Married to the Mom-to-Be

by Helen Lacey

  “My mother has invited us to the ranch for lunch tomorrow,” Liam said, cutting her off as he came around the desk. “Are you up for it?”

  Kayla stilled. “I’m not sure...your father—”

  “I’ll keep him under control,” Liam said and half smiled. “Okay?”

  She nodded and fiddled with a few documents on her desk. “Sure. I’ve always liked your mom. But I would think it’s more about how you feel about it, considering how things are between you and your dad.”

  He shrugged indifferently, but Kayla wasn’t fooled. He was clearly tense and probably still angry about the way they’d left things the night before. But he was somewhat back in control of his feelings and it made her resentful. Stupid, of course. But there was no logic around loving someone. It got mashed in between feelings like lust, rage, impatience and judgment. And since Liam judged pretty much everyone, she experienced an inexplicable need to hang on to her resentment just a little longer.

  “So, about the benefit,” she said, all business. “Most of the RSVPs are back and I should have a final head count by next Wednesday. I’m meeting with Abby on Monday at three o’clock to go over the final catering requirements, and Connie and Ash said they’d help set up the seating and tables on Friday.”

  He was directly in front of her desk now, staring at her with blistering intensity. “Finished?”

  Kayla frowned. “This benefit won’t get organized by itself. I’m just trying to—”

  “Avoid the difficult conversation?”

  “Which is?”

  “Are you coming home permanently?”

  Kayla remembered Brooke’s and Ash’s disapproval about her indecisive living arrangements and tried to shrug off the question. “Well, I—”

  “Because if you are, we can go to the apartment now, tell the geek upstairs that you’re leaving and collect the rest of your things.”

  There it was—Liam being a bossy, controlling jerk! “Why? Because now the whole world knows about us there’s no reason I shouldn’t? And when I say the whole world, I mean that pretty much the entire town is gossiping about us. There was a fascinating conversation going on at the Muffin Box this morning about our marriage and the baby.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “Gossip is inevitable.”

  “It doesn’t bother you?”

  “The truth doesn’t bother me.”

  Right...the truth. His superpower. “I’ll start packing up my things tomorrow,” she said as a compromise. “And I won’t lift anything heavy,” she promised when she saw his frown. “I want to drop by and see my parents this evening, so I’ll probably stay at my apartment.” She checked her watch. “And now I have a doctor’s appointment, so I should get going.”

  “We’ll go together,” he said easily, grabbing her bag before she could protest. “And since you made an appointment to see me at one o’clock, how about we head to JoJo’s for lunch instead?”

  JoJo’s Pizza Parlor was one of Kayla’s favorite haunts and he knew it. “Sure. But you don’t need to come with me to the doctor. It’s only a checkup and—”

  “Together,” he said, firmer this time. “You were admitted to the hospital yesterday... I’d like some assurance that you and the baby are okay.”

  “Fine,” she said and took her bag. “I’ll let Shirley know I’m heading out for a couple of hours.”

  A few minutes later she met him by the front door. Her doctor’s office was a block down Main Street so they walked over, and when they were on the sidewalk Kayla almost jumped out of her skin when he grabbed her hand. She could feel that he was wearing his wedding band and a familiar surge of guilt wound its way through her blood. Two women who worked at one of the beauty parlors in town passed them and didn’t bother to hide their surprise. Liam was high profile in the community and because of her job at the museum Kayla was well-known. The fact that they were walking the street together, holding hands, was sure to keep local tongues wagging for a day or so.

  “Everything all right?” he asked as they walked.

  “Fine,” she replied and was pleased they quickly escaped into the doctor’s office a few minutes later. Until the receptionist actually gasped when they arrived together.

  “Relax,” Liam said as they sat in the waiting area.

  “People are staring,” she whispered, leaning close. “And did you see the look on—”

  “You really do worry way too much about what people think.” A tiny smile tugged at his mouth. “Not ashamed of me, are you?”

  Kayla’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t be an idiot. You’re...you’re...”

  “Actually,” he said quietly, “I think we’ve already established what you think of me. Controlling. Despotic. Irrationally honest.”

  “And a pain in the neck at times,” she added and smiled sweetly.

  Before he could respond they were ushered into the doctor’s office. She endured Liam’s scrutiny while Doctor Potts, a man who’d been her family’s practitioner since before she was born, checked her blood pressure and got her to head off to the bathroom to do another pregnancy test. When the result came back positive, he withdrew some blood for further testing. They chatted about her diet and a prenatal program of exercise and vitamins and then he was summarily questioned by Liam about everything from traveling to sleep to having sex while pregnant.

  “Did you have to ask that?” she said, still embarrassed and hot all over by the time they left the office and hit the pavement.

  He shrugged. “I wanted some medical answers. Potts is your doctor. Why the sour face?”

  “Because,” she said, deliberately folding her arms across her chest so he couldn’t grasp her hand. “I didn’t go there for a sex talk.”

  He laughed. “Oh, honey, you do know that sex is the reason you’re pregnant, right?”

  “Very funny,” she huffed. “And don’t call me honey.”

  Liam’s arm came around her shoulder and he drew her closer. “Get used to it. Now, I promised you a lunch date.”

  “Right now I’d rather chew glass than go to lunch with you.”

