Chapter 16
Chapter
Sixteen
Lana finally let go of the toilet bowl and staggered to her feet. She washed her face and rinsed out her mouth. Although she was weak, she felt much better now. This part of pregnancy was no fun at all.
But telling Sly would be far worse.
He was sure to be shocked, unhappy, and angry. She felt sick all over again. Keeping the pregnancy to herself until after she met with her doctor seemed the smart thing to do, just in case the tests were wrong and she wasn’t pregnant after all. Yet deep down, she was certain she was.
As the baby’s father, he deserved to know, and not after the doctor’s appointment. Now. Even if she was shaking clear to her toes. Squaring her shoulders, she opened the bathroom door. Standing outside, he was waiting for her. “How are you?”
“Better now.” He escorted her to the living room and sat her down on the sofa with such care and gentleness, she wanted to weep.
“Can I get you a glass of water?” he said.
“Yes, please.”
While waiting for him to return from the kitchen, she steeled her courage.
He watched her closely as she drained the glass, reminding her of an anxious parent. As soon as she set it aside, he sat down beside her, tucked her hair behind her ears, and peered at her face. “You have more color now, but you should probably be in bed.”
Oh, how she longed to do exactly that, burrow under the covers and forget all about sharing her news with him. But if she didn’t say something to him now, she couldn’t live with herself. “Forget about bed,” she said. “I need to talk to you.”
“So you said right before you threw up. Whatever it is can wait until you’re better.”
“No. You have to hear this now.”
The somber expression on his face and the dark concern in his eyes tore at her. He may not want a relationship with her, but he cared.
“My God, you’re really sick.” He was rigid with dread.
Lana forgot her own fears. Wanting only to reassure him she was healthy, she smoothed his furrowed forehead with a caress. “I promise you, I don’t have cancer or any other disease.”
“Thank God.” He sagged against the sofa cushions, the relief on his face touching her deeply. “My mother died of cancer, and I don’t wish that on anyone.”
“You were eleven, right?” she asked.
He nodded. She couldn’t imagine losing a parent, especially at such a tender age. Her worries at that age had centered on being popular and whether her mom would let her go to a sleepover.
Then to lose his father two years later... “That’s so sad,” she said.
“It was a long time ago.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “So, it really is a bad flu.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze. “It’s not the flu, either. I threw up because...” Knowing the world was about to change forever, she paused a moment. “Because I’m suffering from morning sickness.”
“I... Huh?” The confusion on his face was almost comical. But there was nothing funny about their situation.
“That’s right, I’m pregnant.” There. The secret was out.
“Pregnant,” he repeated with a stunned expression. “From that night?”
“Yes. You’re the only man I’ve been with.”
“But you said you couldn’t get pregnant.”
“That’s what I believed. My ex-husband and I tried for four years, first the normal way, then using artificial insemination. We didn’t have any luck. Tests showed I was the one who couldn’t conceive. That’s why Brent left me.”
“The jerk.” Sly scrubbed his hand over his face. “If you can’t conceive, how can you possibly be pregnant?”
“Because miracles happen?”
“You’re happy about this baby,” he said, looking anything but.
Lana nodded. “I’ve wanted children for as long as I can remember, since I was a child myself.”
Sly glanced at her stomach, which was still relatively flat. “When did you find out about this?”
“Wednesday—the night you called and I didn’t answer. When the phone rang, I was waiting for the results of the first pregnancy test. I took two more to make sure. But even without the tests, I knew. I have all the symptoms.”
Although her body still looked the same as always and she couldn’t yet feel the life growing inside her, she already loved her baby. With both hands, she cupped her abdomen.
“You waited until now to tell me?” he asked, frowning.
“What were you planning to do if Sophie had come over today? Spring it on us both together?” He barked out a laugh that totally lacked humor.
“Oh, that would’ve been a real kick.” He eyed her stomach coolly. “It’s obvious you’re keeping the baby.”
Not wanting to speak, she kept her mouth shut and nodded.
“Do I get a say in this?”
She’d expected a negative reaction, and his was brutal.
The shuttered expression on his face and cold look of betrayal in his eyes hurt unbearably.
Somehow, she managed to keep her back straight and her chin up.
“If you don’t want to be involved, I understand.
” She bit back a sob. “I wasn’t going to say anything until I met with my doctor.
In case...you know.” She couldn’t even say the words. “But I’m certain I’m pregnant.”
His expression was unreadable, but his terse nod spoke volumes. “When is your appointment?”
“Tuesday after work.” Her plan was to leave the daycare early.
He blew out a heavy breath. “I can’t believe this has happened. I always use condoms. Always. I wish to hell I’d used them that night.”
Yes, the pregnancy had been unplanned, but Lana was thrilled about it—even if Sly felt the opposite. She couldn’t stop a bitter smile. “As I recall, you were in too much of a hurry to stop for protection.”
“Because we’re both clean and you assured me you couldn’t get pregnant.” Once again, he scrubbed his hands over his face. “If I’d suspected this could happen, I would’ve taken the extra few minutes.”
“And you think I wouldn’t have? I didn’t plan to get pregnant that night, Sly, but I won’t lie—I’m aching for this baby, and I’m beyond grateful that I have a chance to be a mom. I’m also sorry it happened this way, with neither of us having a say in what we wanted.”
“That’s something, at least.” He rolled his shoulders as if they were too tight. “I need time to think.”
Kate had mentioned the same thing the night she’d come over. Lana nodded.
With an odd, humorless smile, he stood. “I guess Sophie won’t be coming over next weekend after all.”
Lana hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Probably not. I really am sorry for springing this on you.”
“At least you told me.”
She started to get up, but he gestured for her to stay put.
“I can let myself out. I’ll be in touch.”
