Saved by the Matchmaker by Jody Hedlund

Author:Jody Hedlund
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance;Christian fiction;Romance fiction;Novels;FIC042110;FIC042030;FIC027360
ISBN: 9781493446506
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2024-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

17

How had his mother realized Enya was pregnant? Being nauseous from the scent of food wasn’t enough of a sign, was it?

Sitting rigidly against the headboard, Sullivan didn’t back down from his father’s stare. Instead, he held the man’s sharp gaze. “It’s none of your or mother’s concern.”

With Enya pressed against him and her hand underneath his shirt, his body was begging him to think about her and how good and right it felt to be in the bed with her. But he couldn’t let his thoughts go there tonight. He had to stay focused on what his father was saying. If he hoped to outwit the man, he had to be at his sharpest.

His father cleared his throat, then fiddled with his watch again. “Your mother and I, well . . .”

Enya was growing stiffer with every passing moment. She finally slipped her hand out from his shirt and sat forward, her features tightening with determination. “I have a confession to make—”

“No, Enya.” Sullivan knew exactly what she intended to do—tell his father the truth about everything.

But the problem was, his father wasn’t very good at keeping secrets. No matter how much they might stress the need to keep the pregnancy private, the Commodore would tell his closest friends, and they would inform their wives. Then their wives would share the news with their friends. Before the week was out, all of New Orleans would know about the pregnancy.

At the very least, most people would speculate that he’d had relations with Enya before they were married. That was better than everyone learning Enya’s baby had a different father altogether.

“I feel bad for lying,” Enya whispered, her tone filled with remorse.

“My family doesn’t need to know our business.” He let his father hear his statement. “If we choose not to share our personal life with them, that doesn’t mean we’re lying.”

The Commodore nodded. “If you don’t want to say anything that’s fine. But we want you to know we’re here to support you.”

Enya stared at his father intently. “Support?”

“Of course. What’s done is done. And we can’t change that. All we can do now is support you.”

“That’s not how my family handles mistakes.” A note of bitterness edged Enya’s tone, a note Sullivan had heard from time to time when she spoke of her family. Her haste in wanting to leave St. Louis and avoid her mother was telling as well.

“Sometimes we make mistakes.” The Commodore met Enya’s gaze directly. “When we do, we don’t wallow in it. Instead we ask ourselves what we can learn so that we don’t repeat our foolishness.”

As overbearing as the Commodore was at times, Sullivan could admit, the man did have a great deal of wisdom. And he’d taught Sullivan a lot over the years of riding together on the river, about more than just steamboats.

“If you’re expecting a child,” the Commodore continued, “it’s something to rejoice over, not hide.”

Enya’s body was melding into his again.

Sullivan’s gaze dropped to Enya’s nightgown strap that had slipped off her shoulder, leaving a large patch of exposed skin.

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