Her Secret, His Child: A Little Secret by Tara Quinn (rosie project .txt) 📕

to be without them. She needed the comfort of innocent chatter, the security of Ashley's unconditional love.

She'd tried to be positive. Had taken time with her hair and makeup that morning, wearing her favorite pair of beige cords and a stylish black jersey that Karen said looked great on her—even put on the black boots that took ten times as long to lace up as the loafers she usually wore to drive Ashley to school. All in an effort to feel good about herself. It hadn't worked.

She desperately wanted to run away—so far away no one would ever find her again. Except that running would be wrong and she was determined to live her life right.

Besides, Ashley already loved her father so much. She loved her home, her school, her friends. To take her away would scar the little girl for life.

And Jamie wasn't going anywhere without Ash-ley.

Returning home for a morning of dodging thoughts, Jamie saw Karen waving frantically at her from her own front door.

After throwing the car into park Jamie hurried next door.

"I'm losing the baby!" Karen cried as soon as Jamie was within hearing. She was bunching the front of her denim jumper in her fists.

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

Oh, God. No. "Come on," Jamie forced herself to think, to stay calm. "Let's get you inside."

She led Karen to her living-room couch, where she helped her friend lie down. "Have you called your doctor?"

Karen nodded, close to tears. "She said to come in, but I didn't want to go alone, to drive myself."

"Are you spotting?"

' 'No. But I started having cramps right after you left with the girls. I just know I'm going to lose it."

"Have you called Dennis?"

Tears blurred Karen's eyes as she slowly shook her head. "I still haven't told him."

"Karen, my gosh, you're over four months pregnant! I'm surprised he hasn't guessed."

"I've only gained a couple of pounds so far. And…and he's hardly been home."

Looking at her friend's pinched face, Jamie considered calling Dennis herself. She would for sure if things got any worse.

"What did your doctor say, exactly?" Jamie wondered if maybe she should call an ambulance rather than risk driving Karen.

"She said that cramping is perfectly normal and there might not be anything to worry about, but she wants to see me just in case."

"Then let's go."

"I'm sorry I'm taking you away from your work, I know you're extra busy with April 15 right around the corner."

"Don't you dare apologize, Karen Smith," Jamie said firmly, helping her into a sweater. "You're my

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

friend. You and the baby are far more important than any job."

Karen started to cry then, slow silent tears that dripped down her face as she and Jamie stumbled together out to Jamie's car. Karen climbed awkwardly into the passenger side of the car, then leaned back with closed eyes as Jamie fastened the seat belt around her. "This is exactly how it started the last time."

"Shh." Jamie fumbled with the belt buckle, her fingers not quite steady. "Don't even think about last time," she continued softly. "Your doctor said cramping is normal. Let's go with that until we have a reason not to."

Nodding, Karen lay back in her seat, eyes still closed, and rode the rest of the way without speaking. Hoping Karen had fallen asleep, Jamie drove as quickly as she could to the clinic, praying all the way that the baby's fragile life would be spared. Karen and her little family were Jamie's only personal experience of "happy ever after."

Two hours later, the two women were on their way home, exhausted but tentatively relieved. A thorough exam and an ultrasound had revealed that Karen's pregnancy was progressing in textbook fashion. Because Karen had asked, Jamie had accompanied her friend through both exams, cried with her when they'd seen the little body floating on the monitor during the ultrasound, then laughed and cried some more when they'd heard the little heart beating furious and strong.

"We've got a while before the girls are back. You

TARA TAYLOR QUINN

want to take a nap?" Jamie asked as they walked slowly up to Karen's front door.

"No." Karen shook her head. "I don't want to be alone." She paused, turned apologetic eyes on Jamie. "Unless you have to get back to work."

"Of course not!" Jamie chuckled. "Like I'd get any work done now." She carried the manila envelope containing the film of Karen's ultrasound. She'd made Karen promise to tell Dennis about the baby the second he got home on Friday. Jamie had already insisted she'd have Kayla at her house Friday night.

"You practiced your flute at all this week?" Jamie asked as she helped Karen out of the sweater she'd put on to make the trip to the medical center.

"Nope."

"Me, neither. Think he'll fire us?"

"I don't think that's legal as long as we're paying."

"Good." Jamie left to get Karen something to drink.

"You know…" Propped up with pillows on the couch, Karen frowned, looking down into a cup of warm milk a few minutes later. "I realized this morning just how much this baby means to me."

Jamie stared at her friend. "You didn't already know that?"

Karen shrugged, her eyes still downcast. ' 'I knew I loved the baby," she admitted slowly. "It was the pregnancy I hated."

' 'Why?'' Jamie sat on the end of the couch, pulling Karen's feet into her lap.

HER SECRET, HIS CHILD

Glancing up, embarrassed, Karen said, "I'm afraid I'm going to lose Dennis." Tears flooded her eyes.

"What?" Jamie was shocked. "Why?" So there was trouble in paradise, dammit.

"Oh…" Karen took a deep breath that turned into a sob. "I just don't see how a fat housewife with baby talk for conversation can compete with the beautiful, professional women he sees at work every day."

"Do you really think Dennis is so shallow?" Jamie asked, rubbing her friend's feet. "He loves you."

"He's human," Karen said. She looked up at Jamie, tears streaming down her face. "You should hear him talk about Linda this and Christina that."

"He's probably just trying to share his