Until You Loved Me (Silver Springs #3)(51)

Another tear slid into her hair as she shook her head.

“Do you really want to tear this child apart by going to court and fighting over custody?” he asked. “That could take years. It could get bitter. It would cost a fortune. No one would benefit, least of all our son.”

“You could choose not to take me to court,” she pointed out. “I didn’t have to tell you I was pregnant. I did it to be fair.”

So twisted up he felt like punching the wall again, he let go of a long sigh. And then a thought occurred to him. “What if... What if I paid you to come to California? To live with me for the next year until we had the baby and could figure out the best way to go from there?”

“I can’t move to California,” she said. “I have a job here in Miami, a job I love.”

“It’s a job you’ll have to leave, at least for a couple of months once you have the baby, right?”

“Yes...”

“Some women take a long break before going back to work.”

“Maternity leave can differ. What’s your point?”

“Since you’ll be off for a significant amount of time anyway, why not...why not take a leave of absence and spend the rest of your pregnancy with me? I have a huge house. We’d hardly run into each other. But I’d be there for doctor’s appointments and for when you give birth. I want to be part of that if you’ll let me. We could share the first year of our son’s life, which will go by fast—and then... Who knows? Maybe you’ll love California. Maybe you’ll find a job there you like just as much, and you’ll stay. Or I’ll get injured or something, which would make it impossible for me to keep playing, and I’ll be able to move to Miami.” He couldn’t leave Aaron now, but after Aaron graduated it would be a possibility.

“You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

“No. Not at all. It’s the perfect solution! I’ll pay you $5,000 a month, so you can keep your house and pay your bills. That’s more than you’re making now, isn’t it?”

When she didn’t answer, he knew it was.

“Then we’ll both get to experience having this child,” he continued. “That’s as fair as I can be. I realize it means you’ll be leaving the BDC for a while, but maybe you could return in a year or so. Or I’m sure someone with your skills could find a way to be valuable in California. There’re so many good research schools out there.”

She wiped her cheeks.

“You don’t have to give me an answer now.” He didn’t want her to say no just for the sake of saying no. “Take some time to think it over. There are a lot of positives with this solution. You won’t have to work with Don and Leo anymore. That’s got to be good, right?”

The expression on her face told him it was a point in his favor.

“And you’ll have fun in California,” he added. “I’ll make sure of it. There’s no better place on earth.”

Her phone rang. He heard it rattling on the counter. He hated to be interrupted, since he felt he was finally getting through to her. And while he didn’t want her to answer too fast if the answer was no, he wouldn’t mind getting an immediate yes.

She tried to sit up to see who was calling however, so he handed her the cell.

“It’s Amy,” she said, checking caller ID.

“Amy?” he repeated.

“My best friend. She’s the one who took me to the club the night I met you. I—I need to take this. She’s probably wondering if I dropped off the face of the earth. The last time I talked to her was before I flew home.”

“Two days ago?”

“I know it doesn’t sound long, but lately...well, she’s used to hearing from me more often since the pregnancy.”

He took a deep breath to steady his emotions. He’d come up with the perfect solution. He felt it in his bones. Now he just needed Ellie to agree. He understood that might take some patience, which wasn’t his virtue, but he reminded himself not to appear demanding or come off like a jerk. He’d already made that mistake once. “Go ahead and call her back,” he said, since the phone’s vibrating had stopped. “I’ve said my piece. Just...consider my offer, please. Think about how fair it is, how it allows us both to have constant contact with the baby. Meanwhile, I’ll leave and give you some space.”

“You’re flying back to LA?”

He hated that she sounded so hopeful. “No, I’m driving your car to your place.”

“My place?” she echoed.

“Why not? You aren’t staying there. It’s clean and comfortable. And I like the privacy. You don’t mind, do you?”

She sighed. “I guess not. But how long are you planning to be in Miami?”

“Until you say yes.”

Her eyes widened. “And what if I say no?”

“I’ll keep asking.” He winked as if he was joking—but he wasn’t.





14

“So what do I do?” Ellie asked Amy over the phone. She doubted she should be trying to make such an important decision immediately after being so sick. She still felt weak, achy, rattled to the core. But it wasn’t as if she could put this matter out of her mind and sleep, not with Hudson in Miami—at her house—waiting for an answer.