Sophia was pregnant.

Disbelief shook through him. Davis took in her large belly under her dress as she bent over, shaking. He managed to move his feet. Just not in time. “Sophia?

He didn’t know what else to say. This was not what he expected when he decided to spend Christmas holiday in Bernville.

His ex-fiancée was pregnant, almost due by the look of her.

Her pregnancy was an undeniable fact. He was going to be a father and she hadn’t thought to mention it. What kind of woman did that?

He did the math but promptly forgot all about the numbers as she staggered a little. He took her by the shoulders and steadied her, ignoring the rush of heat that shot through him as he touched her skin. Preferring, instead to give in to the rising anger and shock.

But she was sick and trembling, he needed to deal with that first, “Are you okay?

Am so sorry, it should have stopped by now, she groaned, but he couldn’t catch sight of her face as she searched her bag and brought out tissues and water.”They said it would stop by fourteen weeks…. they lied.”

After cleaning up she finally turned to look at him, she was imagining him. She had to be. Surely this was a hallucination, a symptom of late pregnancy. Except the man standing next to her looked exactly like Davis. Same short, wavy, light brown hair, same pale gray eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Sophia questioned, at the same time as he said, “When exactly were you going to tell me?

“Am spending the Christmas next door.”Davis eyebrows drew together as if his simple explanation was the most logical thing in the world. “Besides I should be the one asking you that question and a whole lot of questions also.

“I want an explanation.”

“Of this?” She ran her hand over her abdomen, contouring the baby bump in the layers of chiffon. Her hand rested there momentarily and she fixed her eyes on him. “come on, am sure you can work out how this happened after all you took part in it.”

His eyes flicked to her stomach and she thought she saw a softening… at least at the thought of the baby, “So it is mine?”

“You remember the last night we spent together, we made love without protection. Well this is the result of that night. Of course it’s your baby”

The secret she has been carrying, very obvious to everyone now had almost chocked her. And now he was here, forcing her to say words she didn’t want to say.

“You didn’t think to tell me I’m going to be a father?

“I tried many times, I didn’t even know until after a month in Alaska. Then I heard you moved to Arizona. So I decided carry my burden alone after all you left me alone.

His frown deepened, “I asked you to stay but you refused, I even offered to protect you from your step-father.”