She turned off the light and hurried downstairs to compose herself before she had to face Chris and tell him goodbye.

The kitchen was spotless and all traces of dinner had been cleaned up. Even the pot had been washed and leftovers put up.

The hum of the dishwasher caught her attention, but then there was something else. A rattling—no a buzzing of a cell phone on silent.

She looked around until she found the source. Chris’s phone had fallen out while he was playing with the kids and it was on the floor in the family room.

Victoria picked it up as it buzzed again. The message splayed on the screen. It was what appeared to be one of seven messages from a Rachael.

DON’T BOTHER TO CALL.

Again, those stupid and pesky tears welled in her eyes. She could only assume Rachael was the woman he was dressed up for. Christian didn’t usually just look that good unless he was out to impress.

There was a sharp pain in her chest, but she had to let it go. He wasn’t hers to keep. She’d made it as clear to him after they’d spent the night together that she didn’t need him—just as he’d made it clear he couldn’t make a family with her.

A wave of nausea began to move through her. Not now. Not now! She pressed her hand to her stomach, but it wasn’t going to hold.

As she looked up she noticed Christian walking into the kitchen. He moved to her swiftly.

“Are you okay?” His eyes were wide and he looked scared. Why would he be scared if he thought she was only sick? But those were the eyes of someone frightened.

“I don’t feel well.”

“C’mon, sit down.”

He helped her to the couch. “I’ll get you some water.”

She could hear him in the kitchen opening and closing doors to cabinets. A moment later he was back with water.

“Here sip this.”

She reached for the glass, but her hand was shaky. He helped her until she got a sip down and everything began to feel more normal.

“Better?”

She nodded, but now her eyes were growing heavy. “I’m fine. I’ll be okay.”

“Tori, I can stay. If you still don’t feel well I can…”

“No. No, you can’t stay.”

He only nodded as if that was exactly what he thought she’d say.

“I’ve managed in worse situations. Besides, Ali will be up in a few hours. You being here will only confuse her.”

“A few hours?” His eyebrows narrowed.

“She wakes up a few times a night looking for her mother. Most of the time she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it.”

He shook his head. “That’s terrible, for both of you.”

Victoria shrugged. “It’s just part of our life.” She felt the vibration of the phone in her hand again. She looked down at it and she wanted to squeeze it into a million pieces.

She looked up at him and lifted her hand. “This is yours. You left it out here.”

“Oh. I hadn’t even noticed.” He looked at the screen, frowned, and then tucked it into his pocket.

She took another sip of the water and then focused in on him. “Did you stand up a date?”

The lines around his eyes deepened. “I came here and that was more important.”

“I don’t suppose Rachel thinks so.”

He didn’t say anything else and she’d wished he’d just tell her that Rachel was his assistant or something, but she knew better. She’d tried to move on with Scott and it was now obvious he’d tried to move on with Rachel.

“Can I help you upstairs?”

She wanted to tell him that if he would tuck her in and tuck himself in next to her that would be the best. But she knew it wouldn’t make everything better. Christian had to want that.

“I’ll be fine.”

He’d tried to convince her again, but she held to what she thought was best. “And you really don’t have to come by tomorrow. You’re busy.”

“I’ll be here. Let me be here.”

She walked behind him to the door. He pulled it open and turned to her. She was almost waiting for him to try and kiss her. But he didn’t.

“Can I bring anything tomorrow?”

Shaking her head she looked into his eyes—those dark and sexy eyes. “No. And like I said, you don’t have to come.”

“I’ll be here,” he reiterated through clenched teeth.

He stepped over the threshold.

“Chris,” she called and he turned back. “If you can’t always be here for them, then please don’t be. I can’t explain to them your leaving if you do this.”

His eyes narrowed. He pursed his lips and walked away.

Chapter Sixteen

It had been a week since Victoria had held that pregnancy test in her hand. A week since Scott walked out of her life and somehow Christian had walked back in.

He’d been there every night after work and, just as he’d promised, he was helping out. On Sunday night he’d walked through the door with groceries and again on Thursday. They’d taken walks around the park as a family. He’d bought that ball and two gloves and begun teaching both kids how to catch.

He wasn’t just stepping in as the playmate either. On three of those nights last week, he’d cooked dinner so Victoria could play with the kids. She’d even found him in the laundry room doing their laundry.

She hadn’t quite yet figured out his motivation, maybe it would make it easier to finally tell him about the baby since he’d begun to integrate himself into their lives.

On her day off, she’d been able to get an appointment to the doctor and her pregnancy was confirmed. Now she sat at Sonia’s kitchen table finally ready to tell her best friend—well, she’d get to it.

“You’d think these kids hadn’t seen each other in a month. Gretchen has been waiting all week to show Ali her new Barbie.”

“I’m glad they get along so well. I’d like to think they’ll stay friends as long as we have.”

Sonia nodded and took a sip of her iced tea. “Maybe Gretchen will know when Ali is hiding something from her.”

Victoria tightened her lips. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t told her yet. She should have known Sonia would know something wasn’t right with her.

“Scott and I broke up.”

Sonia turned, her mouth open. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”