Page 18 of Bewitched

CHAPTER SEVEN

Wednesday, March 1

Dallas, Texas

Paige sat on the exam table with her legs swinging back and forth. The next ten minutes were going to define the rest of her life if she got back the results she expected. Denial had been a close companion for the last two months and she hated to let it go. How had she become part of the one percent? And it wasn’t the one percent who made all the money, it was the one percent that got pregnant while using a condom. Rubbing her hand over her stomach, she sighed. She knew it wasn’t her mama’s cooking that had caused the weight gain, as much as she wanted to believe it.

Mentally, she reviewed the plan that she’d come up with and tried to poke holes in it. When she couldn’t, she congratulated herself. It was a solid one and something she didn’t intend on deviating from.

Looking down at her manicure, she reaffirmed her decision and then straightened her shoulders. Faye Bennett had not raised her to be wishy-washy, and she wouldn’t let anyone down. Including the one who was going to depend on her most.

The door swung open and she took a calming breath and pasted a smile on her face. If people from this office planned on gossiping, then she was going to make sure it was about how happy she was. The last thing she wanted was to start off her child’s life with nasty rumors.

The doctor walked in along with his nurse, Donna. Paige graced them both with the debutante smile her mother had insisted she learn. “I look forward to hearing the results,” she said in an even tone. Another thing her mother had insisted she perfect. Turned out, not looking like an out-of-control mess had its advantages.

Dr. Nelson gave her a warm smile and patted her hand. “Sweet girl, you are going to be a mama. It looks like the due date will be sometime in the middle of September. Give or take a couple of weeks.”

Her cheeks were hurting like the dickens, but there was no way she was going to stop smiling. As far as the world was concerned, this was the happiest news in the world. “Thank you so much. A late summer baby. How perfect.”

Donna snorted and tried to cover it with her hand. No one was fooled, least of all Paige. “Did you say something, Donna?”

“Oh, no. It’s just blessed news.”

Blessed news, her butt. The moment she cleared the front door, the woman was going to tweet the news. She had all the class that God promised a pig. It had been true in high school and it was more true now. “Thank you. A baby is a blessing.”

Scooting off the table, she collected her things. “I’ll make a follow-up appointment with your receptionist.”

“The girls up front have a packet of information for you as well as some prenatal vitamins. I look forward to seeing you at your next appointment.”

Pressing her hand to the doctor’s arm, she smiled warmly. “Thank you, Dr. Nelson.”

As she moved down the hall, she kept her smile firmly in place. There was no way she was going to fall apart before she got home. Rules were rules, and she saw no need to let anyone in Dallas see her fall apart.

***

Paige swung the door open, entered her house, and collapsed on the kitchen floor. Ninety minutes—that’s how long she had held it together. Sitting with her back against the fridge, she buried her face in her arms and let the tears flow. One breakdown was all she was going to allow herself; after that, she would pull herself together and put one foot in front of the other. The baby she was growing deserved that and probably a lot more.

The daddy part of the equation was never going to happen. So, Paige was going to have to be enough on her own. One way or another.

Thinking back to the night the baby was conceived made her smile. The man had been a gifted lover, and she harbored no regrets. The fact that he snuck out in the middle of the night wasn’t all that surprising, but it did leave her in a bit of pickle regarding breaking the news. That is if she ever decided to share what they had made.

Wiping her eyes, she sniffed loudly. It was a one-night stand in a foreign country, and she was sure he never expected to hear from her again. No matter what he’d said when he gave her the necklace. They hadn’t exchanged information or phone numbers, so it was probably best left as it was.

The doorbell rang and she groaned. This wasn’t a time for visitors. She was busy having a breakdown. Resting her head on her knees, she decided to ignore it. Her car was in the garage, and there was no way anyone would know she was home. The bell rang again and she continued to ignore it. If it was her sisters or mama, they would’ve called. Since her phone was silent, she was in the clear.

Until the knocking started. There was only one person that persistent, and it was her grandmother. Florence Stewart wasn’t a woman who was easily ignored, so Paige stood slowly and walked to the door. A pit started to form in her stomach, and she imagined it was something that prisoners experienced before facing the inquisition. Utter dread.

No one could get to the heart of a story better that her Grammy. Sure, she looked like the sweetest, softest woman alive, but that just covered up a steel will. “Coming,” she called out. Slowing her steps, she tried to drag out the inevitable for as long as she could. Once the woman got ahold of her, there was no turning back.

Peeking through the window, she saw her grandmother tapping her foot. “Yeah, nothing good is going to come of this.” She swung the door open and smiled. “Hi, Grammy. I wasn’t expecting you.”

Marching past her, Grammy gave her a pitying look. “Cut the nonsense, child. Am I going to become a great-grandmother or not?”

“Soft-pedal it, why don’t you?” Closing the door, she followed her into the living room. “A little kindness for your favorite granddaughter would be appreciated.”

“Fiddle-faddle. Are you knocked up?”

“Let’s go into the kitchen and I’ll get us a glass of tea.”

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