’t even had a chance to talk to her yet, let alone propose. He felt the room closing in, the walls pressing against him, his thoughts spiraling in every direction.

Molly’s stunned gaze didn’t waver, and in that instant, something inside Gerry snapped. Without a word, he shot up from his chair, the legs scraping loudly against the wooden floor. Before anyone could react, he reached for Molly, scooping her up like she weighed nothing, her startled gasp cutting through the din.

“Gerry!” she protested, her hands gripping his shoulders in alarm as he lifted her effortlessly, holding her against his side like a child.

He didn’t stop. He stormed out of the dining room, his strides purposeful, his jaw set. “We’re going to talk,” he said firmly, his voice brooking no argument.

Behind them, the room erupted into a flurry of shocked whispers, but Gerry didn’t care. All that mattered was Molly and the conversation they needed to have—away from prying eyes, intrusive questions, and the chaos that had just upended their world.

Gerry gently guided Molly through the arched doorway leading into the solarium, a tranquil space bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the tall, glass-paned walls. The faint scent of blooming flowers filled the air, mingling with the crisp night breeze seeping through the slightly open windows. This place was meant to be a haven, a private retreat where he could whisk her away from the bustle of life to indulge in whispered promises and shared dreams under the stars.

But tonight wasn’t about romance. Not this time.

Anything but this.

“Pregnant?!” Molly heaved dramatically, flinging her hands up into the air. “Your mother thinksI’m pregnant?Where would she get that thought? Huh?”

Her wide, stormy eyes darted around the room, searching for answers in the sprawling greenery or the heavens beyond.

Gerry stood rooted in place, his hands stuffed in his pockets, watching her with a mixture of guilt and amusement. “What’s so wrong with having my kid one day?” he asked softly, a teasing lilt in his voice. He couldn’t help himself—it was hard to resist when she got so riled up, so alive. “I love you, Molly. And kids are a normal result of that kind of love.”

Her gaze whipped back to him, incredulous. “Besides the fact that it would come out ofmy bodythe size of a toddler?!” she demanded, her voice climbing an octave.

A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth despite the tension between them. “I’d love to have a child with your beautiful eyes,” he murmured, his tone growing tender. “And dark hair, just like you…”

“Gerry!” she interjected, her voice cracking under the weight of emotion. She pressed her hands to her temples as if trying to physically push her swirling thoughts into order. “We need to talk about Calgary!”

Her words were sharp and desperate, slicing through the fragrant air. Gerry’s stomach tightened as the mood shifted again.

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