Page 29 of Keeping Lucy

And there it was. Two blue lines.

I burst into tears. I covered my face with my hands and sobbed for a good long while. Finally, pulling some toilet paper off the roll, I dabbed my wet cheeks, catching sight of myself in the mirror when I threw the scrunched-up ball of paper in the wastepaper basket.

Wow. I did not look like someone who was ready to be a mom. I looked like a hot mess, my hair in a sloppy bun, my face pale and blotchy from crying and nausea, my eyes red-rimmed and anxious.

So much for the five-year plan, I thought bitterly as I left the bathroom and went into the kitchen. I took a good, long drink of water, staring out the kitchen window, thinking. That five-year plan had been so perfect, proof that I was over my breakup with Richard and ready to think about the future again. Now the plan had gone up in flames, and it made me mad. Stupidly, blindly enraged. Didn’t I deserve to have something go right? Hadn’t I earned that, after living through the hell on wheels that was my marriage to Richard? All those times I deferred to his plans, his wishes, the second I finally got to live life on my own terms, bang! There goes the rug from under my feet. I bet the powers that be were having a good old laugh up there at my expense.

The anger coursing through me made me feel powerful and in control, so I fed it. FuckingDante! How did this even happen? Did he not notice that a condom broke? It was all his fault.

Then I heard it.

Knock, knock, knock.

CHAPTER15

Dante

It had been a hectic few weeks. Getting my ass to North Carolina. Reporting for duty. Getting all my belongings shipped and settling into a new routine. I’d been promoted as well, so there was a lot to do.

Finally, I had a day free and the very first thing I wanted to do was go see Lucy. I considered phoning her first, but then thought better of it. I knew where she lived from when she’d shown me the listing for her house and figured a surprise would be much more fun. She’d said to look her up if I was ever down her way, hadn’t she?She wouldn’t mind. If I got there early enough, maybe I could take her out to lunch, then settle in for a little afternoon delight.

I didn’t let myself think about what I might do if I saw anybody else from the old days. What if I bumped into Jake? Or Bruce? What had Lucy told them about us? Everything? Nothing? Something in between?

Esperance looked pretty much the same, with its weird town square that was supposedly a replica of the village the town founder’s wife had grown up in back in rural France. I’d always thought that the guy must have been a total weirdo, but as I caught sight of the cobbled pavement and gazebo in the center of the square, I smiled. Maybe it really was just as romantic as everyone always said.

At least driving through town didn’t make me feel anything more than a stirring of lust at the idea of seeing Lucy again. No hidden demons from my past rising up to hit me smack dab in the face, which was a relief.

My body stirred as I got closer to Lucy’s. Fuck, I couldn’t wait to kiss her again. I shifted in my seat as I thought about doing a lot more than kissing her.

The GPS took me straight to her house, a cute little red brick home on a narrow street in the valley. I pulled up in front of it and cut the engine.Shit, I should have stopped for flowers.Oh well, maybe I could buy her some at lunch. My heart thudding heavily, I got out of the car and walked up her drive, feeling a buzz of anticipation in my gut as I raised my hand to knock.

CHAPTER16

Lucy

Great, now someone was at the fucking door! Because of course I couldn’t even have a nervous breakdown in peace. A heavy scowl on my face, I stomped down the short hallway, planning to send whoever it was on their way with a strongfuck you.I swung the door wide and froze solid.

Dante Moretti. On my doorstep. Looking hotter than hot, because of course he fucking did. Grinning at me. Fuckinggrinningat me! Exactly like the agent of chaos he was. “What the fuck do you want?”

His expression morphed into one of confusion and he reeled back as if I’d punched him. Good! That was exactly what I felt like doing. Without a word, I turned and walked back down the hall. He could come inside if he dared.

For some reason, the kitchen felt like a good place to have a knock-down, drag-out fight, so that’s where I went. There was a tiny, rational part of me that tried to speak up, but the irrational, raging, totally-thrown-off-balance part of me was much bigger. And she was looking for a fight.

“Lucia?”

“Donotcall me that!”

“What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“What the fuck is wrong with me? That’s a great fucking question, isn’t it? You want me to tell you what the fuck is wrong with me?”

“Yes!” His answer had a tinge of anger to it that I liked, because it meant I could really let him have it.

“Fine! I’m pregnant. That’s what the fuck is wrong with me!”

He stood frozen like a Roman statue, staring at me for so long I thought maybe he’d actually turned to marble. Then he said, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Oh, ridiculous, is it? You would say that. Typical!”

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