Josh sighed. This, he thought, was why he wanted to wait for the absolute perfect moment to propose to Melissa. Someday he hoped to tell a story that would make everyone who heard it say “Awww,” the way he felt like doing now. “You’re a lucky man, Frank. Not every guy is fortunate enough to find a woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.”
Three lucky men sat at this table tonight, he thought happily. Like Frank and Greg, he had found his perfect match.
Melissa dropped her spoon with a clatter and sprang to her feet. “I, uh— Excuse me,” she muttered, her voice choked. “I’m not feeling well.”
Before Josh or anyone else could ask her what was wrong, she dashed from the room. Concerned, he half rose from his seat, intending to follow her.
“What on earth is wrong with Melissa?” Frank asked in bewilderment.
Words burst from Diana as if she’d held them in as long as she was physically able. “Melissa is pregnant.”
&n
bsp; His knees turning to gelatin, Josh fell back into his chair with a thump.
* * *
After patting her face with a towel, Melissa looked in the bathroom mirror to make sure she’d removed all signs of her bout of tears. She was quite sure Abby would say she was overreacting and being overly dramatic—just like their mom, Abby would say with a shake of her auburn head—but Melissa couldn’t help it. Every time she thought about her life without Josh in it tears welled up behind her eyes and it was all she could do to keep them from gushing out.
Abby had tried to convince her she was only imagining that Josh was trying to find a way to break up with her. As much as she wanted to believe her sister, Melissa was convinced her qualms were well-founded. She knew every expression that crossed Josh’s handsome face. Every flicker of emotion that passed through his clear blue eyes. He had grown increasingly nervous and awkward around her during the past few days, when they had always been so close, so connected, so easy together before. Passion was only a part of their relationship—though certainly a major part. But the mental connection between them was even more special—or at least it had been.
She didn’t know what had gone wrong. Everything had seemed so perfect until Josh’s behavior had suddenly changed. But maybe the questions he had asked her dad tonight had been a clue. Maybe he had concluded that he didn’t really want to spend the rest of his life with her. That only a few men were lucky enough to find “the one.”
She had so hoped she was Josh’s “one.”
Feeling tears threaten again, she drew a deep breath and lifted her chin, ordering herself to reclaim her pride. She would survive losing Josh, she assured herself. Maybe.
Forcing herself to leave Abby’s guest bathroom, she headed for the dining room, expecting to hear conversation and the clinking of silverware and china. Instead what appeared to be stunned silence gripped the five people sitting at the table. Her gaze went instinctively to Josh, finding him staring back at her. His dark blond hair tumbled almost into his eyes, making him look oddly disheveled and perturbed. She realized suddenly that everyone else was gawking at her, too. Did she see sympathy on her father’s face?
Before she could stop herself, she leaped to a stomach-wrenching conclusion. Had Josh told her family that he was breaking up with her? Is that why they were all looking at her like…well, like that?
“What?” she asked apprehensively.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Josh demanded.
It occurred to her that he sounded incongruously hurt, considering he was the one on the verge of breaking her heart. “Tell you what?”
“That you’re pregnant.”
“I’m—?” Her voice shot up into a squeak of surprise, unable to complete the sentence.
“Don’t worry, darling, we’ll all be here for you,” Diana assured her, wiping her eyes with the corner of a napkin. “Just as we’ll be here for you, Abby, after you and Greg split up. Although I sincerely hope you’ll try to work everything out before you go your separate ways.”
“Wait. What?” Greg’s chair scraped against the floor as he spun to stare at his wife. “What is she talking about, Abby?”
Melissa felt as if she’d left a calm, orderly dinner party and returned only minutes later to sheer pandemonium.
“What on earth makes you think I’m pregnant?” she asked Josh, unable to concentrate on her sister’s sputtering at the moment.
He looked from her to her mom and back again, growing visibly more confused by the minute. “Your mother told us.”
Her mother sighed and nodded. “I’ve overheard a few snippets of conversation today. Enough to put two and two together about what’s going on with both my poor girls. You’re giving up caffeine and you’re feeling queasy and we’ve all noticed that you’ve been upset all evening.”
“Mom, I don’t know what you heard—” Abby began, but Melissa talked over her sister.
“You’re completely off base, Mom,” she said firmly, avoiding Josh’s eyes until she was sure she could look at him without succumbing to those looming tears again. “I’m giving up caffeine because I think I’ve been drinking too much of it for my health. I’m not pregnant.”
Regret swept through her with the words. Maybe she was being overly dramatic again, but the thought of never having a child with Josh almost sent her bolting for the bathroom with another bout of hot tears.