1105 Yakima Street - Debbie Macomber [79]
“You do have an advantage over most men,” she had to agree. “But you don’t know what it’ll be like to spend sleepless nights if the baby’s colicky—”
“Hey, I was an intern and a medical resident. I know about sleepless nights.”
“But…”
“I want our baby, Gloria.”
“The thing is,” she said, gazing down at her hands. “I do, too. I’ve decided to raise him myself.”
“I see.” Chad sounded disappointed and that disturbed her even more.
“You wanted him all to yourself, didn’t you?”
“Just like you did.” He nodded. “Okay, we’ll need to work out a parenting plan. My son will know his father.”
“Are you still dating Joni?” she blurted out, unable to resist.
His eyes locked with hers. “That has nothing to do with you.”
“You’re right. Forgive me for being so blunt but what will our son call Joni?”
“Does it matter? We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
Gloria didn’t like it, but she couldn’t say so without sounding churlish. Finally she conceded, “Fair enough.”
He sipped his coffee.
She sipped her juice.
When she couldn’t stand the silence anymore, she said, “You asked to see me. Was there anything else?”
“Why are you so eager to get away? Are you meeting someone?”
“That’s my business.”
“You’re dating someone?” He frowned, as if the possibility hadn’t occurred to him until now.
“Like I said…”
“That’s your business,” he finished for her.
Clearly the thought unsettled him. Well, good. She hoped it did. Chad didn’t like the idea of her seeing someone else any more than she enjoyed the knowledge that he was dating another woman.
“Well, hello.” Roy stood in front of their table, shocking Gloria. She hadn’t seen him arrive.
“Nice to see you both,” he continued.
Gloria wasn’t sure how to respond. “Uh, hi,” she muttered.
“Hello, Roy.” Chad stood and the two men shook hands.
“What are you doing here?” Gloria asked.
“Troy Davis and I come here for coffee once a week. I certainly didn’t expect to find the two of you.”
Gloria knew the sheriff and her father were good friends, but she hadn’t realized they routinely met at this restaurant. Although she worked in the sheriff’s office, she wasn’t privy to Troy Davis’s schedule.
“Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?” Roy asked.
Without waiting for an invitation, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m glad to see you together.” He looked from one to the other, as though assuming they’d enlighten him.
“We don’t do this often,” Chad explained.
“In fact, this is the first time we’ve met since the ultrasound,” Gloria added.
Roy shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Roy, please. This is difficult enough.” Her father was making it more so by interfering with their conversation.
“I don’t mean to be rude or obnoxious, but can one of you tell me what went wrong with your relationship?”
“We don’t get along,” Gloria said, giving him the easy answer.
“It seems to me you get along just fine,” Roy murmured, “or at least you did.”
“This is between Gloria and me,” Chad said. “Discussing it with you isn’t going to solve anything.”
“In other words, you want me to butt out?”
“Something like that,” Gloria said.
“Okay, message received.” Roy stood, smiled down at them and turned away. He took a couple of steps, then turned back. “The thing is, that boy deserves a family. A mother and a father who’ll love him and raise him to be a fine young man. And…he deserves his grandparents, his aunts and uncles and cousins.”
“Yes, Roy,” Gloria said.
“Message received,” Chad said, echoing Roy’s earlier statement.
Gloria felt she needed to apologize. As soon as Roy was seated at another table, she whispered, “I’m sorry about that.”
“Not your fault. But it might be a good idea if we went somewhere else.”
Gloria nodded. “Any suggestions?” she asked.
“The Wok and Roll is down the street.”
She remembered that Chad liked Chinese food. The scent of fried food made Gloria feel queasy but she should be fine; she hadn’t thrown up in several weeks. “Sure, let’s go.”
They paid and waved an obligatory goodbye to Roy. Then, with his hand under her elbow, Chad escorted her