The Moment of Truth

by Tara Taylor Quinn

  “Josh! I can’t possibly pack and move this week. I have classes. And twenty people coming to my house for Thanksgiving...”

  Small details, all of them. Little wrinkles, more like it.

  Thinking quickly, he said, “I’ll hire packers and movers. And the personal stuff you want to pack yourself, we’ll do together, tonight and tomorrow night if you’re free. That way we can get you moved in by Sunday and be ready for dinner next Thursday. Just think how much nicer it will be for everyone to gather around my bigger dining room table in that bigger dining room and leave the kitchen and your smaller table for serving the food.”

  “You want me to move by Sunday.”

  He did a quick calculation and told her how much money they’d save—even after hiring a couple of college kids and renting a truck.

  And hung up with her agreement and a smile on his face.

  * * *

  AFTER SPENDING THE ENTIRE hour of her one o’clock class forcing herself to concentrate on the words the professor was saying, Dana not only had a headache, she was a bit grouchy, too. She just didn’t care all that much that she was interrupting Josh’s work when she dialed his cell on the way to his place to let Little Guy out.

  Truth be known, she was angry with him. For not loving her.

  Or asking her to marry him.

  “Hi, what’s up?” he answered on the first ring.

  “We never decided when and how we were going to tell people about the baby.”

  “What do you want to do?”

  She’d been thinking about that. A lot. Pretty well the entire time she and Lillie had been sitting next to each other in the pet-therapy van to and from Phoenix the previous afternoon.

  She’d needed to confide in her new friend in the worst way. Lillie had known something was up. The concerned look in her eye as she’d asked three times if Dana was okay was proof of that.

  All three times Dana had opened her mouth to tell Lillie about the baby and the move, and then had stopped. Regardless of what her relationship was with Josh, or how much hurt he’d caused her, he was her baby’s father and should have a say in who knew what and when.

  “I’d like to tell everyone the same thing,” she said now. “I don’t want different stories going different places.”

  “I agree completely.”

  “That means your parents as well as mine.”

  He didn’t say anything, which bothered her—probably more so because she was upset with him. But, dammit, even if they weren’t going to be married, she had a right to know where he’d come from. “Your parents are going to be grandparents to my baby, Josh. They should know that. I have a right to let them know. And the baby, most particularly, has a right.”

  If it wasn’t about love, then it was about rights. At least for now.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “I gathered, since the one time you mentioned them it sounded like you and your father clash. But you said you’re close to your mother.”

  “My father and I aren’t actually speaking at the moment.”

  “Your choice or his?”

  “His.”

  He had issues relating to his past. He’d been honest about that fact. Just as he was honest about everything else, whether it hurt her feelings or not.

  Josh’s honesty was one of the things she loved about him. His honesty was allowing her to agree to this unusual plan of his, in spite of the tears she was trying so hard not to cry.

  “Can you fix it?”

  “Not now.”

  “But he still lives with your mother, right? They’re still married?” He’d mentioned his father’s philandering, but not a divorce.

  “Yes.”

  “Do you still talk to her?”

  He hesitated, and then said, “Yes.”

  “So tell her. She can tell your father.”

  He paused again for a long time, and she said, “Josh?”

  “Just what is it I’ll be telling them?”

  “That we’ve been seeing each other and while we’ve only known each other a short time it was immediately apparent to both of us that we were meant to be together.” She was good at fantasizing.

  “They won’t believe me if I say it like that.”

  “How would you say it?” She held her breath.

  “That, though we haven’t known each other long, I believe it is the right decision to make a life with you.”

  “That’s fine, too,” she allowed. “The guy version, I guess. We tell them that we’d already decided to buy a house together when we found out we were pregnant, and sped things up to accommodate the unexpected arrival. That we’re in shock, but looking forward to the future. And, most importantly, that we want this baby very much.”

  No kid of hers was ever going to catch wind from anyone that he or she was unwanted. Period.

  “My folks will find that hard to believe,” Josh said. “They know me.”

  “Then convince them, Josh. You’re great at that, as I’ve discovered. And this point is nonnegotiable. Either we convince everyone that this baby is wanted, or the deal’s off.”

  His pause was long—and painful—to her.

  “I will convince them that I want this baby,” he finally said.

  “Good.” Sitting in her car in his driveway, she looked down at the list she’d made—nothing that was ever going to rival his spreadsheets, but it was bulleted. And she was going to get through every item listed. He’d managed to waylay her too many times in the past couple of days.

  “So, do you mind if I start telling people now?”

  “No. The sooner, the better.”

  As eager as he appeared to be to get to the part where they’d be living together, she could be forgiven for taking hope now and then that he really did care about her.

  “Okay, fine. Do you want me to keep a list of who I tell, and report back to you so you’ll know?”

  “No, that won’t be necessary.”

  She’d said it in jest. To poke fun at his uptight attitude. To get him to chuckle again, as he’d done so often before they found out they’d made a baby together. She glanced back at her list.

