He eyed her considerable girth, lifting oneeyebrow in skepticism. “I shouldn’t think it could have been longafterward that you found out.”
She shrugged, crossing her arms over herchest as if in protection.
“I should have told you, I guess,” she saidreluctantly. Her expression showing slight regret.
“You guess?”
“All right, it was wrong to keep it fromyou. I kept meaning to…”
He waited. Years of dealing with criminalshad honed his technique. Most people were uncomfortable withextended silence and would rush to fill the void.
“I—the time was never right,” she said.
“Did youeverplan to tell me?” heasked, trying to hold on to the emotions that threatened tooverwhelm him.
How dare she keep this from him. No matterhow their marriage had ended, she should have told him as soon asshe discovered she was pregnant.
It washisbaby, too.
“Yes, of course.”
“When? After he graduated from college?”
“I don’t know. When the time was right.”
“Do Thomas and Tessa know?”
She nodded.
Mitch wanted to smash something. His ownbrother had known and not told him. His fist hit the doorjamb infrustration.
Audra crossed to the table, turned and pacedback, as if she couldn’t stay still.
“You could have called,” she said atlast.
“Youleftme. You knew where Iwas.”
“And if you had cared at all, you would havecalled at least once to see if I was all right.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you all right? Isthe pregnancy normal?”
“I’m fine, that’s not the point.”
“And the point is?”
“That if you didn’t care enough about me tosee if I was doing all right why would I think you would beinterested in learning you were about to become a father?”
A father.
He wasn’t ready.
The only time they’d talked about children,he’d insisted they wait. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be ready toassume that role in someone’s life.
Moot point now. It looked as if the choicehad been taken from him—which instantly sparked anotherthought.
Had she deliberately gotten pregnant?
Audra narrowed her eyes. “What are you doinghere?”