When Blackie arrived, he noted how pale she was and asked if she was sick again. Looking up at his sun-darkened face, Julie’s heart broke, because she truly did love this man, and she wished she could be with him the rest of her life. But the child they had created together made that very unlikely.

“I am feeling a little sick,” she confessed. And once she’d said that much, she saw no sense in waiting for a perfect moment to tell him the news. No matter how she delivered it, it was what it was. “When it first started three mornings ago, I thought it was the virus coming back and went straight to the doctor. Only it’s not a virus. I’m pregnant.”

“What?”

Julie braced her shoulders as if for a blow. “I’m sorry. Believe me when I say I didn’t intend for this to happen, but since it has and I can’t do anything to change it, I’m happy about it.”

“Julie, I’m too old to have a baby. I was honest with you from the very start about that. How could you have been so careless?”

Julie flinched as if she’d struck her. “Careless?”

A flush rose up his neck. “Yes, careless. Unless, of course, you did it intentionally. Is that it? I know you yearned to have children during your marriage. Did you decide to get pregnant with my baby on purpose?”

Insulted by his suspicions, she knotted her hands into tight fists. “Don’t be a complete ass, Blackie. Of course I didn’t do it on purpose! If you’ll recall my bout with the flu, I was unable to hold anything down for two days. The doctor says I undoubtedly vomited up at least one, if not two, birth control pills when I was so sick. And apparently one or two missed doses is all it takes sometimes. I never thought about that or the possible risks. I was just as shocked as you are when I found out.” She straightened her spine. “But now that I know, I won’t lie to you and say I’m sorry. I’m not. I’ll have this baby. If you think you can make this go away, you’re wrong. I won’t end this pregnancy even though it was an accident and is, in your mind, a disastrous mistake.” Julie flung her hand toward the archway that led to the front of her house. “Get out and take your small-minded insults with you.”

For a long moment, Blackie just stood and stared at her.

Wanting him out of her sight so she could burst into tears, which she refused to do in front of him, she screamed, “I said get out! And I mean now! My disastrous mistake and I will be better off without you!”

He took a halting step toward her. “Julie, calm down. It’s not good for you to get this upset.”

“Then stop upsetting me and get out! I won’t come after you for child support. You’re free of all responsibility. Now get out of my life!”