“Well, hello, honey,” Blanche said, her gaze darting to Megan’s stomach. “How’s our little mother doing?”
Megan forced a smile. She suspected that Blanche and her friend, Flo Harris, weren’t above gossiping about Megan’s pregnancy and her lack of a husband. They prided themselves on knowing everything that went on in town.
“I’m just fine,” Megan replied politely as she maneuvered her cart around Blanche’s. “And you?”
“Right as rain, and glad winter’s finally over. Are you getting ready for the blessed event?”
“Sure am.” Megan didn’t want to get stuck answering any probing questions like the last time she’d run into Blanche and Flo. Lucky for Megan, another of their friends had appeared and she’d been able to make her escape without responding.
“We’ll have to throw you a shower,” Blanche said now, eagle eyes sharp as she assessed Megan’s tummy. “When are you due?”
“That’s so sweet of you.” Megan’s smile felt stiff. “There’s still plenty of time, though.” The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention in a roomful of women speculating about her circumstances. “I’ll get back to you, okay?”
Before Blanche could fire off another awkward question, Megan stuck out her arm and glanced at her watch with exaggerated horror. “Goodness, I have an appointment in a little bit,” she said apologetically, mental fingers crossed. “Sorry, but I have to run.” Without a backward glance, she hurried down the next aisle.
Too bad there wasn’t someone whose advice she could seek in what to do about Duncan, but she had no family with whom she kept in close touch. Although she’d made a few friends since moving here and a couple of them knew the circumstances behind her pregnancy, this wasn’t something she felt comfortable discussing with any of them. The decision was hers alone, and it was one she would have to make very soon, despite what she’d told Blanche.
Biting her lower lip, she plucked a bag of peanut butter M&M’s from the shelf. There was good health, and then there was quality of life, she reasoned as she headed for the pasta aisle. Hoping she was correct about assuaging the man’s curiosity, she made her decision.
“I’ve reconsidered.”
It seemed that every time Mac heard Megan’s voice, he was so surprised by it that he nearly dropped the phone. Since he’d last talked to her, he’d been swamped with the Merritt project at work, frustrated with the clinic’s continued evasiveness and curiously reluctant to seek legal advice from a family friend in Denver. Cooperation was always preferable to adversity, and he still hoped to resolve the issue between Megan and himself peaceably.
He’d talked to Dennis briefly and the other man had promised to look into the situation and call Mac back, which he hadn’t done yet.
Unfortunately Mac was leaving for Atlanta first thing in the morning to attend a huge trade show. The convention usually provided a few solid leads and he wasn’t about to forgo the trip while he waited for Dennis’s call.
“What exactly do you mean by reconsidered?” he asked her now in a cautious voice. Was she finally willing to listen to reason?
She blew out a breath. “You’re right. If our situations were reversed, I’d want to know what kind of person was raising my child,” she admitted.
Relief pumped through him. “Taking that class together would give us a chance to get to know each other,” he suggested, his mind leaping ahead. “It starts on Tuesday.”
To his astonishment, she didn’t immediately object. “I think we should have a face-to-face meeting before then,” she said instead.
“I’d like that, too. Unfortunately I’m leaving town first thing in the morning and I won’t be back until late the afternoon of the first class.” Mac felt genuine regret. What if they loathed each other on sight? “I’d postpone the trip if I could, but it’s too important.” Would she think his priorities were out of whack? That he should put the child ahead of everything else? He refrained from pointing out that her own stubbornness was the reason they’d run out of time.
Megan gripped the receiver tighter, still clinging to the hope that he’d lose interest in the class and in her soon enough. She couldn’t imagine him giving up two evenings a week for a stranger and a child he’d fathered with so little involvement. If she was wrong about his staying power she’d be stuck with him for the duration, but if she wasn’t and he did drop out, she would probably be allowed to continue the course without a partner, since her due date was so near.
The idea cheered her. She was tired of arguing, tired of dodging him. And it wasn’t as though she’d lined up anyone else to go with her. If the truth be told, she hadn’t even asked around.
“What time are you leaving on your trip?” Perhaps they could still meet before then.
“Early. My flight out of Denver is at eight, so I’ll have to catch the first commuter plane from the county airport.”
Megan groaned softly. She wasn’t a morning person at the best of times, but now that she was pregnant, getting up at dawn wasn’t a sacrifice she was willing to make. “Okay,” she said on a burst of bravado. “If you’re sure you want to go through with this, I guess I’ll see you at the center on Tuesday evening.”
“How will I know you?” he asked.
“I’ll be the pregnant one,” she quipped, suddenly nervous. What was she getting herself into?
He chuckled appreciatively at her lame attempt at humor. “Oh, sure, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Actually, my hair is kind of long and dark blonde,” she said, gesturing with her free hand even though he couldn’t see. “I’ll be wearing jeans and a red top.”
“And you’ll be alone,” he added with typical masculine bluntness. “I mean, everyone else should be paired up with someone.”
Megan pressed a hand to her stomach, seeking reassurance. “That’s right, two by two, just like on Noah’s Ark.” This was a huge mistake. She just knew it. “And I already have a description of you.”
“Yeah, I remember.” His tone was dry. “Intelligent and attractive. I’ll do my best to live up to that.”
As soon as she hung up, Megan realized that she had completely forgotten to talk to him about ground rules. He needed to understand that just because she’d agreed to take the class with him didn’t mean he was horning into her life.
Mac glanced at his watch as he drove into the clinic parking lot. Of course the plane from Atlanta had been late, and then an unexpected blizzard at the supposedly blizzard-proof Denver airport delayed his commuter flight. Despite all that, it was barely six-thirty. He had hoped to arrive a few minutes early so he could catch his breath and introduce himself to Megan before class began, but at least he wasn’t going to be so late that he made a bad first impression.
While he was in Atlanta he’d talked to Dennis Reid again. The chief of staff had spent the first five minutes of their conversation bragging about his new girlfriend, a “gorgeous babe” named Rachel, until Mac finally interrupted.
“Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got an appointment in a few minutes. Were you able to find out anything about my situation?”
On the other end of the line, Dennis cleared his throat and Mac’s heart sank. Bad news.
“Truth is, I haven’t learned a thing, buddy. The director’s had major surgery, very unexpected. Then there was a big computer crash. Between you and me, the place is in chaos. Not my department, you understand, but the admin side’s a mess. Like a ship without a rudder. Until they sort things out, it’s not a time to get answers. Wish I had better news.”
Swallowing his frustration, Mac had thanked Dennis for his time and promised to get