Love Promises (Sully Point, Book 4) (17 page)

Picking up her knitting again, she wondered if
Anna was free later on. The she remembered today was the day she was to pick up
the engraved silver hair clip for Eric's present. She got dressed and left her
apartment, feeling odd at the thought of carrying around the beginnings of a
living being inside her. The thought was a bit disturbing, considering some of the
science fiction she'd read.

Lucretia's hair was messed up, and her face was
flushed. "Maggie! There you are. I've finished it and I still can't
believe you talked me into it. Check it out before I put it in the box."

Maggie took the silver piece from her.
Beautifully-shaped leaves decorated the edges of the silver hair clip, which was really a
half-circle with a clip on the underneath side. A guitar was lying on its side.
Maggie was amazed at the level of detail in the engraving.

"Lucretia, it's perfect. You did an
incredible job. Way better than I expected."

"Good," she said tiredly, but looking
pleased. "Now give it here and let's put it in a pretty box." She
handed it over to Maggie with a smile. "It was a good idea. Simple, yet
elegant. You have a Merry Christmas."

"Thanks so much, for everything. Merry
Christmas!"

Tucking the box away in her coat pocket, Maggie decided
to get an early lunch at Deb's Deli. She was hungry again. Until she walked in
the door. One of the smells in there got to her immediately, and she did an
about-face and left the deli. Smells! That was what had gotten to her last
night, the smell of the meat loaf and gravy. She walked down the street to the bakery
and cautiously poked her head into the door, sampling the air. Everything
smelled wonderful in there, and she went in eagerly. After much consideration,
she chose almond-cherry tart, and a few chocolate eclairs. Carrying her bakery
box, she went around the building into the back and climbed the stairs, mouth
salivating for her treats.

She opened the door to find Eric.

"What are you doing here?" she asked
blankly. She hadn't even noticed his car. In fact, she was sure it wasn't
downstairs.

"Where have you been? I called and you didn't
answer and I got worried, so I had the guys drop me off here while they did the
next delivery."

"You called?" She patted her coat
pocket, and then saw her phone on the coffee table. "I forgot to take my
phone with me. I'm sorry you worried. I had to run an errand."

He walked up to her and reached out a hand to tuck
a wayward curl behind her ear. "You are fine, aren't you. You have roses in
your cheeks and your pretty purple eyes are sparkling like diamonds."

"I think getting out and going for a walk did
me good. I brought some goodies from the bakery. Want some?"

"Yeah, that sounds good. Let me go wash my
hands."

He walked away toward the bathroom and then she remembered.
She'd left the pregnancy tests out on the counter in there. She dashed after
him, yelling, "Eric, wait!"

And met him coming out of the bathroom with a
dazed look in his eyes.

"What--what are you doing with these?"
he asked, holding out a box from one of the pregnancy tests in his hand.

"Eric--"

"Were you just going to serve me pastry and
send me on my way and not tell me?"

"No! No, not exactly. I was going to tell you
later when you got home. You surprised me, being here now. I wouldn't keep this
from you."

"So--are you?"

"Yes," she said simply.

"Oh," he said.

It was quiet for a minute and then he sat down on
the brocaded chair. She sat on the sofa and stared at him. She couldn't tell
what he was thinking.

"How--"

"I forgot one of my pills, right after we
started having sex. And I didn't notice. I've been so caught up in us, the
holidays, everything. Then I got sick again this morning when I woke up. And
all of a sudden it hit me what could be happening."

"What could be happening?"

"Morning sickness. Even though it happened at
night last night, I think it works like that sometimes."

"Are you sure? About the tests, I mean."

"I took three tests and all of them came up
positive. I made an appointment to see Doc Watson this afternoon. To be
sure."

"Okay. So you might not be?"

"I guess it's possible." She didn't like
the way this conversation was going. He was supposed to jump up and kiss her
and tell her he was thrilled. But he was so not doing that. She breathed deeply
and told herself not to cry, no matter what.

