Page 32 of Beyond Reach

He kept speaking. “Because she had a miscarriage in the accident. She was carrying my baby.”

Marcella squeaked in alarm. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and tears filled her eyes then spilled down her cheeks. “You two… You had a baby?”

“I miscarried.” Chanda wasn’t sure if Marcella was upset that an innocent life was lost or if she hated the thought that they were almost parents together. “I never told him, and I thought he had a right to know.”

Marcella hiccupped and wiped her face. She reached a hand out to Garner, and he stepped forward to take it. The drama queen leaned heavily on him. “I can’t think right now. It’s so late, and I’m feeling… I need to get home. I don’t think I can drive. Garner, can you take me home?”

He glanced briefly at Chanda. “Of course.”

He seemed to want to say more to Chanda, but Marcella pulled him toward his own car, struggling between pretending to be weak and insisting he get away from Chanda.

Hurt rose in Chanda’s chest. She knew it made no sense and that she was wrong. She should never have suggested Garner and her meet. But that truth didn’t stop the pain surrounding her heart or the loneliness that descended long after the couple were gone.

“What are you doing?” The question was innocent enough, but Steven made it sound dirty with the deep timbre of his voice.

“I’m not in the mood, Steven.”

He sobered. “Did something happen?”

“I don’t want to go into it, but suffice it to say, I’m leaving.”

“Leaving? Like the city?”

“The state.”

“Meet me right now. Let’s talk.”

When he called, she’d answered on a whim. Afterward, she couldn’t say why except maybe she wanted to punish herself, to hear someone say she was stupid. She hoped it would jog common sense and put her back on the right road. “No way. Meeting folk is what got me into this position.”

“Now you have me really curious. I’m sensing it has something to do with Garner.”

“You’re joking, and I told you I’m not in the mood!”

“Okay, I’ll be in the lobby of your hotel in fifteen minutes.”

“God, do you listen?”

“Not really. I tend to do what I want. I’ll be there shortly.”

He disconnected the call, and she dropped onto the bed. All energy to do anything at all failed. Moments passed, although she couldn’t tell how long she sat there staring off into space. The room phone rang. She ignored it. Over and over it pealed, driving her batty. She leaned forward to snatch the receiver off the base.

“Hello?”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you. This is the front desk. There’s someone here who insists on seeing you, and he says it’s an emergency.”

She rolled her eyes. “Did he say his name is Stubborn Pain in the Rear Jack—”

“Ma’am, I can ask him to leave if you like.”

“No, I’m coming down.”

She didn’t know what to expect when she walked into the lobby. Maybe to end up crying on Steven’s shoulder, feeling sorry for herself. Perhaps he would listen to what happened and joke around some more, not taking her humiliation and guilt seriously.

Instead, the second she hit the lobby, in front of all and sundry, Garner’s best friend dropped to one knee, opened a ring box in front of her—and proposed! “Chanda Spencer, will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?”

Chapter 13

“W-w-w-what?” she stuttered. “You can’t mean that. Where in the world did you get that ring? Oh God, Steven, get up off the floor.”

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