Page 50 of Run with Me

“You and Jack have a special relationship. Should I be jealous?” he asked.

Had I read him wrong, or was he just that good at hiding? Where was the worry drawn on his face comingfrom?

“Thou shall not commit adultery,” I tried to joke through the tension. “I’ve made the mistake twice in my life, and I’m not going to make it again.”

“You had sex with marriedmen?”

“No, of course not. That’s not all that adulteryis.”

“What else is there?” He grinned, somewhat fascinated with the route the conversation was taking.

“I thought you were Catholic,” Isaid.

“Non-practicing, yes.”

I shook my head at him. There was still so much to teach him. “Adultery includes sleeping before marriage. Besides, I consider Jack like an older brother.”

“Oh, please.” He rolled his eyes, way over dramatically, and I laughed. Xavier glanced at me from the side. “So you won’t sleep with me unless we’re married?”

“I didn’t say that either.” I bit my lip. I had no idea what had gotten into me. We’d joked before, but not at this level. I was in grief. I’d lost my baby and been given hope at the same time. How could you bind such deep sorrow and happiness together? I couldn’t. There was no balance for either. I was confused about my stay on this side of the country, yet grateful at the same time. I could feel a shift in the air and sensed an imbalance, but I didn’t know why. Yes, I was changing, but it wasn’t just the pregnancy, wasit?

It must be the hormones.

“Anna, you’re asking for it,” Xavier warned.

“I won’t sleep with you because I’m engaged to another man whose child I’m carrying.” I made sure my words were slow and to the point, but not hurtful. Xavier was attracted to me, he’d made that obvious, but I shouldn’t have been leading him on, either.

“So, if you weren’t engaged, you’d actually consider it?” he asked.

“I guess you’ll neverknow.”

There it was again, that irresistible way Xavier made flirting with him so easy and simple. He made me feel… happy. For a moment, he managed to make that pain and sorrow I’d always felt goaway.

“You’re a vixen, that’s what you are, Anna Williams.”

I laughed, removing the bumblebee shades from my eyes. The seventies might have been over, but Mary was stuck in the decade and insisted I use them as cover.

“You’re back early. How was yourtrip?”

“I went toPace.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry. No one sawme.”

“How is that possible? And why? Why would you risk it? You’ve met Ben. You know how he is.” My heart was beating fast and hard. I felt sweat collect at my hairline, and then cold shivers passed overme.

“Anna, honey. You need to calm down. Stress is not good for thebaby.”

Baby. Mybaby.

I gently rubbed my stomach and felt her kick against my palm. The connection I felt to my baby at that instant calmed me. I was doing this for her. Everything was for her because her safety was the most important thing. Sometimes I regretted taking it that far with Ben. Maybe I shouldn’t have burned his house down, never mind stealing the fifty million. But I was struck with this enormous grief and pain. It had replaced the blood in my veins with vengeance, and I could barely remember much of that day any longer. The more time passed, the more my memories faded. They were still there in my horrendous dreams, but it was as if my mind was truly trying to forget the past life I had and concentrate on the future.

I tried to concentrate on John’s and my baby. She was my everythingnow.

I waved my hand in front of my face. The minimal waves of air helped. “I’m okay. Now tell me aboutPace.”

Xavier’s face took on that mature look I was more used to seeing on Jack’s face. “I don’t know how, but we should set up a meeting for you andJohn.”

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