talked; he simply felt responsible now. She’d injured his male pride. And if he cared so much about what Hannah thought, he must still have feelings for her…
----
Chapter 10
« ^ »
S eth contemplated what to do while he cleaned up. Unfortunately no earth-shattering revelations hit him. He insisted on following Mimi back to her house, his mind still grasping for answers as he parked behind her on the drive. Here he was, with a 130 IQ, a doctorate in psychology, a man who counseled people with all kinds of disorders and situations, ranging from complex schizophrenia to single parenthood, but he had no idea how to handle his own problem.
Not that the baby was a problem. He would never think of his own child as anything but a little miracle. But this strained relationship with Mimi was another story. Part of him wanted to throw her down and make love to her again until she admitted how perfectly they complemented each other, which unfortunately he still didn’t know if he believed, while part of him wanted to hold her gently and promise her everything would be all right.
But how could it be when she didn’t want him around? When she was so upset over the pregnancy and so against Hannah knowing and so not attracted to him?
* * *
He followed Mimi up the steps, juggling the box of leftover paper products and the coffeepot.
“Thanks, Seth, but you didn’t have to follow me home.”
“I didn’t mind.” He considered asking Mimi if he could come in and talk when he heard another car drive up.
Mimi groaned and threw a frustrated look over her shoulder. “It’s Hannah and Alison.”
“You want me to get rid of them?”
“Of course not.” Mimi unlocked the door and pushed inside while her sisters climbed from Hannah’s Volvo. “But I know they’ve come to check on me like little mother hens.”
“They care about you,” Seth said, shifting the box so he could set it down as he followed her inside. “And so do I.”
“Seth, don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
Mimi’s eyes trapped him with a pleading look. “Don’t say things like that. I know you feel responsible, but—”
“But—”
“Hey, Mimi.” Hannah poked her head through the opened door, confusion registering on her face when she spotted Seth in the foyer. “I thought that was your car.”
“Come on in,” Mimi said in a cheery voice. “Seth was just leaving.”
Seth stiffened. She obviously wanted to get rid of him.
Wrangler ran up and barked at him, and Mimi knelt to calm the pug while Alison bustled in. An odd sparkle lit her eyes when she saw him, and he wondered if she knew about his night with Mimi. “Hi, Seth.”
“He helped me bring things back from the support group,” Mimi quickly explained.
“What kind of support group?” Alison asked.
“It’s for single parents,” Mimi said.
Hannah arched a brow while a sly grin tugged at Alison’s face.
“I catered it for him,” Mimi said, apparently not wanting them to know that Seth knew about the baby.
Hannah grinned at him. “Sounds like a great program, Seth. I hope it’s successful.”
“If tonight’s any indication, I think it will be,” Seth said.
Alison held up a grocery bag. “We brought ice cream. Mint chocolate chip.”
Mimi smiled weakly. “Great. Go get three spoons.”
Seth frowned, said good-night and left. It didn’t take a genius to realize she didn’t want to discuss her pregnancy in front of him. Hurt once more suffused him. She’d rather her sisters believe Joey had fathered her baby.
A few minutes later, Mimi curled on the couch in her terry-cloth robe, eating ice cream from the carton with her sisters just as they’d done when they were little girls.
“I’m starting the renovations for the bridal shop,” Alison said.
“Cool.” Mimi dug into the carton. “We need some more businesses downtown.”
“Let me know if I can help, sis,” Hannah said.
Alison took the carton from Mimi and picked a chocolate chip from it,
----
Chapter 10
« ^ »
S eth contemplated what to do while he cleaned up. Unfortunately no earth-shattering revelations hit him. He insisted on following Mimi back to her house, his mind still grasping for answers as he parked behind her on the drive. Here he was, with a 130 IQ, a doctorate in psychology, a man who counseled people with all kinds of disorders and situations, ranging from complex schizophrenia to single parenthood, but he had no idea how to handle his own problem.
Not that the baby was a problem. He would never think of his own child as anything but a little miracle. But this strained relationship with Mimi was another story. Part of him wanted to throw her down and make love to her again until she admitted how perfectly they complemented each other, which unfortunately he still didn’t know if he believed, while part of him wanted to hold her gently and promise her everything would be all right.
But how could it be when she didn’t want him around? When she was so upset over the pregnancy and so against Hannah knowing and so not attracted to him?
* * *
He followed Mimi up the steps, juggling the box of leftover paper products and the coffeepot.
“Thanks, Seth, but you didn’t have to follow me home.”
“I didn’t mind.” He considered asking Mimi if he could come in and talk when he heard another car drive up.
Mimi groaned and threw a frustrated look over her shoulder. “It’s Hannah and Alison.”
“You want me to get rid of them?”
“Of course not.” Mimi unlocked the door and pushed inside while her sisters climbed from Hannah’s Volvo. “But I know they’ve come to check on me like little mother hens.”
“They care about you,” Seth said, shifting the box so he could set it down as he followed her inside. “And so do I.”
“Seth, don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
Mimi’s eyes trapped him with a pleading look. “Don’t say things like that. I know you feel responsible, but—”
“But—”
“Hey, Mimi.” Hannah poked her head through the opened door, confusion registering on her face when she spotted Seth in the foyer. “I thought that was your car.”
“Come on in,” Mimi said in a cheery voice. “Seth was just leaving.”
Seth stiffened. She obviously wanted to get rid of him.
Wrangler ran up and barked at him, and Mimi knelt to calm the pug while Alison bustled in. An odd sparkle lit her eyes when she saw him, and he wondered if she knew about his night with Mimi. “Hi, Seth.”
“He helped me bring things back from the support group,” Mimi quickly explained.
“What kind of support group?” Alison asked.
“It’s for single parents,” Mimi said.
Hannah arched a brow while a sly grin tugged at Alison’s face.
“I catered it for him,” Mimi said, apparently not wanting them to know that Seth knew about the baby.
Hannah grinned at him. “Sounds like a great program, Seth. I hope it’s successful.”
“If tonight’s any indication, I think it will be,” Seth said.
Alison held up a grocery bag. “We brought ice cream. Mint chocolate chip.”
Mimi smiled weakly. “Great. Go get three spoons.”
Seth frowned, said good-night and left. It didn’t take a genius to realize she didn’t want to discuss her pregnancy in front of him. Hurt once more suffused him. She’d rather her sisters believe Joey had fathered her baby.
A few minutes later, Mimi curled on the couch in her terry-cloth robe, eating ice cream from the carton with her sisters just as they’d done when they were little girls.
“I’m starting the renovations for the bridal shop,” Alison said.
“Cool.” Mimi dug into the carton. “We need some more businesses downtown.”
“Let me know if I can help, sis,” Hannah said.
Alison took the carton from Mimi and picked a chocolate chip from it,
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