Free What If I'm Pregnant...? by Carla Cassidy

relationship with any man. She would have her baby and her work, and that was enough for her.
    Besides, as far as she was concerned, Tanner wasauthoritarian, judgmental and self-righteous. She finished her bagel and coffee and decided to open the shop early. It was the Friday before Mother’s Day and she was expecting a lot of traffic both today and tomorrow.
    She opened the shop, then took a seat behind the cash register, noting with a frown that the morning was gray and held the threat of rain. She hoped the pall of the day wouldn’t keep shoppers away.
    By the time Gina came in at noon, lightning slashed across the city sky and thunder rumbled overhead. “It looks like it’s really going to come down any minute,” Gina exclaimed as she came through the door.
    â€œHopefully it will blow over quickly,” Colette replied. No customers were in the store at the moment, and she was grateful Gina had appeared alone.
    Gina stashed her purse beneath the counter, then eyed Colette curiously. “You were already in bed last night when we got back from dinner so I haven’t had a chance to talk to you.”
    â€œSo, where did you eat?” Colette asked curiously.
    â€œAt the Italian Gardens. The food was wonderful, but the company stank.” She eyed Colette curiously. “I don’t know what happened between you and Tanner when he walked you home last night, but he was a grouchy bear for the rest of the evening.”
    Colette decided she must secretly be a bad person, because the thought that she’d managed to make Tanner cranky somehow pleased her. “Did he give upthe battle for your soul and go back home?” she asked.
    Gina laughed dryly. “Tanner doesn’t give up that easily.” Her laughter died and she frowned thoughtfully. “I hate to see him so upset with me. He gave up his whole life to raise me, and I feel like I’m somehow betraying him by not doing what he wants me to do.”
    â€œI’m sure Tanner didn’t take on the job of raising you believing that you would be indebted to him to the point where you would sacrifice your sense of self and all your personal dreams.”
    â€œI know.” Gina sighed miserably. “I just feel so guilty about wanting things other than what he wants for me. I know he truly believes what he wants for me is best, and I don’t know how to make him understand that his dreams and mine are different.”
    â€œHave you tried just sitting down and rationally explaining it to him?” Colette asked.
    â€œThere is no rational conversation between me and Tanner when it comes to this issue,” she exclaimed. “I thought maybe you could talk some sense into him, make him understand that it’s time he lets me find my own way.”
    â€œOh, no.” Colette held up both her hands. “There’s no way I’m going to try to talk your brother into anything. Besides, he wouldn’t listen to me. He doesn’t even like me.”
    Gina laughed. “Whatever gave you that idea?”She gazed slyly at Colette. “He likes you all right. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I’ve never seen him look at any other woman like that.”
    â€œThen I think you must need glasses,” Colette replied, her cheeks warming with the heat of a blush.
    Their conversation was interrupted by a handful of women rushing in to escape the rain that had just begun to fall. The afternoon flew by, and Colette was irritated to discover that even though Tanner wasn’t anywhere in the store, she couldn’t get him out of her mind.
    She wanted to ask Gina where he was, what he might be doing, but she knew it was none of her business and she certainly didn’t want to give Gina the impression that she cared.
    She didn’t care. He meant nothing to her. Except that she’d loved the feel of his strong arms around her. Except that she’d loved the way his lips had taken