Married to the Mom-to-Be

by Helen Lacey

  Chapter Two

  An impromptu Vegas wedding wasn’t something Liam had ever imagined for himself. Nonetheless, that was what he’d had just under a month earlier. Kayla had been at a conference in Nevada and he’d joined her there so they could spend the weekend together without worrying about being discovered. It had been a whim, fueled by three passionate and heady days of endless lovemaking and many bottles of champagne. They’d bought rings, found a chapel and a minister who looked way too much like Elvis to be taken seriously, and gotten hitched to the Blues Brothers’ soundtrack. It had been the happiest day of his life.

  But it was followed by weeks of pretending they meant nothing to each other when they were around their friends, work colleagues and respective families.

  And it was slowly breaking him.

  He loved her and he wanted her in his life every day. Not just a couple of times a week, splitting time between her apartment and his house, snatching weekends together when they could. She wanted to wait to let everyone know they were married, and although he understood her motives, he didn’t agree with them. He knew she didn’t want to hurt her parents. But she was hurting their relationship with her silence. So when they’d come back from Vegas he’d pushed her a little, and finally got her to agree that they would both tell their parents by the end of the month. That was three and half weeks ago and they were no closer to a resolution.

  And he had no idea if there ever would be.

  All his life he’d been used to getting his own way...but not with Kayla. He stretched out his shoulders, so wound up he could barely stand being in his own skin. Only Kayla could make him feel that way. Only Kayla and her deep caramel eyes and perfectly proportioned features. She was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever known. But it wasn’t just her looks that drew him in—everything about her affected him on a primal level. The night she’d crashed into his car everything had changed.

  Gone was the lanky teenager he vaguely remembered was prom queen. Oh, she’d always been attractive, but maturity had given her poise and amplified her beauty.

  Desire, raw and uncomplicated, as wild as a river, as untamed as the Black Hills, had coursed through every cell he possessed. So much so that Liam could barely recall what he’d said to her that night. All he could remember was Kayla, standing in the parking lot in her white dress and fringed, come-take-me cowgirl boots.

  He wanted her. Despite his better judgment. Despite knowing that the long-running feud between their respective fathers would make it difficult.

  Then he tried for two days to get her out of his system. And failed. He went on a date with another woman, thinking all he needed to do was get laid and that would end the constant images of Kayla bombarding his thoughts. But by eight o’clock he’d had enough and bailed, not feeling particularly proud of himself, but not prepared to sleep with one woman when he was thinking about another.

  So, despite knowing it would be like walking a minefield, he’d called her up and asked her out. And got shot down like a duck in hunting season. He tried again three days later and when her answer was the same, decided he would forget all about her. When she started dating the cowboy he knew it was ridiculous to spend his nights thinking about her and for months he embarked on a series of meaningless one-night stands, but they did nothing to get his attraction for Kayla out of his system. Then she broke up with the cowboy and he had a clear playing field.

  Still, she resisted him for months. And not having her, he discovered, made him want her even more.

  And then one afternoon, when he arrived at the museum for a meeting, everything changed. She’d been flustered, out of sorts, not her usual calm and collected self. And then she’d turned, dragged him toward her by the collar and kissed him. Hotly. Frantically. As though it was the last thing in the world she wanted to do, but the one thing she had to do.

  Within a week they were lovers, which had only intensified his desire to make her his own. And the more time they spent together and he got to know her, Liam’s desire for Kayla turned into something else, something more and something that went way beyond physical attraction. Liam hadn’t agreed with her insistence they remain secretive about their relationship, but he’d let her have her way at first, too crazy for her to deny her anything. But as the months slipped by he knew things had to change, particularly once they were married. He’d grown tired of sneaking around and pretending to their friends and family that they weren’t together. She was his. He loved her and he wanted the world to know it.

  “Liam, do you have a minute?”

  He looked toward the open door. His assistant, Connie Bedford, stood in the doorway, wearing the skirt and jacket that was a signature of the hotel. Connie had worked at the hotel since she’d left high school, first on the front desk, and for the past few years as his administrative assistant. She was a sweet-natured young woman in her midtwenties who was hardworking, loyal and a godsend, and he always took note when she told him he was taking her for granted. She was also the only person who knew he was involved with Kayla, although she was too polite to ever mention it.

  He beckoned her into the office. “Sure, what’s up?”

  Connie came into the room and dropped a few files on his desk. “I need some signatures,” she explained and smiled. “And the new sous chef wants to see you today.”

  He groaned inwardly. Temperamental chefs were not on his radar when he was consumed with thoughts of his wife and the state of his marriage. But he still had a business to run and spent the next ten minutes with Connie, discussing a few issues regarding the hotel. By the time Connie left, his irritation had eased and he managed to get through the remainder of the afternoon without snapping the heads off any of the staff. The hotel ran 24/7, with twenty-two rooms over three floors, the restaurant and a bar, and two conference rooms that were regularly booked out. It employed over thirty-five locals on staff and was renowned for its comfort, ambience and service. Liam demanded nothing less and ran a tight ship.

