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big business deal in Germany, and then he’s supposed to go to Amsterdam to look at another facility
before he comes home. If you tell him, he’ll come home right away and then it will be my fault if
things with either deal fall through. Promise me you won’t tell him.”
“Brianna, be reasonable. Trent would want to know, especially since you’ve been so sick. Honey you
have to tell him.”
“No, I can tell him when he gets back and things aren’t so crazy. Maybe by then the morning sickness
won’t be so bad and…”
“Brianna, listen to me. I’ve known Trent for most of my life and believe me, you don’t want to keep
this from him. Tell him now.”
Janet tried to convince Brianna to tell Trent, but she refused to burden him with it while he was
overseas. Rather than Janet calling Trent with an update, Brianna made the call herself and whatever
she said must have pacified Trent because Janet didn’t hear from him again.
Chapter 17
The negotiations overseas went smoothly, and Trent returned to the states three weeks later to find an
exhausted looking Brianna working at her desk in HR. He observed her from across the room and
wondered why no one had told him she was ill. She had dark circles under her eyes, and from what
Trent could see of her face, she had lost weight as well.
Janet spied him first and gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was forced and Trent
immediately knew that something wasn’t quite right.
Reaching Brianna’s work are, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her ear as he
whispered, “Miss me?”
Brianna felt the arms wrap around her at the same time she smelled his cologne. Closing her eyes, she
relaxed into his hold and tried to keep the tears at bay. Losing the battle, they spilled over the edges
and ran down her cheeks. How she wished they weren’t at work and he could just hold her for the
next year. The last three weeks had been torture and she still had to explain to him that he was going
to be a father. Janet was sure he would be happy with the news, but they hadn’t even discussed a
long-term future together and she didn’t want to make him stay with her if that’s not what he wanted.
Trent turned her around and was stunned to see the tears running down her face. Clasping her head
between his hands, he gingerly kissed her lips and then her eyes, feeling his heartbreak at the look of
sadness in her eyes. Had something happened while he was gone? Was it her mother?
Pulling her from her chair, he picked her up and made a beeline for the elevator. After reaching the
top floor, he sent Pam home early, wanting to have some privacy with Brianna.
He sat down on the couch and kept her in his lap. Something was bothering his woman and he
intended to fix it now. “Brianna, tell me what’s wrong.” Brianna almost laughed at the arrogance
behind his words. How like Trent to demand she tell him what was bothering her, as if it would all
just magically fix itself.
Brianna pushed herself off his lap, and avoided the hands that tried to keep her there. She needed
some distance from him, just in case Janet was wrong and Trent wasn’t interested in being a father
right away. She needed the distance to steel herself from the hurt that would follow his rejection.
Taking a breath, she turned and faced him and watched as his eyes took in her appearance. She knew
she had lost weight in her face, but there was no denying the effect of her pregnancy on her breasts
and waistline. She was just over three months pregnant, but her small stature and slim build had made
the baby bump visible much earlier than on other women. Anyone looking at her would immediately
assume she was pregnant.
Brianna watched as her condition became apparent to Trent. His eyes were fixated on her stomach
and couldn’t seem to look away. When he continued to sit there, not moving or saying a thing, she
finally broke the silence, “Well, say something. Please?” she hated that her voice sounded so needy
on the last word.
Trent looked up into eyes that were full of doubt and took the steps that brought him to her.
Reverently, he placed his hand upon her stomach, while grabbing her behind the neck with the other
and kissing her like she held the last bit of oxygen on earth.
Brianna was so relieved, and all of the nights of worry about Trent’s reaction faded away with his
kiss. She returned his kiss and many minutes later, she found herself back in his lap on the couch. She
related finding out she was pregnant, and when he got angry that she hadn’t called him about her
illness, she explained why. While he understood her reasoning, he made her promise to never keep
something this important from him again.
*****
The next several weeks flew by as preparations were made for the wedding of the year. Trent had
insisted that they get married immediately so the baby would have his name upon being born, and so
that Brianna would not have any other reasons to avoid moving in with him.
Brianna was so happy, she readily agreed to everything Trent suggested. He made her cut back her
work hours, and hired a personal driver for her. He even moved her mother into a room in his house
and hired a private nursing company to provide round-the-clock supervision and care for her. Brianna
had once again cried at his generosity, something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately.
News of their marriage made the national headlines, and when she received the strange bouquet at
work she really didn’t think anything of it. It was an arrangement of calla lilies and miniature red [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ]