Solitary Man(12)
Author: Carly Phillips

He clenched his jaw and she knew she hadn’t gone far enough to please him. Tough. Pleasing him wasn’t on today’s agenda. Taking her life one step at a time was.

“Like I said, Mr….”

“Manning,” he said.

“Mr. Manning. Paternity doesn’t give you the right to barge in here. Now either you leave, or…”

“No.”

At the sound of Nikki’s voice, both Kevin and the doctor turned. “Can you give us a minute?” Nikki asked the startled doctor.

“As long as you’re sure. You don’t have to talk to him.”

“I want to.” Relief and gratitude flickered for a brief second in Kevin’s gaze before the steely resolve returned.

Good, Nikki thought. She’d much rather deal with his obstinate side than any veneer of caring he chose to present in order to get his way. She wasn’t at risk of turning into a marshmallow when he was his take-charge self. As long as she wasn’t faced with the softer Kevin Manning she’d be okay.

“I’ll be back in five minutes,” the doctor said, in what seemed like a warning.

This behavior wasn’t like the Kevin she knew. Something must have triggered his anger—or fear, she thought glancing into his eyes. She knew Kevin would never hurt her, at least not intentionally, but this woman couldn’t know that. And Nikki wondered how many of the opposite situations the doctor saw every day. The thought saddened her.

Deep down, Kevin was a good man. Not the man for her, though. And that hurt even more. He’d take the obligation of a baby seriously, but he’d never let himself see her as more than his responsibility. She’d never be the woman he loved. She wondered if he’d ever had experience with the word. Recalling his mention of a drunken father, she had her doubts. But she couldn’t let them sway her because their connection was now iron-clad.

Her palm came to rest against her belly. She’d be dealing with him for years to come and if she didn’t assert herself now, she’d pay later. Just because she carried his child didn’t give him license to control her or the situation—no matter how strong the obligation he felt toward Tony or this baby. It was time the ex-cop learned Nikki was a big girl with a mind of her own.

“Five minutes,” the doctor said again, then turned and followed the receptionist out the door.

Nikki watched them leave, marshaling whatever reserved strength she could muster before dealing with Kevin. She sensed she would need it.

No sooner had the doctor’s white coat disappeared than Kevin slammed the door closed behind him. Nikki jumped at the unusually loud sound.

“What are you doing here, Kevin?” Knowing a strong offense was the best defense, Nikki didn’t give him a chance to strike first.

“I should think that would be obvious.”

“What’s obvious to me is that you’ve barged in on me in a private place in a private situation and acted like an arrogant man who believes he has rights where he really has none.”

Contrition flashed in his eyes. He was across the room in two long strides. “You scared me half to death. I show up at your door before nine expecting to find you home, and you’re not. I figured you were out cold on the floor and when I break in to check…”

“You broke in?”

“I thought you’d passed out, Nicole. I thought you needed help.” Did his voice shake or was it her imagination?

So she’d been right. Fear motivated his actions. Her heart did a crazy flip at the thought of Kevin’s concern. Caring was a possible start one that could lead to more, to love… couldn’t it? Her hand clutched around her stomach. “And you’re here now because…”

“Because I was hoping we could talk before you went ahead and aborted my child!”

Nikki sucked in an obviously startled breath. When Kevin had seen the clinic address in the phone book, he’d panicked. Not only for Nikki’s health, but also for the welfare of his baby. Although he’d made mistakes in the past he took this responsibility seriously. He was startled to realize he wanted this child.

“I know it’s your body and your choice,” Kevin said, forestalling any argument she might make. “But I helped create this new life and I deserve to be a part of any decisions you make… before they’re irreparable.”

Her eyes flashed brilliant sparks, but he couldn’t read what was going on in her head. “Please turn around.”

“I’m not walking out that door until we talk.”

“I agree. Now turn around and give me a chance to get decent,” she muttered.

Kevin forcibly pushed down the adrenaline that had been flowing since discovering the phone book on her counter, and focused on Nicole instead. Dark hair brushed her bare shoulders and she sat clutching a white sheet that threatened to fall. Beneath it she wasn’t dressed. He knew what curves lay under the draped sheet and knew what effect they’d had on him in the past. What effect they had on him now.

For the first time, he took in the private situation he’d intruded upon and cringed. He hadn’t given the circumstances a thought. He pivoted toward the door, giving her the respect he’d denied her before. And he waited.

The rustling sound of cotton shifting and gliding over her naked skin was pure torture and almost enough to make him forget he had anger and issues of his own.

“That’s a major conclusion you jumped to.” Her voice whispered close to his ear and a light hint of vanilla fragrance wafted in the air.

He turned. She’d come up behind him, still wearing the sheet, although now it was draped tight around her like a sarong. Her fingers gripped the edges, clutching onto the ends hard and fast.

“Do you blame me? You do realize you’re standing undressed in a Planned Parenthood examining room?”

Deep purple eyes gazed at him in dismay and disappointment. “Is that what you think of me? Forgetting the one night that created this baby? You were closer to my family than anyone else. You ignored football to listen to my hopes and dreams of being a teacher, of being a mother one day.”

Her voice caught and Kevin’s stomach lurched in response.

“You of all people know how many losses I’ve suffered in the past few years. Both my parents, my brother, and…” She halted without warning, but the tension was obvious in the set of her shoulders and the flush in her cheeks.

She was right, Kevin realized. In all his mulling over the angles of this situation, he’d never factored Nikki’s past into the equation. How could he think she’d willingly get rid of her own child? He’d kick himself if he could.