When The Lights Went Out...

by Judy Christenberry

  “It’s a long story, but I gave sperm to a sperm bank for a friend. When I called to have it destroyed, they told me they’d made a mistake and given my sperm to someone who worked here.”

  “Did you ask her?”

  “Yes. She told me absolutely no sperm bank was involved. Twice she told me. But it all fits.” Kane began pacing again.

  Pregnant? Jack stared into space, disturbed by this information, but he had no intention of abandoning his plans. Sharon was too important.

  She’d told him there was no man in the picture when they were in the elevator. Otherwise, he might not have—his thoughts froze. He stared at Kane. “How pregnant is she?” he demanded.

  “She told me she was about two months pregnant. You see, the time—”

  Jack stepped toward Kane, his hands clenched. “That’s not your baby!” he roared. “It’s mine!”

  “What? You’re having an affair with Sharon?” Kane asked, stepping toward him.

  “No! I’m not. I intend to marry her.” He liked saying that. The more he said it the more he believed it to be true. Then he remembered the baby.

  “But how can it be your baby any more than it is mine if you and she haven’t—you know, been together.”

  Jack felt his cheeks redden. “It was in the elevator.”

  It took Kane a few seconds to comprehend his remark. “You mean you—you’re kidding.”

  Jack straightened his shoulders. “No, I’m not.”

  “And you’ve been dating since?”

  Jack shook his head again. “No. I didn’t see her again until we met in your office. I didn’t even know her last name. It doesn’t matter. We’re marrying.”

  “Good. You should give your baby your name,” Kane said with righteous indignation.

  “You’re sure she’s pregnant? You’ve seen proof?”

  Kane stared at him. “You think I would ask one of my employees to show me proof of her pregnancy, rather than take her word? What’s the matter with you?”

  “I’ve been lied to before.” He and Kane had become friends, but not close enough for him to reveal all his secrets. “I married my first wife because she told me she was pregnant. She wasn’t.” He suddenly sat down, his legs weak as he took in the fact that Sharon was pregnant. Then he caught himself. He believed her? Without proof?

  He did.

  So when was she going to tell him?

  “Did she say what she was planning to do?” he asked.

  Kane sat down behind his desk. “When I asked her who the daddy was, she said she wouldn’t say. I asked her if she was going to tell him, and she said no, it wouldn’t change anything. There was no future there.”

  Cold shivered through him. She didn’t plan to tell him. So what was she going to do? Disappear?

  Something else occurred to him. “That’s why she keeps falling asleep, why she wouldn’t drink wine the other night.”

  “Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that.”

  There was a lot Jack hadn’t thought about. But he wasn’t disappointed. In fact, he was enchanted. He’d wanted his own family, not like his parents’ kind of family. So he’d accepted his first wife’s trickery and tried to create a family. He’d waited with incredible anticipation for the birth of his child.

  Then nothing.

  Now he could plan again. He could dream of the future, of his child. But it would be with a woman he loved, with a woman he could trust. With Sharon.

  He jumped to his feet. “I’ve got to find her.”

  “Wait a minute. What do you plan to do?”

  “I told you. I’m going to marry her!”

  “You won’t be able to do that today.”

  “No, but we’ll get things straightened out today. We’ll clear up all the misunderstandings.” He left the office, not willing to discuss his plans with Kane. He wanted to talk to Sharon.

  Sharon was in mourning.

  Now that she’d quit working on Jack’s job, she wouldn’t see him anymore. Except probably to explain why she’d broken their agreement. She felt badly about breaking her word.

  Not badly enough to keep to the bargain, however.

  Her body couldn’t handle the tension. Her heart couldn’t handle the pain.

  She’d called her mother to talk again about Evie’s decision. Her mother said, as Jack had, that Evie had to make her own choices. They might not agree with it, but it was her choice. And if Harry didn’t remain faithful, then Evie would learn a lesson of life.

  “How are you feeling, dear? Are you upset? You need to remain calm for the baby,” Edith said.

