upset..."
"Tell me. You can tell me anything, sweetheart."
"This is all your fault, you know. You're the one who left me. I had no idea where you were, or if you were ever coming back.” She stopped and took a deep, shuddering breath. “This is all your fault."
Mike leaned forward and tried to take her into his arms. She shrunk away as if his touch burned. “Dammit, Sara, I was a screwed up kid who had no reason to believe in anything back then. You have to understand, the reason it was so easy for me to believe you'd turned to Jimmy had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I never thought I deserved you, and when I saw that tape ... Hell, Jimmy came from a wealthy family and I came from the devil himself. Why wouldn't you have wanted him over me?"
Sara did look at him then—her eyes wide with shock. “You thought I was sleeping with Jimmy because of his family's money? That's how much you thought of me?"
Mike ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “That's not what I meant, I—"
"You didn't even give me a chance to defend myself. You just threw some accusations around and attacked Jimmy. Later that night, when your father told me you'd packed your bags and left, I was devastated. When a week went by without hearing from you, I had no choice but to accept the truth. Or at least what Rachel told me was the truth."
His jaw clenched. She'd had so much faith in him she'd actually braved facing his old man. And there wasn't a damn thing he could say to make up for the fact he'd had zero faith in her.
He reached over to grasp her hand, and for the first time that day she didn't fight him. “Sara, if you've ever believed anything about me, please believe this—I love you. I always have, I swear it on my mother's soul."
It was obvious he'd managed to shock her again. Those luminous brown eyes widened and her cheeks grew flushed.
"I don't know what to believe anymore. But there's something I have to tell you, and it's about the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
"I told you, you can tell me anything."
She stared down at their clasped hands for a few seconds before looking up to meet his gaze. “Two weeks after you left me ... I found out I was pregnant."
Mike's gut clenched. His breath caught. It took all his concentration just to draw air into his lungs. “What?"
"I was pregnant,” she repeated, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Then ... you mean ... I'm a father?” Mike's head was spinning. He'd never been more grateful to be seated in his life.
She tore her hand from his. “A father? No, you're a sperm donor. There's a difference."
Mike was absolutely thunderstruck. He heard what she'd said, but the words barely registered. He gazed out the window, his mind trying to wrap itself around the incredible news she'd just given him. “I can't believe this. I'm a father.” He turned back to her, his heart pounding furiously. “Do I have a son or daughter?"
"A son."
"My God, I have a son.” Jesus, his hands were shaking.
"No, I have a son! I don't recall seeing you in the delivery room where I labored for thirty of the longest hours of my life. And I don't recall you changing a diaper, or rushing him to the doctor when he spiked a fever after his six-month immunizations. I'm the one who taught him how to walk, talk, go potty on the toilet. You didn't do a goddamn thing except leave us when we needed you most, so don't you dare call yourself his father!” With that, Sara threw the door open and jumped out of the truck.
Stunned, Mike bound from the truck in hot pursuit. She'd slipped on the wet grass and he caught up to her in no time. He grabbed her by the upper arm and had to raise his voice to be heard above the whipping wind and driving rain. “Dammit, Sara, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and run off!"
She spun around to face him. “You're hurting me."
"I'm sorry.” He let go of her arm. “Look, we have to talk about this. I mean, what did you think I'd
"Tell me. You can tell me anything, sweetheart."
"This is all your fault, you know. You're the one who left me. I had no idea where you were, or if you were ever coming back.” She stopped and took a deep, shuddering breath. “This is all your fault."
Mike leaned forward and tried to take her into his arms. She shrunk away as if his touch burned. “Dammit, Sara, I was a screwed up kid who had no reason to believe in anything back then. You have to understand, the reason it was so easy for me to believe you'd turned to Jimmy had nothing to do with you and everything to do with me. I never thought I deserved you, and when I saw that tape ... Hell, Jimmy came from a wealthy family and I came from the devil himself. Why wouldn't you have wanted him over me?"
Sara did look at him then—her eyes wide with shock. “You thought I was sleeping with Jimmy because of his family's money? That's how much you thought of me?"
Mike ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “That's not what I meant, I—"
"You didn't even give me a chance to defend myself. You just threw some accusations around and attacked Jimmy. Later that night, when your father told me you'd packed your bags and left, I was devastated. When a week went by without hearing from you, I had no choice but to accept the truth. Or at least what Rachel told me was the truth."
His jaw clenched. She'd had so much faith in him she'd actually braved facing his old man. And there wasn't a damn thing he could say to make up for the fact he'd had zero faith in her.
He reached over to grasp her hand, and for the first time that day she didn't fight him. “Sara, if you've ever believed anything about me, please believe this—I love you. I always have, I swear it on my mother's soul."
It was obvious he'd managed to shock her again. Those luminous brown eyes widened and her cheeks grew flushed.
"I don't know what to believe anymore. But there's something I have to tell you, and it's about the hardest thing I've ever had to do."
"I told you, you can tell me anything."
She stared down at their clasped hands for a few seconds before looking up to meet his gaze. “Two weeks after you left me ... I found out I was pregnant."
Mike's gut clenched. His breath caught. It took all his concentration just to draw air into his lungs. “What?"
"I was pregnant,” she repeated, tears spilling down her cheeks.
"Then ... you mean ... I'm a father?” Mike's head was spinning. He'd never been more grateful to be seated in his life.
She tore her hand from his. “A father? No, you're a sperm donor. There's a difference."
Mike was absolutely thunderstruck. He heard what she'd said, but the words barely registered. He gazed out the window, his mind trying to wrap itself around the incredible news she'd just given him. “I can't believe this. I'm a father.” He turned back to her, his heart pounding furiously. “Do I have a son or daughter?"
"A son."
"My God, I have a son.” Jesus, his hands were shaking.
"No, I have a son! I don't recall seeing you in the delivery room where I labored for thirty of the longest hours of my life. And I don't recall you changing a diaper, or rushing him to the doctor when he spiked a fever after his six-month immunizations. I'm the one who taught him how to walk, talk, go potty on the toilet. You didn't do a goddamn thing except leave us when we needed you most, so don't you dare call yourself his father!” With that, Sara threw the door open and jumped out of the truck.
Stunned, Mike bound from the truck in hot pursuit. She'd slipped on the wet grass and he caught up to her in no time. He grabbed her by the upper arm and had to raise his voice to be heard above the whipping wind and driving rain. “Dammit, Sara, you can't just drop a bombshell like that and run off!"
She spun around to face him. “You're hurting me."
"I'm sorry.” He let go of her arm. “Look, we have to talk about this. I mean, what did you think I'd
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