Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #4)(66)

It wouldn’t do any good to press the subject of his pending troubles, so she dropped it. “Some,” Colette admitted, instinctively realizing that he’d hate her knowing about that part of his life.

“I was afraid of that.”

Colette thought about the deep affection his aunt had for him. She yearned to tell him how grateful she was for that hour with Elizabeth. During their visit, she felt she’d come to understand Christian in ways that would never have been possible otherwise.

“No doubt she bored you to death with stories of my love of maps.”

“She mentioned it.”

“Just how long were you there?”

“Oh, not that long.”

“Apparently, long enough to let her think you and I were involved.”

“I didn’t! I promise.” Colette had told his aunt about their one-night stand and the result. She’d also said that they weren’t seeing each other anymore; she’d claimed—convincingly, she’d felt—that it was for the best. Apparently, Aunt Elizabeth didn’t believe her.

“You go to dinner with her,” Christian said. “I assure you, she’ll enjoy visiting with you far more than she would me.”

“That’s not true,” Colette countered. She could see that this was quickly becoming a clash of wills. “Arguing is ridiculous. You’re the one who’s related to her, not me, so you should accept her invitation.”

He chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it is ridiculous. Nevertheless, I gave you my word.”

“I absolve you from it for that one evening,” she told him. She refused to be responsible for disappointing the older woman. “We’ll both go to dinner and be done with it.”

He considered her suggestion. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It would only encourage her. Unless you’ve had a change of heart.” At her hesitation, he laughed. “That’s what I thought. No, it’s better that we not have anything to do with each other.”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” she answered sadly. Her instincts about Christian were accurate; it would’ve been a mistake to tell him she was pregnant with his baby. A painful mistake.

“Go to dinner with your aunt,” she reiterated.

“Perhaps I will.”

They left it at that, and a few minutes later, Colette closed her phone. Nothing had been decided. Not until the night of the dinner would she know whether or not Christian planned to go.

The next morning Colette woke feeling depressed. The baby fluttered within her womb and she pressed her hand against the slight bulge. She loved this child with a swell of emotion that produced unstoppable tears. For her own sake and the sake of the baby, she’d keep her secret, but eventually Christian would need to know. She dreaded the day she’d have to tell him and decided to wait as long as she could.

Tuesday afternoon after work, when Colette met Alix at Go Figure, she casually brought up the conversation.

“Christian phoned,” she said as she stepped out of the dressing room. She’d noticed a pack of cigarettes in Alix’s open purse and wondered when her friend had taken up smoking. Maybe the cigarettes belonged to someone else, she told herself. She hoped so, anyway.

Alix stared at her with an intensity that made her squirm.

“We both heard from his aunt,” Colette explained. The music pounded, fast-paced and energetic. She wanted to get started on their routine, but Alix wasn’t budging. Colette regretted saying anything.

“He wants to see you again, doesn’t he?” Alix said triumphantly.

“No.” Colette shook her head. “Like I told you, we both received invitations to his aunt’s for dinner.”

“Are you going?”

When Colette nodded, Alix immediately smiled. “Good answer.”

The music had a hypnotic effect on Colette as she threw herself into her exercise routine. All the while, she could feel Alix watching her, silently encouraging her to give Christian another chance—give herself another chance. But Alix couldn’t possibly understand that the situation was hopeless. And Colette couldn’t tell her.

Once they’d finished, changed clothes and walked outside, Alix pulled out the pack of cigarettes and lit one up.

“When did you start smoking?” Colette asked, making an effort not to sound as disapproving as she felt.

“Saturday.” She inhaled deeply. “I don’t want to talk about it, all right?”

“But—”

“I need to smoke until after this wedding business is done. I’ll quit then.”

“If you say so.” Colette sighed. Then she realized she’d been oblivious to Alix’s problems. “You want a cup of coffee to go with that?”

“Don’t have time,” Alix answered with a shrug, blowing out a stream of smoke.

“Is everything okay?” she asked. “I’ve been so absorbed in my own life that I wasn’t paying attention to what’s happening in yours.”

With a shake of her head, Alix dismissed her concern. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s big enough for you to take up smoking, so clearly something’s happened.”

“Not yet it hasn’t,” Alix said cryptically, then tossed the half-smoked cigarette on the sidewalk and squashed it with the toe of her boot. “Listen, if you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss it.”