A Pregnant Proposal. Elizabeth Harbison
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She could almost hear the ash dropping from the tip of his cigar onto the lap of his two-thousand-dollar trousers. “I beg your pardon?”
She said a short prayer, asking Philip to forgive her for what she had to say. “This is not Philip’s baby I’m carrying. I wasn’t pregnant when Philip died.” Which was true in a way, since she hadn’t known she was pregnant when Philip died.
There was a moment of silence, and then, “I don’t believe you.”
She dove headfirst into her lie. “Don’t let my fiancé hear you saying that.”
People have been known to confess to things that weren’t true when the pressure was on them, Matt had said. Boy, had he called this one right!
“Your fiancé?” Dutch’s tone quieted just enough for her to realize he was taken aback.
“Yes, Mr. Sedgewick. My baby’s father and I are planning to get married as soon as the baby is born.”
If you get flustered, who knows what you might say?
“Is that so.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. “I suppose this fiancé has a name?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
A moment passed like an hour and Jen knew Dutch wanted her to sweat.
“Who is it?” he asked at last.
Panic chased several lame answers around her mind. “I’m not sure that’s any of your business, Mr. Sedgewick,” she stalled. “Particularly after the threats you were making a couple of minutes ago.”
“It’s my business if you don’t want DNA testing added to my suit when the child is born.”
Something deep inside Jen screamed. She couldn’t let this man threaten her or her child. She couldn’t let this kind of person be part of her child’s life at all. She would not. “You have no right do that. You have no right to do any of this!”
“My dear, you would be surprised how many rights I have.” He gave a humorless laugh. “If you’re not carrying my son’s child, I want to know who’s child it is. Where did this very convenient fiancé come from?”
“I’ve worked with him for years.” Her mouth was as dry as cotton. She’d never been good at lying. “After Philip died, he was a shoulder to cry on and one thing led to another…before I knew it, we were talking marriage.”
“I should think so. I want a name.” His tone told her there was no more stalling.
So she said the only name that came to mind, the only man she could think of who was noble enough and kind enough to be the fictional father of her baby.
Don’t talk to Sedgewick unless it’s through a lawyer. God knows what he’d get you to say.
“His name is Matt Holder.”
Chapter Three
Matt didn’t notice the time until it was a couple of minutes past five-thirty, so he threw his work aside for the next morning and hurried to the elevator to go down and meet Jen. He hoped she wouldn’t notice he was late. The last thing in the world he wanted to do right now was make her feel unwanted.
“Hey there, Matt,” Andy Huffman called from down the hall. “Hold the door.” Andy had been in a wheelchair for years, and he moved it to the elevator with great speed. Although he was close to retirement age, his movements and attitude were those of a much younger man. “What’s cookin’?” he asked, as they moved into the elevator.
“Slates is cooking tonight,” Matt said, pushing the button for the 14th floor. “And I hope it’s good.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a special date,” Andy said, with a questioning raise of his brow.
“No, Jen Martin and I are just going out to hash out some details for the day-care center we’re trying to put on the 15th floor.”
“Just Jen Martin, eh?” Andy laughed heartily.
Matt smiled. “I’ve noticed Lillian Turk hanging around your office quite a bit, my friend. You want to talk about that?”
Andy blushed and Matt laughed.
As the doors shooshed open, Andy said, “Saved by the 14th floor.”
Matt gave him a thump on the shoulder. “We’ll talk about it later, bud. I’m not letting you off the hook that easily.”
Andy made a face at him as the doors closed. Matt was still smiling when he turned around to see Jen standing there in her coat.
Guilt assailed him. “I’m so sorry I’m late, Jen, I got tied up and didn’t even think to look at the time until—”
“It’s no big deal, Matt,” she said, holding up her hand. “I figured you lost track of time so I was just on my way up to find you.”
“You were?”
She nodded. “Wow, someone’s used to high-maintenance women.” She pressed the Down button.
Matt leaned against the wall. “No kidding,” he said. “And you and Susan ask me why I’m so gunshy about relationships. I’m even afraid my friends are going to let me have it if I’m late.”
“Well, I’m in no position to be letting you have it for anything, believe me.”
“What do you mean?”
She sighed and looked at the numbers over the elevator door to see where it was. “I’ll explain over dinner.”
The elevator arrived and they stepped in, joining Maggie Steward, Kane’s assistant.
“Hi, Mag,” Jen said.
“Hi Jen, Matt.” Maggie nodded.
Matt knew Maggie had been there since before eight that morning. She often was. Now, even though it was the end of a long day, not one blond hair was out of place. She even had color in her cheeks, instead of the usual “end of workday pallor” most people got. He didn’t know how she managed it.
“You two are leaving late, aren’t you?” Maggie asked.
“See?” Matt said to Jen.
“See what?” Maggie asked.
“Nothing,” Jen said with a smile and a quick shake of the head. “Matt’s taking me to dinner and he was two minutes late. I think he’s trying to assuage his guilt by convincing me he’s a bad person.”
Maggie laughed lightly. “Now, Matt, did I say you were a bad person? You know darn well there are far worse things I could say about you than that you’re late. Remember the Christmas party the first year you worked here?”
Matt mocked a scowl. “Drop it.”
“Oooh, what did he do?” Jen wanted to know. “Did it involve a lampshade on his head?”
“It involved,” Matt said pointedly, “a woman I was going out with for the first and—as it turned out—last time, and Marvin Fisher’s wife who looked very similar.” The elevator doors opened and the three of them walked into the gleaming lobby. “Maggie, I’ll pay you a thousand dollars never to mention it again.”
“I’ll put it on your tab,” she said, turning left, away from the front door.
“Where are you going, Maggie?” Jen asked. “Door’s this way.”
“I have a little more work to do before I go.”
Matt and Jen exchanged looks.
“You work too hard,” Matt said. “I hope Kane appreciates you.”
Maggie’s face colored, but she flashed a brief smile. “Just doing