Free Dr Di Angelo's Baby Bombshell by Janice Lynn Page A

because she wanted different things from life than he did, but the wantwas there all the same. It had definitely been front and center this morning, when he’d awakened holding her, wanting to do much more than that.
    â€œShe’s a lucky girl.”
    Mandy’s words had Blake’s gaze returning to the woman, but only for a second. He didn’t like how Nix had backed Darby against the widest tree Blake had ever seen, how his hand rested above her shoulder and he leaned in while talking to her.
    More than that, he hated how Darby looked at the man, with rosy color high on her cheeks. Had she forgotten she’d arrived with him? That they were supposed to be together?
    Pretending to be in love or not, no woman he arrived with was going to flirt with another man during their date. Hell, no.
    â€œExcuse me.”
    Without waiting for Mandy’s response, he went to interrupt Darby’s tête-à-tête with the past.
    Â 
    Darby leaned back against the wide base of the oldest oak tree in Armadillo Lake. The rough bark digging through her clothing, she regarded the man who’d once devastated her teenaged heart.
    â€œYou grew up to be one fine-looking woman.” Trey grinned at her, his green eyes twinkling just as they always had.
    He hadn’t gained fifty pounds, lost his sandy-blond hair, nor lost the good-looks that had won more hearts than just her naïve teenaged one. Other than the more pronounced crinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth, he looked like the same old Trey, sounded like the same old Trey. The onlything that had changed was that he didn’t elicit the same old heart-fluttering meltdown in her chest that he once had.
    She didn’t feel anything for him except anger that he’d treated her so shabbily all those years ago. Anger that burned her cheeks, made her curl her fingers into her palms to keep from slugging his grinning face.
    His grin was all wrong, and it didn’t reach his eyes—eyes that were the wrong color. His grin didn’t lift his laugh lines just so, didn’t make her want to smile back.
    Not like the man she’d awakened with this morning—the man who did put her fluttering heart into meltdown in ways Trey never had, not even during the heyday of her high school crush.
    Not like the man who was now chatting up Mandy. How could he?
    She smiled up at Trey with more enthusiasm than she felt. “Um, thanks.”
    â€œEveryone was wondering if you’d be here.” He rubbed his knuckles across her cheek.
    â€œThey were?” Nothing. He was touching her and nothing was happening. No flutters. No silly schoolgirl giggles in response to his attention. No desire to have him take her into his arms and kiss the fire out of her. No desire to hold his hand and talk long into the night. What was Blake talking with Mandy about? Why was Mandy smiling?
    â€œYeah.” He grinned again. “They were taking bets down at the Piggly Wiggly.”
    Heat flooding her cheeks, Darby’s gaze shot to Trey. She blinked. “Bets?”
    â€œOn whether or not you’d show. High school doesn’t exactly have good memories for you.”
    He’d played the star role in those bad memories. For years she’d carried a crush for him, had dreamed of him noticing her, and when he had his attention had merely been to get back at Mandy.
    â€œHigh school was a long time ago.” Just look how much smarter she was these days. Then again, considering who her heart pitter-pattered for these days, maybe she wasn’t nearly as smart as she’d like to think. “Besides—” she forced a smile to her face “—the reunion was an excuse to bring Blake home to meet my parents.”
    His eyes momentarily darkening, Trey’s grin kicked up a notch. “You could invite me to visit with your folks sometime. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them. Your Mom still the best cook in