“But it did.” He grinned from ear to ear.
Amy started to panic. His reaction wasn’t right. He certainly wasn’t thinking straight. “Are you listening to me?” she cried.
“You’re carrying my child...mine!” He spoke as though he’d won the best lottery in the world. “For a moment there, I thought it was Steve’s, and that would have been hard, Amy. A hell of a reminder...”
“Jake, this is not okay!” she hurled at him, desperate to get the conversation on some kind of clear track. “It was an accident. I didn’t want to hang it on you.”
“Hang it on me! Hang it on me!” He repeated in a kind of dazed incredulity. “I’m the father. You’re not hanging anything on me. The biological fact is...” He paused, apparently having been struck by a different thought. “How long have you known?”
“What?” Amy just couldn’t get a handle on how Jake’s mind was working. It was totally incomprehensible to her.
“About the baby.”
“Oh!” She flushed. “I got the results of the blood test two days ago.”
He grinned again. “So it is absolutely certain.”
“Will you stop that?” she cried in exasperation.
“Stop what?”
“Looking so damned pleased about it!”
“I can’t help it. It’s not every day a man gets told he’s going to be a father. We’re talking about our first child...”
“Jake! We’re...not...married,” she almost shouted at him.
“Well, we can soon fix that,” he said, his delighted expression moving swiftly to purpose.
Amy glared at him in helpless frustration. The man did not have his feet on the ground at all. Maybe he was besotted with the idea of being presented with a child of his own, having been surrounded by his siblings’ children all day. Whatever the reason, there was no sense coming from him. He probably needed a few days to think about it, do some sober reflection on their situation.
“I’m going home,” she stated firmly. “I’ve got a headache.”
As she started to step past him his arm shot out to prevent it.
“Wait! Please...”
It was too much. Tears welled into her eyes. She was too choked up to speak, too distressed to look at him.
“I’m sorry. I’m not getting this right, am I?” he said softly, apologetically.
She shook her head.
“Don’t cry, Amy. I’ll do better, I promise.”
The tears flowed faster.
Then his arm was around her shoulders, hugging her close for comfort. “I’ll take you home.”
She swallowed hard, struggling to get control of her voice. “Your family...”
“You’re my family now, Amy. Let me at least take care of you.”
That did it, speaking to her so gently, saying what she’d been secretly craving to hear. The tears were unstoppable now and he was already urging her to the front door, opening it for her. She didn’t have the strength to fight him, didn’t have voice enough to argue. They were out of the house and walking down the path to the street before he spoke again, his sympathetic tone soothing some of the turmoil inside her.
“It must have been rough on you the past two days, worrying about what to do.”
“Yes,” she managed to whisper.
“You’re not...umh...thinking of a termination, are you, Amy?”
“No.”
“Good!” His sigh expressed deep relief. “I’m not sure I could have borne that, either.”
This was muttered more to himself than to her and Amy briefly puzzled over it. She was the one who had to do the bearing. Jake seemed to be off on another plane again. Though it was clear he wanted her to have the baby. He hadn’t left her in any doubt about that. Though she had a mountain of doubts surrounding what would eventuate from it.
“The car key?” he prompted.
They’d reached the sidewalk where her car was parked at the kerb. She fumbled in her handbag and found the key, found a tissue, too, and wiped her weepy eyes. She was feeling slightly more in control, though still very shaky on how to proceed from here with Jake.
He held out his hand. “Better let me drive, Amy. I don’t think you’re in a fit enough state to concentrate on it.”
Taking care of her...being kind. Jake was kind. For a moment Amy wallowed in the warm reassurance. He wasn’t going to make this hard for her. He was prepared—more than prepared—to take responsibility. Which reminded her of other more immediate responsibilities.
“What about you? The champagne?” she asked, unsure how many glasses he’d consumed over lunch. The last thing she needed was to end up today in a police station with Jake charged for drunk driving.
“No problem.” He gave her his quirky smile. “Sober as a judge.”
Somehow that typical little smile put things on a more normal footing. She sighed, trying to loosen the tightness in her chest, and handed over the key, relieved he could take care of the driving, relieved also that he appeared to be more himself now.
Despite her headache, Amy decided it would be good to get a few things settled so she had some idea where she stood with him. And with her job. There was no longer any escape from the truth, so the sooner they talked it over, the better.
Jake unlocked the car, saw her settled in the passenger seat, then moved quickly to the driver’s side, sliding in behind the wheel and closing them in together. Together was the operative word, she thought ruefully. They’d made this baby together and now they were stuck together until something was sorted out.
“One thing I want to say, Amy, before you do any more thinking.”
She could feel him looking at her with urgent intensity but she couldn’t bring herself to let him see just how vulnerable she was to whatever he had to say. It was easier to stare straight ahead, easier for steeling herself to face the difficulties he would certainly bring up.
“Go on,” she invited, hoping she could cope with the outcome.
“Don’t rule marriage out,” he said quietly. “I want to marry you, Amy. I think we could have a good life together. So please give it your serious consideration while I drive you home.”
He didn’t wait for a reply, which was just as well, because Amy was too poleaxed to speak. He switched on the engine and got on with driving.
She didn’t really notice the journey home, wasn’t aware of time passing. Her mind was in a ferment. How could she give marriage to Jake Carter serious consideration? What was he thinking of? It was time to take a wife and have a family and she’d do as well as anyone else, especially since she was already pregnant to him? The good old chemistry spark was there so why not?