  “I know,” Sharon agreed with a sigh. “I hope this kid appreciates all the work it takes to be a mom.”

  Edith chuckled. “She probably won’t until she goes through her own pregnancy.”

  For the first time, Sharon thought about her mother and her pregnancies, not as her mother, but as a young woman going through the same experiences. “You’re right, Mom. Did I ever thank you?”

  “In a million ways, dear. You’re a wonderful daughter.”

  Another accountant came to her desk and she quickly ended the conversation and answered the pressing question he had. Then she tried to concentrate on her work.

  Almost impossible.

  She heard heavy footsteps hurrying down the hall and looked up. Why was whoever it was running? Nobody ever ran at Kane Haley, Inc.

  But Jack Waterton didn’t follow the rules. That much she did know. He came to a stop in front of her desk.

  “We have to talk.” His voice was rough, emotional, and she stared at him.

  “I know I broke our agreement, Jack, but after this morning, I felt you shouldn’t have to deal with my difficulties in your business. It’s better this way.” She’d practiced those words in her head. It was different saying them aloud, with Jack staring at her.

  “I agree.”

  That brief response shocked her. She shoved her chair back a little. Something was up. “Oh, good. Then we have nothing to talk about. I’ll make sure the transition is smooth and—”

  He slapped his hand down on her desk. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “Kane said he would let you know.” She was beginning to tremble inside, knowing something was wrong.

  “I think it should’ve come from you.”

  “Jack, I had to clear things through Kane first. It’s his company.”

  “This has nothing to do with him and you know it,” he growled, frustration in his voice.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Andy silently roll out of his office. Good, she could use the support.

  “Jack? Everything all right?” Andy asked, as if he and Jack were passing in the hall.

  “Stay out of this, Andy. It has nothing to do with you.”

  Sharon gasped. No one spoke to Andy like that. Not in the face of his constant good cheer.

  “Well, now, Jack, you’re in my department, talking to one of my employees. I think most would agree that circumstance would be my concern.”

  “Tell him, Sharon,” Jack ordered. “Tell him it’s not his business.”

  “You’re getting a good man in my place, Jack. You have nothing to complain about,” Sharon said, her voice stiff.

  “Damn it! I don’t care about accounting. I care about you and the baby. Tell Andy we’re talking about my baby. Tell him you’re having my baby.” Sharon figured she didn’t need to send out announcements. Jack had just taken care of notifying most of the building.

  Taking a deep breath, she stood, then bent to pick up her purse.

  “No, Jack, I can’t tell him that. Because I’m not having your baby.” Then she walked out of the office, leaving a stunned Jack staring after her.

  chapter twelve

  Sharon lay on her bed, the covers drawn around her. She’d managed to get home before she lost her breakfast. That event had left her shaky. She’d taken the phone off the hook, changed into sweats, and crawled under the covers.

  The shaking had f
inally stopped, but she couldn’t rest. She’d lied to Jack. At the time, she’d told herself her baby was hers and no one else’s. She felt that way. She wasn’t going to involve Jack in her life or her child’s.

  What was the point? If he married her because she was pregnant, he would leave. Marriage for the sake of the child sounded good in theory, but in reality there was nothing to hold two people together.

  She wasn’t going to have that kind of marriage.

  But she’d have to tell Jack she’d lied to him. Now that he knew about the baby, she’d have to be honest.

  And she wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. He would undeniably be angry.

  A sudden pounding on her front door left her shaking again. Jack. She didn’t have to ask who was there.

  Maybe if she stayed still, he would eventually go away. After several minutes of the pounding, she gave up on that theory. She crawled out of bed and made it to the door, holding on to the wall as she went.

  “Jack?” she called, hoping to end the thuds falling on the door.

  “Sharon? Open this door. We have to talk!”

  “Jack, I'm sorry. I—I lied. But I can’t—I can’t manage any more today.”

