LITMIR.BIZ

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good measure. “You’ll hold down the fort?”

      “Of course,” she said, smiling through it all.

      Seth had done right by her. Thanks to the purchase of the house—which still had next to no furniture in it—and the industrial property, she was able to plan to take six months off with her little girl, whom she’d decided to name Madeleine.

      More than that, he had given her back her sexuality. Kate hadn’t even realized what she’d been missing until Seth had come into her life. But now? She wouldn’t settle for anything less. He had built her up instead of wearing her down, and never again would she go along just to get along.

      Seth was leaving and she was going to let him go. It would be selfish to hold him here, but God, she was going to miss the hell out of him.

      She was lost in these thoughts and others—what should she get him for Christmas?—when the chimes over the door jingled. “It’s a zinger of a day at Zanger, how may I...” She looked up to see a familiar figure standing in the doorway. Her stomach curdled because she recognized that man—and it wasn’t Seth.

      “Roger?” What the hell was he doing here?

      He looked like hell. Oh, he still looked good. His hair was combed, his face cleanly shaven, his suit nicely pressed. But as he stepped into the office, Kate could see the shadows under his bloodshot eyes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in a week, maybe longer. “Kate,” he said, and then stopped when she stood up. His eyes widened. “God, you look so...”

      She didn’t know if it was anger or adrenaline—she hadn’t seen him in months. Not since he’d agreed to pay child support but promised that he’d never have anything to do with her daughter. “Pregnant?” she finished before he could say something crass. “Yes. I’m pregnant. I told you that, remember?”

      He didn’t even have the decency to look ashamed at coming within a hairbreadth of insulting her. “Yeah, I know. I just didn’t...” He waved a hand in her general direction.

      She blinked at him. “If you’re implying that I was lying about being pregnant—”

      “No, no. I believe you. You just look...”

      How had she ever thought she could love this man? It’d been a crappy lie that she had forced herself to buy into because, for some reason she still didn’t understand, her dad liked this man. Maybe it was because Roger and her father were too much alike. And Kate did exactly what her mother had done—shut up and went along with what her father wanted.

      Well, no more. Seth had spent months telling her how gorgeous she was, how beautiful she looked—even as she got huge. She was carrying Roger’s daughter and all he could think about was that she’d gotten fat.

      He could go to hell.

      “Did you have a reason for being here or did you just feel like insulting the mother of your unborn child?”

      Roger recoiled.

      “And I swear to God, Roger, if you ask if I’m sure it’s your child, I will not be held responsible for my actions.”

      “Jeez, Kate—calm down. I didn’t come here to pick a fight.”

      When, in the history of womankind, had telling a woman to “calm down” ever worked? Because it sure as hell didn’t now. “Then why are you here?”

      He scrubbed at the back of his neck. “Listen, I’ve been thinking—that kid’s not even born yet. You’re not going to need any child support for what, another year or so?”

      Good Lord, just when she thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. “What are you talking about?”

      “I heard you had a few big sales,” he went on, completely missing the horrified shock in her voice. “To Bolton, of all people. I would’ve thought he’d come to me if he needed something—we’re friends.”

      Liar, Kate thought. She’d been spending nearly every waking moment with Seth for the last several months and not once had Roger made an effort to talk to either of them.

      She didn’t say that, though. Instead, she focused on what Roger was really saying. “Yes, I sold some property. I happen to be a real estate agent. What’s it to you?”

      “You don’t have to get all upset,” he said, his eyes darting around the office. “I’m just saying, it would probably be best if we delayed the child support payments for a little while. That’s all.”

      “Best for who?” Roger tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. “Roger, what the hell is going on? I’m pregnant and you rolled in here to insult my appearance and try to get out of your financial obligations to a child you helped create?”

      “Hey, I didn’t ask you to get pregnant.”

      “News flash, I didn’t ask to get pregnant. It was an accident, but if you’re going to act like I did this all by myself, I’m going to have to explain some basic biology to you. What do you want?”

      The silence was awkward, but she debated whether or not she needed backup. How fast could Seth get here?

      “See,” Roger began, and she heard the whine in his voice that made it clear that he hadn’t gotten his way with something, “there were some investments that didn’t pan out and business has been slow and...”

      “And you’re suddenly broke?” she supplied.

      “Broke is a strong word. But there have been some cash flow difficulties.”

      She mentally translated those passive statements. Why hadn’t she ever noticed that when Roger screwed up he never owned his mistakes? “You lost all your money, didn’t you? What’s the matter, my dad cut you off?”

      That grimace again. Roger looked like a cornered animal trying to bluff its way out of a dangerous situation. “Look, are you going to help me out or not?”

      The nerve of this man. And to think, she might’ve been stuck with him. “You want me to help you out by releasing you from your financial obligations to your own child for an indeterminate amount of time because you made some unwise investment choices and you don’t have me to bail you out—am I getting all of this right?”

      Finally, he looked ashamed of himself. As well he should. “I wouldn’t put it quite like that. We could get married, you know.”

      She almost gagged. “No,” she said with as much force as she could. “I don’t have to take your crap, Roger. I don’t love you. You never loved me. And if you try to bail on child support, I will sue you back to the Stone Age.”

      “Come on, Kate—”

      “No,” she repeated again. “You kept the house. You kept the wedding gifts. You went on the honeymoon without me. What do I get? Child support. I had to rely on a family friend to give me a job. You gave me nothing, Roger. You are legally obligated to provide for your child. And I will hold you to it. There’s nothing else I want from you.”

      He jerked as if she had slapped him. “When did you get so bitchy?”

      Oh, that just did it. “Get out. I’m not your doormat anymore.”

      “But—”

      “Now,” she repeated, putting as much menace as she could into her voice.

      The jerk had the nerve to just stand there and stare, his mouth open in shock.

      She was reaching for her phone when the door behind him jingled and suddenly, there was Seth Bolton, stepping around Roger and putting himself in between that jerk and Kate. “Roger,” he said, his voice cool. He looked back at Kate. “Everything okay here?”

      “Yes,” Kate said before Roger could attempt to turn on the charm—not that Seth would fall for it. “Roger was just leaving, after renewing his commitment to paying child support.” She left the or else hanging invisibly in

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