Chasing Perfect (Fool's Gold #1)(75)

Once she reached the street, she moved purposefully, which made her feel a little better. She started to go back to the office, but wasn’t sure what she would do there. After turning down a couple of streets, she found herself in front of Marsha’s house. Maybe this was the best place to start.

She walked up to the porch. The front door opened before she could knock.

“Look at your hair,” Marsha said, smiling at her. “I love it.”

Charity had nearly forgotten about her sassy new style. “Julia did it.”

“It suits you. The highlights are great. You look even more beautiful than you did before.”

“Thanks.” Charity walked in.

Marsha closed the door. “This is a nice surprise. I was just thinking about what I wanted for dinner. Would you like to join me? We can go out. I’m thinking Angelo’s. I do love the bread.” She patted her hips. “Even though I shouldn’t.”

Charity drew in a breath. “I’m pregnant.”

She hadn’t meant to say that, exactly, but now that she had, there was no going back.

Marsha’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Pregnant?” she whispered.

“Apparently. I peed on a stick and everything.” She swallowed. “It’s Josh, in case you were wondering. He’s the only one I’ve…You know.” While she didn’t have a lot of experience with having a grandmother, she was going to go out on a limb and assume Marsha didn’t want any more details about her intimate relationships.

“I don’t know how this happened,” Charity continued, giving in to her frustration. “Well, I know how it happened. I guess I don’t know how I let it happen. Why now? I’m just settling in here. I’m finding my way and I really like it here. Being pregnant will change everything.”

She sucked in a breath. “And did it have to be Josh? He’s the poster child for self-absorption. I don’t mean that to sound as harsh as it does, but you know what I mean. He’s got his life, too. He’s not interested in anything but getting back on the racing circuit. He’s going to be that famous athlete again, which is great for him, but a baby? He’s not going to be happy.”

She wondered if he would think she was like all the other women who did their best to trick him into supporting them. She thought about Emily showing up in his room and who knows how many others. Of course he would think the worst about her, she thought grimly. What other choice would he have? Talk about a disaster.

She opened her mouth to continue her rant, then noticed that Marsha was staring at her with a happy, almost blissful expression.

“You’re having a baby,” the other woman said, then stepped close and hugged her.

The warm, supportive embrace melted away Charity’s anxiety. Suddenly she could breathe easily.

“I guess I am,” Charity said, realizing that not keeping the baby wasn’t an option. Ready or not, she was going to be a mom. “I’m having a baby. Me.”

Marsha drew back slightly. “I’m going to be a great-grandmother. That sounds impressive. And old.”

“Not old. Experienced.”

Marsha laughed. “I think experienced makes me sound like an aging hooker.” She took Charity’s arm and led her into the living room. “Are you still in shock?”

“Yes, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It’s not real. I just found out five minutes ago.”

Marsha sat next to her and took her hand. “So you haven’t told Josh?”

“No. I just found myself coming here.” A million thoughts tumbled through her brain. She tried to pick just one to focus on, but she couldn’t. Talk about impossible.

“Are you staying?”

At first Charity didn’t understand the question, then she was hugging Marsha again, feeling the other woman’s fear over losing her family for the second time.

“I’m staying,” Charity told her firmly. “Being pregnant and single isn’t how I wanted to be known around town, but if you can live with it, then I can, too.”

“Of course I can live with it. I’m delighted.”

Charity straightened, then leaned back against the sofa. She pressed a hand to her belly. “Pregnant. There’s a conversation starter.” She glanced at Marsha. “Don’t worry. I know I have to tell him. And considering where I live, I need to do it soon. This is not a good place to keep secrets.”

“Have the two of you talked about any kind of future together?” Marsha asked delicately.

“We don’t plan much past the weekend. Josh is focused on the race and what that means to him. He wants to go back to his old life. I know that. I know he misses the excitement of racing.” The thrill of being famous. “He’s not going to like this.”

“He might surprise you. Josh has always wanted a family.”

“He strikes me as a ‘one day’ kind of guy. The man who always says that he would like to settle down, one day.” She looked at Marsha. “I’m not hoping for a miracle. He’s not going to fall to his knees and beg me to marry him.”

“Would you like him to?”

Charity looked away. She loved Josh—that was the easy part. But having a future with him? Not possible. “We want different things. We have different visions for our lives.”