“No.”
“You didn’t marry after I left?”
She lifted her head in a defiant gesture. “I don’t need a husband to have a child, Mason.”
He gestured toward her swollen belly. “Who is the father?”
She gripped the door handle of the car as if she wanted to jump out and run. “I can’t believe you’re asking me this in the car, especially considering we’re in the middle of a murder investigation.”
He caught her hand, refusing to let her escape. “Dammit, now is as good a time as any. If someone threatened you because of the clinic and this murder is connected to you, then you and your baby may be in danger.”
Panic flickered in her eyes for a brief second before she masked it. “I can take care of myself and my child, Mason. For God’s sake, I’m a doctor.”
“This has nothing to do with you being a doctor or a competent woman,” Mason said, his blood boiling. “It has to do with the fact that a crazed killer murdered one of your patients and may come after you.”
His statement must have sunk in, because her face paled in the moonlight spilling through the car. He clenched his hands to keep from pulling her into his arms and comforting her.
She didn’t look as if she would welcome his comfort.
“I did the math, Cara. We were together ten months ago. So unless you jumped into bed with another man right after I left—”
“How dare you imply that,” Cara seethed.
“Then tell me who the father is.”
Cara massaged her stomach again as if to protect the baby inside. “Mason—”
“Just tell me the truth,” he said on a pained breath. “Is it mine?”
A long heartbeat passed, then she whispered, “Yes.”
* * *
R ELIEF AND PANIC WARRED inside Cara. As emotions played across Mason’s face, she held her breath, unsure whether to expect his temper to explode or for him to shut down completely.
She saw remnants of both, yet a tenderness flashed in his eyes as he laid a hand on her stomach that made tears well in her eyes.
He swallowed twice before he spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cara averted her gaze, struggling with the memory of how hurt she’d been when he’d left her. “Because you were gone,” she said quietly.
“There are telephones,” Mason said, a trace of bitterness creeping into his voice.
Cara stiffened. “You made it very clear that you didn’t want a relationship,” she said. “That you thought mixed marriages didn’t work. Granted, I think that’s archaic, but it’s exactly what you said to me. So what was I supposed to do?” Her own anger shimmied to the surface. “If you didn’t want me, why would I think you’d want a child with me?”
He released a heavy sigh. But pain underscored the anger now, making her chest clench.
“I told you how I grew up,” he said. “You don’t know the half of it, the prejudice, what the kids did to me.”
“That was a long time ago,” Cara argued. “And I’m sorry for what happened to you, but times have changed.”
“Have they?” Mason barked.
Cara’s strength rallied. “This is the reason I didn’t tell you. That, and I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap you.”
“No, you didn’t even try to convince me to stay.”
Cara gasped as her pride kicked in. “You wanted me to beg you not to leave me? That’s not my style.”
“No, you’re independent, aren’t you? You don’t need a man.”
“No, I don’t,” Cara said, furious. “I’ve managed on my own most of my life, and I will continue to do so.”
She gestured toward the steering wheel. “Now why don’t you drive me to the clinic so I can check those records, then we can go our separate ways for tonight.”
And maybe forever.
He could finish the investigation without her.
A dark chuckle reverberated from his chest. “For tonight, maybe,” Mason said. “But you’re crazy if you think this is over, Cara.” He gestured toward her stomach. “That baby is mine, and if he or she is in danger—” He
“You didn’t marry after I left?”
She lifted her head in a defiant gesture. “I don’t need a husband to have a child, Mason.”
He gestured toward her swollen belly. “Who is the father?”
She gripped the door handle of the car as if she wanted to jump out and run. “I can’t believe you’re asking me this in the car, especially considering we’re in the middle of a murder investigation.”
He caught her hand, refusing to let her escape. “Dammit, now is as good a time as any. If someone threatened you because of the clinic and this murder is connected to you, then you and your baby may be in danger.”
Panic flickered in her eyes for a brief second before she masked it. “I can take care of myself and my child, Mason. For God’s sake, I’m a doctor.”
“This has nothing to do with you being a doctor or a competent woman,” Mason said, his blood boiling. “It has to do with the fact that a crazed killer murdered one of your patients and may come after you.”
His statement must have sunk in, because her face paled in the moonlight spilling through the car. He clenched his hands to keep from pulling her into his arms and comforting her.
She didn’t look as if she would welcome his comfort.
“I did the math, Cara. We were together ten months ago. So unless you jumped into bed with another man right after I left—”
“How dare you imply that,” Cara seethed.
“Then tell me who the father is.”
Cara massaged her stomach again as if to protect the baby inside. “Mason—”
“Just tell me the truth,” he said on a pained breath. “Is it mine?”
A long heartbeat passed, then she whispered, “Yes.”
* * *
R ELIEF AND PANIC WARRED inside Cara. As emotions played across Mason’s face, she held her breath, unsure whether to expect his temper to explode or for him to shut down completely.
She saw remnants of both, yet a tenderness flashed in his eyes as he laid a hand on her stomach that made tears well in her eyes.
He swallowed twice before he spoke. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Cara averted her gaze, struggling with the memory of how hurt she’d been when he’d left her. “Because you were gone,” she said quietly.
“There are telephones,” Mason said, a trace of bitterness creeping into his voice.
Cara stiffened. “You made it very clear that you didn’t want a relationship,” she said. “That you thought mixed marriages didn’t work. Granted, I think that’s archaic, but it’s exactly what you said to me. So what was I supposed to do?” Her own anger shimmied to the surface. “If you didn’t want me, why would I think you’d want a child with me?”
He released a heavy sigh. But pain underscored the anger now, making her chest clench.
“I told you how I grew up,” he said. “You don’t know the half of it, the prejudice, what the kids did to me.”
“That was a long time ago,” Cara argued. “And I’m sorry for what happened to you, but times have changed.”
“Have they?” Mason barked.
Cara’s strength rallied. “This is the reason I didn’t tell you. That, and I didn’t want you to think I was trying to trap you.”
“No, you didn’t even try to convince me to stay.”
Cara gasped as her pride kicked in. “You wanted me to beg you not to leave me? That’s not my style.”
“No, you’re independent, aren’t you? You don’t need a man.”
“No, I don’t,” Cara said, furious. “I’ve managed on my own most of my life, and I will continue to do so.”
She gestured toward the steering wheel. “Now why don’t you drive me to the clinic so I can check those records, then we can go our separate ways for tonight.”
And maybe forever.
He could finish the investigation without her.
A dark chuckle reverberated from his chest. “For tonight, maybe,” Mason said. “But you’re crazy if you think this is over, Cara.” He gestured toward her stomach. “That baby is mine, and if he or she is in danger—” He
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