From This Moment by Sean D. Young Page B

“No.”
    He immediately regretted his question. “I’m sorry, Ivy, I didn’t mean to sound so insensitive.”
    She stared silently, trying to figure out if he was trying to cheer her up or if he was making fun of her.
    Jonathan lifted Ivy’s right hand. “Seriously, I’m sorry, baby, for asking that question. Go on and tell me the rest.”
    “The guy is Lauren Kabins’ fiancé.”
    Jonathan’s eyes widened. “Really? Didn’t you know that this fellow . . .” He snapped his fingers. “What’s his name?”
    “Randall.”
    “Yeah, Randall. Didn’t you know that he was Lauren’s fiancé when you met her?”
    “We were moving so quickly with the wedding plans, that I only asked her his name yesterday,” Ivy said.
    The waitress came back. “Are we ready to order, sir?”
    “You know what? I don’t think we are going to order anything right now. If we decide, I’ll call for you.”
    The waitress nodded and left them.
    Jonathan turned back to Ivy. “Let me get this straight. You dated Randall, who is Lauren Kabins’ man.”
    Ivy nodded.
    “Is that why you were so upset? He showed up at your place marrying someone else?”
    Ivy punched him in the arm. “No, no, no. He came back this morning accusing me of something that I didn’t do . . . I’d never do.”
    Jonathan sprang to his feet.
    “What are you doing?” Ivy wanted to know why he was getting up.
    Grabbing his coat, he said, “I think we should go someplace a little more private to discuss this.” He retrieved his wallet and, removing several bills, tossed them on the table.
    He picked up her coat and assisted her into it when she stood.
    Wrapping his arm around her, he whispered in her ear, “Do you want to go back to your place or mine?”
    Ivy frowned at him.
    “We would only go there to talk. I just think you need to tell me in private.”
    Buttoning her coat, she said, “We can go to your place.”

Chapter 10
    Both Ivy and Jonathan were quiet on the drive back to Taylor. He wondered what was going through Ivy’s head. Whatever she was going to tell him about Randall, it must have been something awful to make her so sad.
    When Jonathan pulled up to his apartment, he turned off the motor and turned in his seat toward Ivy.
    “Are you ready to go inside?”
    “I really think I’ll feel better once I get this off my chest,” she said, unbuckling her seat belt.
    Jonathan came around and opened the door for her. She followed him into the building and to the elevator.
    Once they were inside his apartment, Jonathan helped her out of her coat. He pulled off his coat and hung them both in the closet.
    Taking her elbow, he guided her into the great room. “Take off your shoes and relax. Let’s get comfortable so we can talk.” Jonathan walked toward the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink? Water, tea, wine?”
    Ivy took a seat on the leather sofa. “No, I don’t want anything right now.”
    Jonathan came back and sat down beside her. He didn’t sit very close to her because he wanted her to know that he truly was interested in what she had to say.
    “Okay, now, finish telling me about Randall coming to see you.”
    Ivy clasped her hands in her lap, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t really know where to start.
    “Well . . . well, I was pregnant . . . once.”
    A cloud of confusion covered Jonathan’s face. He was silent for a moment and then he moved closer to Ivy.
    “Pregnant? By whom, Randall?”
    Ivy nodded.
    Jonathan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What happened to the baby?” So many thoughts swirled in his head.
    “Randall wanted me to get rid of it, but I miscarried.” Tears welled up in her eyes.
    “That son of a . . .” Jonathan stopped himself before he’d gone too far. Randall had a lot of nerve asking her to do something like that.
    “When he came into my office today, he actually accused me of getting rid of it.”
    “He didn’t know that you’d miscarried?” Jonathan