“Jarrod said he wore protection,” he said, gauging her reaction.

Pain rippled across her face. Not the reaction he’d imagined. “And of course you believed him,” she said in a voice that sounded like she was dangerously close to tears.

“Are you saying he didn’t? Are you maintaining the baby is mine?” He’d had no idea how badly he wanted the baby to be his until now. His eyes pleaded with her to confirm it. To say that he was the father.

The indecipherable mask was back on her face again. “I don’t maintain anything,” she said, frost dripping from her voice.

Frustration hit him like a ton of bricks. She had shut herself off again and nothing was going to open her to him. He wanted to put his fist through the wall.

“I’m going out for a while,” he finally ground out. “I’ll bring back lunch.”

He turned and stalked out before he said things he’d only regret.

As he made his way to the underground garage where his BMW was parked, his cell phone rang, rudely intruding on his thoughts. “What?” he barked into the receiver.

“Ryan?” His mom’s voice bled through his dour mood.

“Sorry, Mom, didn’t mean to snap.” He opened the door and slid into the seat, settling back, not bothering to start the engine yet.

“Ryan, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Mom, just a busy day. What’s up?”

“I was hoping you and Jarrod would have dinner with me tomorrow night.”

Ryan closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers. There was no easy way to say this and his mom would know soon enough now that Jarrod had been over. Best she know now so she could get used to it. “Mom, you should know…Kelly is with me…and she’s pregnant.”

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end followed by thick silence. “I see,” she finally said. “I guess inviting Roberta is out of the question.”

Ryan blew out his breath at his mother’s snippy tone. Roberta Maxwell was a woman his mom had been shoving at him ever since Kelly had disappeared.

Though his mother had never come out and said I told you so, she didn’t have to. It was there as plain as if she’d hung a banner.

She’d never approved of Kelly. Never liked that Ryan was marrying her. She’d been polite, though. Ryan had demanded it of her. He wouldn’t allow any of his family to disrespect the woman he’d chosen to be his wife.

After what had happened with Jarrod and Kelly, he’d expected his mother to be more smug; but she’d been oddly sympathetic. The last thing he wanted at the moment, though, was to bring Kelly to an awkward dinner where his mom would sit with that pinched look on her face and Jarrod would say God knows what.

He’d wondered what would happen when the inevitable confrontation with Jarrod occurred. Now he knew, and it hadn’t gone at all as he’d imagined.