Thanksgiving Daddy. Rachel Lee

her womb, and when the first stirrings came, the arguments ended as far as she was concerned.

      The odds had turned on her. They could have turned on her in far worse ways, and as she grew used to the idea, she began to like it. She was going to have a baby. Okay, deal. Make the best of it. And in some ways, it seemed like the best.

      In others, not so much.

      Like right now. She knew how angry she had been at first. She figured Seth would feel about the same, and just hoped he didn’t accuse her of fingering him as the father when it could be someone else. Hell, if he demanded a paternity test, he’d be breathing her dust faster than...

      She caught herself and stopped. This was ridiculous. She didn’t know how he would react and imagining scenarios wouldn’t help. Just deal, the way she dealt with whatever came her way.

      Marge refreshed her coffee, urging her to eat another cookie. The brief relaxation had fled, though, and the thought of trying to eat turned her stomach. This was not just a pleasant afternoon visit with an older couple. She had come to wreck some guy with news no one wanted.

      She began to question all the arguments she’d had with herself about whether to tell him. Maybe she had reached exactly the wrong conclusion. Maybe she should have just left it alone.

      What the hell had made her think he had a right to know? The fact that she didn’t want to look into a little boy’s eyes someday and admit she hadn’t told his father about him?

      All of a sudden that seemed very weak.

      “You’re doing the right thing,” Nate said.

      Startled by his voice, she looked at him and realized she had gone far away in her thoughts. “Why?”

      “Because I know how furious I was that nobody told me. No decent man wants to find out that he was locked out of his child’s life.” He hitched up one corner of his mouth. “Which is not to say he might not be a little angry at first.”

      “I certainly was.”

      Nate nodded. “And I hear his car. Marge, you and I need to take a walk.”

      “But...” Then Marge nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

      Nate winked at Edie. “She likes to manage things.”

      Marge laughed, a surprisingly girlish sound, and headed toward the door with Nate. “We’ll give you a while.”

      Edie didn’t think it was going to take long. She’d make the announcement and leave. That had been her plan all along. She should have been on the road over an hour ago.

      She heard voices outside, thought she recognized Seth’s deep tones. Every nerve in her body stretched tight, and even the stirring of the child in her womb didn’t ease the anxiety. She rested her hand over her belly, an unconsciously protective gesture, and waited.

      * * *

      Seth was surprised to meet his parents on the way for a walk. As the autumn days grew more brisk, they seldom went out in the late afternoon for a stroll, but instead went earlier, before the afternoon breeze started.

      “You have a friend visiting,” Nate said. “We thought we’d let you talk for a while.”

      Then they walked off, leaving him wondering. They had seemed almost secretive, and why should he need privacy? Who the hell would be visiting him anyway? His friends were still almost all in the navy, and most were out of country right now.

      Curious, he strode up to the door, wiping his hands once more on jeans that were dusty from the renovation he was doing on a house he’d bought.

      When he stepped into the living room, the first thing he registered was a camo utility uniform. Then he saw the face above them.

      “Edie!” He was startled. He remembered her well, from her short red hair and bright blue eyes to the delightful curves he’d found under her baggy camos. He had been dealing with a nagging sense that he’d taken advantage of a virgin, despite what she had said, but he had never expected to see her again, even though he had hoped he might. She had seemed perfectly willing to walk away. And it had been what—five months? Surely if she’d wanted to see him again, she would have written or something. He’d given her his parents’ address after all.

      But there she sat, and it didn’t take him long to realize she wasn’t giving him a friendly smile. Far from it. He saw a tension in her face that would have been more understandable if she’d been about to leave on a mission.

      “Edie?” Something was wrong. He stepped closer and hesitated. Should he shake her hand? Take a seat? Wait?

      “Hi, Seth.” She managed a weak smile then.

      With a growing sense of dread crawling across his nerve endings, but absolutely no idea what was going on here, he decided to offer a handshake. “How are you doing?”

      She shook his hand, but even as she did so that forced smile vanished.

      “You look like you’d rather be anywhere else,” he remarked, trying to lighten whatever was troubling her.

      “I would,” she said flatly.

      That disturbed him even more, but he guessed whatever it was would come when she was ready. He ran a rapid mental checklist and realized there was no way she could have come bearing bad news. They hadn’t known the same people. So what the hell? “Coffee?” he offered to fill the silence.

      “No, thanks.”

      He tried a smile of his own, thinking that she was just as beautiful as he remembered. Maybe even more so. But that seemed irrelevant right now. “So what’s going on?”

      “I’m pregnant.”

      Chapter Two

      Edie watched the anger rise in him, watched the fury darken his face. Then he cussed so savagely even ears accustomed to it in the military almost cringed.

      “Stay here,” he snapped. “Don’t go anywhere.”

      Then he turned and stomped out. She heard the back door slam.

      Stay here? Like hell. She’d done what she needed to do, and she sure wasn’t taking any orders from him. Strength flooded her and she stood up. Out of here now.

      But damn, he was still as handsome as she remembered. His head was no longer shaved, but sported dark hair, a little shaggy. He looked good in jeans and a work shirt. Damn, he just plain looked good.

      So what? She’d delivered her message, and if his anger was any indicator, she’d never have to worry about him again.

      She put her mug on the end table, straightened up and squared herself. All of a sudden she felt amazingly light. She’d finished her mission. It was over, done. She really didn’t care what he thought. Having to tell him was a far cry from wanting anything from him.

      And she wanted not one thing from him. Not one blasted thing. She was perfectly capable of raising a child by herself. She had done far harder things.

      She walked to the front door, opened it and stepped out.

      Marge and Nate Tate were right there. Apparently they hadn’t gone for a very long walk at all.

      “Good meeting you,” Edie said brightly. “You’re very nice people. Maybe I’ll send you a photo when the baby is born.”

      “Wait,” said Marge.

      Edie shook her head. “I’m done here. I just came to let Seth know. He knows.”

      “How did he take it?” Marge asked.

      “He’s furious.”

      “He’s shocked,” Nate countered. “Just shocked.”

      “He’s furious,” Edie repeated. “I expected it, so I’ll just go home and leave you to deal with him. Sorry