Despite her reservations, which had to do with her knowledge of Christian’s recent activities, Colette was eager to visit the older woman. She’d liked Elizabeth immensely and felt she’d developed a sense of Christian as a motherless boy, then a disillusioned teenager and an angry young adult. Christian was confident enough to stand up to his father and fight for his own choices in life. Colette appreciated the courage that must have taken and it made her wonder why he was risking everything now, why he was violating the principles he believed in for foolish gain. Colette could hardly imagine what his great-aunt would think when Christian was arrested. He would be sooner or later, and it would devastate her.
As Colette climbed the stairs to her apartment, she found herself smiling, anticipating an evening with the woman she’d come to admire on so brief an introduction. At this point, Elizabeth and Alix were the only people who knew about the baby. The other day, she’d felt movement for the first time and was looking forward to sharing this news with Elizabeth.
Yesterday, Steve had phoned and left a message on her cell. Coward that she was, Colette hadn’t returned his call. She would, though, and now, thanks to Elizabeth, she had a legitimate excuse to turn him down. She hoped he’d figure out that she was no longer interested in seeing him. If she needed to spell it out, she would, but she’d rather avoid a confrontation. It wasn’t as if they’d been dating seriously.
As she entered her apartment, Colette turned on the local news, a habit she’d gotten into. The television was company in the evenings. Putting aside the mail as the news reader described a four-car pileup, she rummaged through the refrigerator, seeking inspiration for dinner. While she decided, she opened a container of yogurt and ate that, half listening to the news story. No fatalities in that highway accident, she was glad to hear.
When her phone rang, she assumed it was Steve again. But caller ID didn’t indicate a number and after hesitating only a moment, she reached for the receiver. “Hello,” she said, half expecting some form of sales pitch.
“It’s Christian.”
The immediate joy, mingled with dread, utterly confused her. He’d promised not to have any contact with her and so far—other than his note about Steve—he’d kept his word. He hadn’t called or come to the shop in more than a month.
She’d been relieved.
She’d been disappointed.
She didn’t know what she felt for him anymore. She didn’t want him in her life, and at the same time she dreamed about him nearly every night.
“Hello.” She tried to sound disinterested and wondered if she’d succeeded. She’d rather Christian didn’t suspect she was so thrilled to hear his voice. Yet that was the feeling that quickly overwhelmed every other reaction.
“Your card came….”
“I wanted you to know,” he said with reluctance. “But that wasn’t part of our agreement, was it?”
“No, it wasn’t.” If he was guilty of breaking his word, she was equally guilty for being so pleased to hear from him. She’d never admit that, though. “How did you learn about Steve?” she asked. “Did you have him investigated?” The real question was: Why would he?
“No,” he replied tersely. “I know someone who used to be a friend of his.”
“Oh.” Colette wasn’t convinced she should believe him.
“Are you still seeing Grisham?” Christian demanded.
It was none of his business, and yet he might have saved her untold heartache. “No.” She didn’t offer any more explanation than that.
“Good.”
The silence between them made her nervous. Finally, Christian asked, “How are you, Colette?”
“I’m very well.” She wondered if he’d called to find out about her and Steve. No, more likely something had happened. “Have you…are you—you know?” She couldn’t say it. She was afraid he was about to be arrested and had turned to her for some kind of help or perhaps comfort.
“You don’t need to worry,” he said. “I’m not in jail yet.”
She was annoyed that he could joke about it, although he’d provided the information she’d been trying to find out. “Is there a reason for your call?” she asked curtly. Keeping an emotional distance was the only way she had of protecting herself.
“As a matter of fact, there is. I understand you recently met my aunt Elizabeth.”
Colette was instantly defensive, not wanting him to know she’d sought out the other woman. She probably should’ve realized that Elizabeth would talk to Christian about her visit.
“I delivered one of the weekly floral arrangements you ordered for her,” Colette told him. She wasn’t going to admit anything beyond that.
“I see.”
Her shoulders were so tense, they ached.
“My aunt Elizabeth is pretty special, isn’t she?”
“I really liked her.” There was no point in denying it.
“So my suspicions were right.”
“I beg your pardon?” Colette said. “What suspicions?”
“You received a dinner invitation from her, didn’t you?”
“How did you know?” Had Elizabeth told him about that, too?
“Because I also got one.”
It had never occurred to Colette that Elizabeth had invited anyone else, least of all Christian.
“I should’ve guessed,” he murmured.
“Guessed?” she repeated irritably. “Guessed what?”
“I hope you realize that my sweet, old-fashioned aunt is playing matchmaker,” he explained. “I received an invitation from her and she says she won’t take no for an answer.”
“What made you assume I was involved?” Colette asked.
“Because my dear aunt has never insisted I come to dinner before.”
“So you knew something was up.” He was far more perceptive than she’d been and she felt a bit foolish, considering how easily Elizabeth had recognized her feelings for Christian.
“She made it fairly obvious,” he said wryly.
“Have you asked her about it?”
“Yes, and my aunt was uncharacteristically quiet. She did admit she’d invited a ‘special guest’ and it was someone I already knew…very well.”
Colette’s face burned with embarrassment. His aunt had probably suggested Christian knew his dinner companion intimately. “I see,” she mumbled.
“Don’t worry,” he told her. “I’ll come up with some excuse to decline.”
Instantly contrite, Colette felt she couldn’t let him do that. “No, no. I’ll decline.”
“I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary.”
“She’s your aunt,” Colette said. “She loves you. She’s only doing this because she wants…well, she wants to see you—” Colette searched for the right word “—happy,” she finished.
“That’s interesting,” Christian commented.
“What is?” She hated that the defensiveness was back in her voice.
“That you’d learn this much from a simple flower delivery.”
“Oh.” Colette’s throat was suddenly dry. “Yes…She, uh, invited me in for tea.”
“And you accepted?”
“Yes.”
“Is there anything else you told her?” he asked pointedly.
“If you’re referring to the ongoing investigation regarding your illegal activities,” she said stiffly, “then the answer is no. I didn’t breathe a word.”
“Thank you,” he said.
“How could I? How could I break this lovely woman’s heart?” she blurted out. “Christian, if for no other reason than your aunt, you need to get out of this.”
His hesitation was brief, and when he spoke he sounded regretful. “Don’t you think I would if it were possible? I’m sorry, Colette. I’d give just about anything to turn back the clock. But it’s too late now.”
“Christian—”
He cut her off as if he’d lost interest in the conversation. “I suppose my dear aunt told you the story of my less-than-happy childhood?” he asked.
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.
