“You didn’t say anything.” Was that a trace of accusatory petulance in her voice?
“Neither did you,” he pointed out. His thumb brushed away the tears that now spilled freely over her cheek. “Come on, let’s go inside.”
Maggie let him lead her into the house, numbly crouching down to greet George.
“Michael –“
“Sssshhh. It’s okay, Maggie. It’s been a long day, and you need to relax. We’ll talk later.”
With a hand upon her lower back, Michael guided her upstairs, where he ran a warm bath for her. He undressed her, then waited until she was safely ensconced in the tub. Leaving her to soak and unwind a bit, he went back downstairs to let George out, feed him the leftovers they’d brought back for him, and close up the house for the night. Only once she was properly dried and tucked into bed beside him did he allow her to bring up the subject again.
*
“Michael,” she said as he moved to the other side of the bed and began to remove his clothes. She forced herself not to look at him, knowing she would lose her courage if she did. The mere sight of his hard, muscled body practically sent her mind into shutdown mode as her body prepared itself for him in hopeful anticipation. As it was, just knowing he was there, knowing what he was doing, was hard enough.
“Is that why you want to marry me? Because I’m pregnant?”
Michael lifted up the sheets and slid in beside her, his arms immediately reaching for her, pulling her close. “It’s one of a thousand reasons, Maggie,” he said in that gentle, thoughtful way he had. “I would be lying if I said I didn’t want our child to carry my name. Or his mother, for that matter. But it’s not the primary reason. I’ve known from the first night we met that you were the one I’ve been looking for, Maggie. The only woman I dream of spending the rest of my life with, of growing old with. And I would have asked you to marry me whether you were pregnant or not.”
She settled against his chest, her body melting into his as she inhaled his clean, male scent. She had barely slept while she was away. Now she realized it was because the pillows hadn’t had his scent. She wondered if he knew that he had left behind one of his shirts several months ago, that she kept it tucked safely beneath her pillow. That she buried her face in it and cried countless times when she thought she had lost him forever.
Now he was telling her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Dare she even hope? “You’re not upset with me?”
Michael ran one hand lazily up and down her back, closing his eyes. “Upset with you? Your warm, naked body is against mine. You are in my arms, where you belong. And my child is growing inside you. The only thing that could possibly make me happier is if you agree to marry me.”
She picked her head up, gazing at him doubtfully. Michael was a wonderful man, but even he had his limits. “But I didn’t tell you.”
Michael opened one eye, continuing the tender strokes from her shoulders to her hips. It felt so good she arched into it, needing, wanting more. Now she understood why George liked being petted so much. “You would have,” he said confidently. “You’ve been trying to tell me for a while now, haven’t you?”
Maggie laid her cheek back against his chest, muttering. “You could have told me, saved me a little anxiety.”
Had she still been looking, she would have seen the slight quirk to his lips. “Consider it penance for not trusting me enough to tell me.”
“It wasn’t a matter of trust, Michael,” she said quietly. “I didn’t realize I was pregnant until a few days after you’d left. I thought maybe I was late because of the surgery, but then it still didn’t come, so I bought one of those tests ...”
Michael closed his eyes again. “You could have called me, Maggie.”
Should she tell him how many times her hand had been on the phone? How many times she had dialed the number at the Pub, only to hang up after the first ring?
“I was afraid to. Afraid of what you might say. Of what you might want me to do.” The slight tremor in her voice was unmistakable. “Because no matter what the tests say, Michael, I want this baby.”
Michael stiffened, and a decided chill surrounded her. “You think I would be capable of that?” he asked, his voice rough. “That I could ever suggest such a thing?”
“Not under normal circumstances, no,” she said quietly.
“Not under any circumstances.”
“But I had the surgery, the anesthetic. What if it hurt the baby?”
“Then we would have dealt with it, Maggie. You and I. Together.” He stroked her hair, kissed the top of her head. “But if it makes you feel any better, the hospital always performs a pregnancy test before any procedure as a standard practice. It doesn’t eliminate the risk, but it does reduce the possibility of harmful side effects.”