She shook her head. “We wouldn’t have had that long together anyway. I’m headed for Brussels in January.” She looked at him closely. “I am still headed for Brussels, right?”

He nodded. “From what Thomas Ventner and Allen Taylor have said, you are by far the best person qualified for the position. I haven’t seen anything to contradict that.”

She turned back to the door. Suddenly she almost doubled over in pain. Her stomach was cramping. Please don’t let me be sick in Tanner’s office!

“What the hell?” Tanner dashed around his desk to get to Anna. She clutched her abdomen, almost bent in half. The pain was sharp, but already beginning to ease. She tried breathing again. She’d be mortified if she threw up over her new boss’s shoes.

“Are you in pain?” he asked the obvious.

“I need a rest room. I think I’m going to be sick again. I’m sorry!” So much for looking professional. With the way her luck was going, she’d infected him and he’d have the flu by the end of the week.

“Ellie,” Tanner said, opening the door. “Can you take Anna to a rest room?”

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Seeing Anna with her hand over her mouth, she swiftly put her arm around her shoulders. “We better hurry, right?”

Anna nodded.

Five minutes later Anna was splashing cool water on her face.

“You should go home,” Ellie said, patting her back.

“You’re right.”

“Call your doctor and see if he can recommend anything to ease the symptoms.”

Anna mumbled, “Nothing the doctor can do.”

“Have you eaten anything today?” Ellie asked.

“I had some soup for lunch. I felt better after that. Guess I was fooling myself.”

Anna hated all the fuss that was being made. All she wanted to do was slink away to her apartment, pull covers over her head and sleep the clock around. Instead she’d made a spectacle of himself in her new boss’s office. Even more, she was worried Tanner would hold this against her when considering making her head of the European division.

“Still, call your doctor. It can’t hurt,” Ellie suggested.

Anna nodded reluctantly. “First things first, though. I’m taking a cab home. And then I’ll call the doctor. But you know, the most he’ll tell me is to drink plenty of fluids and get a lot of rest.”

“You tried to do too much today,” Ellie said. “Don’t come in tomorrow unless you’re feeling fit again.”

“Now that’s something I can easily comply with.”

Within a half hour Anna was home. She gave her doctor a call, but as she suspected, he was already booked for the remainder of the day. The nurse agreed to squeeze her in early the next morning. And as Anna had predicted, the recommendation was to drink lots of fluids and get plenty of bed rest. Not a hardship. She put on her warmest nightie and made sure her cat, Mitzie, had fresh food and water then crawled into bed and pulled up the covers. In no time she was fast asleep.

The telephone woke her. It was dark. How long had she been asleep? Anna fumbled for the phone. “Hello?”

“What did your doctor say?” Tanner asked.

CHAPTER TWO

ANNA leaned back against the pillows and groaned. She didn’t want to talk to Tanner. It had been hard enough today to face him. Why was he calling? Would he do this with all employees?

“Just what I expected him to say, drink fluids and rest. What does your doctor say when you have the flu?”

“I rarely get the flu,” Tanner said.

It figured, she thought.

“I’m seeing him at nine o’clock in the morning,” she said. “He couldn’t see me earlier. And quite frankly I wanted to be in bed and not in the waiting room the way I felt this afternoon.”

“It’s after nine,” Tanner said. “Have you have dinner?”

She shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see. Actually she didn’t feel as bad as she had that morning. Maybe she was already getting better.

“I can heat a can of soup,” she said.

“I’ll bring a carton of soup from the deli near my place,” he said.

Her eyes opened wide. “You can’t come over here.”

“Why not?”

“Because…because, you’re now my boss.”

“It’s not a date, Anna, I just want to make sure you’re okay. A good leader makes sure his people are in fighting shape.”

“So are we fighting?” she asked, confused for a moment. She really wanted to slip back down and go back to sleep.

“No. I’m just bringing soup.”

“I’ll be fine. I don’t want to be entertaining guests.”

