Black Ties and Lullabyes by Jane Graves Page A

you were over me , so the very idea that—”
    “I’m pregnant.”
    For the count of five, Jeremy stopped talking.
    Stopped moving. Stopped breathing. When his power of speech final y returned, his voice was choked with disbelief. “ What did you say?”
    “You heard me.”
    Pregnant. The word bounced around in his head, refusing to stay put long enough for him to absorb it.
    His gaze traveled south, looking for some kind of indication—
    “Wil you cut that out?” Bernie snapped. “There’s nothing down there to see. Not yet, anyway.” He jerked his gaze back up and assumed an air of nonchalance. “So you’re pregnant. Congratulations.”
    “Congratulations to you, too. You’re the father.” Jeremy’s heart jolted hard. “No, I’m not.”
    “Believe me. You are.”
    A tremor of apprehension crept up his spine. There was no way. He knew there was no way, but stil …

    was no way. He knew there was no way, but stil …
    Just then his office door opened, and Ms. Keyes came in holding a cup of coffee. She looked at Bernie with surprise, then turned to Jeremy. “Mr.
    Brandenburg and the others—”
    “Not now,” Jeremy said.
    “Your eight o’clock meeting—”
    “Tel them to wait.”
    “I have your coffee—”
    “Go!” Jeremy snapped.
    Ms. Keyes backed quickly out of his office, her heels clicking like machine-gun fire, and closed the door behind her. With a deep, silent breath, Jeremy sat on the edge of his desk and folded his arms, slowly turning his attention back to Bernie.
    “Do you even know for sure you’re pregnant?” he asked her.
    “You’re insulting me. Do you think I’d be here if I weren’t sure?”
    He remembered with total clarity the expression on her face as she left his safe room that night. It was the look of a woman who’d had more than enough, who’d stepped over a line she’d never meant to cross, who couldn’t wait to put every moment of it behind her.
    He’d thrown al kinds of money at her, but nothing had brought her back.
    Until now. Until this .
    “So,” he said careful y, “you’re pregnant, and you think I’m the father?”
    “I
    don’t think you’re the father. Unless I’m experiencing the second case of immaculate conception in recorded history, I know you’re the father.”
    “If there have been other men—”
    “There haven’t. You can insist you’re not the father, but you and I both know it’s a waste of time.”
    “Since you’re tel ing me about this,” he said, “I assume you intend to go through with it?”
    “Yes. I do.”
    “Are you sure? You must have just found out. Have you real y had a chance to think about it?”
    “Don’t patronize me,” Bernie said. “I know what I’m doing.”

    “Why would a woman like you burden herself with a child?”
    “I have my reasons.”
    “Which are?”
    “None of your business and never wil be.” Jeremy felt this situation slipping out of his control, his mind spinning in a dozen different directions. He had stay on top of it. Get a grip, and get it now.
    “Fine,” he said. “You’re pregnant. But I’m tel ing you
    —the baby’s not mine.”
    “I know you’re thinking that because you used a condom, it couldn’t have happened,” Bernie said. “But they’re not a hundred percent effective, and you know it.”
    “They certainly make pregnancy much more unlikely.”
    “So you think I’m lying?”
    “Are you?”
    Bernie narrowed her eyes, her lips tightening with anger. “Once the baby’s born, DNA testing wil prove you’re the father, so why would I bother lying now?” He made a scoffing noise. “That’s pretty clear, isn’t it?”
    “No, I’m afraid it’s not.”
    “Let’s cut to the chase. How much money do you want?”
    Bernie’s mouth fel open. “You think that’s why I’m here? To extort money from you?”
    “You wouldn’t be the first woman to try it.”
    “But if you think I’m lying and you could eventual y prove it, what would be the point