“I was.” He wished she’d sit back down. “But I had a meeting with Coppel in Atlanta a couple of months ago.”
“A couple of months ago?” She sank down to the couch.
Michael nodded. In the old days, this would have been good news. “I’ve been promoted to vice president of finance for Coppel Industries.”
“My gosh!” She smiled, her eyes round. “Congratulations!” She even leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his lips before she remembered herself.
“So...” She was frowning again. “You’re moving to Atlanta?”
“No.” Michael shrugged. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do. One place was the same as another when he was mostly away in hotel rooms. “I’ll probably keep my condo for now.”
“But isn’t Coppel’s home office in Atlanta?”
“It is.” Now he was the one who couldn’t sit still. Rising, he stared out her living room window into the darkness that had fallen. “And I’ll have an office there, but the majority of my work is on the road. I’ve been home twice in six weeks.”
“Oh.”
She didn’t seem upset by the news. Maybe he’d misjudged her. Maybe he’d been worrying for no reason. Maybe nothing had changed, after all.
“That was one of the things Coppel wanted to speak with me about, the traveling.”
“One of the things?”
Michael turned around and faced her.
“Before he’d recommend me to the board, he wanted to be sure I had no personal responsibilities—no ties—that would suffer by my accepting the position.”
“What did you tell him?”
“That I had none.”
She nodded, her eyes steady as she held his gaze. “Was that before or after I flew to Chicago?”
Before or after I asked you to give me a baby? he translated.
“I’d just met with Coppel that day.”
“That’s where you were when I called and your secretary said you were out of town.”
Michael nodded.
“So you already had the job?” She sounded confused.
Taking a deep breath, Michael shook his head. What did it matter? Why did it matter? He’d been asking himself the same questions for six weeks. And still had no answers. Except to know that... somehow... it did.
“The official offer came the following Friday.”
“The day you called to tell me you’d give me your baby.”
Michael nodded.
HOPES SHE HADN’T even known she had began to slip away, leaving such a sadness in their wake that Susan’s entire body felt the impact. Feeling tired and heavy, she looked up at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Does it matter?” Defensiveness in every line of his body, Michael stood before her.
“Of course it does.” She tried not to sound hurt, but wasn’t sure she succeeded. “Didn’t it ever occur to you that I’d care about such a...a momentous step in your life, just like I’ve always cared, because I care about you?”