“You won’t be entertaining me, you’ll be eating the soup from the deli. You still like vegetable and beef?”

“You know it’s my favorite.” She cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. She was not trying to reinforce the relationship they had at one time. Anna held her breath waiting for his response.

He merely said, “I’ll be there within a half hour.”

Hanging up the phone, she gingerly got out of bed and went to use the bathroom. Then she brushed her hair, rinsed her mouth with mouthwash and tried to see if she looked better for having slept half the evening away.

She checked the living room to make sure it looked presentable and then continued into the kitchen to heat water for tea. Her fleece robe and fuzzy slippers kept her warm. She could hear the rain still falling outside. The thick robe was not the kind of attire she would have worn had Tanner been coming over for any other reason. That alone should clearly emphasize to him that she no longer considered them a couple. Not that he would think so. But she didn’t want any wrong impressions from this visit!

Still, she checked that she had on some lipgloss before he arrived. No point in looking as bad as she felt.

When the doorbell rang a short time later, she tried to calm her nerves as she went to open the door. Raindrops glistened in his hair and on the shoulders of his jacket. Tanner carried a large bag with the deli’s logo. The aroma of the hot soup immediately had her mouth watering. She took in a deep breath. Suddenly she was ravenous. She held out her hand for the bag.

“Thank you,” she said.

He pushed past her and walked into the apartment as if he had every right to be there. He had visited several times when they dated so he knew his way around. Without hesitation he headed for the kitchen. Anna followed him reluctantly. She paused in the doorway and watched as he swiftly poured the hot soup into a bowl and found a spoon. She gave up and went to sit at the table.

“Eat up,” he said a moment later, placing the bowl in front of her.

Anna took a taste. It was wonderful. Tanner waited until she began to eat, then rummaged around in the bag and withdrew some hot rolls. He took a plate down and put them beside her, along with a handful of wrapped butter pats.

Anna looked at him. “Did you eat?”

He nodded. Leaning his shoulder against the archway he watched her.

She became flustered. Glancing at him, she frowned. “Could you stop staring at me?”

He pushed away from the wall and came to sit beside her. Reaching out, he took one of the rolls, broke it open and buttered it.

Mitzie came in from the bedroom. She walked toward Tanner, her tail high.

“Hey, girl,” he said, noticing the cat. She showed no hesitation in coming over and rubbing herself against his ankles. He leaned over and scratched her back. The loud purr indicated her delight.

“I wanted to explain about us,” he said, still leaning over a little. He glanced at Anna.

She continued to eat. “It’s not necessary. I figured it out today when I saw you’re the new CEO. I have my own rules against dating fellow employees. You might have mentioned the reason at the time, however.” She wouldn’t tell him how hurt she’d been, how confused. She’d taken weeks to get over him. For one haunting moment that morning she feared she wasn’t over him. But she knew there was nothing to do but go on.

Her focus now was totally on relocating to Brussels. The brief affair they’d enjoyed was relegated to bittersweet memories. The story of her life.

“There was a lot of secrecy around the transition,” he said. “Both at the company I was leaving as well as at Drysdale Electronics.”

“I know how to keep my mouth closed about secrets,” she said stiffly.

“It wasn’t my secret to keep,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure you knew that it wasn’t because I didn’t enjoy being with you.”

Anna felt a little spurt of happiness in his words. She had wondered at the time if he had just tired of her. Or if that one night that had been so magical to her—hadn’t be so special for him. She’d been totally swept away by the love they’d shared. Had he not stopped calling her, would she have convinced herself things could be different this time? Maybe she could find a man to love, who would love her.

She frowned at her wayward thoughts and concentrated on eating. The soup was delicious and so far she didn’t feel queasy.

“Thank you for clearing up the situation,” she said.

He laughed. “I’ve missed that about you, the innate politeness. What have you been up to lately?” He settled back in his chair, watching her eat. Mitzie strolled over to the sofa and leaped up, soon settled with paws beneath her.

