The Nurse's Baby Secret

“Thank you,” she repeated, knowing she was thanking him for much more than he realized, maybe even than she’d realized until that moment. She felt a peace she hadn’t felt when he’d left, a peace that came from the knowledge that, although the thought of being without him hurt, she would be just fine. She and their child would be okay, no matter what he did or didn’t do.

She could do this.

He hugged her back, then tilted her chin toward him. “You’re sure you’re ready to go?”

She was going to miss being here with him. “It’s time I go home.”

He stared into her eyes, so much emotion flickering in the dark depths of his.

“Savannah.” Her name came out of his mouth a bit broken and a whole lot needy.

Her lips parted. He was going to kiss her. She could feel it in the quickening of his heartbeat, in the intake of his breath, in the tensing of his body against hers, in the way he was looking at her.

The way he’d always looked at her, with need and want and desire and whatever it was he felt that she used to label love. No matter what it was called, Charlie looked at her in a way no man had ever looked at her, in a way she’d never wanted any other man to look at her, and that she doubted she ever would. This was Charlie. Her Charlie.

For the past few weeks she’d wanted him, wanted him to kiss her and touch her, and although he had touched her hand, her face, her belly, her leg, he hadn’t really touched her. Not sexually. Not possessively. Not like he was looking at her at this moment.

His head lowered, his breath was warm against her mouth; her body was full of excited anticipation.

“I hope that’s everything because your new car is about out of room,” Chrissie said, coming back into the apartment. “Thank goodness we sent part of your stuff back with your cousin.”

Savannah stepped back from Charlie just as lights went off above Chrissie’s head.

“Oops, sorry. I’ll be down in the car when you’re ready.” She turned around and walked back out of the apartment.

Although Savannah had started driving again, she hadn’t argued with Charlie when he’d told her he didn’t want her making the two-hour drive by herself, especially since she’d have to cross the mountain. Her cousin had driven Chrissie up early that morning, then headed back to Chattanooga with a load of Savannah’s stuff. Chrissie had helped her pack the remainder of the things she’d accumulated in Nashville into the sedan she’d bought with the insurance money plus a chunk of her savings.

She’d been so grateful for all Chrissie had done but at the moment she just wanted to scream at her friend’s interruption, because somehow she knew that nothing would ever be the same once she left Nashville. Charlie would move on with his life. She’d move on with her and the baby’s life. The closeness she felt with him at this moment would never again be.

Maybe it was just as well that Chrissie had interrupted.

Savannah smiled weakly at Charlie. “Timing has never been her strong suit, but I love her anyway.”

“No, I imagine not.” But he didn’t take Savannah back into his arms, just stared down at her with so much emotion in his eyes that Savannah’s heart hurt. He recognized, just as she did, that nothing would ever be the same between them, that they’d never have this moment back.

He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Goodbye, Savannah. Don’t forget to call when you go into labor.”

She nodded. “I won’t forget.”

“You want me to help you down to the car?”

Giving him a wry smile, Savannah shook her head. “I got this.”

She did. She would be just fine. She knew that. But just fine felt a little flat when she was looking at what could have been for the last time.

“Thanks again.” With that, she said goodbye to Charlie.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SAVANNAH WENT BACK to work part-time the following week. Being out of work for over a month, the changes to her body during that time, had her worn out when she got home at night to where she crashed almost immediately. She worked a shift on, two shifts off to give her time to recover in between for the first few scheduled times back, possibly indefinitely until after the baby arrived. When she finished her fourth shift, she crashed onto her sofa and was so thankful she had the next two days off.

“Is my grandbaby moving?”

Savannah glanced at where her mother walked into the living room. Her mother had been a lifesaver over the past few weeks, checking on Savannah, making sure she ate. She’d brought over a plate of homemade goodies that night that Savannah had picked at before settling onto the sofa.

“He or she is always moving, Mom. You wanna feel?”

Her mother sat next to Savannah and placed her hand over her belly. “I can’t wait until I get to hold this baby.”