a private matter she needed to handle on her own.
“Eve, come on.” Nora stepped into the kitchen, her eyes locked on Eve’s. “They’re trying to destroy Dad’s name, his reputation. You of all people should get how damning that could be, not only to our family, but to the company. They think he’s hiding secrets, but he’s a dying man. Why would he keep secrets at this point?”
Nora had just wrapped up and delivered the crux of the entire situation in that one question. Why indeed? That the matter was out of her control made this whole pregnancy even scarier. There had to be a way to keep this baby safe from family backlash.
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know,” Eve replied, purposely keeping her voice calm, though her heart was pounding hard in her chest. “Graham and I are keeping everything private.” For now. “So this doesn’t need to go any further.” Also, for now. “Did you need something from me?”
Nora blinked, then shook her head. “Seriously? You’re going to brush this off?”
“There’s nothing to brush off,” Eve corrected. Now she did slide out from beneath Graham’s touch so she could stand and approach her sister. “What Graham and I are doing, or not doing, is really only our business.”
Was she honestly going to put Graham above her sisters’ feelings right now? Eve was dangerously close to relationship territory, to an area neither of them ever wanted to be. But he’d stood firm against Brooks regarding the media backlash; that much was obvious from the pullback in the coverage. Perhaps they had already crossed that line and that was something she’d have to think about later.
“Eve wasn’t feeling well last night, so I stayed to make sure she was okay,” Graham chimed in. “Then I made breakfast and was going to head home after we ate. Now that I know she’s feeling better, I’m comfortable leaving.”
The weight on her chest vanished as she realized he wasn’t about to share their secret.
Nora gave him a suspicious look. “You mean you stayed and took care of her because...why? You care about her? Eve, come on. You have to see he’s using you. He’s using you to get closer to Dad.”
The accusation hurt. She knew for a fact Graham wasn’t using her. He wasn’t. He wouldn’t take what they shared and turn it against her. Just because he hated her father didn’t mean he’d be so cruel to her. And she hated that her sister didn’t think someone like Graham would want to be with Eve simply because he found her attractive.
“I’m not using her. In fact, I asked Brooks to retract the media statements he made regarding your father.”
Nora’s eyes narrowed once again. Eve couldn’t blame her sister for being so skeptical. Eve would feel the same way if the roles were reversed. Nora wouldn’t understand there was much more to Eve and Graham than met the eye. And Nora wouldn’t understand because Eve didn’t fully understand it herself.
Another wave of nausea swept over her and Eve swayed on her feet. She gripped the stool and closed her eyes. Instantly Graham had his strong hands around her waist.
“Eve? What?”
She squeezed her eyes tighter, willing the unwanted nausea away. She couldn’t answer for fear of getting sick right here. She hoped staying still for just a moment would help...
“Eve, talk to me,” Graham urged. “Is it the baby?”
“Baby?” Nora exclaimed.
Suddenly Eve’s fear of getting sick wasn’t the issue. Now her sister knew and there was nothing Eve could do to stop this train wreck.
Graham didn’t give a damn about the slipup. And he could care even less if Nora was shocked. When Eve swayed and caught herself on the barstool, his protective instincts took over.
Scooping her up in his arms, Graham ignored her weak plea to put her down as he carted her over to the living area off the kitchen. Once he laid her on the sofa, he noticed her pallor and the sheen of sweat that dotted her forehead. He eased himself onto the sofa beside her and lifted her legs onto his lap.
“Get her a cold cloth,” he ordered Nora without taking his eyes from Eve. What if something was wrong? Why did she look so damn pale?
Eve laid one hand on her stomach and the other over her forehead. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute.”
Seconds later, Nora waved a washcloth in Graham’s face. He used it to wipe Eve’s forehead, her neck. He didn’t like this helpless feeling one bit. He’d seen his grandmother and his mother grow weak and pass. Not that Eve was dying, but the thought that there was nothing he could do for her right now really pissed him off.
“Eve.” Nora stood over the back of the couch and reached down to smooth a damp strand of hair from her sister’s face. “Are you pregnant again?”
Eve groaned, muttering something Graham didn’t comprehend because he’d homed in on the key word in Nora’s question.
Again?
What the hell did Nora mean by that? When had Eve been pregnant before?
“I’m pregnant,” Eve mumbled. “Don’t tell Grace. I’ll tell her.”
“Oh, honey.” Now Nora’s voice took on a compassionate tone, one that Graham instinctively knew had everything to do with this former pregnancy. He was almost afraid to find out the details, but he would. “How far along are you?”
“Seven weeks now.”
Graham listened to the sisters, but his mind was overloaded. A spear of unexpected jealousy hit him square in the chest. He had no right to be jealous of a faceless man who’d created a baby with Eve. Clearly they weren’t together anymore. But still, Graham didn’t want to think of her experiencing this with anyone else.
“Promise me,” Eve was saying, her eyes pleading with Nora. “Don’t say anything. Let Graham and me handle this. We want what’s best for the baby, and our families have to come to some sort of peace.”
Nora glanced at Graham before looking back down at Eve. “I promise. I know what it’s like to be pregnant and unsure of what to do next.”
Nora had been a single mother before she and Reid had fallen in love. Graham didn’t know much about Nora’s circumstances, but it sounded as though she’d been alone and scared. Fortunately, Eve wouldn’t be alone. Ever, if he had any say.
Eve started to sit up, waving her hand when Graham tried to ease her back down. “It passed. I’m fine. I’m just going to sit here for a bit.” Looking over her shoulder, she asked, “What did you need this morning, Nora?”
“What? Oh, it’s not important.” Nora smiled, then wrapped her arms around her sister. “I thought we might go shopping for party costumes for Halloween, but we can go another day.”
Again, Graham didn’t like being left out of this little shopping trip. Didn’t like being so easily dismissed as though he was replaceable.
“I’ll