"I need to go. The guys will be downstairs
any minute."

"Oh."

"I'll come over when we're done, around five.
Then you can tell me what the doctor said."

"Okay."

She watched him get up with his blank face and
walk to the door. He was leaving!

"Are you all right, Eric?" she asked,
still sitting on the sofa.

"Yeah, yeah. I need to think. I'll see you
later." He opened the door and was gone.

Maggie sat still as a stone and waited, waited until
she heard the car engine that meant he was leaving. Then she fell sideways onto
the pillows on the sofa and cried.

* * * *

Eric decided the only thing he could do was to set
it all to one side in his head. He'd always been good at compartmentalizing.
Now he closed off his thoughts and feelings about the possible pregnancy and
focused on the computer deliveries. A couple of times, someone would have to
nudge him into answering a question, but he thought he did pretty well.

Until Cody took him aside and asked, "What is
going on? Are you okay? You've been like an automaton since we left Maggie's.
Is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. Yes. She is. It's just,
something that came up that I need to deal with. But I can deal with it later.
Sorry."

Cody slapped him on the back. "No problem.
Relax, be happy! This is the fun part."

Eric smiled at him and nodded.

The fun part. That was what he had thought he and
Maggie would have for at least five years. Then maybe they'd settle down to
having children. But now? Right now? It was like someone had thrown ice water
on him. He was in shock, he realized. He had never been more stunned in his
life.

The next few deliveries went smoothly. He wondered
how Maggie's appointment was going. What if she wasn't pregnant after all, if
it was just a scare? Then everything could go back to the way it was before.

Except, he hadn't exactly been Supportive Guy when
she'd told him. He looked back on his reactions in her apartment and cringed.
He had been a complete ass about it. He hadn't even told her he loved her! She
must be...well, he didn't know. She might be ready to kill him. Or she might be
heartbroken. How could he have been so stupid? This must be scary as hell for
her, too.

At that thought, he realized the main emotion he'd
been feeling was fear. To think of himself as a father? Responsible for guiding
a child throughout its life? That was one of the scariest things he could
imagine.

Suddenly it occurred to him that she might not
want the baby. Maggie was so loving and giving, he couldn't quite picture that.
But she had been ready to let him walk out of her apartment today without
telling him. If he hadn't gone in the bathroom and found the tests, would she
really have told him?

He had a sick feeling inside. He didn't want to
think Maggie wouldn't want his child. His child--a part of him, a part of her.
Their child. He felt a swelling sense of warmth and joy filling his heart,
body, and mind. What a miracle! Their child. He had to talk to Maggie right
away. To apologize, to tell her he wanted this baby very much. And that he
loved her even more.

* * * *

Maggie waited in Doc Watson's office, the place
where he gave good and bad news to his patients. She sat across from his heavy
walnut desk, and jumped when he walked in. He sat down behind his desk and
looked at her gravely.

"Maggie, you're pregnant."

"Oh. I thought so. I mean, three tests can't
be wrong, can they?"

"Not in this case, no. How do you feel about
this news?"

She smiled at him, a bit tremulously. "It's
good. I want the baby."

"What about the father?" Doc Watson
asked gently.

"That part I'm not so sure about yet. He
didn't jump for joy when I told him. We're supposed to talk again tonight. But
whatever happens with him, I'm going to have this baby." Her voice had
firmed up as she talked, and she felt determined to do her best for her child.

"Good. That's good to hear. In that case,
congratulations!" he said with a smile.

"Thank you. And thanks for seeing me so
quickly. Is everything okay? I mean, the nausea, the crying, the craving for
sweets--is all that normal?"

"Yes, but try to keep an eye on your intake
of sugar. Let's not go overboard. You're a very healthy young woman, so I don't
expect any problems. If nausea bothers you, take it slow in the mornings. Eat
what you can, when you can. You can expect some ups and downs emotionally. Come
back and see me in a month. Try to keep your stress level down. Take these
vitamins." He handed her a large bottle. "Sound good?"

