Page 65 of Unexpected Union

A horn tooted. The resort Jeep hadarrived.

Audra took a deep breath and widened hersmile.

“Have a good trip, Mitch. I hope the doctorsays everything is fine. I’ll just stay in here.”

“I’ll call you.”

He set the cup on the counter and took thetwo steps that separated them, brushing his lips across hers. Hestared into her eyes for a long moment.

“You’re going to be all right?”

“Fine. Go on now, you don’t want to missyour plane.”

He nodded once, then left.

She listened to the sound of his footstepsacross the wooden floor as he headed for the front door. A fewmoments later the door closed. Silence.

Tears began to trail down her cheeks and shecaught back a sob. Smiling was no longer an option. Her heart feltas if it were shattering into a million pieces. She turned and wentout to sit on the back stoop. Leaning against the railing, she letthe tears come, hot and fast. Rubbing her chest, she longed for theache to subside. He was gone. Their idyllic time together wasover.

And nothing had changed. She was alone. He’dchosen work over her yet again. Which was foolish; he hadn’t had tomake that choice again—he had set it in stone long ago.

She blew her nose and gazed at the lonelyhammock. She felt achy and out of sorts. Her back hurt. Too muchlovemaking yesterday and last night, she thought wryly. Or couldanyone ever have too much?

Determined not to let his departure ruin therest of her vacation, she packed a lunch, grabbed her backpack andheaded for the meadow. She’d enjoy the rest of her vacation or knowthe reason why.

Halfway up the path, the nagging ache in herback grew stronger. Lengthening her stride, she thought walkingmight ease the muscles, stretch them out a bit. For a while shefelt better.

Stopping for lunch at their meadow, sheconsidered exploring the caves, until a sharp pain in her lowerabdomen had her clutching for relief.

“Ow, that hurt,” she murmured, settling backon the blanket. Giving up the idea of exploring the caves, shebegan to wonder if something more than feeling tired from makinglove was causing her problems.

Ten minutes later a sharp contractionhit.

There was no confusing that.

“Oh, no,” she said softly.

She couldn’t be going into labor. She wasn’teven due for three weeks, and everyone knew first babies camelate!

But before she could pack up her picniclunch, another contraction caused her to double over.

Great, she was an hour’s hike from a phone,alone on the side of a mountain, going into labor and no one in theworld had an idea where she was.

“Audra?”

She lookedup.

Nowshewas hallucinating.She could have sworn it was Mitch’s voice. But he was halfway toBoston.

Throughthe tears of frustration and fear, she saw him. He wasn’t inBoston, he was striding toward her limping slightly. The breezetossed his hair everywhich way as he drew closer and closer.

“Mitch?” Sheburst into tears. “Mitch, I’m in labor!”

“What? Whatare you doing here?”

He kneltbeside her, placing his hand on her stomach, feeling the tightness,his other hand brushing back her hair,cupping her chin.

“Are you out ofyour mind? Didn’t I specifically say you weren’t to go off byyourself?”

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