The Man Who Wouldn't Marry. Tina Beckett

And Brad seemed to have gone on with his life. So why hadn’t she?

      Certainly not because she was still in love with Brad. She’d been fond of him—had convinced herself he was the stable, steady presence she craved in a husband. Not like her father or Mark who had been there one minute and gone the next. But, in the end, stable and steady hadn’t been enough to make the marriage work.

      She leaned down and kissed Toby, making sure his backpack was zipped up tight. ‘I guess you’re all set.’

      ‘Ready for the zoo?’ Brad asked his wife and daughter. Little squeals went up from both the girls, while Toby stood motionless.

      Strange. A little while ago he’d been excited about the prospect of being with his dad. Maybe he’d sensed her mood, which he seemed to have an uncanny knack of doing. She hoped not. The last thing she wanted to do was spoil his outing.

      ‘Oh, wait.’ Lord, she couldn’t believe she’d almost forgotten. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out Toby’s inhaler and handed it to her ex. The skin between Brad’s brows puckered a bit, but he said nothing. Instead, he shoved the small canister into the pocket of his own jacket. Her trepidation grew. Brad wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Toby. He was his son as well. And they’d been through this same routine for the last four years without a hint of trouble.

      They turned to go, and Sammi waved them off with a smile that she hoped hid the kernel of sadness that appeared whenever she watched her son walk away from her. She then trudged over to the car rental place, anxious to get to the hotel and kick back and relax.

      Right. Kick back and mope was more like it.

      Lucky for her, Molly was home when she called and was currently husbandless, since Blake was off on a flight. Maybe today wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. Molly swung by the hotel and picked Sammi up, refusing to let her drive all the way out to the house.

      ‘It was on the way to the restaurant,’ her friend insisted, once they sat at the table of a popular seafood place.

      The aroma of garlic and fresh fish swirled around the foyer, and Sammi gave an appreciative sniff, beginning to relax a little. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve been out to eat.’

      It was true. Normally on these jaunts she simply grabbed some Chinese takeout and carried it back to the room, as it felt pathetic to sit at a table all by herself. But with Molly there, things seemed a little more festive, a little less sad.

      Once they were seated, she cracked open the menu and tried not to wince at the prices. Maybe this was why she didn’t go out to eat that much. But she’d earned this respite. Toby was safe, and she wouldn’t get that many chances to see Molly now that she was back in Anchorage. ‘How’s Blake?’

      ‘He’s fine. In fact, he’s more than fine.’ Molly leaned forward, her glance darting around the room before coming back to rest on Sammi with a smile. ‘Okay, so we weren’t going to tell anyone yet, but… I’m pregnant.’

      ‘What?’ So this was why her friend had been practically glowing when she’d arrived at the hotel. ‘Holy cow. Are you serious?’

      ‘I am. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to squeeze into my wedding gown.’ She laughed. ‘But you have to promise not to tell anyone. Blake and I wanted to announce it together once the pregnancy was further along. But you’re so far away… and I wanted you to be the first to know.’

      Sammi’s eyes pricked unexpectedly, remembering her own excitement when she’d discovered she was pregnant with Toby. ‘Oh, Molly, I’m so happy for you. You’re going to make a wonderful mother.’

      ‘You think so? I wasn’t actually sure I wanted to have children, but…’ She laid her menu down. ‘Here we are.’

      ‘You’re going to love it. Having Toby changed my life. For the better,’ she was quick to add. ‘You’ll be exhausted and frustrated and scared… and you’ll love every second of it.’

      Molly reached over and squeezed her hand. ‘Thank you. I may be calling you for advice at some point.’

      The waiter came and took their order, leaving them to chat. About halfway through the meal, Blake strode into the restaurant, his eyes fastening immediately on Molly, who bit her lip and stood as he reached them. ‘I thought you said you’d be gone until tomorrow.’

      He grinned and dropped a kiss on her mouth, then hugged Sammi. Pulling up a chair next to his wife’s, he looped an arm around her shoulders. ‘I missed you and decided to come back early. So what have you girls been talking about?’

      Molly’s cheeks immediately turned pink, causing Blake to lean back in his chair, brows raised. ‘I thought so.’

      ‘I know we decided not to tell anyone, but… Sammi is family.’

      Blake’s mouth quirked. ‘Yeah, kind of like an annoying little sister.’

      Sammi, although the same age as Blake, had been the runt of the class during their childhood days. He’d never let her forget it, even though she was now five feet seven.

      Sammi leaned across the table and swatted his arm. ‘Molly doesn’t seem to think so.’ She paused, letting her eyes convey her true thoughts. ‘Seriously, though. Congratulations.’

      ‘Thanks.’

      Molly smiled up at him. ‘Do you want to order something?’

      He plucked a huge battered shrimp from her plate, munching it before he answered. ‘No, I ate on the way. I’m stuffed.’

      ‘I can tell,’ she said, when he snagged a second piece.

      He laughed. ‘I’m meeting a friend for drinks later, anyway, so I can’t stay. I just wanted to see you first.’

      ‘I see. And just who is this friend?’

      Sammi’s phone buzzed, indicating she was getting a text. She scrunched her nose. ‘Sorry guys, I know it’s not polite, but I told Brad to let me know if their plans were going to change. Do you mind?’

      ‘It’s fine.’ Molly waved her fork.

      Retrieving the phone from her handbag, she pressed a button to retrieve the message. The low lighting in the restaurant caused her to squint as she tried to make out the letters, but once she did, she gasped, her heart dropping. ‘Oh, God, I have to go.’ She threw her napkin on the table and stood.

      Alarmed, her friends got to their feet as well. ‘What is it?’

      She stuffed her phone back in her purse. Her voice shook as she tried to get the words out. ‘They’re rushing Toby to the hospital.’