Chapter Fourteen

Pulling the ringing cell from the back pocket of her jeans as she entered the house, Jessie glanced at the number. “Oh, no.” Her stomach clenched, and it had nothing to do with being pregnant.

Okay. It will be okay.

She cleared her throat. “Hello.”

“Jessie, is that you? I can hardly hear you.”

Momentary panic gripped at the voice from the past. A call from Brian couldn’t be good.

Be calm. Just listen. Find out what he wants.

“Yes, it’s me,” she managed to respond. Breathe in, breathe out.

“We have something of a bad connection here.”

In more ways than one. A shudder of dread ran through her. “I can hear you.”

“How are you, babe?”

“I’m fine.” She raised a hand to her forehead. “How about you?”

“Not good. Life’s not the same without you. I’ve been pretty miserable here in this big city all alone.”

“Well, there are a lot of people in Seattle.” She slid out of her coat and placed it on the coat tree. “You’ll find someone who shares your dreams in a way I can’t.”

“That’s just it. I miss you. I want you back, Jessie. I want our dreams to be the same.”

She bit her lip until it throbbed. They’d had their goodbyes. Jessie had no desire to revisit the past. There could be no happy ending for them. “I’m sorry, but we want different things out of life. We’re not—”

“I know…I know what you’re going to say. But hear me out, okay? I’m sorry I didn’t get the whole Christmas movie thing. I didn’t listen. I didn’t take it seriously enough. And the surprise pregnancy, I shouldn’t have bailed on you. I regret that. But I feel differently now. I want you back. I’ve found a new apartment for us. There’s even room for a nursery, if…if we still need it.”

If? What’s that supposed to mean?

“Nothing has changed.” She sighed impatiently. “What happened with the new gal from the office? Lois or Lisa or whatever her name was?”

“It was no big deal. Just a stupid flirtation. How could I be happy with Lois? She’s not you.”

Jessie chuckled softly. “I thought that was part of the attraction.”

“No, no, that’s over, babe. But with you—”

“It’s not going to work with us.” She closed her eyes. How can I end this conversation?

“Come on, Jessie. I’m willing to admit I was an idiot.”

No one’s arguing that point. “We made a mistake, Brian. We’re not in love. You don’t want kids, and I very much do. You don’t want life in the country, and I don’t want life in the city. There’s not much there to work with.”

“Listen, if you’ll give me a second chance, I’ll…I’ll come around about the baby. It might take a little time, but I can do it. We’ll make it work. I’ll visit you out there. We’ll spend a few days together, talk through our problems. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even like Montana.”

Maybe Montana won’t like you. “Brian—”

“We can make it work.”

“I don’t want to just make something work.” She cringed at the thought. “I want a real family. Love, marriage, home, happiness. Things we can’t find together. We tried, but it’s not for us. I’m sorry.”

Please, oh please don’t say you want to be involved with this baby. Please, don’t change that much. Not now.

“Think it over, Jessie. The gal who took your job was fired today. I spoke to your former boss, and he’d love to have you back. He even agreed to a raise and extended maternity leave, if you’d come back on board. That’s how badly they miss you. Why don’t you think it over? Give it a little time, and I’ll call you later. I’ve even checked into daycares, believe it or not, and they started one at the law firm. Open sixteen hours a day. Lobby level. Reasonable rates. Very convenient access.”

Great. So I can work eighty hours a week and just pick up the little soul on my way out the door at night.

“Brian, I don’t need more time. I know what I want.”

“I’ll call you later. Consider what I said. It could all be good again with us. Give me another chance. I won’t let you down.”

You already have.

There was no chance for them. There never had been. Her only real thought about him anymore was what problem he could cause in the future. What if he suddenly developed an interest in this precious child who, through no fault of its own, shared his DNA?

Her greatest hope was that he remained true to character. He’d always been self-centered, stubborn, set in his ways. Qualities that suddenly now served a useful purpose.

What did I ever see in him? The Brian she’d known for years had no interest in children. His or anyone else’s.

Please, please, just stay that way.