“Hey, Brad. I’m Tate Ryan.” He gave her hand a soft, reassuring squeeze—something he wished he could have done underneath the anchor desk when the teleprompter malfunctioned. “Her boyfriend.”
“I’m sorry to hear about the fire,” Amanda offered.
A petite woman joined them in the living room, removing a green wool hat and shaking her long red mane. Brad immediately put his arm around her. “Sweetheart, this is Amanda and her boyfriend, Tate. This is my fiancée, Melanie. Melanie Clearwater.”
Pain radiated through Tate’s hand. He looked down to see Amanda squeezing it hard. Did he just hear Brad correctly? Melanie Clearwater?
It couldn’t be.
Could it? The camp he’d gone to as a boy wasn’t far from this town. It didn’t help that she had the flaming red hair and bright blue eyes he remembered.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” Melanie studied Tate. “You look really familiar. Have we met before?” She removed her black pea coat and handed it to Brad.
He nodded. What were the odds that Melanie Clearwater was standing in front of him? Just act normal. “It’s been a long time, you look really—”
“Huge!” Amanda gasped. She let go of Tate’s hand and covered her mouth.
His gaze followed Amanda’s down to Melanie’s very round belly. Unless there was a Christmas goose in there, it was going to be a long weekend.
CHAPTER SIX
“Amanda, would you please stop?”
Amanda ignored Tate’s pleas and hurried inside Ira Davenport Hospital. She wanted to see her sister and the new baby. She was also anxious to block out what had just happened at her parents’ house.
Little chance of that happening. Brad was going to be a dad—and, by the looks of Melanie’s belly, very soon.
“Would you at least slow down?” Tate was hot on her heels. “Okay, enough of the silent treatment. You can’t be mad at me for this one.”
She stopped short in front of the elevator. “I’m always mad at you.” She shook her head. “What are the odds that Brad’s fiancée would be your middle school crush?”
“Well, given we’re from neighboring towns with small populations, the odds were probably quite good. What does it matter anyway?”
“It doesn’t.” Amanda looked up at the ceiling. “What did I do in a past life that was so terrible to deserve this?” The elevator opened. “And what is this about you growing up in Hammondsport? You’re from the area?”
“We didn’t live here very long.”
“Still, we’ve been dating for six months and this never came up?”
“Don’t you mean working together for a year?” Tate leaned back on the elevator’s wall.
“You know what I meant.” She pushed the third floor button.
The elevator doors opened to the maternity ward and Amanda made her way down the hallway, Tate following closely behind. “I’m tired and still in shock. I don’t know what I’m saying.”
They passed by a long window. Tiny pink and blue blankets caught her eye. She peered in at the newborn babies sleeping inside their cribs and rested a hand on the glass. How tiny they were. Brad’s would soon be in there too. Her eyes welled up again at that realization.
Tate’s hands were on her shoulders, twirling her around. “Oh, no you don’t. Not again.” He gently laid a finger under each eye. They caught her tears. “I know this is hard, but you’ve got to stop playing the victim, Ace.”
“I know. I am trying to get a grip.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Really, I am. It’s not like I’ve been pining over him. I knew it was over. It’s just hard seeing that he’s moved on. I mean, first he’s engaged. Now he’s going to be a father.”
“Well, technically, I think the pregnancy came first.”
“Still, it was only two years ago. Did you see the way he looked at her? He’s completely smitten.” She sighed. “Who can blame him? She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s not that pretty.”
“You really think so?”
“I like blondes.” He reached behind her and gently yanked her ponytail. “Spunky ones.”
She laughed. “Apparently not at summer camp that year.” Her heart began to tighten, and she turned away and looked back at the newborns. She really had meant what she said—she wasn’t pining over Brad. But why hadn’t he seen his future with her? Was she not wife material?
“Mandy!”
Amanda recognized that voice and spun on her heels. Her younger brother approached them. “Alex!” She hugged him. “Oh, I’m sorry.” She pulled back and brushed the last of her tears with the back of her hand. “Didn’t mean to get you wet.”
“Is everything okay?” Alex cocked his eyebrow and studied Tate.
“Fine. Everything’s fine,” Amanda said. “Alex, this is Tate Ryan.”
“Mom said you were bringing someone home.” He extended his hand, but shot Amanda a questioning look.
Tate shook it. “Hey, I’m going to go grab us some coffee. Can I get you anything, Alex?”
“No, I’m headed out. The cafeteria’s on the first floor, to the right.”
“Thanks, Tate,” Amanda said.
“Be right back.” Tate strolled down the hall.
She turned to Alex. “It’s been a long day.”
“You sure you’re all right?” He stared off in Tate’s direction, watching him get on the elevator.
“I will be.” She squared her shoulders determined not to let her heartache show. “How’s Quinn?”
“She’s good. There’s our niece.” He pointed to a tiny baby in the middle wrapped in a pink blanket.
Amanda peered in the window again. They’d all known Quinn was having a girl. Their sister could never keep a secret. “Oh my gosh! When was she born?”
“12:01 A.M.”
“She’s a Christmas Eve baby! How fitting for the Turner family.” She and Alex stood in silence for a few minutes watching the sleeping baby.
“Where’s Quinn?”
“Room 322. Mom and Dad just left.”
“She must be exhausted.”
“She could use some sleep.” He zipped up his jacket. “So how long have you been dating?”
“Dating?”
“Tate?”
“Oh, right. Since June.”
“Really?” Alex frowned. “Isn’t this the co-anchor you can’t stand?”
Crap! How could have she forgotten? She’d confided in Alex on more than one occasion that she thought Tate was arrogant and that he got on her nerves. This could ruin everything.
Play it cool, Amanda. God, she wished she were better at thinking on her feet. She’d never admit it to Tate, but he probably could give her a few pointers. It was like the teleprompter jam all over again.
She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “That was before I got to know him. He really is quite wonderful.”
There. That wasn’t so hard. She didn’t need Tate to swoop in and save the day.
Alex raised an eyebrow. “Really, but didn’t you just say last week you thought he was a flirt?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “Did I?”
He nodded. “More than once.”
“Well, what I meant was he has a way with our female viewers. It’s good for ratings. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. Tate’s the best thing to ever happen to me,” she added for good measure.
Her brother shot her a look of disbelief. “Well, I need to hit the hay. Big day tomorrow. Did you tell Tate that he’ll be helping us?”
“Sort of.” She patted him on his back. “He’ll be ready in the morning. Promise you’ll take good care of him.”
“Oh, I’ll take good care of him all right. You can count on it.”