Anna looked at him suspiciously as she reached for a roll. Taking her time to butter it slowly, she glanced at him again. “Pretty much the same as I did before I met you. I go work, I go to the gym. Occasionally I hang out with friends. I don’t see you at the gym anymore.”

“Once I knew you worked at Drysdale, I stopped going. I’ll be starting up again now. Membership is part of my compensation package.” He waited a beat, then said, “No special man?”

She almost responded but thought about it for a moment, shaking her head. “That’s really not any of your business at this point is it?” she asked. It sounded better than the truth, that she hadn’t even thought about seeing another man after him.

“Ouch,” he said with a grimace. “No, it’s not, but I’m curious.”

She shrugged. “Thank you for bringing the soup. I’m feeling much better for eating it.” He’d delivered the soup, seen that she ate it. Would he leave now? She wasn’t sure she wanted him to, but his staying would only lead her to regret the way things were.

“You still see the doctor tomorrow?” he asked.

“Yes, boss.”

Tanner rose and leaned over Anna, resting one hand on the back of her chair and one on the table.

“Don’t come into work until you’re completely well. Call and tell me what the doctor says.”

Feeling trapped, she glared up at him. “Don’t get so close, you could get the flu.”

“I’ll chance it,” he said and closed the short distance between them until his lips brushed hers.

Tanner left the apartment building and plunged into the rain. He strode the two blocks to where he’d left his car, annoyed with himself for reacting so strongly to seeing Anna. She looked as pale as she had that morning. He was glad he’d thought to bring her something to eat. When a person felt bad, they often didn’t feel like preparing meals.

For a moment he remembered the good times they’d shared. He’d enjoyed her company more than he had anyone else in a long time. When he’d met her, it had been months since he’d been in a relationship with a woman. Jessica had been pushing for marriage, and after the disaster of his early marriage, that institution was the last thing he wanted. He’d broken it off with her last winter and concentrated on work.

Until he met Anna.

Most women followed a similar pattern—date, have fun, begin to talk about commitment and long-term. It was at that point he always cut the relationships.

But he and Anna had not reached that stage. In fact, she was the first one to ever ignore the possibility of a future together. Never once in the three or four weeks they’d dated had she even hinted. He’d been intrigued.

Now that he knew she was planning to move to Brussels at the beginning of the year it made sense.

He reached his car and climbed in, shaking some of the rain from his hair. Starting, he pulled out into traffic and headed home. He had a stack of files to review tonight, more interviews tomorrow. The thrill of the new job, the changes he planned, kept him keyed up.

Taylor had told him about each of the managers, their strengths and weaknesses. He’d been glowing about Anna. Each word emphasized Tanner’s decision not to date an employee. But he missed her. He would like to discuss company strategy, to find out more how she viewed the European market. To see if she still indulged herself with Ghiradelli chocolates and then did an extra ten minutes on the treadmill.

And, if he were honest with himself, he wanted more than a light brush of the lips.

In fact, he was surprised at how much he missed her. He hardly remembered Jessica. Before her he’d been involved with a woman named Margo. While his focus had always been on business and the push to succeed, he did like having a pretty companion to go to social events with.

With Anna it had been different. He was still attracted to her. He and Anna had laughed a lot, he remembered that. For a little while he’d thought he’d found the perfect companion—someone to relax with, to share interests and entertainment. And someone who would not expect to end up married. He should have known it was too good to last.

His rule was hard and fast. He had certain standards he adhered to and not dating a fellow employee was one—especially when she reported directly to him.

Still—she was leaving in a few weeks. Maybe they could work something out.

He shook his head, astonished he’d even give thought to such an idea. Business was business and pleasure was entirely separate. He planned to see it stayed that way!

Tonight he had a stack of files to review, tomorrow it would be back to business. Anna could take care of herself. She didn’t need him bringing soup, or calling to check on her. And he certainly didn’t need to be kissing her.

Anna entered the doctor’s office the next morning feeling as sick as she had the day before. The brief respite she’d found last night had not lingered for long. As soon as Tanner had left, she returned to bed and slept the night away.

