Page 31 of Single Chance

She averted her eyes and bit her lower lip, then straightened as if making a decision. “Could you close the door?”

I frowned, unease exploding in my gut. Instead of mentioning there was no one left in this part of the building, I stood and did as she asked. Retaking my seat, I said, “What’s going on?”

Rowan leaned her elbows on her desk and ran her hands over her face. As she lowered them, she nailed me with intense but tired brown eyes.

“There’s no way to ease into this,” she said, sitting up straighter. “And this isn’t the right place for this discussion, but I’m not sure there is a right place. I’m pregnant, Chance.”

That explained why she was so tired, and maybe why she’d had a last-minute appointm?—

Wait.

Hold the fucking phone.

Was she suggesting…

“How pregnant?” I stupidly asked.

Rowan glanced at her desk calendar. “Twenty-four days.”

The chair flew backward as I stood abruptly, unable to remain calm as her implication became clear. “It’s… I’m… From New Year’s?”

She nodded. “From New Year’s.”

I paced the narrow width of the room. “That’s not possible. We used protection.”

She let out a laugh that had an edge of hysteria to it. “You don’t even know the half of it.”

I pivoted to her, confused. “What do you mean?”

Rowan inhaled deeply, glancing at the ceiling before meeting my gaze. “I have endometriosis. My ob-gyn told me when I was twenty-six years old it would be highly unlikely I’d have children, at least not without a procedure, which I haven’t had.”

I tried to puzzle through that. I’d heard of the condition but didn’t know a lot about it. My feet carried me back to the chair in front of her, and I sat down hard. “So you aren’t likely to conceive. We used birth control. And still?—”

“I’m pregnant. My doctor confirmed it this morning. I was able to get in on someone else’s cancelation.”

“Jesus.” I absently rubbed my jaw as I tried to get the storm in my head under control. “For sure New Year’s?”

She tilted her head and shot me a fake, sugary-sweet grin. “Only time I’ve been with someone for more than two years.”

“Sorry,” I said, realizing that was an insensitive question. “I’m just having a hard time wrapping my head around this.”

“You and me both.”

“I’m guessing, since you told me, you’re planning to keep the baby?”

“Yes,” she said with no hesitation. “The timing is terrible, but this could be my only chance to be a mom.”

I nodded and tried to imagine having a baby again.A baby. For fuck’s sake, I was in way over my head with the teenager I had.

She picked up a pen and tapped the end on the desk. “If you don’t want to be in the baby’s life?—”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I know. I’m just acknowledging how awkward this is.”

“I…” I shook my head, leaned forward, elbows on knees. Let out a hollow laugh. “This’ll take a bit to sink in.”

“Tell me about it.”

---