squeezed Zach’s hand. “We’re a mess and I know it.”
“Mom.” The boy sat in the chair beside the bed, never letting go of her hand.
“Honey, it’s gonna be okay. I’ve been lying here thinking. Mr. Hollis came along at just the right time, and I’m very grateful.”
“I’m so sorry.” Zach bent his head, no longer able to look her in the eye.
“You’re sorry? You’ve nothing to be sorry for, darling.”
“I let him in.” The boy was crying now and Leland felt like he was eavesdropping again, distinctly more uncomfortable than he’d been on the hotel patio an hour ago.
“He’s your father, Zach. Of course you would let him inside.”
“But Mom, I think I knew something was wrong. I should have been suspicious that he was using the games and iPad to convince me to let him in.”
Leland inched silently toward the door, seconds from a clean get-away. He could feel the concern and care in the room even though he’d never experienced that acceptance with his own parents. Zach was going to be okay. His mother loved him. She didn’t hate him for betraying her or letting his dad in their hotel room. The doctor was going to sew up Anna’s arm. Max Mercado was going to jail. They were going to have a happily ever after . . . well, sort of.
“Wait, please,” Anna called to Leland. “I really don’t know how to thank you.”
“You have already, I’ll just be going.” His back was to the door when the doctor breezed in, barely knocking.
“Hello, Mrs. Mercado. I’m Dr. Travis. I have your preliminary blood work. Mr. Mercado?” He shook Leland’s hand but didn’t give him a chance to answer or correct the mistaken assumption. “And your son?” He nodded to Zach.
He dove in without giving anyone a chance to answer. “I have a few questions. The first one is for you, Mrs. Mercado. Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”
Chapter Seven
----
A LL THE NOISE around her faded away. Anna started to shake her head, then stopped and closed her eyes. Oh sweet Lord. There hadn’t been a snowball’s chance in hell until this morning when she’d had sex with her soon to be ex-husband. “Only if God is out to get me,” she murmured.
“Does that mean it’s a possibly?’” Dr. Travis asked.
Extremely aware that her son was in the room and listening intently, along with Leland Hollis, who she really didn’t know at all, she closed her eyes and nodded. “It’s an extremely unlikely possibility but, yes, it’s possible.”
Anna imagined she could hear the blood coursing through her veins. An explanation was necessary, if not for the doctor, at least for her son and this stranger who’d become the next best thing to their guardian angel tonight.
“I haven’t used birth control in years. My son was born only after multiple in vitro treatments. My husband and I had no luck conceiving again. I assumed there was no need for preventative measures.”
She focused on Zach sitting in the chair beside her. Speechless and mortified, his hand had gone slack in hers. That was just as well. She had no clue what to say. The doctor nodded and prattled on.
“I agree pregnancy is highly unlikely. I’ll order a little more blood work and a urinalysis to figure out what caused your fainting spell. I’m thinking dehydration. But we’ll add a couple more tests just in case. If you were pregnant, how far along would you be?”
She swallowed audibly. “One day.”
Without a word Zach got up and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Dr. Travis seemed oblivious to the emotional land mine that had just detonated. “That’s too early for us to tell.”
“Do you want me to go after him?” Leland asked her.
She turned to look at him, completely unsure of what she’d find, surprised he was still in the room. Every man she knew would have made a beeline for the exit by this point. But no, he was standing at the door, staring at her. Not exactly as if she’d sprouted horns,
“Mom.” The boy sat in the chair beside the bed, never letting go of her hand.
“Honey, it’s gonna be okay. I’ve been lying here thinking. Mr. Hollis came along at just the right time, and I’m very grateful.”
“I’m so sorry.” Zach bent his head, no longer able to look her in the eye.
“You’re sorry? You’ve nothing to be sorry for, darling.”
“I let him in.” The boy was crying now and Leland felt like he was eavesdropping again, distinctly more uncomfortable than he’d been on the hotel patio an hour ago.
“He’s your father, Zach. Of course you would let him inside.”
“But Mom, I think I knew something was wrong. I should have been suspicious that he was using the games and iPad to convince me to let him in.”
Leland inched silently toward the door, seconds from a clean get-away. He could feel the concern and care in the room even though he’d never experienced that acceptance with his own parents. Zach was going to be okay. His mother loved him. She didn’t hate him for betraying her or letting his dad in their hotel room. The doctor was going to sew up Anna’s arm. Max Mercado was going to jail. They were going to have a happily ever after . . . well, sort of.
“Wait, please,” Anna called to Leland. “I really don’t know how to thank you.”
“You have already, I’ll just be going.” His back was to the door when the doctor breezed in, barely knocking.
“Hello, Mrs. Mercado. I’m Dr. Travis. I have your preliminary blood work. Mr. Mercado?” He shook Leland’s hand but didn’t give him a chance to answer or correct the mistaken assumption. “And your son?” He nodded to Zach.
He dove in without giving anyone a chance to answer. “I have a few questions. The first one is for you, Mrs. Mercado. Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”
Chapter Seven
----
A LL THE NOISE around her faded away. Anna started to shake her head, then stopped and closed her eyes. Oh sweet Lord. There hadn’t been a snowball’s chance in hell until this morning when she’d had sex with her soon to be ex-husband. “Only if God is out to get me,” she murmured.
“Does that mean it’s a possibly?’” Dr. Travis asked.
Extremely aware that her son was in the room and listening intently, along with Leland Hollis, who she really didn’t know at all, she closed her eyes and nodded. “It’s an extremely unlikely possibility but, yes, it’s possible.”
Anna imagined she could hear the blood coursing through her veins. An explanation was necessary, if not for the doctor, at least for her son and this stranger who’d become the next best thing to their guardian angel tonight.
“I haven’t used birth control in years. My son was born only after multiple in vitro treatments. My husband and I had no luck conceiving again. I assumed there was no need for preventative measures.”
She focused on Zach sitting in the chair beside her. Speechless and mortified, his hand had gone slack in hers. That was just as well. She had no clue what to say. The doctor nodded and prattled on.
“I agree pregnancy is highly unlikely. I’ll order a little more blood work and a urinalysis to figure out what caused your fainting spell. I’m thinking dehydration. But we’ll add a couple more tests just in case. If you were pregnant, how far along would you be?”
She swallowed audibly. “One day.”
Without a word Zach got up and stalked from the room, slamming the door behind him.
Dr. Travis seemed oblivious to the emotional land mine that had just detonated. “That’s too early for us to tell.”
“Do you want me to go after him?” Leland asked her.
She turned to look at him, completely unsure of what she’d find, surprised he was still in the room. Every man she knew would have made a beeline for the exit by this point. But no, he was standing at the door, staring at her. Not exactly as if she’d sprouted horns,
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