  “Do you want us to do our laundry together? It will save wear and tear on the machine as well as utility costs.”

  “Okay.”

  “And grocery shopping?”

  “Yes.”

  “Fine. What time will you be at my place tonight to start packing?”

  “Are you cooking dinner?” His voice had lightened.

  “I can.” She had to eat.

  “What time should I be there?”

  “Five-thirty.” That would give her time to make a casserole, pick up some boxes and stop by the clinic to meet some new rescues. “And bring Little Guy with you,” she added to Josh.

  If Josh wanted business, she could give him business. Her years managing three furniture stores were finally paying off.

  And her years of living with the pain of Daniel’s rejection were paying off, too.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  “HEY, WHILE I’VE GOT the two of you here together, I wanted to let you know...” Dana’s throat dried up as both Cassie and Zack turned from the puppies they’d all been looking at to give her their full attention.

  She’d thought she’d start with them. They were business acquaintances, not personal friends, and she was anxious to tell them about the new kennels she’d soon have, as well.

  She had an idea—it was only in the beginning stages, but maybe, with their help, she could start a business of her own, a larger-scale Love To Go Around. Maybe they could get some federal funding. And could charge prospective families a small fee, just to keep up with administrative costs. She was bringing together her love of dogs and he
r business degree.

  But first things first.

  “Don’t tell me you’re quitting school,” Zack said.

  “You aren’t leaving Shelter Valley, are you?” Cassie looked just as stricken as Zack.

  “No, of course not. What gave you guys that idea?”

  “The expression on your face,” Cassie replied. “You look like you’re about to tell us you ran over a dog or something.”

  “To the contrary,” she said, feeling heat rise beneath her skin. “I’m going to be moving in with my boyfriend. He just bought a house and is having a set of kennels built for me in the backyard to house dogs for Love To Go Around.” This whole thing, lying about Josh loving her, admitting that she’d had unprotected sex with a man she’d only known a matter of weeks...

  And Cassie would know that because she’d been present when Josh and Dana first met.

  “Kennels?” Zack and Cassie chorused together, looking like kids at Christmastime.

  “That’s wonderful!” Cassie said. The two of them talked about logistics and ways they could assist Dana, making house calls to her backyard when necessary.

  The rest of it, growing Love To Go Around, could come with time. After the baby was born and she got her degree. If everything worked out.

  “That’s great news,” Zack said for about the fourth time. And Dana knew she was letting her window of opportunity slide by.

  “I have other news, as well.” She couldn’t look at Cassie. “I’m pregnant,” she said. “Josh and I are both really happy, excited about the future. We haven’t known each other that long, but...”

  “Josh?” Cassie said. The vet was probably doing the math right then, counting back to the day she’d brought Little Guy in to see her.

  “Josh Redmond?” The woman clarified.

  “Yes. I met him here, as a matter of fact.” When there was an elephant on the table, it was best to acknowledge it.

  “You and Josh Redmond are having a baby,” Cassie said one more time.

  At which point Dana looked her straight in the eye. “Yes.” If people were going to be judgmental, that was their problem. If they thought she wasn’t good enough for Josh, well, they weren’t going to know the truth about that.

  “He bought a house and you’re going to be living together.”

  Aware of Zack standing there, watching the byplay, Dana said, “Yes.”

  The grin that split Cassie’s face startled her so much she wasn’t prepared when the other woman reached out and hugged her. “Congratulations,” Cassie said, letting her go immediately. “I think that’s wonderful.” The woman was looking straight at her, smiling, so Dana couldn’t be reading her wrong. “If there’s anything I can do, anytime, you let me know. Here—” She pulled out a card and scribbled a number on it. “That’s my private cell. If you need anything, you call me.”

  Promising to do so, Dana made a quick retreat. She’d survived the first telling. And if everyone in Shelter Valley was so kind, she’d definitely moved to the right town—and found a new permanent home.

  She’d learn to live with Josh without being a recipient of his love. Just as she had with Daniel.

  And hopefully, as the pregnancy progressed, her appetite for sex would wane, as well.

  * * *

  HE NEEDED IT ALL LOCKED IN. The home. Dana in the home. And him there, too, watching over it all. He stayed at her place until she kicked him out Thursday night. They’d made some good progress, even with L.G. and Dana’s little ball of fur helping. He’d gone to work early on Friday and gotten the final stamp of approval on the first of many fund-raisers that were going to net the university the money to open a medical school on campus; this was the initial phase of a five-year goal. He’d given his landlord notice for the end of the month, although he didn’t plan to wait that long. As soon as the movers he’d hired had moved Dana into the house, they were heading straight to his rental to get him moved, too.

  He was also looking into veterinary programs in Arizona. Dana wanted to be a veterinarian. He needed to be prepared to help her become one. Their child would be three by the time she got her undergraduate degree. Ready for day care and self-sufficient enough for his or her mother to attend grad school.

