Page 254 of Mountain Men Heroes

Mac moved until he stood behind me at the window. “Gabriella, is there something wrong? The look in your eyes...” He tilted my chin to where our gazes met. “You look so lost, baby. What’s wrong?”

His voice sounded worried and perplexed like he was trying to figure something out but couldn’t quite get the last piece of the puzzle to fit.

I turned my head to look at him. “I am. Lost that is.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “How so?”

I nodded and turned to stare out the window, wishing I could be out there, running through the peaceful forest. Or really, anywhere that wasn’t here, about to deliver some life-changing news to a man I barely knew.

I pulled in a shuddering breath and turned to face him. He stared down at me, concern and confusion clear in his expression.

“My doctor…” How did I say this? “The last few months I’ve noticed changes with my body. I got scared and my best friend made me see a doctor. That’s why I’m really here. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to lie. I was just scared you would turn me away.”

He held his hands out in front of him. “Beautiful, I swear, if there’s anything I can do to help. Just tell me.”

He stepped into me, his face relaxing, leaving only the concern there. “Please trust me.” He offered a grin and it melted my heart that he cared so much for someone he barely knew.

I bit down hard on my lower lip and held his stare. “She did two tests on me which came back positive and then an ultrasound.”

His grin slowly disappeared as understanding dawned.

His gaze darted to my belly. “Are you…do you think you’re pregnant?”

I nodded slowly.

“But how did you…we used condoms? Are you sure?”

“As I said, I saw a doctor. I didn’t believe her at first either. Especially since I hadn’t been with anyone since the night you and I were together. Finding out three months later that I’m carrying your baby came as a shock to me, believe me. You’d think by the second month I would know something was up, but not me.” I rested my forehead against the cool glass.

“Three months?” His eyes dipped to the curve of my stomach.

“Almost four now.”

The slightly rounded middle hardly offered proof of a real baby bump.

I could almost see the thoughts tumbling through his head, going round and round like clothes in the dryer. His gaze moved over the room, but I don’t think he saw anything.

Then his brown eyes shot to me with laser focus. “And you’re positive.”

I nodded. “Saw the little one inside me on a screen and everything.” I reached for his hands and took comfort that he didn’t pull away.

“Mac, I swear, I haven’t been with anyone else. You were the only one since my last boyfriend. And she did an ultrasound that showed I was about three months along at the time.” I shrugged and folded my hands protectively over my stomach. “I would have tried to contact you to let you know no matter what. But I didn’t think this was the kind of information that should be delivered over the phone.” My voice trailed off and I hugged my arms around my middle, protecting my baby and myself before I stated in a voice so small I almost didn’t recognize it as my own, “I didn’t know what else to do.”

Most of the time I spoke, I kept my gaze in the vicinity of Mac’s neck. When I finished my explanation, I summoned all my courage and finally managed to raise my eyes to meet his.

And the emotion in his dark eyes stole my breath. His look was so fierce it felt like he could reach into my soul and know anything he wanted.

He reached out and gripped the back of a chair. Following the movement of his hand, I watched as his knuckles turned white and the upholstery bunched in his fist.

I returned my gaze to his face and waited for him to say something. Anything. A lump formed in my throat and I could feel the hot prickle of tears stinging behind my eyes. I clenched my jaw, determined not to let them fall, not to give away even one more hint of the vulnerability I felt right this moment.

“Look, I have to get to my meeting.”

I blinked. Of all the things I expected to hear when I made my little announcement, that he had a meeting to attend was not high on my list. And the clipped monotone added an extra layer of doubt to my already fragile strength.

I searched his face, but at the moment I’d looked away, he’d managed to shove all signs of emotion behind a blank mask. This was the face I remembered from the first night I met him. All tough, emotionless soldier.

That night I’d reveled in being able to bring out a smile or coax a chuckle from him. I could only imagine what he’d been through that left him so hard to reach.