Page 10 of Unexpected Union

“It’s really pretty outside and warm. Noneed to do all your exercise inside,” Audra said.

He spun around. She’d paused halfway downthe stairs to watch him.

His frustration was not all work related.How was he supposed to share a cabin with her and ignore theattraction that still flared whenever he saw her? To ignore theanger that he couldn’t dislodge at not being told his wife waspregnant.

Thomas and Tessa had known. Who else?

“I need to get a brief. There’s no printerhere.”

”I think there’s a business office you canuse at the main lodge. The purpose for coming here is to relax, notchange the location of work. Where did you think you were comingto?”

“To the back of beyond, but I at leastthought I could communicate with the rest of the world.”

He ran his left hand through his hair. Hedidn’t have time for this. Not the inconvenience nor the feelingsthat stirred when Audra came into the room.

He’d gotten over her. She’d made herposition clear. He wanted to move on, not be reminded of whatthey’d once had.

He’d have to call the main lodge to havesomeone pick him up. How long would that take? Glancing at hiswatch, he saw it was getting late.

She continued down the steps, watching himwarily.

“I guess you came here for a differentreason than what Thomas and Tessa suggested.”

“I wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t forthe blasted accident. Cutting back and resting up is one thing,being cut off is another. And as far as I know, Thomas and Tessawere coming on some sort of second honeymoon. Why, I can’t imagine.They’ve only been married two years.”

Audra smiled.

He paused and stared at her, frowning.“What?”

“You truly can’t imagine why they’d want asecond honeymoon?”

The amusement in her eyes sidetracked him,entranced him.

He shook his head. He had work to do. Therewere cases coming to court soon. He had to make sure they had allthe facts nailed down to get a conviction.

And the new law clerk needed direction.

There was too much to do to be spinningfantasies about his wife again.

Once had been a hard-learned lesson. And theresult enough of a disaster to make sure he never again ventureddown that path.

“Face it, Mitch. Thomas and Tessa love eachother. They want to spend time together just the two of them. It’swhat most husbands and wives do—to take time to talk about what’simportant to them, build memories, make a family.”

“Most husbands and wives plan a familytogether,” he said, frowning at her.

The impact continued to hit him—they’d madea family.

He knew nothing about being a father. Hisown hadn’t precisely been a stellar example. He’d never reallyplanned to take that step but now it was imminent.

“You’re nearly eight months pregnant so whenexactly is it due?”

“June 21. It might come later, first babiessometimes do.”

The look of sadness on her face intriguedhim. Was she regretting the sudden, abrupt end to their marriage?Regretting the fact she was pregnant?

Mitch suddenly felt an urgent need to dosomething to erase that look from her face, but he hadn’t a clue asto what. Audra had always baffled him.

“Do you regret being pregnant?”

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