“I’m not going to do that. It’s just …Sadie, you’ve gone through a long, tough pregnancy all on your own. I’m an OB/GYN – I know how hard it is for a woman to carry twins.”
She shook her head. “I wasn’t alone. I had my mom and dad. And Cammy.”
“You know what I mean. The point is that I could’ve been there for you. I’ve got a huge, empty home, where you could’ve spent this pregnancy, taking all the time off you needed, and not having to worry about a thing.”
“I wanted to work. I didn’t want to take time off.”
“OK. That would’ve been bloody fine with me. Work, come home and let me take care of you – that’s what we could’ve been doing these last nine months. But you didn’t give me that chance.”
“I should’ve. You’re right.”
I sighed. It was taking quite a bit of effort to not chew her out. In some ways, she was still the same little girl I’d had to scold more than a few times when she was younger and got into trouble with Cammy.
God, what a mess.
“What’s done is done. It’s all in the past, and all we can do is move forward, yeah?”
“Yeah.”
I sat back, thinking about that night. I chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You know, it’s easy for me to want to give you the business for what happened. But it takes two to tango. Or waltz, as the case was that night.”
That got a laugh out of her. “You’re a good dancer, you know. I would’ve guessed a guy as big as you would’ve been two left feet and all thumbs. But you were like a six-and-a-half-foot tall, redheaded swan out there.”
“Flattery will get you everywhere you know. But seriously, I should’ve known something was up when you insisted on keeping the mask on.”
She smiled. “It was silly, I know. But it was the only way I could’ve gotten away with it. Please, believe me when I say that I didn’t plan on this ?” she swept her hand over her now much smaller belly, “? to happen.”
“I know,” I said. “I remember using a condom. And I know they aren’t one-hundred percent effective.”
We said nothing for several moments, both of us trying to process our new reality. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d expected when I’d come into the room to confront her about the matter. But it sure as hell wasn’t this.
I had a quick flashback of me coming into the room, flowers in hand. Sadie had looked like an angel lying on the bed, her golden hair a fan around her gorgeous features. I knew it’d been so damn wrong to think of her like that, but I hadn’t been able to control it. From the looks of things, not being able to help myself when it came to her was becoming a theme.
“I was shocked to see a redhead come out,” I said.
She smiled. “Andrew.” Andrew. That was his name. My son.
“His hair is like mine before I got all this sliver in it.”
She smiled. “I like the silver – it’s sexy.”
I laughed, but her words caused my cock to shift, and the way she bit her lip after saying the words didn’t help matters at all. The sexual tension in the air was enough to make me need to get up and pace around a bit.
“You alright?” she asked.
“Fine. Totally fine.” I sighed, running my hand through my hair. “I need to figure this out, Sadie. This, you, and those twins, they weren’t part of the plan – not at all. I’m nearly fifty. I’ve got one daughter who’s already well into her adult years. I’m widowed. I’m too damn old to be starting over like this. And Camilla…God, what the hell am I going to do about Camilla?”
I stopped, not wanting to get too carried away.
“Does she know?” I asked.
It was a stupid question. If Camilla had known, I would’ve had the black eye to prove it.
She shook her head, confirming my guess.