  There were several dude ranches just out of town that catered to big-city corporations wanting to use the experience as a bonding exercise for employees, or to city-dwellers longing for the typical cowboy experience. And since O’Sullivans was the best hotel within a hundred miles, it meant business was good. Better than good. The O’Sullivan coffers were compounding every day. He had wealth and success and a job that continued to be challenging, and the only thing missing from his life was a family of his own.

  A wife. A child.

  Kayla was his wife. And she might be carrying his child.

  Longing, raw and intense, seeped through his blood. He’d never been in love before. He’d never experienced the heavy ache in his chest that he felt when he was away from her.

  He’d lived an entitled life, one of wealth and of little struggle. The one painful point was his sister’s death... Before that it had been easy street. But loving Kayla was changing him completely. He didn’t want to upset her, hurt her or see her struggle with her divided loyalties...especially when he knew there was more pain to come. Despite their agreed-upon deadline for telling their parents their secret, ultimately he had no real idea what he would do when that time was up. Of course, he could tell his own parents first and then deal with the fallout, forcing Kayla into action. But he wasn’t sure how he could do that without hurting the woman he loved.

  Liam got to his feet and stretched his shoulders again. His office was on the second floor and from the long window behind his desk he had a view of the entire length of Main Street. The town, with its population of a few thousand, had one set of traffic lights, shop fronts that were both old and new, and well-maintained sidewalks. Until six months ago there had been two towns, separated by a river and a bridge. But after ten years of negotiating, the towns had merged, unified by the need to pool resources and create a stronger, more viable economy, taking advantage of commuters passing th
rough the town on their way toward the state line. Cedar River was an old copper and silver mining town and Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills were within driving distance, so the town had plenty to offer tourists. The O’Sullivan portfolio of land and commercial property was vast, and Liam was proud of everything his father and grandfather had done since settling in the area sixty years earlier. His father, John-Dexter—or J.D. as he was known—had retired several years ago, handing the reins to Liam full-time, but still liked to show his face around the hotel. Liam didn’t mind, since he got on well with his dad and hoped that one day he’d have a son or daughter who would follow in his own footsteps. That day suddenly seemed like a real possibility. And he was happy. Foolishly happy, despite the turmoil churning through his head.

  His cell rang, cutting through his thoughts. It was his mother, reminding him that he’d agreed to meet with her to discuss several upcoming charitable events in town—including the hospital benefit that was being held at the art gallery in a couple of weeks. He’d been working on the project with Kayla, and not only would it raise much-needed funds for the hospital, but it would give several of the local artists an opportunity to showcase their work and he knew that it was important to her.

  Liam shut down his laptop, grabbed his jacket and keys and headed downstairs to the foyer and reception desk. The restaurant and bar were off to the left and even though it was early, it looked like there was already a good crowd inside. There were other pubs in town, like Rusty’s or the newly opened Loose Moose tavern. But O’Sullivan’s was different—the modern decor was complemented by a traditional Irish feel and was accompanied by exemplary service and great food.

  He spotted his mother the moment he stepped through the elevator. Gwen O’Sullivan was a tall, statuesque woman in her late fifties with short silvery hair and a timeless style she’d gained as a model in her youth. She was quiet and reserved, the total opposite of her blustery, well-meaning but often misunderstood husband. Liam knew he was more like his mother than his brothers. Sean, a movie producer in LA, was confident and brash and an admitted womanizer. Liam doubted his youngest brother would ever settle down and ditch his fast life. Kieran, who was a doctor at a hospital in Sioux Falls, was a well-balanced sort of man with a positive outlook on pretty much everything, despite a messy divorce a year earlier. As he looked at his mother he was reminded of Liz, his sister, who’d died three years ago.

  Liz and his mom had been close and he knew his mother grieved deeply for the daughter she’d lost. At times there was a hollowness to his mother’s expression that seemed unable to be healed by anything, except perhaps the time she spent with her grandchildren, Liz’s three young daughters. But his sister’s husband, Grady, had recently remarried and he knew his mother worried that she wouldn’t see the girls as much. However, despite the fact that he’d never much liked Grady Parker and didn’t believe the horse rancher was good enough for Liz, Liam had to admit that the other man was a caring father and tried to ensure his daughters maintained a relationship with Liz’s family. It was complicated stuff. Made more so by the fact that Grady’s new wife had been Liz’s best friend since high school. Liam didn’t believe anything had been going on before Liz’s death, and he didn’t really hold a grudge that Grady had moved on. He just...he just missed his sister. Liz had shown little interest in the O’Sullivan fortune or business and had thrived on her ranching life, her husband and children. In a way, Liam had admired Liz for her steely determination to live her life exactly how she wanted.

  “There you are,” his mother said and greeted him with a brief hug. “Shall we talk over a drink?”

  Liam checked his watch. Four forty. Not too early in the day, pushing down the niggling thought that his mother used alcohol to numb her pain at times. “Sure.”

  They headed into the bar and sat down at a booth. Liam ordered his mother a wine spritzer and a club soda with lime for himself. As much as he felt like getting wasted to get all thoughts of Kayla from his mind, the night manager didn’t clock on until five and he had a strict rule about alcohol consumption while on duty.