She refused to think about Tanner’s kiss. They were no longer involved. He had made that very clear. And she had her move to Brussels to look forward to. As soon as she was well, she needed to begin getting her things packed, decide what to take and what to store at her parents’ place and begin winding up her own position in the home office in preparation to her new posting in Europe.

“Miss Larkin?” One of the nurses called her from the doorway.

She showed Anna into an exam room asking her how she felt. Anna told her she was there for anything that could mitigate the symptoms of flu.

“There’s not much,” the nurse said as she took Anna’s blood pressure. “Bed rest is about the best thing. Sometimes we can give medication that will ease the nausea and diarrhea to avoid dehydration. Do drink plenty of fluids.” She noted the blood pressure reading on the chart and glanced over it. “I see it’s been a while since you’ve been in to see the doctor.”

Anna nodded. “Normally I’m as healthy as an ox.” She wished she felt healthy this morning. She longed to get back to bed.

“The doctor will be only a few minutes. Why don’t you change into the gown while I tell him you’re here.”

Normally Anna liked seeing Dr. Orsinger. He was an old-fashioned general practitioner who took a friendly interest in his patients. When he breezed into the exam room, he asked how she had been aside from the flu, jotting notes as she talked. She took that opportunity to ask him if he knew of any special medical forms she would need in anticipation of her move to Europe. He asked about the new assignment, where she would be living and for how long she would be out of the States.

He drew routine blood work, reviewed her medical history to make sure she was up-to-date on tetanus. When he finished his exam he asked her to wait a little while so that he could go online to see if there were any health alerts for Europe of which she should be aware. She agreed. Changing back into her street clothes, Anna hoped the wait wouldn’t be long. She still felt shaky and tired. A short time later Dr. Orsinger returned. He looked at her oddly.

“No health crises in Europe, I hope,” she said.

He motioned for her to sit down and he leaned against the edge of the counter containing the sink.

“Did you suspect you’re pregnant?” he asked.

Anna stared at him, certain she had not heard correctly. He had been her doctor for years. He knew it was impossible for her to get pregnant.

“You know I cannot have children.” Her voice sounded calm. She’d long ago come to terms with her inability. Except for each time when her younger sister called to announce she was pregnant. The most recent call this weekend was the third time. That hurt.

Or when her best friend had her first baby two years ago.

So most of the time she’d come to terms with her inability.

He lifted the report the nurse had given him and read it again. “Anna, we can repeat the test, but I don’t think the report got mixed up.”

Anna stared at him in shocked disbelief. From the time she was sixteen years old she’d known she would never have children. The automobile accident she had been involved in had caused such great scarring both externally and internally. The external scars had faded over the years, but internally she was still messed up. Doctors had told her she would never conceive. Over the years, she’d grown used to the fact, even if she still railed against fate from time to time. She put on a good front when visiting home and seeing her sister’s children or her brother’s daughter. Just last weekend she had once again feigned happy recipient to the news her sister was pregnant again. Inside she’d screamed with the unfairness of life, but she let none of those feelings spill out. Even those who knew her best never had a clue how much she’d longed for a child.

It was a cruel stroke of fate that had ended that hope years ago. But she had her career.

Her career!

“I can’t be pregnant.” The room seemed to swirl around. She closed her eyes against the dizziness.

Tanner! Oh God. He would kill her when he found out. She had told him there was no danger of getting pregnant. He’d used a condom, it broke. She told him not to worry, she couldn’t have a baby. How could this happen?

The doctor was looking at her with compassion. “Actually I believe the prognosis was it would be highly unlikely for you ever to conceive. Obviously even doctors make mistakes.” He smiled at her. “I know this is a surprise, but a happy one, I hope.”

“I would like a second testing please.” She could not let her hopes be raised. The disappointment would be too great.

She had been in love in a college, had even been asked to marry her sweetheart—Jason Donalds. But when Jason found out she was unable to have children he’d ended their relationship so fast she hardly knew what hit her.

