Free Full Circle by Jennifer Simpkins, Peri Elizabeth Scott Page B

would.
    Mia hugged him at the door, so much smaller than him, and he hugged her back. It appeared all was forgiven, but he knew she hadn’t given up on him and Ellie. Well, once he left she would have to turn her efforts elsewhere.
    “See you tomorrow?”
    “For sure.” He strode back to the car and climbed into the driver’s seat, cranking the engine over with more force than necessary. Ellie’s face haunted him and he argued with himself for a few minutes, staring out the windshield. Screw it.
    It took very little time to make it back to her place. All the windows were darkened except for the one nearest the front door, and he realized Mia had left the light burning when they had made their precipitous exit. He parked in the only available space, locking up and second guessing himself the entire time, before making his way to once again pound on Ellie’s front door.
    After an eternity he heard her voice. “Who is it?”
    “Heath.”
    Another eternity passed, and he speculated Ellie was leaning on the other side of the wooden panels, either planning to ignore him or finding words to send him away. Abruptly, the door flew open and she stood framed against a poster size map of Seaside, clad in the same shirt from earlier and a light pair of pajama bottoms with penguins imprinted on them.
    Heath tore his eyes away from the ludicrous black and white birds and made himself meet her eyes. They were red and swollen in a face surrounded by a tangle of brown hair hanging haphazardly over her shoulders. He kept from reaching out to pull her into his arms, to comfort her, with every ounce of willpower he possessed. “Can we talk?”
    “About what?”
    “Mia thinks I owe you an explanation.”
    “Oh, for God’s sake.” Ellie shoved hair off her face and gave him a look he could only describe as scathing. “Mia being up in my business has nothing to do with you.”
    True enough, except his sister thought he was a better man than he knew himself to be. Heath took a breath and willed his heartrate to slow. Was this worth it? Worth having what was bound to be a horrible conversation? “Can I come in?”
    “No. Say your piece and then go. It’ll make Mia happy and you can head back to Chicago with your head up your ass like the last time.”
    What the hell? Who was the injured party here anyhow? “What happened to the baby?”
    “Excuse me?” Ellie’s pretty face screwed up in a puzzled frown, and her head tilted to one side. “What baby?”
    “You sure you want to do this on the doorstep?” Heath gestured around to the neighboring homes. If Ellie was going to play the innocent he was going to push her, and there were bound to be raised voices.
    “Heath, I have no idea what you are talking about.” This time she spoke with exaggerated patience as though he was slightly off in the head. What a fine little actress.
    “The baby. Your baby. The one you planned to pass off as mine. I knew about it.”
    Those amazing whiskey colored eyes widened, tear clumped lashes touching her eyebrows, and Ellie’s mouth actually dropped open to display her pink tongue and even white teeth.
    Heath refused to keep looking at her lips and waited for a response after the impressive display of confusion and shock. How was she going to lie her way out of it? Save her dignity.
    She made a little sound of consternation and then her face cleared, delectably full lips closing—then opening again. “I was never pregnant, Heath.” Her voice was quiet but certain.
    “Ellie. I saw the letter from the doctor’s office.” He heard the scorn in his voice and she actually flinched.
    Shaking her head, she repeated herself. “Never pregnant.”
    “Then why was your name on the letter from the doctor?” He couldn’t help it. He nearly yelled the question. He saw the epiphany before she spoke it, written large on her expressive features before it was wiped away with something far less palatable. Her eyes darkened and her lips curled. “I can