  Silence. Then his voice came again, not yelling this time. “Sharon? Are you all right? Did you get sick?”

  “Yes.”

  “Have you called the doctor?”

  “Jack, it’s because I’m pregnant. But I don’t feel well, and I’m worried—it’s not good for the baby.”

  “Let me in.”

  She rubbed her forehead. What could she do? She didn’t have the strength to fight him. Wearily, she unlocked the door and stepped back.

  Jack stood on the porch, staring at her. “You look terrible.”

  She put a hand over her mouth, pain filling her. She wasn’t even attractive to him anymore. Tears in her eyes, she turned away, half lurching toward her bedroom.

  “Is your mom at work?” he asked.

  She ignored his question and continued down the hall to her bed.

  Before she could reach it, he’d passed her and entered the room. “What are you doing?” she asked faintly.

  “Packing you a bag. You’re going to the hospital.”

  “No! I’ll be okay. I just need to rest.” She sank down on the bed, her head swirling. Jack ignored her, opening and closing drawers. He’d already found an overnight bag in the bottom of her closet.

  “Jack, I’m not going to the—”

  “Where are your nightgowns?”

  “In the second drawer, but—”

  He took out a nightgown and put it in the case, then closed it. Picking it up in one hand, he reached for Sharon with the other. “Come on, sweetheart.”

  “I just want to rest, Jack. I’ll be fine.”

  “Yes, you will, because I’m going to make sure of it. We’ll go by the emergency room and see what they think. Then I’ll take you home.”

  “But I’m already—Jack, please, just let me rest.” By that time, he had her at the front door. He opened it and told her to wait there. Then he hurried across the grass to his car and put the case in the back seat. After opening the passenger door, he came back and swung her into his arms. She grabbed his neck, her head spinning again.

  He tucked her into the car, circled it and slid behind the wheel, and they were off.

  “The nearest hospital is—”

  “Who’s your doctor?”

  She gave him the doctor’s name. As he drove, he used his cell phone.

  “No, I don’t want to have Dr. Norman call me. I’m in the car, driving my—Sharon Davies to the hospital. She’s been throwing up and is pale and shaky. I think she needs to be checked. Please tell the doctor we’ll be at the emergency room in about ten minutes. Tell her to meet us there.”

  Sharon’s eyes widened. She wouldn’t have dared speak to her doctor—or a nurse—in such tones. “Pregnant women throw up all the time,” Sharon whispered. “It’s no big deal.”

  “It’s not just that. You’ve had a lot of tension. That can’t be good for the baby,” he pointed out.

  Sharon’s hand cupped her stomach. “I—I tried to stay calm,” she whispered.

  “I’m not blaming you, sweetheart. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me, but it didn’t occur to me that—that what happened in the elevator could—that seemed such a different time, almost as if it never happened. It was magical. There were times when I wondered if I imagined it.”

  She closed her eyes and leaned back against the seat. She didn’t want to talk about those hours spent in each other’s arms. It had seemed a simple matter of life or death then. Things were a lot more complicated now.

  “Kane thought it was his baby,” he said.

  Her eyes popped open and she stared at him. “What? But we haven’t—”

  “I know. But it shook me up. He thought you went to a sperm bank.”

  “He kept asking me about sperm banks, but I told him I didn’t.”

  “I think it was the fact that you didn’t want to name the father, didn’t plan on marrying him.” Sharon said nothing. “Why didn’t you tell me? You know I’ll take care of you and the baby,” he said, hurt in his voice.

  “I don’t want any duty daddy, there because he has to be. It wouldn’t last long, and both the baby and I would be hurt. I’m making good money now. We’ll manage.”

  He pulled into the emergency room parking lot and parked. She didn’t think the trip was necessary, but she’d accepted that she was going to be examined to satisfy Jack’s concerns, so she got out of the car. Before she could even take a step, he appeared beside her and scooped her up into his arms again.

  “Jack, I can walk,” she protested, even as she put her arms around his neck.