Since graduation, she had focused on her career to the exclusion of any long-lasting relationships. Her parents had urged her to be more open to men who were interested in her. Not every man wanted children. Adoption was an alternative if they did. But the trauma of losing Jason because she couldn’t have a baby was almost too much to overcome. She was not going to risk her heart that way again.

And somehow she could not blurt out at the first introduction, “Hi, I’m Anna and I am unable to have children, you still want to date?”

The thought that she could be pregnant after all these years, after all the tests, was unfathomable. It had only been one night.

Despite the prognosis, she had always practiced safe sex the few times she’d felt close enough to a man to take the step into the bedroom. Never in a hundred years would she have suspected she could get pregnant.

Tanner was going to be furious. When she told him. Or if.

The doctor complied with her request to conduct a second set of tests. It was late morning by the time he rejoined her to confirm his original diagnosis. He spent several minutes talking with her about prenatal care, what changes she could expect in her body as pregnancy progressed and what risks were present for a woman of her age to be pregnant for the first time. With the uterus scarring, it may prove impossible to carry the child to term. He wanted to monitor her closely as the pregnancy progressed. They set up weekly appointments.

For more than half her life Anna believed she could never conceive a child. To learn she had was hard to grasp. On the way home the reality gradually seeped in. By the time she reached her apartment she was cautiously thrilled. She knew there was no guarantee, but if she’d come this far after conceiving, surely she could deliver a full-term baby.

Hurrying to the phone she quickly dialed her mother’s number.

“Mom you need to sit down, I have some amazing news.”

Ginny Larkin quickly raised a question about Anna’s transfer.

“It’s not that. I’m pregnant!” Anna blurted out.

There was silence at the other end for a long moment. Then her mother asked, “How could that be?”

“It’s a miracle is how,” Anna said. “I didn’t believe it when the doctor told me, so I had him run the tests a second time. It’s true I am pregnant. Isn’t that the most amazing thing? After all these years, I’m going to have a baby!” Anna burst into tears. She felt no different from how she’d felt that morning, still feeling nausea, still tired beyond belief and a bit achy. But she didn’t have the flu; she had a baby beneath her heart.

The fabulousness was beyond belief. She wanted to share the miracle with the whole world, starting with her mother. But caution took hold. She needed to wait until she was used to the fact herself and knew better if chances would improve to carry this child to term. The next few weeks would see how she progressed. The doctor had warned her to take things easy, get plenty of rest and call him if there were any signs of complications. He’d given her something for the nausea and stomach pains and urged her to eat healthy and frequently. He’d given her a prescription for prenatal vitamins. And scheduled her for an ultrasound in a month—to check the viability of the baby.

“I can’t believe it,” Ginny said again. “After all this time. All the doctors said it was impossible.”

“The doctor is backpedaling now—saying it was highly improbable. Of course it’s not impossible—I’m pregnant!” She wanted to shout it from the rooftop!

Then her mother asked, “Who’s the father? I didn’t know you were seeing anyone special.”

Her bubble burst. Anna squeezed her eyes shut, but saw Tanner’s face. She could imagine the fury when he discovered she was pregnant. Yet, there was nothing she could have done differently.

“He’s a really great man, Mom. We were involved this summer. But he had a new job assignment and had to move on. We aren’t seeing each other anymore.” Not in the same way.

Her mother asked, “Is there any chance he’d marry you—just to give the baby a name?”

“Oh, Mom, please. I’m a competent woman. I’ve been on my own for years. I’ll be heading up the European office of the company in a couple of months. I don’t need a man to raise a baby.”

“Of course you don’t need one, but babies do well with both parents,” her mother responded. “Are you still going to Brussels? That’s so far away. How often can I see my grandchild if he or she is five thousand miles away.”

“You’ll probably rack up frequent flier miles. I’ll get a big enough place to have you stay over for weeks at a time.”

“And your father. Your sister and brother and their families will want to see the baby. Can you take leave from work to return to have it here?”

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