Because of the Baby by Debbie Macomber

you, Karen, I was impressed.”
    â€œHe’s talking to travel agents?”
    â€œThat’s right. He’s put together this wonderful slide show. I was so busy this winter finishing up my commitments to the newspaper in Anchorage that I didn’t pay a lot of attention to what Matt was doing. Did you know he spent ten days on the tundra with a musher and a team of sled dogs?”
    â€œMatt?”
    â€œHe told me he couldn’t very well sell the adventure if he hadn’t experienced it himself. And his pictures—they’re fabulous.”
    Karen could easily imagine Matt standing in front of an audience. He was good with people, outgoing, friendly. And a persuasive kind of guy.
    â€œWhen he talked about the dogs,” Lanni went on, “his eyes just sparkled with excitement. If the number of phone calls I’m getting here is any indication, he’s doing a good job of selling the winter packages.”
    â€œYou mean to say he’s actually convinced people to visit the Arctic in winter?” Karen had trouble believing it, but then, what did she know about vacations? In the four years of their married life, they hadn’t been able to afford even one.
    â€œI’ve taken at least ten reservations, and Matt’s only been gone a week,” Lanni said proudly. “More are coming in every day.”
    â€œOh…” Karen couldn’t quite hide her surprise.
    â€œAre you going to see him or not?” Lanni prodded.
    â€œI…don’t know yet.”
    â€œWell, you’d better decide soon because he’ll only be in Oakland one night. He’s scheduled to go to—” Karen heard a rustle of papers “—Portland, Seattle and then home.”
    â€œI’m not making any promises,” Karen said, but she knew Lanni was right. Matt deserved to learn that he’d be a father in seven months. She just didn’t know how he’d react to the news.
    Â 
    Matt saw Karen the moment she slipped into the back row of the meeting room. Even from this distance, the first thing he noticed was how pale she looked. He sat on the stage with a number of other lodge operators, all working hard to sell their tour packages. Luckily he’d already given his presentation, so the pressure was off and he could study his ex-wife.
    She’d lost weight, and he wondered if that was intentional. If so, she was too thin, but she wouldn’t appreciate hearing that, especially from him.
    The temptation to walk off the stage and confront her then and there was almost overwhelming. He might have done it if not for their last conversation.
    Well, this time, she could come to him. He was tired of having his teeth shoved down his throat whenever he attempted to reason with her.
    Then again, maybe she didn’t intend to seek him out. Maybe she was only here to satisfy her curiosity. Or because she’d promised Lanni. Fine, so be it, he decided. With effort he managed to keep his eyes resolutely trained on the current speaker. But again and again, his gaze drifted back to her….
    The moderator walked to the microphone. “Are there any questions?”
    A hand went up in the middle of the room. “I have one for Mr. Caldwell.”
    Matt stood.
    â€œDo you have any response to the animal-rights people who question using dogs to pull sleds?”
    Matt had gotten the same question in almost every city. “First, I want to assure you that the dogs are loved and cared for the way most people look after their own children. As for the rigors of life on the trail, the huskies are thoroughly happy. Running was what they were born to do, and they love it.Their comfort range is amazing. Until the weather drops to around thirty below, many sled dogs prefer to sleep outside rather than in a kennel.”
    â€œAre the dogs dangerous?” someone called out.
    â€œNo,” Matt said, smiling. “Mostly they’re playful and fun. At rest