Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(48)

Her boss arched one delicate eyebrow. “You’ve been under a lot of stress.”

Which compromised the immune system. She knew what Dr. Towers meant by that comment and couldn’t argue. First she’d caught her fiancé in bed with his best friend from college. Then she’d gotten pregnant from a chance encounter with a man she thought she’d never see again. Recognizing Hudson—playing in the Super Bowl, no less—hadn’t helped, because she’d been faced with yet more shock and uncertainty.

“How kind of Hudson to look after you,” Linda said. “I about died when I called to see why you hadn’t made it to work and he picked up. When he told me who he was, I wouldn’t believe it at first.”

“Several people have tried your cell since, hoping to get to talk to him,” Diane added with a chuckle.

“And?” Ellie asked. “Did he ever answer again?”

“Don’t think so,” Diane replied.

“So...where is he?” Dick put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Did he go back to California?”

No doubt Dick, who loved all sports, was anxious to meet him. “Not yet,” Ellie replied, although she supposed he could’ve gone home. He didn’t explain where he was going when he left. He’d simply walked out, leaving her and Ed, the technician, to stare blankly at each other.

Dr. Towers lowered her voice. “I’m sorry you’re in such a difficult situation. What with the father of your baby living across the country and...and with him being who he is, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy.”

“No,” she admitted.

“I hate to make light of the situation, but there’s got to be worse things than having Hudson King’s baby.” Linda grinned as if she wouldn’t mind trading places.

“Maybe so,” Ellie told her. “But this isn’t anything I would’ve asked for. As far as I’m concerned, Hudson’s popularity only complicates the problem.”

“At least he has the money to help with child support.” Dick was clearly in awe of Hudson’s fame and fortune, but Ellie preferred having control over her child’s life to money. The more Hudson “helped out,” the more say he’d expect in how their son was raised.

“I avoid the spotlight,” she explained. “Don’t want to be pulled into any of that.”

Ned, who was about ten years younger than Linda but married with two kids he’d had late in life, jostled around the others to get closer. “Have you and Hudson been able to work anything out? Does he plan to be part of the baby’s life?”

Ellie shook her head. “I can’t imagine he will. Not in any meaningful way. As Dr. Towers said, he lives across the country.”

Diane peered at her more closely. “But you don’t know yet...”

“No.” Saying that Hudson wouldn’t be involved was only wishful thinking. The thought of sending her child so far away, over and over again, made her nervous. And what would happen as their son got older? Would he prefer his father, given everything Hudson could provide, including access to such an elite world?

She’d feel more comfortable if she was having a girl. “We were just starting to talk about it when I got sick.” Perhaps it was euphemistic to describe what’d happened between them so far in such amicable terms, but she didn’t see any reason to reveal that she’d argued with him in California and tripped over him when she returned to Miami.

“Is there any chance you’d consider giving the baby up for adoption?” Ned asked.

Ellie scowled. “You’re not looking for another child, are you?”

“No, two’s enough for us,” he replied with an eye roll that suggested two was actually more than enough. “I heard Don say something about it. Know he’s hoping you will.”

“Don’s not going to get his hands on this baby,” she told them.

“Didn’t think so,” Dr. Towers said, and the conversation moved on to what was going on at work, when Ellie might get out of the hospital and return to the BDC, when she’d take maternity leave and whether they’d ever get to meet Hudson.

“I wouldn’t count on meeting him,” she told them. “We’ll have an arrangement of some sort, but I doubt he’ll be coming to our Christmas parties or anything like that.”

They laughed, said it was too bad and probably would’ve visited with her a little longer, but Don and Leo showed up, and their appearance threw a damper on what had been an enjoyable chat.

“Whoa! The whole gang’s here—or most of it,” Don said. “Why didn’t you say anything to me and Leo? We would’ve come with you. Just because Ellie and I have a little...history doesn’t mean we can’t be friends.”

Dick, Ned, Linda, Diane and Dr. Towers glanced uncomfortably at each other. Ellie had more than “a little history” with Don and Leo, and that history had been far too recent to treat it so casually. They hadn’t been included because the others had rightly guessed she wouldn’t want Don near her, but no one seemed eager to challenge his statement. “We didn’t see you when we were talking about it,” Diane mumbled.

“And we weren’t planning to stay for long,” Ned chimed in.

“Matter of fact, we were just on our way out,” Dr. Towers added.