LITMIR.BIZ

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tell you. But a few days ago, it occurred to me that putting it off any longer wouldn’t make it any easier. You’re still going to be mad.”

      He sent her a cynic’s smile. “That would be a switch, you making me mad instead of the other way around.”

      Leah could only pinpoint one time when he’d made her mad—furious in fact—and that had been the day he’d called it off between them without fair warning. “Believe me, you’re not going to be happy about this.”

      Confusion called out from Kevin’s piercing brown eyes. “Just spill it, Leah.”

      As the old adage went, a picture was worth a thousand words, which was why Leah chose to remove the photograph from the clear plastic folder. A photograph that resided among others of friends and family and all those precious in her life, including one of her and Kevin taken during their final vacation in Mexico that for some reason she hadn’t had the desire to remove. But this particular photo was the most precious of all.

      She dropped the wallet back into her bag and offered the picture to Kevin without explanation. Clarification would come soon enough.

      He studied the photo for a time before his gaze snapped to hers. “Who is this?”

      Her gift. Her miracle. Her entire world. “She’s your daughter, Kevin.”

      CHAPTER TWO

      KEVIN LOOKED as stunned as Leah had been when she’d confirmed the pregnancy all those months ago. She waited patiently for his verbal reaction, and when she didn’t receive one, she said, “Her name is Carly.” Named for Carl, the little boy her parents had fostered when Leah had been in her teens. A special little boy no one had wanted because of his myriad medical problems. But Leah had loved him dearly, had helped care for him until the day he went into the hospital and never came out. He’d been the reason she’d chosen pediatrics as her specialty, but Kevin knew that. Not that he would remember.

      Kevin stared at the photo before centering his gaze back on her. “How old is she?”

      “Three months.”

      “And you’re just now telling me?”

      She’d considered not telling him at all, but she’d changed her mind after her mother reminded her of all the children who’d come to them with no medical histories, no knowledge of their own parents. “I called you a week or so after I confirmed the pregnancy. Some woman answered and I hung up. I planned to call you the month Carly was due, but before I could do that, I went into labor four weeks early. It all happened very fast.”

      He looked alarmed. “Is she okay?”

      “She’s fine. Perfect. A little underweight, but she’s catching up.”

      He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how this happened. We were always careful.”

      “Not always, Kevin. Remember that wild time we had on our trip to Cabo last summer?” The trip where Kevin hadn’t been himself. She’d learned the reason for his attitude a week later when he’d dumped her. “I had one too many margaritas the last night we were there. You had too much testosterone.”

      “But I—”

      “Not quickly enough. Besides, we both know that coitus interruptus is not a fail-proof form of birth control.” Yet that night she hadn’t been thinking clearly, and it had had little to do with alcohol because she hadn’t been intoxicated. The overriding passion between them had been the only thing that mattered. A passion that had often clouded her common sense.

      When he still seemed doubtful, Leah added, “All you have to do is look at her, Kevin. She’s the mirror image of you.” So much so, she ached every time she looked at her baby girl. Their baby girl.

      “Where is she now?” he asked as he continued to focus on the photo.

      “With my roommate, Macy.” All the more reason why Leah needed to leave as soon as possible, before the baby woke from her nap and Macy—a confirmed kid phobic—had to deal with Carly.

      Kevin stared at the picture a few more moments, and when Leah couldn’t stand the silence any longer, she said, “Say something.”

      He leveled his gaze on hers. “I don’t know what to say, Leah. This is one helluva shock.”

      She understood that all too well. She also acknowledged that he might have a difficult time coping with the news. He might decide not to cope with it. For that reason, she retrieved an envelope from the bag and offered it to him. “Here.”

      After a brief hesitation, he took it from her. “What is this?”

      “It’s a document that will terminate your parental rights if you sign it. You’re under no obligation to be involved in her life, emotionally or financially.”

      A flash of dismay crossed his expression. “After everything you’ve told me about the abandoned kids your parents fostered, you’re willing to raise her by yourself?”

      If she had a choice, Leah would prefer raising her child in a two-parent home. But that wasn’t an option, at least not with Kevin. “We’re doing fine.” For the most part. “I also have a good support system at home.”

      “You mean your new boyfriend.”

      Leah opted not to comment on that supposition. “My parents insist I move back in with them when I return to Mississippi. You don’t need to worry about whether or not Carly’s going to be cared for if you decide to sign the papers.”

      Without offering any response, Kevin lowered his head, the envelope and photo still in his grasp. He appeared so visibly shaken, Leah fought the urge to hold him.

      Instead, she gathered her things and stood. “I realize this is a lot for you to think about, so I’m going to give you that time to think. If you’d prefer to walk away from this situation, I’ll understand. All you have to do is sign the documents, have them notarized and mail them back to me in the envelope I’ve provided. I’ve already addressed it. In the meantime, I have the same cell number if you need to reach me.”

      It took all of Leah’s strength to leave without any answers from Kevin. She wasn’t certain what to hope for—that he sign the papers to sever his parental rights, ending their relationship, once and for all, or that he decide to be a father to Carly, gaining a permanent place in his child’s life—her life—for years to come. Either way, she would have to deal with the consequences of her actions. Her mistakes.

      But Leah didn’t view her baby as a mistake. Falling in love with Carly’s father had been a grave mistake. Thing was, a part of her still loved him, and probably always would.

      SHORTLY AFTER DAWN the following morning, Kevin traveled to Bodies by O’Brien, the health club owned by his twin brother, Kieran. His reasons behind the visit were twofold—a workout to clear his mind and counsel from someone he could trust.

      Even though he’d barely slept the night before, adrenaline sent Kevin through the double doors at a quick clip and straight to Kieran’s office where he found his brother seated behind his desk.

      “Do you have a few minutes?” Kevin asked as he stood in the open doorway, clutching his gym bag in a death grip.

      Kieran looked up from a stack of papers and tossed the pen aside. “Come in. You’re saving me from approving invoices, and you know how much I hate the business end of the business.”

      Spoken like a die-hard personal trainer, Kevin decided. But saving Kieran from accounting was a far cry from what Kieran had saved Kevin from—certain death—by providing his bone marrow. The ultimate gift, as far as Kevin was concerned. Since that time, they’d put aside their differences and had become as close as they’d been when they were kids, one of the few positives resulting from his illness.

      Kevin crossed the room and dropped down in the chair in front of the desk. He decided to ease into the conversation while preparing to get

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