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Charity raised her eyebrows "I’ reen eyes dark with concern "I knohat you think when you look at her"

"I doubt that"

"I knohat I think It was a long tielique had left hi, to return to his for his ex-wife exactly what she’d lost? Once he was on top again, it would be his turn to do the rejecting Or ether with her and ht, she told herself No doubt brought to life by worry and surging horo there," he told her

"Go where?"

"Wherever it is you are right now I’ht the T-shirt?"

He grinned at her "Uh-huh"

She looked at hi him for the first tio and waruy, and under other circu fallen in love with hi with these circu concerned "What’s wrong?"

She drew in a breath, then coughed up the truth

"I’nant"

JOSH HAD BEEN PREPARED to hear her say she thought she was coelique was inti and wanted to move to LA

Instead there were tords and a faint buzzing sound in his head He felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room He couldn’t breathe, but that was the least of it He couldn’t think Couldn’t figure out what she’dhi in response

Pregnant? Pregnant

There was going to be a baby His baby

Josh rose froency swept through him He couldn’t have a kid now--he wasn’t ready He didn’t have enough of his shit together He would screw up everything

Tiet ready To figure it out and be the kind of dad a kid deserved

Charity turned away "I don’t expect anything," she said flatly "You don’t have to panic I’ more"

He didn’t like the sound of that "What do you nant, not you The baby is my responsibility"

"Mine, too," he said, still not able to grasp the significance of as happening

A child They were going to bring a child into the world The phrase "ready or not" had never been so significant

"I’ll figure this out," he said, more to himself than her

"You don’t have to"

"I’m a part of this," he told her "I’ll be there for you and the baby"

She didn’t look as if she believed hi all she did about his past, how he’d failed, he knehy she had doubts

"Just give me a little time," he told her, as he backed toward the door "You’ll see"

And then he was gone Charity leaned back against the pillow and smoothed her hand over the still warm place on the bed What she would see was how quickly he left, she thought sadly His reaction wasn’t a surprise, but it was still very much a disappointment

"OH MY GOD!" Pia stood in the doorway to her apartment and stared wide-eyed at Charity "You look incredible I love the cut and the color You went to Julia, didn’t you? No one does highlights like her Don’t tell Bella I said that Wow You’re all fluffy and pretty"

Charity s especially fluffy"

"Then coe that"

Charity walked into the cheerful apart in like this I should have called It’s late"

Pia shook her head "Don’t be silly It’s not like I have a date or anything" She led the way into the living room, where the TV showed a frozen frame of a movie Sandra Bullock stood by a lass

"The Lake House," Pia said "I love it I can’t help uy does that?"

Charity hadn’t meant to come here After Josh had left, she’d told herself that she would be fine That she would get through this Hundreds, nant every day Theya parent on her own that was ripping her up inside It was the realization that Josh didn’t love her back She hadn’t really expected hi

"All s," she said, then motioned to the screen "Except Keanu Reeves"

"Exactly" Pia led her to the sofa "Although I should probably tell you I do have a new guy in my life" She motioned to the short-haired marmalade cat curled up in a club chair "That’s Jake," she said, lowering her voice "Crystal’s cat"

"Oh He’s beautiful"

The cat looked up and stared at Charity His eyes were large and the color of ehty, as if he found her wanting, then he put his head back down and closed his eyes

"We’re spending the weekend together, seeing if we can figure out if we get along" Pia wrinkled her nose "I’m not really a pet person, but it’s a way to help Crystal And " She sounded doubtful

"Is he friendly?"

"I don’t know He keeps to his slow"

Charity stared at her friend "He’s a cat"

"I know, but aren’t they supposed to be haughty and aloof? I thought if I let hio better I don’t want him to think I want the relationshiphim way too much credit He doesn’t have amaybe he does We’ll see what happens So far he’s very quiet And clean I thought I’d be freaked out by the idea of a litterbox, but I’uys I know"

"Maybe he’s the answer"

"Maybe" Pia turned toward her "Can I get you sooing through a dairy phase There’s not a single cookie in the whole place, but I probably have five different kinds of ice cream"

"No, thanks" Charity touched her stos or queasiness, but she didn’t want to push anything too far