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"Damn it, Dia It's not that simple anymore!"

Dia gestured to the papers "It is to him"

Tessa's eyes narrowed, the docu in her fist "I'll show hiet"

She left the room and Dia folded her araze slipped to her sister and, oblivious to their htened and she ht

Chase carried the bags to the car, then returned to the house, but Tessa was nowhere in sight He felt strange just being inside the house with her here, since he'd played the sneak for the past twoto the terh Chase had put theree and not fight him When Dia had called, he had hoped Tessa had refused his offer, hoping that she would be the next call

But she wasn't She'd accepted instead that he could easily dismiss his son from his life because of her

Alone in the living room, he heard lanced around, noticing few changes except for the evidence of a child in the house Christopher's sas tucked neatly in the corner, a basket full of his toys beneath; a piece of sheepskin lay spread in the center of the carpet Chase crossed the roo a downy blanket tossed carelessly over the ar up a set of plastic baby keys

God, he felt twisted inside and swore the slightest ripple in the air wouldwounded, living in his anger, his hurthe almost couldn't control And masked beneath it was his love for Tessa He buried it, every day shoveling another load of pain on top of it until no one recognized him She knehere the phone was; she knehere he lived and worked Why couldn't she see beyond her doubts and coiven her? Was he doing all this just to hear her apologize and ad?

No It went deeper, so deep he felt raw inside, and he flinched when Sa silently across the floor, opening her arms to him

"Chase," she whispered, hugging him Chase closed his eyes Sam, he realized, chose no sides "When I said to be stubborn right back, I didn't mean this"

His mouth quirked briefly as she stepped out of his arms "She's late"

"Tessa's always late," she said matter-of-factly, and Chase suppressed a smile

Celeste slipped into the room, Christopher in her arms, and Chase sathered his son against his chest, turning away Saed a frown, but didn't comment

"Hey, slugger How's uy?" Chase nibbled on Christopher's toes as he cooed and shrieked with pleasure

"God, you've gotten big" He whispered privately to his son, inhaling the sweet baby scents of powder and lotion He pressed his lips to the top of his head "Dad's missed you, you know that?"

Tessa stood in the hall entrance, watching Her heart hadn't stopped racing since she heard hiht of hiular He looked heavenly And as he held Christopher in his arot on his tux, it re was more important to Chase than appearances or another's opinion