His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,19

to snitch on him?

“Shoot.” Putting the phone back in her purse, she shook her head.

There was another option. She could go on about her day and pretend she never saw the emails. Kai would return from his trip, she’d tell him about the pregnancy, and they’d moved forward. Maybe life would be even better, with them making a go of it and becoming a family.

Except she wouldn’t be happy in that situation. She would always know that the man she’d tied herself to had no problem duping others for his own gain.

So what? Should she just walk away from him? Tell him to never contact her again? Or should she tell him what she’d found?

There were too many questions, and she couldn’t stand to sit still, feeling sorry for herself. Snatching up her purse and art supplies bag, she left the apartment.

Thankfully, she had a pair of sunglasses in her purse. It wasn’t that sunny out, but this way no one on the subway could see the tears in her eyes.

By the time she reached her parents’ place, Diane still hadn’t decided what she would do.

No option seemed ideal. She could ask Kai about the emails, but she already knew there was no innocuous explanation. Either he would lie or tell her the truth and expect her to accept it.

“There she is!” her dad called out when she entered the apartment.

Diane forced a smile. “Hi.”

Instead of being at the kitchen table, her mom was sitting in the living room today, flipping through a home decorating magazine. She hardly ever read novels anymore. She’d pick the same one up and start it over several times before saying it wasn’t interesting. Diane suspected a part of her always knew she’d read that first chapter before.

“Diane, come out to the backyard a sec.” Her dad motioned for her to follow him.

“What’s in the backyard?” Ruby looked up from her magazine in interest.

“I want to show Diane the new chairs we got,” he said. “Be right back.”

In the small backyard, however, he didn’t so much as look at the new chairs around the glass table.

“So. About Florida.”

“I want to go with you,” Diane blurted out.

The words surprised both of them. He looked at her with his mouth ajar and she pressed her fingers to her lips, wondering where the decision had come from.

Then she realized it had been brewing the whole trip from Kai’s to Sunset Park.

It was perfect, really. She had so much in New York, but with a baby on the way and things falling apart with Kai, perhaps a move was exactly what she needed. A fresh start would invigorate her.

Plus, she’d be with her family. If she were to become a single parent, she’d need them more than ever.

Diane turned away and pretended to be occupied with straightening a chair cushion so that he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes.

“I think Florida sounds really nice,” she said. “What area are you thinking about?”

“The Gulf. You remember your cousin Jeanie? She has a house in this little town there. She loves it.”

“The Gulf sounds nice.” Satisfied that she would be able to keep the waterworks in check, she turned back to him.

“If you wanted to stay here, you know, the business is yours.”

It was impossible to ignore the bit of excitement that idea caused. Her own business! It would keep her busy, and provide more than enough to raise a kid in New York City.

But she knew the other choice was the right one. In Florida, she would be with family.

Once she finished Kai’s mural and collected the second half of the pay, she’d also have quite the nest egg. She would be able to move without worrying about money.

And that there was the main reason to keep her mouth shut about what she’d found at his place. If she reported him to the police and he was arrested, she’d never get that money.

Money was something she desperately needed. In between her mother’s health and the baby, uncertain times were ahead. The smartest thing to do was stockpile resources.

“Thank you for the offer.” She took a deep breath. “But I’m sure I want to go with you guys.”

“All right, then.” He beamed. “Looks like we have an adventure on our hands.”

“Yes.” She tried not to grimace. “We sure do.”

Chapter 9

Kai

The flight from London seemed to take twice as long as it usually did, with Kai on the edge of his seat the whole while. He’d taken his private jet for