Page 41 of Texas-Sized Scandal

Melinda wanted to say no, not sure she was ready to talk to Slade’s grandmother, but she knew that she’d just be putting off the inevitable. She needed to start getting closure with all of the people who connected her to Slade Bartelli. She had already decided to step down from the art council because she didn’t want to accidentally run into him again. She would still fund the arts and had reached out to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts to see if they had any room on their board for her.

“Alfie, I’m going to be leaving in a few minutes. Do you mind letting the building security team know, so they can make sure no one is waiting for me?” she asked.

“Not a problem, boss lady. My boyfriend and I are having a few friends over for dinner tonight and we’d love it if you’d come and join us.”

“Oh, Alfie, thank you for the invite. I’d love to come over. Text me the time and what I can bring,” she said, hugging her assistant.

This was good. She needed to be making more after-hours plans. Last night she’d spent sitting in front of the TV, watchingPride and Prejudiceand eating a huge bag of potato chips. She really couldn’t do that again. The pregnancy book she’d been reading warned that eating for two was an urban myth.

She grabbed her bag and straightened the jacket on her Chanel suit as she walked out of her office. She smiled at Alfie and reminded herself how lucky she’d been to build a life where she was surrounded by people who genuinely cared for her. She knew she was going to need those friends in the coming months.

She drove to Philomena’s house and tried not to think about the last time she’d been there. Their lunch plans had fallen through and this was the first occasion she’d been back. So many emotions. She’d been excited and nervous to start the charade of being Slade’s fiancée and then had found out he’d been pushed to meet her. That should have been a red flag, but she hadn’t seen it that way. Not after he’d pulled her into his arms. But that was sex. And she was old enough to understand that sex didn’t equal emotions.

She sighed as she pulled into the circle drive and got out of her car. Henri answered the door and led her into the sitting room, where Philomena was waiting for her.

“Thank you, Melinda, for dropping by on such short notice,” Philomena said, standing up to give Melinda a hug and then stepping back and sitting in her armchair again. “What would you like to drink?”

“Just some ice water,” Melinda said. “The heat today is intense.”

“It is,” Philomena agreed, gesturing for Melinda to take a seat, and when she did, she noticed the ring box on the table next to the older woman.

“I guess Slade has told you we aren’t engaged anymore,” Melinda said.

“He did,” she said. “He told me he couldn’t be the man you wanted him to be.”

She sighed. Her stomach hurt a bit, probably from the tension of having to make this sound palatable to his sweet grandmother. “Slade is...”

She had no idea how to say this and her stomach was starting to knot and hurt really bad. She put her hand over it and leaned forward, realizing that this was more than tension. The pain was intensifying and shooting through her. She moaned.

“Are you okay? You look really pale,” Philomena said.

“My stomach,” Melinda muttered, holding her hand over her belly and praying that there wasn’t something wrong with the baby. She couldn’t help herself; she started crying.

“Henri,” Philomena called out to her butler, who appeared at the doorway. “Get the car. We need to take Melinda to the emergency room.” Then she directed her calm eyes to Melinda. “It will be okay,” she said.

“It might not be,” Melinda said. She’d always been worried that her age could be a factor in the pregnancy. “I’m so sorry, Philomena.”

“Darling girl, you’re not the first person to get sick in my home,” she said. “And you mean more to me than any of them.”

“You’re very sweet, but Slade and I were lying to you. I need you to know that we didn’t mean any harm.” She could hardly speak. The pain was sharp now and she had to breathe heavily through it.

She didn’t want to lose her baby, she realized. She had just started getting used to the idea of being a mother. She wanted this child.

“I know it was meant to be a temporary engagement,” Philomena said. “Slade told me when he brought the ring back. He also told me that you objected to it, but he’d insisted and that the reason you broke it off was his fault.”

She shouldn’t have been surprised Slade had taken all of the blame. He was always trying to protect her. “There’s more to it than that. We—” She groaned as another sharp pain ripped through her. “I think I need to go. My stomach...”

She stood up and she stumbled, almost falling, but Philomena was there to hold her. “Henri. We need to get Melinda to the hospital now.”

Philomena held her hand as Henri rushed them to the hospital. Philomena took care of everything and stayed by Melinda’s side, only stepping outside the cubicle when the nurse came, and Melinda felt alone and scared.

She told the nurse that she was pregnant and was having stomach pains, and she couldn’t stop crying and feeling so very alone.

“Want me to get your grandma back in here?” the nurse asked.

“She’s not my family,” Melinda said, realizing how sad that made her. “Will you ask her to text my sister and Slade?”

“I will,” the nurse said. “The doctor will be in here in a moment.”

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