His Best Mistake

But she was here now, so she might as well get down to brass tacks. On that thought, she asked, “Can we sit down now?”

“Sure.” Kevin guided her to a table situated beneath a copse of pines and oaks and pulled out a brown-striped chair.

Leah took the designated seat while Kevin chose the chair across from her, thankful for the table that put much-needed space between them. She set her bag on the ground at her feet and tightly clasped her hands on the glass surface. “These trees help with the heat.” At least from a meteorological standpoint. Noticing all of Kevin’s finer details didn’t help Leah’s internal heat in the least. It seemed he’d lost some weight, but he’d undeniably gained some muscle. He’d always been in great shape, but his biceps looked larger. His chest looked broader. His abs looked tighter beneath the T-shirt. And if she knew what was best, she’d keep her eyes off his attributes.

“The Houston heat in June’s always brutal, especially at four in the afternoon,” he said, drawing her attention back to his face.

“I had a busy morning, otherwise, I would have been here much earlier.” She’d spent the better part of the day engaged in an internal debate, until she’d forced herself to stop procrastinating.

After another brief bout of silence, Kevin asked, “How’s your fellowship going?”

Though she was avoiding the news she’d come to deliver, Leah saw no reason not to be civil. “It’s going well. The hospital rotations can be tough, but I work part of the time in a clinic.”

“Which means more normal hours,” he said.

Odd that he remembered all the details they’d discussed during their time together. Then again, he had been very attentive, both in and out of bed. “I’m really looking forward to finishing in August so I can finally start utilizing what I’ve learned.” She would have been finished now had she not taken a necessary break in her hometown before returning to Houston two months ago.

Kevin brushed a leaf from the table with a sweep of his hand. “Have you decided where you’re going to practice?”

In some ways, that decision had been made for her. “I’m going home to Mississippi. Since my fellowship has focused on healthcare for the indigent, I plan to work part-time in a free clinic, and possibly open my own practice to pay the bills.”

“You won’t miss the big-city lifestyle?” His tone hinted at disappointment, or maybe she was reading too much into it.

“I’d miss my family more.” She also needed their support, now more than ever.

“I’m sure you’ll do great, wherever you land,” he said. “Good luck.”

For some reason, she’d wanted him to say he would miss her. That he’d made a huge error in judgment by letting her go. That he wished she would stay in Houston. And that was insanely ridiculous. Even if he did say all those things, she couldn’t believe him.

The conversation died for a time until Leah sent a quick glance in his direction to find him rubbing his eyes. “You look tired. Obviously you’ve been burning the midnight oil.” Or burning up the sheets with his latest babe.

“Just been busy with work.”

“Traveling a lot?”

“Actually, no. For the most part I’m working from home now. I write a nationally syndicated column and I maintain a sports blog for the magazine.”

That surprised her almost as much as the longer length of his hair. “You’ve always loved interviewing all those sports superstars. What on earth happened?”

His expression showed definite discomfort. “Things change, Leah.”

Yes, but she suspected he hadn’t. Maybe he wasn’t traipsing all over the country searching for his next female conquest, but she had no doubt women were still seeking him out on a regular basis, and he was gladly accommodating them. That didn’t matter to her any longer, or it shouldn’t.

She’d come here to say something important, and she needed to say it now. Yet when Kevin centered his dark eyes on her, Leah temporarily misplaced her train of thought. And when he leaned over and traced a fingertip along her jaw, she stiffened and muttered, “Don’t.”

If he so much as touched her again, Leah might momentarily forget how badly he’d wounded her, heart and soul. She refused to do that. Refused to succumb to his charm that he wielded like a net to ensnare unsuspecting females. She’d already been there and she wasn’t going back.

“Sorry.” His features turned sullen as he once more leaned back in his chair. “Do you mind telling me why you’re here?”

