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Alexis took one look at Raoul’s face and knew he’d overheard the nurse’s instructions This was the last way she would have wanted for him to find out She wished it could have been different Wished he hadn’t had to bring her here at all, or wait for her, no doubt with questions piling up upon themselves as he did so

When she’d woken this , her first reaction had been coent appointment, then tried to find someone to care for Ruby When that hadn’t worked out she knew she’d been pushing it to expect Raoul to look after the baby

Fainting at the side of the car hadn’t been her finest ht today, she realized as she flicked her gaze over the sleeping child in his arms Raoul had clearly had to spend sohter

“Can we go?” she asked quietly She wasn’t looking forward to the demands for an explanation that were certain to coo hoer and she certainly wasn’t about to do that here with the entire waiting room packed and all eyes now fixed on her and Raoul

Tension rolled off Raoul in waves as he negotiated the road back to the house Alexis tried to er seat and focused her gaze out the sidebut in her periphery she could see hilance at her every now and then, as if he expected the answers to all the questions that no doubt rolled around in his head to suddenly appear neatly scripted on her face She was glad he didn’t start questioning her in the car but she dreaded the moment that he would

At the house, she went to lift Ruby from her car seat—the wee tot was still out for it—but Raoul pushed her gently aside

“I’ll take her, you go and lie down,” he said gruffly, then competently lifted the baby from her seat and carried her down to her room

Alexis did as he’d told her, going back to the h she wasn’t particularly tired Still, n sleep, Raoul would leave her alone for a bit longer She was out of luck He was in the room in minutes

“Telldown at her

She shrank into the bedcovers, hating what she had to say but knowing it would be useless to try to stall or evade There was no putting this off any longer, nothe words in her head felt all wrong, but verbalizing the

Alexis drew in a deep breath “I had a threatened e”

She watched his face for his reaction, but could only discern a tightening of his jaw and the flick of a pulse at the base of his throat

“Threatened e What exactly does that mean?”

“I woke up thisThe clinic told ht in They think it’ll stop, that” She dragged in another breath “That the baby will be okay”

“Baby”