  “So,” his mother said once their drinks arrived. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you?”

  Liam frowned. “I thought you wanted to talk about the charity schedule?”

  “No,” she said quietly. “That can wait. I want to talk about you. I’m worried about you.”

  Liam groaned inwardly. He should have seen this coming. Gwen O’Sullivan seemed to have some kind of built-in radar when it came to her offspring. The fact that Sean and Kieran lived elsewhere meant her attention was generally focused on him. Most days he could laugh it off, but today he wasn’t in the mood for any kind of heart-to-heart with his well-meaning parent. “I’m fine.”

  She shook her head. “No, you’re not. I know something’s been bothering you.”

  “Stop smothering me, Mom,” he said gently, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I assure you, I’m fine.”

  She didn’t look convinced, but smiled and drank some wine. Then she met his gaze levelly. “There’s more to life than work, you know. More to life than this hotel.”

  Liam raised a brow. “Tell that to Dad.”

  “At least your father took the time to get married and raise a family,” she reminded him. “Unlike you and your brothers. When Kieran got married I thought that at least one of my boys had the good sense to settle down. But then there was that awful divorce and everything else. And Sean just moves from one flighty woman to the next. And then there’s you...my sensible son, who doesn’t let anyone in.”

  It wasn’t true. He’d let Kayla in. Into his life and into his heart. Unfortunately, most days he felt as though she was walking all over it. Liam sat back in his seat and half smiled. “You know, I think we have this same conversation every six months or so.”

  “Then it’s time you took notice,” she said, still frowning. “You’re nearly thirty-five years old. It’s time you settled down, got married and had children. We need grandchildren to carry on the family name, after all. And as much as I love them, your sister’s children are Parkers, not O’Sullivans. You’re not even dating anyone at the moment.”

  “Mother,” he said as gently as he could, because in his heart he knew that despite her calm, sometimes controlled ways, there was a frailty to Gwen O’Sullivan that only a few people saw. “It’s not the kind of thing that is made to order, you know.”

  “Of course it is,” she said and smiled. “Do you think I had any say in the matter when your father courted me?”

  He grinned. “Knowing Dad, probably not.”

  “What about Abby Perkins?” she suggested as both brows shot up. “She’s a nice woman. And very pretty.”

  Abby was the head chef at O’Sullivan’s. “Mom, I—”

  “It’s a shame that Lucy Monero is engaged to that Parker boy. Now, she would have been a great match for you. And she’s a doctor. And she’s got such beautiful hair.”

  Liam zoned out as his mother prattled on about Lucy Monero, who was a doctor at the local hospital and was soon to marry Grady Parker’s younger brother. She was also one of Kayla’s closest friends.

  Liam drank the club soda and vaguely listened as his mother kept talking and mentioning several single women that he knew between the ages of twenty and forty.

  “What about Ash McCune?” she asked.

  Ash was another friend of Kayla’s, a pretty redhead and a police officer. “Not my type,” he said and grinned.

  His mother scowled. “Ellie Culhane?”

  “Too young.”

  “Carmel Morrissey.”

  He grinned. “Too old.”

  Liam could see his mother thinking about other potential would-be wives and he drew in a long breath. He knew she was clucking around him to keep her thoughts off losing her only daughter and he wasn’t about to be unkind and tell he
r to stop. As much as her matchmaking got on his nerves, he would never intentionally hurt her feelings. She was his mother, and that alone was enough of a reason to bite his tongue.

  Besides, there was a certain irony in the conversation. His mother was urging him to get married and start a family. He was almost tempted to say he’d already done that. But he wouldn’t say anything until they knew for sure.

  The concierge approached, interrupting them about a problem with a guest. Liam held on to his patience as the younger man explained the issue and then barked out a couple of instructions. Some days he longed for a solitary job where he didn’t have staff lining up with questions. He almost envied Kayla her isolation at the museum. When the other man left them, Liam noticed his mother watching him, both brows up.

  “What?” he said.

  “No one likes a bad-tempered boss,” she said and grinned.

  “I don’t have a bad temper.”

  “Well, not with me you don’t,” she said and patted his arm. “And you’re very sweet with your nieces and little old ladies and I’m proud of the way you’ve taken Connie under your wing these past few years. But with the rest of the world, including the people who work for you, you seem to have developed a reputation for being grumpy and impatient.”

  The criticism irked him more than usual. “Because I like things done a certain way?”

  “Because you like things done your way,” she replied and patted his arm again. “You know, you really do seem tense. I think you need to loosen up a bit.”

  “I’m loose enough,” he said, even though he knew people believed he was uptight most of the time. It was who he was, who he’d always been. He was J.D. O’Sullivan’s eldest son, heir and successor to the O’Sullivan legacy...imagining he could have had any other kind of life was never an option. Not that he’d had any real ambition to do anything else. Unlike Kieran who’d always known his path was medicine, or Sean, who wanted a faster paced life than small town, South Dakota.