  He just kept walking.

  From inside, someone saw them coming. Sharon supposed eleven in the morning wasn’t the busiest time for emergency rooms, because a male nurse came out the door pushing an empty wheelchair.

  “Good morning, sir. Put her right in here,” he said, gesturing to the wheelchair.

  Jack did so, and Sharon immediately felt bereft without his closeness. She scolded herself.

  They reached the nurses’ desk.

  “Your name?” a nurse asked her.

  “Sharon Davies.”

  “Where is your insurance card?”

  Sharon looked at Jack. “Did you get my purse?”

  He frowned at her. “No. I didn’t think of it.”

  “I don’t have it. Look, I don’t really need to be—”

  “I’ll get the information,” Jack snapped. “Where’s a phone?”

  With a sigh, the nurse shoved the phone on the counter toward him. “You can use this one while we take your wife in an examining room and get her settled. What’s the problem, dear?”

  “I’m about ten weeks pregnant and I’ve had a lot of stress. I vomited quite a bit and it left me shaky. He insisted I be checked,” Sharon explained, avoiding Jack’s gaze.

  The nurse sent Jack a superior smile. “Men. They always panic over the smallest things. But since you’re here, it won’t hurt to check.” And she wheeled Sharon away.

  “Andy?” Jack said as soon as the man answered the phone. “I’ve got Sharon here at the hospital, and I need her insurance information.”

  “Is she all right?” Andy demanded at once.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to alarm you. She’s been throwing up and looked like hell. I wanted her checked out.”

  “I’ll be there in five minutes and I’ll have all the information you’ll need.”

  “Thanks, Andy.”

  He hung up the phone just as the nurse came back to the desk alone.

  “Where is she?”

  “Behind curtain number five. But don’t upset her. We want her to stay calm.”

  “Right. A man in a wheelchair will be here in about five minutes. He’ll have all the information. When he’s finished with that, tell him where to find us.”

&nbs
p; “Now, Mr. Davies, we can’t let just anyone into the emergency rooms. Unless he’s family. Is he her father?”

  “No, but he’s the closest thing to a father she has. And he has a very calming effect on her. Let him in.”

  “Well. I know how to do my job, Mr. Davies. You’d better go join your wife.”

  Jack opened his mouth to say a few things, then shut it again before he had. If he told her who he was, she’d figure out he wasn’t Mr. Davies and he’d be left out in the lobby.

  “Five, you said?” he asked as he was walking away.

  “Yes.”

  When he found the draperies marked five, he cleared his throat. “Uh, Sharon?”

  “Yes?”

  Her voice was faint and he opened the curtains at once to find her in a hospital gown, tucked into a hospital bed. Her sweats were folded on the only chair. He stepped to the bed and kissed her lips briefly. Then he pushed back her hair, traced her cheek and caught her chin between his fingers.

  “You scared me.”

  “I didn’t mean to. Jack, we have to talk. I appreciate your concern—”

  He stopped her with a kiss. “That dragon nurse said not to upset you, or she’ll make me go away. We’re going to have plenty of time to talk. You need to rest right now.”

  “Did you get the insurance information?” she asked.

  “Andy’s getting it. He’ll be right over.”

  “Oh, he shouldn’t have to—”

  Another kiss. “Rest.”

  The curtain parted and Dr. Norman stepped into the small area. “Hello, there, Sharon. How are you?”

  “Oh, Dr. Norman, I’m sorry—”

  The doctor shushed her, picking up her wrist and taking her pulse. Then she listened to her heartbeat. “Let’s have you sit up and breathe deeply through your mouth,” she instructed.

  “I think everything’s all right except you’re overexcited and a little dehydrated. I’m going to set up an IV and I’d like to do an ultrasound, if you don’t mind. I can’t promise the insurance will completely cover the expense, but it will reassure us everything’s fine.”

  “Yes, please,” Jack said at once, not consulting Sharon.

  The doctor turned and looked at him. “And who might you be?”