Their Child?: Lori's Little Secret / Which Child Is Mine? / Having The Best Man's Baby

“I just wish Tucker had come on in here instead of heading for Mama and Daddy’s.”

“Oh. Well…” Lena was biting her lower lip.

Even with her body aching all over and her head pounding, Lori was getting the picture that something wasn’t right. “Lena?”

“Um?”

“I think you’d better tell me what’s going on.”

An old farmer in an ancient pickup stopped for Tucker about a mile along the highway.

“You hear about that twister?” the farmer asked him as they rumbled down the road. “Blew away the dang country club.” The farmer shook his grizzled head under his grimy Longhorn cap. “In the middle of a big weddin’ party, too. D’ja hear ‘bout that?”

Tucker made a noncommittal noise low in his throat and focused straight ahead.

“I heard everyone got out alive, though,” said the farmer. “Praise the good Lord.”

“Amen.” Tucker never took his eyes off the dark highway in front of them.

The farmer said, “Son. You kinda look like you know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m guessing you’re one of the ones who crawled out from under the ruins of that country club.”

Tucker grunted and glanced down at his wrinkled, blood-spattered slacks and shirt. Lori’s blood, he thought—and then put the thought away, shutting his mind against her. He gave the farmer a nod without glancing his way. “Yeah. I was there.”

After a second or two, the old man asked, “You okay?”

Tucker looked over at him then. “No. But I’m working on it.”

“Want to talk about it?”

“Sorry. Guess not.”

“Good enough, then. Sit back and let me take you where you’re goin’.”

Ten minutes later, the farmer let him off in front of the handsome brick house where Lori had grown up. Tucker thanked the old guy and then stood there at the curb, staring vacantly after him as the rattletrap pickup rumbled away.

Once the taillights disappeared around the corner, Tucker blinked, shook his head, and turned to trudge up the front walk.

Dirk rose from the chair in the corner. “Lena, sweetheart.” He wore the kind of look men wear when they know they’re in the way. “I’ll be in the waiting room.” Lena went over and gave him a quick kiss.

Lori thanked him. “Dirk, you’re about the best brother-in-law I ever had.”

“Not to mention the only one.” Chuckling, he left them.

Lena returned to Lori’s bedside. “You know, maybe we ought to talk about this later.” Careful of Lori’s bandages, she reached out a hand and touched Lori’s cheek. “You look real tired and I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to—”

Gently but firmly, Lori pushed her sister’s hand away. “Something happened with Tucker. I know it. What?”

“Oh, well, I—”

“Lena. Just tell me. Please.”

“Well, I’m not really sure. I mean, I could be wrong…”

“But…?”

Lena blew out a hard breath. “Okay. I think it kind of bothered him when I, um, let it drop about how you and me switched places on him on prom night.”

Lori’s heart stopped beating—and then lurched to racing life again. “You told him about prom night.”

“Oh, Lori…”

Her mouth chose that moment to go desert-dry. She swallowed, then barely managed to croak, “Did you?”

“I, um…”

“Just answer me.”

“Yes.” Lena scrunched up her face as if she’d sucked a lemon. “It just kind of slipped out. I figured you’d already told him and I wanted him to know how bad I felt about us tricking him like that. By the time I realized you hadn’t told him yet, I’d already said a big mouthful too much.”

Lori swallowed, coughed. “Water…” Lena grabbed the foam cup from the retracting tray and handed it over. Lori sipped. Her throat soothed—if nothing else—she made herself ask, “So. He took it badly?”

“Oh, I don’t know. He seemed okay—and come on, it’s not like it’s some big, huge deal or anything. It was stupid and it was wrong. But it was also a long time ago and he and I had already decided it was over between us. And, well, I mean, it’s the kind of thing we should be able to laugh about now. Don’t you think?”

Lori let that question pass. “And after you told him?”

“He just got real quiet. Real strange, you know? And then, when the doctor said we could see you, he wouldn’t come in with us.” She paused to swipe a drooping auburn curl out of her eyes. “He just…didn’t seem right.”

“I see…” Boy, did she. She saw it all. And it wasn’t good.

Her sister let out a frustrated cry. “I don’t get it. Yeah, it was a mean trick to play on him, but it’s not like it ruined his life or anything.”

Lori stared at her sister. She thought of all the chances she’d had to tell him. She’d blown them all. And now it was too late. He already knew—and from what Lena had just told her, he hadn’t taken the news well.

Lena let out a tiny sob. A tear slipped down her cheek, leaving a gleaming trail. “Oh, I’m so sorry. It looks like I’ve gone and messed everything up. I swear, I don’t know why I have such a problem keeping my big mouth shut…”

Lori couldn’t let her go on blaming herself. “You haven’t messed anything up. I have.”

Lena grabbed a tissue from the box on the tray. “Huh?” She honked into the tissue. “Come on. I was the one who had the idea for us to switch on prom night. And I’m the one who blew it and told Tucker before you had a chance to tell him yourself. So it is my—”

Lori reached out and gently brushed her sister’s arm. “Just believe me. It’s not your fault.”

“I don’t see how you can say that.”

“I know you don’t. But you will.”

Lena frowned. “Great. What you’re tellin’ me is that you’re not going to explain to me what the heck is going on, right?”

“I can’t. Not right now. I have to talk to Tucker first. But as soon as I do, I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”