The Pregnancy Promise. Barbara McMahon

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ

      “How did you find the place?”

      “Interesting story, that,” he said, glancing at her attire. “You getting up or going to bed?”

      She pulled the lapels of the warm fleece robe closer and shook her head. “Today isn’t a good day, Tray.” She began to push the door shut.

      He held it open easily and stepped inside.

      “You look like you need some help.”

      “More than you can give.”

      “Meaning?” He studied her closely. Lianne was conscious she hadn’t even washed her face that morning. Her hair probably looked like the wreck of the Hesperus. She hated not projecting her normal cool demeanor. But at the moment, none of it mattered.

      “I went to your sister’s home and she gave me directions to here. Which seems like a good thing, now. I didn’t know you two were twins. That was a shock.”

      Lianne nodded wondering how much longer she could remain upright. She always kept her family life separate from work. “I’m surprised you even knew I had a sister, much less where to find her.”

      “She’s listed as the person to notify in case of emergency.”

      “And you count this as an emergency?”

      He looked at her. “You tell me. Why aren’t you in bed? You look terrible.”

      “Gee, thanks. Actually I need to be.”

      He scooped her up and asked which way. Lianne almost protested, but it felt so good to relinquish control for just a second. And being off her feet eased some of the discomfort—or the pills were beginning to work.

      “Talk to me,” he said as he walked up the stairs to the bedroom she used.

      Lianne didn’t want to let him know everything, but she did owe him an explanation. Her flight had been unlike her and he had a right to know if it would happen again. She wondered if anything else would be so devastating she’d immediately flee to the comfort of the family sea cottage.

      “Two heads are better than one at solving problems,” he said. He gently put her on the bed and once she covered herself with the spread, sat on the edge of the mattress.

      “It won’t happen again,” she said.

      “What happened and won’t again?” he asked.

      “I won’t leave so unexpectedly like this time. It was a private emergency.”

      “Hey, Protection, Inc. is good in emergencies. We have strategic planning down to an art. I doubt there are many things we can’t handle. Besides, you help me in brainstorming solution, let’s try this one.”

      She almost smiled. Tray was so proud of the company—and rightly so. Their success rate was terrific. It was becoming synonymous with high end security in the capital. The firm was constantly hiring new agents as it expanded. One department did nothing but vet new hires. Tray made security as sacred as apple pie.

      “Unfortunately the company can’t help in this situation,” she said.

      “Try me,” he invited.

      He looked rock-solid, firm and dependable. She knew he was as honest as anyone she’d met. And he had an aura of competency that was evident at first glance. Wind had ruffled his dark hair when he walked to the cottage from his car, giving him an almost boyish look. She blinked. She’d met him when he’d been in his thirties. There was nothing boyish about the hard-as-nails man who drove Protection, Inc. He was right, she and he had worked together for years. Might as well share this little bit.

      “All right.” She’d take him up on his challenge. “I found out yesterday I need to have a hysterectomy and I always wanted a family. If I don’t do something soon, I can forget about ever having one.”

      Tray didn’t move, didn’t even blink, but Lianne knew she’d startled him.

      “It’s a female problem and getting worse. My doctor recommended I get the operation soon—like before next month. Where does that fall in Protection’s purview?”

      Unexpectedly he reached out and brushed her hair away from her cheek. Lianne was shocked at the awareness that shot through her. This was Tray, her boss, mentor and friend. She refused to hear Annalise’s words echo in her mind about being too involved with Tray.

      “Not one of our more usual situations,” he murmured.

      “You wanted to know,” she reminded him. She respected him more than anyone she knew. She often marveled at the dangerous situations he was able to defuse. But even Tray couldn’t pull miracles out of a hat. “Don’t worry, this is my problem, not yours. I don’t see it has much of a solution—much less a quick one.”

      “You work for me so it becomes my problem,” Tray said.

      “I’m coming to grips with the situation,” she said, feeling awkward discussing it with her boss. Their relationship had always been business. Now he was in her bedroom. He’d touched her in a way not consistent with being her boss.

      “But it isn’t going away,” he said.

      “Sooner or later, I need that operation. I just wanted to have a baby first.” Her voice cracked a little. Lianne took a deep breath. She was done with crying.

      “Ironic,” he murmured.

      “What is?”

      “Nothing. No boyfriend ready to step up to the plate?” he asked.

      She shook her head and shot him a look. “When do I have time to date and build some kind of relationship? In case you didn’t know, my boss is a slaver driver,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood. He did not need to shoulder her problems.

      “Hey, whatever it takes to get the job done.”

      “What it takes is two or three people to keep up with you,” she retorted.

      “You’ve never complained,” he said.

      “You know how exciting the work can be. I love it. But I think I’ll need to make some changes. I hate to hit the singles bars, but if I want a family—and I do—I could have left it too late. But I have to try.”

      He touched her shoulder, the awareness building again. “I have a few friends I could introduce you to. I know Mark Wyatt was married for a while and liked being married.”

      “What happened?”

      “His wife didn’t, apparently. Anyway, they split about a year ago. He might be right what you’re looking for. He’s around my age, no children yet. Maybe he’d be interested.”

      “That hardly sounds romantic,” she said.

      “Hey, you want romance, you need to take your time. You want a sperm donor, you take what you can get.”

      “Tray, I can’t believe you said that. It СКАЧАТЬ