The Nurse's Baby Secret

Savannah was going to feel the same way about her baby. She already did. Her and Charlie’s baby. Could she fully love her child and detest the father? She sighed. “I’ve got to make some type of peace with him, haven’t I?”

“It’s not like you’re at war. He wants to be a part of your life.”

“No, he doesn’t,” she denied. “He moved to get away from me.”

Chrissie’s brow rose at Savannah’s claim. “He moved to take a ridiculously awesome career opportunity.”

Savannah frowned. “Whose side are you on?”

“I’m not picking sides.”

Savannah waved her hand as if trying to get Chrissie’s attention. “Hello. Best friend here. You’re automatically supposed to be on my side.”

“Let me point out to you that the man took care of your mother while she sat at the hospital with you, and that he kept vigil at the hospital while you recovered. And, oh, yeah, he even deeded you his house in Chattanooga. And we’re not talking a shack. We’re talking about a gorgeous home in a great neighborhood. Not that I’m taking sides...”

Yeah, there was all that. There was also that she’d thought they were wonderful and she’d been wrong, that he’d betrayed her trust, betrayed her heart, and that she would never trust him again. “Am I supposed to be impressed?”

“I’m impressed,” Chrissie admitted.

“I’m impressed.” Joss repeated his mother’s words and both women smiled at the boy who was otherwise ignoring them and building a fort with his blocks.

“I’ll also point out he brought you to his home so he could take care of you and, best of all, he’s paying me a load of money to do something I offered to do for free.”

“I wouldn’t have let you do that,” Savannah pointed out, considering all her friend said.

“Neither would he.”

“So, he has a few redeeming qualities.”

Chrissie arched a brow. “A few?”

“Need I remind you that, despite those redeeming qualities, he made the decision to move to Nashville without even mentioning the possibility to his girlfriend—me—who he’d been seriously dating for a year?”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

Savannah frowned. “You’ve decided that was okay?”

“No.” Chrissie’s brows rose. Joss climbed into her lap and ran his little finger along the bunched skin between her eyes. Chrissie took his hand and kissed his fingertip over and over, making him giggle and wrap his little arms around her. “What I’ve decided is that I’m sticking with my original thoughts. He’s crazy about you, but works for the CIA and is on a secret assignment.”

“You and your secret agent theory.” She rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t work for the CIA. He’s a cardiologist. He had a great job. Yes, maybe this one is better, but he doesn’t act as if he’s happier here.”

“Maybe he’s not.” She punctuated her sentence with a kiss to Joss, who still hugged her. “Maybe he realizes he made a huge mistake. Maybe, rather than shutting him out, you need to remind him of how good it was between you two.”

Savannah put her hand over her belly, thinking that before long she’d be the one loving and being loved by her child. The thought made her heart sing.

“That’s a lot of maybes, the biggest one being that maybe I want him back. I don’t.”

“You’re right,” Chrissie agreed. “It is a lot of maybes. It’s obvious he has strong feelings for you.”

Her heart squeezing a little, she asked, “How is that obvious?”

“Savannah, have you paid attention to how he looks at you? I’ve said it before but it bears repeating. I’d give my right arm for a man to look at me the way Charlie Keele looks at you.”

“That’s...” She stopped. Lust? She wasn’t exactly what dreams were made of. Perhaps she never had been, but especially not now, with her black eye, bruised, swollen face, healing leg, and pregnant belly.

“That’s what?” Chrissie asked, tickling Joss and causing him to twist and turn in her arms.

“I don’t know. I started to say that it was just sexual attraction, but I’m about as far from sexy as a woman could be.”