Her eyes dropped to her hands knotted in her lap. It was tempting, so very tempting. He was asking, not demanding, and for a moment she was transported back to their time together—to the wonderfully tender and caring Ryan she had been engaged to. Could she leave him again after spending a week with him? Because she had no future with a man who could so coldly discard their relationship over the word of another.

The silence stretched out between them as she grappled with the decision. Yes, she would do it. She wasn’t sure why. Nothing could come of it, but she wanted this time with him before she left to get on with her life. She nodded her assent and relief was stark in Ryan’s eyes. It was so easy to pretend he cared when he put on such a good act. But clearly he didn’t. If he had, they would still be together, married, awaiting the birth of their first child.

“We have to get you to the doctor this afternoon for a checkup. If he gives the thumbs-up we’ll fly out tomorrow, so it’s important you get plenty of rest today and tonight. Once we get there, the most strenuous thing you’ll have to do is walk from the hotel room to the beach.”

“I want separate rooms,” she said.

“I’ve reserved us a suite.”

She frowned but didn’t argue.

“You won’t regret this, Kell,” he said, reverting to his pet name for her. She had the strangest urge to weep. How had they gotten so far away from the plans they had made just months earlier?

“We can do this. We can work it out.”

She closed her eyes. The thing was, it was easy to be seduced by the intensity in those words. But going forward would be impossible until they’d addressed their past. And she never ever wanted to go back to that horrible day when her world had been so brutally upended.

* * *

The doctor was very approving of a week of rest and relaxation for Kelly and cautioned her to seek medical attention if the swelling got worse or she developed other symptoms.

Ryan had hung on to every word the doctor said and had acted just like a concerned husband and father. Instead of making her feel good, it depressed the hell out of her because it drew attention to the fact that their situation was hopeless.

When they arrived back at the apartment there were several department store bags stacked just inside the door. She eyed them curiously because they were decidedly feminine-looking, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was even a bag from a well-known lingerie store.

She glanced at Ryan, one eyebrow arched in question.

“Oh good, Jansen’s been by,” Ryan said as he walked over to the assortment of bags. “They’re for you. For our trip.” He gathered the handles and brought everything over to the couch, gesturing for her to have a look.