At the same time, however, his mind was on the Aus tralia project. He'd left things up in the air and would have to go back. Ideas and problems filled his thoughts a lot of the time. Sometimes Charity spoke and he didn't even no tice. He didn't want to do that, but he had a lot on his mind, and sometimes it just happened.
Charity didn't nag him about the attention problem, but she was beginning to feel very nervous. Why hadn't he wanted to move in with her? She'd assumed that once he came back from Australia, they would be together.
But he obviously wanted a dating relationship, something he could take or leave as he chose. That scared her. Espe cially now.
The slight case of flu that had dogged her hadn't gone away with the passing of the party. In fact, it got worse, and she began to get a clenched feeling, as though her whole body were waiting for something.
Suspicions filled her and finally she went to the doctor. Suspicions were confirmed. She was going to have a baby.
Chaos ruled her emotions. How could this be? They'd been so careful-except for that first day among the flowers in the hotel room.
A baby. Ross's baby. There was joy in that, and yet, this wasn't the time, not now, not without commitment or a future. Not now that the feeling that she didn't belong in Ross's family was so strong.
She conjured up scene after scene on how she was going to tell him and finally decided on a special dinner. She had no idea at all of how he would take the news.
"I've cooked us dinner," she said when he arrived, half proud, half afraid he would laugh.
"I'm going to enjoy it," he said calmly, not making a joke about her cooking. "I'm sure of it."
What a wonderful man. She loved him more each day. "You just sit out here and let me do the work," she said.
"I've got to make a couple of business calls," he an swered. "Okay?"
"Sure."
She went into the kitchen and put the finishing touches on the asparagus and baked potatoes, then got the steaks out and ready to broil. But from the sound of it, Ross wasn't finished with his business calls. She went out into the living room to see what he was up to and overheard the tail end of his conversation.
"That's one advantage I've got," she heard him say with a laugh. "I've got absolutely nothing tying me down."
Her heart went cold. He's talking about business, she told herself quickly, but it didn't help.