  On Friday, he signed the minor paperwork required to buy a home when paying cash for it, took possession of the keys and was on his way to his rental place with the back of his SUV filled with empty moving boxes, telling himself he was going to be just fine.

  Pulling into his driveway, he noticed the new Ford F250 King Ranch parked in front of his house.

  Someone had paid a pretty price for the vehicle. He’d bet it handled as smoothly as his Mercedes.

  Sam Montford stepped out of the truck.

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” the older man said, walking up the driveway in broad daylight.

  “I thought we agreed you didn’t know me.” Josh couldn’t afford to play games. He’d closed on the house, and was about to get the Dana portion of the deal done. Now was not the time for complications.

  “That was before I knew that you’d fathered a child.” Sam was grinning.

  Dana had said she’d be telling the people in her life about the baby. He’d assumed she’d meant her family. And maybe a few of her friends.

  Cassie... He’d been so busy planning Dana’s life, he’d forgotten about Cassie. But anytime Dana mentioned her pet-therapy work she brought up Zack’s name.

  Dana had asked if he wanted a list....

  “Dana and I met, hit it off and were moving forward with our future together when we found out we were expecting the baby.” He scrambled to remember what he’d agreed to say. “I closed on our new house today and we move in this weekend. We both want the baby,” he said, feeling pretty confident that he got it right enough to suit her.

  And now he had to get rid of Sam.

  The older man wasn’t grinning anymore, but his gaze didn’t seem judgmental, either. “She’s a student at Montford, I understand.”

  “She is, but she’s only four years younger than I am.” He wasn’t knocking up teenagers.

  “And now she’s carrying a Montford.”

  Sam’s words hit him in the exact same place Dana’s had done when she’d told him he had to tell his parents about them. About the baby. He hadn’t yet done so, preferring to get Dana moved in first, but he understood what was going on. Sam was going to expose him. And, in so doing, blow the whole deal.

  Panic shot through him. Reminding him of the first few hours after he’d received the call about Michelle.

  There’d been nothing he could do. No amount of money or power were going to give him control over the situation.

  “If you tell her, you risk ruining at least three lives.”

  “I figured that you’d told her,” Sam said, frowning as he slid his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “I’m here to invite the two of you over for Sunday dinner.”

  He could feel the whole thing slipping away. If there’s trouble, stay calm and keep your eye on the win.

  His father’s words sprang to mind.

  “Dana knows me better than anyone has ever known me,” he said. “She knows plain-old Josh Redmond. That’s who I am now.”

  His gaze locked on Josh, Sam asked, “For how long?”

  Having the answers to every possible question that could be posed was the key to success. Josh didn’t have this answer.

  And before he could come up with one, Sam asked another. “How do you figure finding out that her child is heir to over a billion dollars would ruin Dana’s life?”

  Clearly Sam didn’t know Dana.

  “If she finds out that I’ve lied to her, she’ll have nothing to do with me. She’ll take that baby and make it on her own.” He was absolutely certain of that fact. “Believe m
e, the money won’t sway her. Dana’s not like any woman I’ve ever known.”

  “That child she’s carrying is a Montford. He or she has birthrights. And family, too, both here and in Boston, who are going to want to be a part of his or her life.”

  “And if Dana chooses, she can just move back to Indiana, put ‘father unknown’ on her child’s birth certificate and forget she ever knew any of us.”

  “She’s not going to do that.”

  Josh wasn’t sure enough about that to risk the chance.

  “Clearly you don’t know her like I do,” he said, and cringed at the weak response. “She’s going to turn her back on all of us if she finds out I’ve lied to her.”

  He was repeating himself. Which would tell any worthy opponent that Josh had already played his best card.

  “So what did you think you were going to do? Live your whole lives together without letting her know she’s married to one of the richest men on the East Coast?”

  They weren’t getting married, but Josh didn’t muddy waters with that detail. “I am no longer one of the richest men on the East Coast,” he said emphatically. “My money all goes into a trust that does not have my name on it.”

  Eyes narrowed, Sam seemed to ponder that one, and Josh breathed a little easier. “I’m living wholly off my salary here, and will continue to do so. We’ll build our own modest portfolio.”

  “You have family money. You’re the heir to your parents’ fortune. And you’re going to deny your child the right to the best of everything? The best schools? The best opportunities?”

  Dana hadn’t had the same opportunities he had and she’d come out far ahead of him.

  “I’m trying to do what’s best,” he said, developing an ache between his shoulder blades as he stood there.

  Was Sam right? Was he, by his own unwillingness to go back to the man he’d been, denying his son or daughter a better life?

  He pictured his mother, alone in the mansion on the hill in Boston. She was a good mother. In spite of the staff who’d been available to take care of Josh, his mother had always been a part of his daily life. She’d seen him off to school every morning and been there to welcome him home. He pictured her with a newborn baby in her arms....