Hugging her waist, she stared at the empty fireplace until the door clicked shut behind him.
Determined to push her troubles from her mind and keep the pregnancy from her family for a while, Lana pulled to a stop in front of her parents’ house for Sunday dinner. Hoping to stave off any nausea, she’d gobbled a few crackers on the drive over. So far, so good.
It was a beautiful May day, the late-afternoon sun still high and warm, and she couldn’t help but feel lighthearted. Not ready to endure lectures or scrutiny from her mother just yet, she headed around to the backyard.
As usual, her dad and brother-in-law, Eric, stood in front of the smoking grill. “Hey, guys,” Lana said as she reached them. “Something sure smells wonderful.”
Eric grinned. “Grandpa Jake’s ribs always do.”
The family recipe had been developed by their grandfather decades ago. “Fourth of July ribs in May?” Lana licked her lips. “What’s the occasion?”
Instead of answering, Eric glanced at her dad to reply. “Hello, favorite oldest daughter,” he said and tapped his cheek for a kiss. “You’re looking especially pretty today.”
She smiled. “I’d better be your favorite oldest daughter, seeing as I’m the only one fitting the label. So, you like my new spring dress. Thanks, Dad.”
Connor and Emma noticed her, shrieked, and came running.
“What are you two up to today?” she asked after hugging them.
“We’re playing hide-and-seek, but Emma always jumps up and shows me where she’s hiding.” Connor rolled his eyes. “Will you play with us, Lana?”
“Sure, but how about a little later? I want to visit with Grandpa and your dad. Then I’m pretty sure Grandma and your mom would appreciate my help with dinner.”
“That reminds me,” Lana’s father said. “Your mother booked us a trip next weekend. We’re driving to Helena to visit Aunt Jessica, so no family dinner next week.”
“Okay,” Lana said, hiding her relief. Keeping the pregnancy a secret wasn’t going to be easy, and she could use the break from seeing her family for a week.
She was chatting with Eric and her father when the kitchen door opened. To her shock, Cousin Tim stepped outside.
Her jaw dropped. Of all the days for her surly cousin to visit... She was in no mood to face him. The mere sight of him made her remember the lawsuit and Sly, and right now, she didn’t want to think about Sly or yesterday, or any of the secrets she was keeping from her family.
“What’s he doing here?” she grumbled in a low voice.
Her father’s eyebrows rose a fraction. “Come on, honey, he’s family. Didn’t your mother tell you? She called yesterday and invited him to dinner.”
That explained the ribs.
Her father gestured her cousin over. “Glad you could make it, Tim.”
The man joined them at the grill with his usual stiff nod.
“That’s some fancy grill. I see you’re putting it to good use, cooking up a mess of Grandpa Jake’s ribs.
” He almost cracked a smile, which made him appear much more approachable.
“I haven’t eaten ribs since last year’s Fourth of July picnic.
Before I forget, Michele says it’s too nice to eat inside. She wants to eat out here.”
“Great—we’ll use the picnic table,” Lana’s father said. “It’s been a few weeks since we touched base, Tim. How are things?”
“Lousy.” The unpleasant male’s jaw tightened. “That damn lawsuit...” He looked as if he could spit nails. “I figured out why Pettit’s picking on me. He aims to bankrupt me, ruin my reputation, and drive me off my land by making me pay for something I didn’t do.”
He had it all wrong. Sly would never do that. Lana warned herself to stay out of it, but the urge to defend him was too strong. “That’s an awful thing to say,” she retorted.
Her cousin seemed taken aback. She was just as surprised at herself, but unable to stop. “It’s not as if he’s asking for the sun and the moon. He wants restitution for the animals he lost and an apology.”
“I sure as hell won’t apologize for something I didn’t do, and I won’t pay, either.”
His suddenly thinned lips and fisted hands made Lana’s knees shake, but this was important. “Have you ever actually made the effort to explain to Sly that you didn’t do it?” she asked.
All three men stared at her, and she realized she’d referred to Sly by his first name, as if they had some sort of connection.
Which they did, but her family had no idea about that.
She continued, “You and Sly—er, Mr. Pettit—have never really discussed the poisoning, have you? When he attempted to talk with you, you pointed a rifle at him and ordered him off your land. If you would just sit down and engage in a rational dialogue, you could work this out.”
He squinted at her, his narrowed eyes scary. “How the heck do you know about it, and why are you defending him?”
Lana swallowed and came close to explaining exactly why. But this wasn’t the right moment to reveal that she was carrying Sly Pettit’s baby.
Imagining her family’s shocked reaction to that, her stomach flip-flopped.
So much for the crackers. Oh, please, not a bout of morning sickness now.
No, she decided. This queasy feeling had nothing to do with morning sickness and everything to do with fear.
She’d done what she dreaded most—stirred up family controversy.
If she wanted to make it through the evening in one piece, she’d best keep her mouth shut.
Tim was waiting for her reply. “I’ve heard a few things,” she hedged.
“What you’ve heard is wrong. Pettit outright accused me of poisoning his cattle, when I never did any such thing. I hope the bast—the so-and-so rots in hell.”
Lana managed to bite her tongue, but she was sure her cold expression spoke volumes.
After a lengthy and somewhat tense silence, Eric cleared his throat. “Pretty amazing the Grizzlies made it to the tournament this year. How do you figure they’ll do next year, Tim?”
As the men launched into a lively conversation about basketball, Lana released a silent sigh of relief. As much as she enjoyed the sport, she needed to escape. “I’m going to help Mom and Liz now,” she said.
Promising the kids a game of hide-and-seek after the meal, she headed inside.
Anything her mother said was preferable to listening to her cousin and fighting with herself to keep her mouth shut.
Though why she was defending a man who now probably wanted nothing to do with her or their child, she had no idea.