said—”
“I know. But she said my life should go on as normal for as long as I can manage it. And I definitely wouldn’t leave all this paperwork for tomorrow. Besides, I’m just going to sit here, no strain. I promise.” She gave Lisa her best smile. After all, she was the boss.
“Okay, but maybe you should sleep in in the morning and come in late.”
“And keep Dr. Callaghan waiting? Not a good career move.” Bri would prefer to do as Lisa said, but she knew she couldn’t.
“Oh, I’d forgotten. Okay, but don’t stay late.”
“I won’t.” She looked down at the papers on her desk, hoping Lisa would take the hint and leave without more warnings. She appreciated all the concern from her colleagues, but she didn’t need a hundred mother hens.
“’Night,” Lisa called, and then there was silence.
She was alone at last. No more questions about her reaction to Dr. Callaghan’s handshake. As she’d figured, there had been a few. She’d told them all it was carpet shock or something. Amazingly enough, they’d believed her. Or appeared to, even Abby, who’d dropped by around three to check on her.
Now, she’d passed all the tests and would probably only see the man at rare intervals. They could handle most of their business over the phone. She’d just have to deal with his voice.
She turned her attention back to her work. She only had a few minutes worth, but she wanted to make sure she didn’t run into the good doctor as he left the building. She figured he’d be gone soon. After all, it was his first day. He couldn’t be behind so quickly.
After she finished the last of her chores, she cleared her desk and made a list of what she needed to deal with when she first arrived in the morning. It was best not to be caught unawares.
A noise in Lisa’s office caught her attention. “Is someone out there?” Briana called through the open door.
“Oh,” Dr. Hunter Callaghan said as he appeared in the doorway. “You’re still here. Good.” He entered her office and closed the door behind him. “I thought we should have a little talk.”
Briana struggled to control the panic welling up in her. “I was about to go home, Dr. Callaghan.”
“Don’t be so formal, Bri. Make it Hunter.”
“I realize I said we’d talk at your convenience, Dr. Callaghan,” she began, ignoring his offer of informality, “but I really think tomorrow morning would be better.”
“Oh, we’ll talk tomorrow morning. But that will be a business meeting. Right now I think we need to have a personal meeting.”
He wasn’t going to play the game. Pretend they’d never met. Okay, she’d take the gloves off. “Why? It’s a little late to explain why you dumped me.”
“Why I what?”
She lifted her chin, not about to be intimidated by his behavior. “Why you left me asleep and disappeared, no note, no nothing.”
“Lady, I went to my room to shower and change. Then I came back down to take you to breakfast.”
She sneered at him. “Easy to say, now, isn’t it? Look, doctor, I prefer that we forget what happened in the past and simply work together as business colleagues, nothing more, nothing less.” She shoved back her chair. “If you’ll excuse me, now that we’ve got that straight, I’ll be on my way.”
“There’s one problem with your suggestion,” he said softly, glaring at her.
“What?”
“You’re having my children.” His blue eyes were piercing, leaving her no—what had he called it?—wiggle room.
But she’d prepared for this moment. “You’re wrong. I’m not having your children.”
“Abby said you’re twenty-eight weeks. That’s exactly how long it’s been since I made love to you in New York City.”
She cleared her throat. “I realized it might seem that way to you, but then you don’t know what happened when I got off the plane.” She held her gaze steady, determined to do the best acting job of her life.
“What happened?”
“My ex-boyfriend met my plane. He convinced me that he was ready for commitment, which was what we argued over. I gave him a second chance. We were together about six weeks when I took a pregnancy test. Abby told me I was four weeks pregnant, she thought. You know how inexact these things can be.”
“So where is he?”
“He panicked and ran. He wasn’t ready after all.” She sat silently, watching him, hoping and praying she’d convinced him.
“Have you told him about the girls?”
“No.”
“Are you going to?”
“Why would I? He doesn’t want any children. Why would we want him?”
“What’s his name?”
She was tempted to make up a name, but she refrained. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Dr. Callaghan. I haven’t told anyone his name, and I don’t intend to start now.”
He stared at her and she fought to keep her gaze level to his.
“I’m prepared to marry you,” he said abruptly, leaving her without anything to say.
When she didn’t respond, he said, “I assumed that’s what you would want, now that you know how to locate me.”
She leaned back in her chair and lifted her chin another inch. “You’re wrong, Dr. Callaghan. I’m not carrying your children, and I don’t require such a sacrifice of you. You made your feelings toward me and any commitment quite clear that day in New York City when you disappeared.”
“I told you, I was coming back. Of course, then I thought you were a working stiff, like me. Not the incredibly wealthy Ms. McCallum, hiding behind a title.”
Bri tried to remember the need to keep her blood pressure down. Drawing several deep breaths, she counted to ten. Several times. Finally, she said, “You may not care for me personally, Dr. Callaghan, but I will not accept such disparaging remarks about my work.”
“So I’ve heard. All people have done is praise your work. They always mention how hard you work, how efficient you are. I figured you shoveled all of it to your assistant’s shoulders. They’ve assured me that’s not true.”
She gave silent thanks for the support she’d received. She’d worked hard to ensure that no one thought she was taking an easy ride because of her name. “I hope you’re satisfied, then.” She’d discovered the hard way that people assumed wealth meant no work on her part. That she would snap her fingers and get what she wanted.
“Not yet. I like to see things for myself.”
“I
