Chapter 51
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Delia
There’s no time like the present to drop a bombshell in my brother’s lap so I ask him to meet me at my penthouse on his way to work.
Since he’s scheduled for a later shift, I have lunch waiting when I hear the knock at the door.
It’s roasted fresh vegetables served on a bed of butter lettuce with a tangy honey mustard dressing.
In my current state, none of that sounds appetizing to me, but I know Matthew will like it and anything I can do to lessen the blow of the news I’m about to deliver, is helpful.
I picked up the salads on my way home from Donovan’s townhouse. He left before me since he was able to secure the last seat on a flight leaving to Boston an hour ago.
As he faces his brother to confront their past, I’m facing mine to carve a path forward to my future.
I swing open the door to my apartment.
My brother, dressed in scrubs, shoves a handful of fresh flowers at me. “I stopped by Wild Lilac to order a bouquet of roses for Faith and I saw these. You didn’t look happy the last time I saw you, so I thought they might help.”
The last time he saw me was at Roman’s apartment less than forty-eight hours ago. I thought my life was falling apart, but it actually was the springboard I needed to vault into the place I am now.
“They’re beautiful.” I stare down at the mix of wildflowers. “I’ll put them in a vase.”
He follows behind as I walk toward my kitchen. “Are you okay, Delia?”
Emotions already rush to the surface but I force them back with a deep breath. “I’m better than I’ve ever been.”
“So, you’re taking the job in Paris?” Disappointment taints his tone. “You asked me here to tell me that, didn’t you?”
I have so much to tell him, but none of it relates to France. I thought I might want that. I sensed the opportunity could forge a path toward a future in teaching, but I see now that I don’t have to jump continents to do that.
Everything I want is here, within my grasp.
I shake my head, but since my back is turned to him, he doesn’t notice.
“I guess Faith and I can come visit you.” He chuckles awkwardly. “I told Donovan I was considering taking her on a cruise for our honeymoon, but I’ll switch it up and surprise her with a trip to Paris.”
I drop the flowers on the counter and spin back around. “I won’t be in Paris. I’ll be here. I’m staying in New York.”
He rushes at me and picks me up to spin me around. “Thank Christ. I would have missed you so damn much. I’ve never told you how much I miss you when you leave town.”
Tears flood my eyes. “You do?”
He nods. “Even when you went on that damn cruise. I missed you, Delia.I was worried about you being out on the water all alone.”
“I wasn’t alone,” I whisper.
He laughs. “I know. The cruise is filled with people and staff, and I’m sure you made some friends, but still…”
“Donovan was on the cruise,” I blurt out.
His brows pinch together. “Donovan? Donovan Hunt? My boss?”
I touch my lips briefly before my hands fall to the front of the dress I’m wearing. They hover there, over my stomach. “The father of my baby.”
His gaze drops to where my hands are trembling. “Delia.”
I swallow hard unable to find words.
When he looks back to my face, I see tears in his eyes, too. “You’re pregnant?”
I swipe the back of my hand over my cheek. “I’m pregnant, and I’m in love. I’m so in love, Matthew.”
“With Donovan?” He shakes his head. “Holy shit! You’re in love with Donovan?”
I nod. “I love him so much.”
“And he loves you?” he asks. “Does he love you, Delia?”
“More than I ever thought a man could love me.”
He reaches to take my hand in his. “Why am I just hearing about this now? How long have you two been…how long, Delia? When did it start?”
“On the cruise,” I admit without hesitation. “We hit it off. We had fun. I didn’t want to continue when we came back home because of you.”
“Wait!” His hand drops mine and leaps into the air. “What do you mean by that? You didn’t want to continue a relationship with him because of me?”
“Yes.” I suck in a deep breath. “I was scared that when things ended, he’d fire you.”
He lets out a hearty laugh. “He’d never fire me. He’s like a brother to me, Delia.”
A sob escapes me. “That’s how you see him?”
He nods. “He’s my fucking mentor. He’s never steered me wrong.”
I stare at him, stunned by that admission. “You always talked about what he did outside the clinic.”
“He had fun with a lot of different women.” He realizes what he says as soon as it leaves his mouth. “I didn’t mean that. It’s more of an assumption based on how often he pushed the on call shit on Carolyn and me and sometimes women would come into the clinic looking for him after…”
“You also made an assumption about him at Roman’s apartment,” I say, not needing or wanting to hear more about what other women have sought out the man I love.
He straightens his shoulders. “I did. Did you talk to him about it, Delia? Do you know what he’s been doing in Boston for the past few days?”
I won’t get into the details of Donovan’s short trip back home last night, but I nod. “I do know what he’s been doing there. I know why he keeps going back there.”
I expect him to ask why, but that’s not what my brother does. “You trust him. I see that, so I do, too. I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.”
I’m intuitive enough to know that Donovan won’t mind if I share his truth with my brother, so I do. “He’s in Boston right now trying to repair his relationship with his brother.”
“He has a brother?”
“An identical twin brother.”
“What the actual fuck, Delia?” His gaze trails behind me before it locks back on my face. “Donovan has a twin brother?”
“Yes.”
“I had no idea,” he whispers. “No fucking idea.”
“Please don’t…”
“I won’t,” he interrupts before I can say another word. “I won’t tell anyone about this, Delia. Not about the baby, or his brother, or about you falling head over heels for my boss.”
I manage to smile. “Thank you.”
He moves closer to take me back into his arms for a bear hug. “I have one last question for you.”
I step back to look up into his face. “Ask it.”
“Are you having one baby or two, or maybe it’s three?”
“Shut up,” I snap as I laugh. “As far as I know it’s one, but it’s early and we haven’t had a sonogram yet.”
“I’m going to love this kid or kids with everything I am.” He smiles as tears well in his eyes again. “You deserve all of this and more, Delia. Your life is looking bright and I couldn’t be happier for you.”