"Sounds great. Thanks so much." She left
feeling much better than when she went in. He had a very reassuring manner, a
bit gruff, but with a heart of gold.

She decided to drive out to the beach house and
see Anna. She knew Sam was out helping with the food drive. As she drove down
the winding beach road, she started getting angry. Angry at Eric for his
reaction. Or rather, his lack of reaction, she thought glumly. He had not had
any expression on his face, just a big blank. And the way he'd left so quickly,
saying he needed to 'think.' Think about what? The baby was real and they would
need to deal with that fact. There wasn't a need to think at all. It was
happening.

She felt uneasy and angry at the same time. She
wasn't sure if he could accept a child at this point in his life. But if he
thought he could just walk away--he'd better think again. He was the baby's
father and that was that. Whether they got married or not, he would always be
in his child's life. She would see to it.

By the time she got to Anna's, she had cycled
right over into feeling glum and somewhat depressed. The problem was that even
if he walked in tonight and said he was happy about the baby, how could she
believe him? He might say that out of duty and a sense of responsibility. She
didn't want him to accept the baby because of a sense of duty. She'd seen his
initial response and it was about as far from happy as you could get.

When Anna opened the door to her, she fell into
her sister-in-law's arms and sobbed.

It took several minutes before Anna got her
settled down, curled up with an afghan on the love seat in the living room.
Anna handed her a cup of herbal tea and motioned at her to drink it.

"What has happened?"

"I'm pregnant."

"You're--"

"And I think Eric doesn't want the baby. At
least, he acted like he was horrified by the idea."

"When did--"

"Today. I found out today. He stumbled across
the tests in the bathroom. I was going to tell him later. He thought I wasn't
going to tell him, which is just stupid. Of course I would have told him! And
then he was all monosyllabic.

"So he didn't--"

"He walked out! He just left and didn't even
say he loved me."

"He left?"

Maggie nodded. "It's true that the guys were
coming to pick him up--the computer thing. But he refused to talk about it. He
said he 'needed to think' which is just crazy. What is there to think
about?"

"What indeed," Anna murmured.

"And I've been a basket case, all over the
place emotionally, crying at the drop of a hat. I'm not sure I can blame it all
on pregnancy hormones."

"I'm sure it is exactly that, and the fact
that this is a huge change in your life. Are you okay with it?"

Maggie looked directly into Anna's big hazel eyes.
"Yes, I'm very much okay with it. I didn't expect this, but I want the
baby. Whatever happens, I'm going to be a mother and I'm happy about it."

Anna got up and came to sit by Maggie. She gave
her a big hug. "I'm glad. A baby should be a joyful thing."

"I called Mom, so she knows."

"So that's why they wanted Sam to fly them
down here. I couldn't figure out what had changed their plans."

Maggie frowned. "Unfortunately, they're going
to have to drive. But it will be great to see them. I just hope they're
careful."

"Your father is very responsible about stuff
like that."

"Anyway, I don't know what to do about Eric.
He's coming by in a while, so we can talk. I just don't know if I can trust
anything he says about this now."

Anna said, "He was probably shocked. Give him
some time."

"You didn't see his face. It was more than
shock. And speaking of him, I should probably get back there. I saw Doc Watson
and he said everything is fine, so I should be okay."

"Do you want me to tell Sam when he gets
home?"

"Yes, please. You can tell the family, but
only them. Thanks for listening to me babble on, Anna."

She got another hug. "Call us if there is
anything we can do, anything you need. We'll be here for you the whole way.
Don't forget that."

"I won't. Thanks." Anna walked with her
to the door.

"Remember--give yourself and Eric some time
to get over the surprise of this news. It takes time for it to feel real."

"I don't know, Anna. It feels pretty darn
real to me right now."

Anna smiled at her. "Call me after you talk
to Eric, if you feel like it."

"Okay."

She drove away from the beach house feeling
soothed and supported. Could it be that Anna was right? That Eric only needed
time? She hoped so, but thought that sounded a bit too optimistic.