Page 25 of Unintended Love

“I’ve got to go. I’ll see you in a few hours. Stay safe.”

“I take it this woman with too much makeup and over-bleached hair is the pregnant woman’s mother.” Kira stared at the frozen picture of the two. “I can see similarities.”

“I expect you to keep your promise and take care of my daughter and her son.”

“Look at how disappointed Clint is as he stares at the screen before answering her question,” Kayla pointed out.

Ashlin hadn’t thought about it that way.

“No, he doesn’t look happy as he turned back to the other women,” Kira added. “And he certainly doesn’t sound happy and loving when he says this last part.”

“I’ll take care of Theodora and her baby as promised. I always keep my promises.”

“Clint doesn’t say our baby, he says ‘the’ baby,” Kayla noted. “To me, he’s not claiming that baby one iota. She’s distancing himself from it.”

She was right. He didn’t sound one tiny bit excited about the baby. Was that because he was already married to Ashlin? Had he only promised to do the right thing by taking care of her baby because of Ashlin? And if that was his baby, what did that make her to the baby? Would she be the stepmother and have to share custody with that woman? If she and Clint ever had children, that baby in the woman’s womb would be in the exact same position her half-siblings had while she was growing up.

Ashlin wasn’t sure she wanted to be the reason that Clint couldn’t marry his baby momma. He’d said loud and clear that he would take care of the baby and its mother. Perhaps Ashlin was in the way. That thought almost broke her heart.

She wouldn’t say she was in love with Clint, but she believed she was close. It would hurt like hell to give him up forever. Ashlin wasn’t sure she could ever go back to being simply his friend. She was sure, though, that she’d give him up so he could be happy with his baby and its mother. That baby deserved better than Clint just taking care of them both.

“So, what are you going to do?” Kayla asked. “We’re going to land in Eden in about thirty minutes.”

Ashlin rolled her lips in and bit down. Saying the words was much harder than she thought it’d be. Her eyes burned, so she closed them and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she tried to sound full of conviction. “I’m going to ask him for a divorce.”

Kayla stared at her for a long moment. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“From the first two minutes of his conversation,” Kira interjected, “I’d say the man was in love with you.”

“Or just sex-deprived,” Ashlin countered. “He’s already said that he’s going to take care of the mother and the baby. That’s an eighteen-year commitment to them. I’m not sure I want to make that kind of obligation to that mother and baby as well, but as his wife, I’d have to.”

Kayla nodded, then added, “This is your first big bump in the road. Long-distance relationships are hard enough, and I truly believe that, deep down, you’re not willing to give up on this one. I think you need to talk it out with him. You just overheard a conversation and are guessing at his feelings. He may have a whole different take on the situation.”

“We’ve been over Ethiopia for the last forty-five minutes,” Piper announced. “We’re fast coming up on Eden.”

“I’ll call Xena.” Kayla picked up her satellite phone and punched in a long sequence of numbers. She put it on speaker so everyone could hear.

Before anyone could say hello, Xena asked, “Hey, where are you? The radar is empty.”

The entire Black Swan Team 2 laughed. That was the point of their top-secret helicopter.

“We’re coming in now. Light up the LZ,” Kayla ordered.

“I don’t hear a helicopter.” A man’s voice could be heard over the line.

“Me neither.” A different man’s voice broke.

The women on board the unique helicopter giggled. It was a typical reaction to anyone’s first encounter with this kind of chopper.

Kayla laughed and instructed Xena and her welcoming crew, “Look up.”

Ashlin could see Clint in the bright lights of the runway. She couldn’t stop the smile on her face if she wanted to. Just seeing him, the real him, excited her all the way to her toes. She wanted to run to him and throw her arms and legs around him and hold him tight until they had to leave. But she first had to settle a few things. The anger she felt a few minutes ago flared. Her resolution to ask him for a divorce followed.

Within a minute, Piper had gently set their still unnamed helicopter on the ground. As soon as the word “clear” came, Ashlin opened the door on the far side, away from all the people. The rest of her team exited on the other side.

Seconds later, Clint came running around the front of their helicopter. He practically slammed into her, hugging her as he picked her up and twirled her around. When his lips met hers, the word yes raced through her mind. Her body tingled everywhere. It felt so right to be in his arms.

“I’ve missed you so much.” Clint kissed the side of her neck.