Free The Pregnancy Plan by Brenda Harlen Page A

of a lot more than I should have at that age, and it terrified me.”
    “Obviously you got over it.”
    “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But that’s the real bitch of it—because I never did.”
    “You married another woman. Had a child with another woman.” Her voice hitched, and she hated him for it. Hated him for the pain she felt every time she thought about the baby he’d given to someone else.
    Cam lowered himself into the chair that Paige had vacated. “I married Danica because I thought we wanted the same things. By the time I realized I was wrong, it was too late. We were married, she was pregnant, and even knowing our marriage was a mistake, I wouldn’t wish it away for anything in the world because I got Maddie out of it.”
    Ashley looked away. “It’s ironic, isn’t it? All I ever wanted was to get married and have a family, and you ran as far and as fast as you could from me because you weren’t ready to make that kind of commitment.”
    “Twelve years ago, I wasn’t ready,” he agreed, then smiled wryly. “There are still days that I’m not ready, but Madeline doesn’t really give me a choice in the matter.”
    Ashley didn’t smile back, but she did ask, “So how did you end up with custody?”
    Cam realized he should have been prepared for the question; Ashley certainly wasn’t the first person to ask it. Because although the courts no longer awarded custody to mothers as a matter of course and shared custody arrangements were increasingly popular, it was still somewhat unusual for a father to be granted primary care of a child.
    He’d always felt awkward explaining the situation, and he’d resented having to make excuses for what he’d believedfor so long was simply his ex-wife’s disinterest. He knew differently now, but he still didn’t know how to make anyone else understand without sharing secrets that weren’t his to share.
    “Staying with me offered Madeline more stability,” he finally responded to Ashley’s question. “Especially since Danica was already planning to move to London.”
    Ashley frowned as she sipped her wine. “And she was okay with that arrangement? She just moved to another continent and left her child behind?”
    “We agreed it was best for Maddie.”
    “Does Maddie see her very often?”
    “Not as often, or as consistently, as I’d like,” he admitted. “But she did spend the last month of her summer vacation in London with her.”
    “So why didn’t you mention your daughter to me the night you came over here?”
    “You mean the night I kissed you?”
    “I mean the night you brought pizza,” she clarified, as if the kiss was irrelevant.
    But he could tell by the color that infused her cheeks that it wasn’t irrelevant at all, and that she remembered that kiss as clearly as he did. And as much as he wanted to kiss her again, to prove that the attraction between them was still very relevant, his real purpose in coming here tonight had been to clear the air, not to cloud it further.
    “I should have,” he finally admitted. “But I don’t talk about Maddie very much when she’s gone. Not to anyone.”
    “Why not?”
    “Because talking about her makes me miss her even more.”
    She seemed startled by his response, but then she nodded. “I guess I can understand that.”
    “She’s the center of my world, the reason for everything I do.”
    “She’s a lucky girl.” Ashley’s voice had softened, taken onan almost wistful quality. “To have a father so committed to her best interests.”
    “Does that mean you forgive me?” he dared to ask.
    “It means I like your daughter—she’s a great kid.”
    “Her dad’s a pretty good guy, too.”
    “I’m reserving judgment on that,” she said, but the smile that curved her lips gave him hope.

Chapter Six
    O ver the next few weeks, Ashley crossed paths with Cam on a fairly regular basis. He came to school every Wednesday to pick up Maddie and when he did, he usually dropped in to