“Not to take up where we left off, Kevin.” Lying wasn’t the norm for Leah. In fact, she always demanded honesty under normal situations. Yet nothing about this situation was normal. She’d do whatever seemed necessary to discourage him, even if that meant fabricating an intimate relationship with another man. “Besides, I’m seeing someone.”

Kevin leaned forward and studied her a long moment. “Who is he?”

Leah was taken aback by the question, as well as the jealousy in his tone. A typical male I-don’t-want-you-but-I-don’t-want-anyone-else-to-have-you reaction. As it was with her job, she had to think quickly. “He’s someone I’ve known for a long time. We met up again when I was visiting my parents in Mississippi.” Not exactly a lie, but not the whole truth, either. She had seen her childhood friend, J. W. Camp, a few times when she’d been home. But J.W. was more like a brother to her, a detail she chose to omit. “He owns his own business. He’s a good man. Solid. Steady. Honest.”

“And you don’t believe I’m any of those things?”

At one time, she had. “It doesn’t matter what I think, Kevin. It’s over between us.”

“Is your relationship with this guy serious?” He sounded almost dejected.

Leah started to issue a denial, but reconsidered. “Look, Kevin, I’m not here to talk about my personal life with you. But we still have something very important to discuss.”

“Then talk. I’m listening.” His tone held a touch of anger, very unlike the Kevin she’d known before. He was usually all about gentle persuasion, deadly charm, but now he seemed much more serious. Or maybe he simply wished she would get out of his life for good.

That’s precisely what she’d planned to do—to stay out of his life—as soon as she presented her actual rationale for being there. With that in mind, she opened the bag, withdrew her wallet and held it firmly in her grasp. “First of all, I’ve agonized for weeks over what I’m about to tell you,” she began. “I’ve spent a lot of sleepless nights trying to figure out exactly how to tell you. But a few days ago, it occurred to me that putting it off any longer wouldn’t make it any easier. You’re still going to be mad.”

He sent her a cynic’s smile. “That would be a switch, you making me mad instead of the other way around.”

Leah could only pinpoint one time when he’d made her mad—furious in fact—and that had been the day he’d called it off between them without fair warning. “Believe me, you’re not going to be happy about this.”

Confusion called out from Kevin’s piercing brown eyes. “Just spill it, Leah.”

As the old adage went, a picture was worth a thousand words, which was why Leah chose to remove the photograph from the clear plastic folder. A photograph that resided among others of friends and family and all those precious in her life, including one of her and Kevin taken during their final vacation in Mexico that for some reason she hadn’t had the desire to remove. But this particular photo was the most precious of all.

She dropped the wallet back into her bag and offered the picture to Kevin without explanation. Clarification would come soon enough.

He studied the photo for a time before his gaze snapped to hers. “Who is this?”

Her gift. Her miracle. Her entire world. “She’s your daughter, Kevin.”

CHAPTER TWO

KEVIN LOOKED as stunned as Leah had been when she’d confirmed the pregnancy all those months ago. She waited patiently for his verbal reaction, and when she didn’t receive one, she said, “Her name is Carly.” Named for Carl, the little boy her parents had fostered when Leah had been in her teens. A special little boy no one had wanted because of his myriad medical problems. But Leah had loved him dearly, had helped care for him until the day he went into the hospital and never came out. He’d been the reason she’d chosen pediatrics as her specialty, but Kevin knew that. Not that he would remember.

Kevin stared at the photo before centering his gaze back on her. “How old is she?”

“Three months.”

“And you’re just now telling me?”

She’d considered not telling him at all, but she’d changed her mind after her mother reminded her of all the children who’d come to them with no medical histories, no knowledge of their own parents. “I called you a week or so after I confirmed the pregnancy. Some woman answered and I hung up. I planned to call you the month Carly was due, but before I could do that, I went into labor four weeks early. It all happened very fast.”

He looked alarmed. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine. Perfect. A little underweight, but she’s catching up.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how this happened. We were always careful.”