Newborn Needs a Dad / His Motherless Little Twins by Dianne Drake Page A

only begged more questions. Which she wouldn’t ask, even though she desperately wanted to know more for her son. And for herself, since she was the one standing in the middle of the unhappy dynamic.
    Lunch was pretty quiet after that. Some general chat about the hospital. Neil going back to his traditional way of eating—main food first, no spontaneity. Gabby filling up after two cinnamon rolls, no room left for salad. Throughout the whole muted ordeal, Gabby couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in Neil’s relationship with his brother that hadn’t been resolved even with Gavin’s death. She couldn’t imagine that it was old childhood resentment left over after so many years. But, like Neil, she ate in silence.
    After she’d had all the food she could hold, Gabby put the leftovers in the fridge, then faced Neil across the kitchen counter. “I’m going back to work with you.”Staying cooped up here, alone, only made her think, and she didn’t want to. At least, not about the things she needed to.
    “Fine,” he said, no argument.
    She’d expected an argument. “That’s all you have to say about it?”
    A small smile finally crept back to his face, but not as far as his eyes. They were still troubled, distant. Still reflecting on sad memories. “Because I’m not in the mood for an argument, and if I said no, you’d argue. But you know what’s best, know what you feel like doing, so I trust you in this. If you feel like working, work. Eric’s still not feeling well, and I’m sure he’d appreciate you taking back your afternoon patients so he won’t have to be quite so busy.”
    A cold breeze cut through their conversation. She could feel it, and it had everything to do with the father of the baby she was carrying. So, for now, her real question was answered. No, she wouldn’t tell Neil. It was a short-term solution, but it worked for the time being.
    It didn’t make her feel any better keeping it to herself, though, because Neil had a right to know. But the question was, would he want to know?
    “Time will tell,” she whispered to Bryce a few moments later, as Neil waited at the front door while she stood at the hall closet, slipping into her jacket. Yes, time would definitely tell.
    The rest of the afternoon passed into oblivion, as did the evening, as did the week. She worked, she avoided Neil as best she could. And she bought baby clothes. Stacks and stacks of them. Plus she made a point of eating at a different restaurant every day…places where she didn’t expect to find Neil. But he was always on her mind, always a guilt that weighed heavily.
    And even after seven days of knowing what she knew, she still didn’t know how to deal with it. “Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual,” she told Bryce one night as she was settling into bed. “And your mother just isn’t very good at figuring out how all the pieces fit.”
    She wasn’t expecting an answer, but she got one anyway, in the form of a phone call from Neil.
    “Are we having problems?” he asked.
    “No, why?”
    “You seem to be avoiding me.”
    “Not avoiding you. I’ve been busy. And resting when I’m not.” True. But also a great big avoidance.
    “And you’re feeling good?”
    “No complaints.” The conversation was so stilted, so cold she could almost see the frost on the phone.
    “Want to have dinner Friday night? I’m on back-up call, but I don’t have to be at the hospital. And I have something interesting I’d like to talk to you about.”
    “Neil, I just…just don’t know.” She settled back into her pillows and sighed heavily. “I just don’t get involved in…in personal situations. And right now I’m more in the mood to just be alone.” That was true.
    “So we do have a problem.”
    “It’s not a problem. It’s just that…” Why not just tell him? Accept the invitation, and get it over with. That way, she’d know if she had a future here, or if she didn’t. “Look, let’s