  He laughed again, seemingly oblivious to her bad mood. “One vegetarian JoJo’s pizza coming up. And then I’ll—”

  He stopped abruptly when his father unexpectedly came through the door of the Muffin Box as they were walking by. Kayla stopped moving and felt Liam’s grip on her shoulder tighten. J.D. O’Sullivan had a paper carry bag in his hands. He looked flustered, out of sorts, not his usual blustering, confident self.

  “Liam... I was...I was just...” His words trailed off and he shook the small bag. “Peppermint brownies,” he said and shrugged. “Your mother’s favorite.”

  Liam looked unimpressed. “I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and swiftly led Kayla away.

  When they reached JoJo’s he opened the door and ushered her inside. The place was busy, but the owner, Nicola Radici, was a mutual friend and an old flame of Liam’s brother, Kieran, so they were quickly seated in a booth near the back.

  “Are you ever going to forgive your dad?” she asked bluntly, once Nicola was out of range. “Because it looked like all you wanted to do was punch him in the nose.”

  Liam met her gaze. “Firstly, I would never hit my father. And second, I’ll work on my relationship with him once he tells my mother the truth.”

  “And if he doesn’t?” she prompted. “Are you going to tell her?”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Now, why don’t we order?”

  They ordered, ate and made a stilted effort at small talk for an hour. It was nearly two o’clock by the time they were back in her office. Kayla dropped her bag and rounded out her shoulders, aware that Liam watched her every move.

  “I should get back to work. Shirley needs a break and I—”

  She didn’t g
et a chance to finish because he reached her in a couple of strides and hauled her into his arms, kissing her with a kind of possession that was so gloriously intense it weakened her knees. Kayla’s hands instinctively moved up his shoulders and she kissed him back. His tongue found hers, drawing their mouths together with erotic intimacy. She sighed low in her throat, reeling in the sensation his kiss evoked and held on, gripping his shoulders, pressing closer until there wasn’t space between them. When he pulled back she was breathless and panting and his hands lingered on her waist as he looked down into her upturned face.

  “You’re my wife,” he said softly. “Remember that with all the craziness that is going on with our families.”

  He left abruptly and Kayla’s lips were tingling long after he’d gone. She did some admin work for a while and later that afternoon called her mother again. She was surprised when her father answered the phone. She wanted to visit that evening, to try and heal the hurt that was growing between them, but her father insisted her mother had a headache. So, she hung up, telling her dad that she’d call the following day, before saying she loved him. Normally, he would say it back. But nothing was normal.

  Kayla closed up the museum at five and headed back to her apartment. By six she was going through her wardrobe and packing a considerable portion of her clothes in two suitcases. By seven, she had written a list of things she needed to pack up the kitchen, including boxes, tissue and tape. And by eight she was showered, dressed in comfy sweats and sitting cross-legged on the sofa, watching television. Liam called at nine fifteen to bid her good-night and by then she was so emotionally tangled that she let out a fractured sob and he only took about five seconds to respond.

  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” he said and promptly hung up.

  It took fifteen and when he tapped on the door she let him in and fell straight into his arms and cried. Deep, racking sobs that hurt her chest and burnt her throat.

  “I feel so guilty. I’ve hurt them so much,” she said and wept.

  “Kayla...sweetheart...I promise you it will be okay.”

  Liam gathered her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her down gently. He stretched out beside her, tilting her chin until she met his gaze. The dimness of the lamp-lit room created a cocoon-like feeling and she swallowed hard, unable to stop the flow of tears.

  “You can’t control how they feel, Kayla,” he said gently. “As much as you want to. As much as it hurts. They have to get through this in their own time. But they’ll come around. They love you.”

  She wanted to believe it. But it still hurt. Exhausted, Kayla pressed her face into his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her cheek, and allowed herself to sleep. When she awoke the next morning it was past seven and she was alone. She could smell coffee and wrinkled her nose, pushing herself off the bed. She got to her feet and stretched, then took a quick shower, changed into a pale green dress and lightweight cream sweater and headed for the kitchen.

  Liam was propped on a bench at the counter, sipping coffee. He looked up when she entered the room and smiled. “Good morning.”

  “Hi,” she replied and grabbed a mug to make tea. “Um...thanks for coming around last night. I was pretty overwrought.”

  “That’s my job, right?” he quipped. “I mean, looking after you. Do you feel better this morning?”

  “Much,” she replied, stretching the truth a little. “And you’re right, I need to give my folks some space to adjust. So, what time are we going to see your parents?”

  “I thought we’d leave around eleven,” he replied. “Is there anything you’d like to do beforehand?”

  She shrugged lightly. “Not especially. Shirley is working for a few hours this morning so I have the day off.”

  He nodded. “I see you packed a few things yesterday... We could take your stuff home if you like?”

  “Sure,” she said agreeably and then explained how she needed cartons and packing tape to finish the job. “And I need to give notice to Dane. I still have four months left on my lease so I’ll have to find someone to sublet or—”

  “Don’t worry about that,” Liam said, cutting her off as he slipped off the stool. “I’ll pay the lease out and he can put the place up for rent again.”

  It was a generous gesture. “Okay.”

  His brows came up. “What? No argument?”

  She shook her head. “I’m all out of arguments.”

  “Shall I go and tell him right now?” Liam inquired.

  Kayla bit back a grin. “You know, you have no reason to be jealous of Dane.”

  He scowled. “It’s a guy thing.”

  “It’s a Liam O’Sullivan thing,” she said and smiled extra sweetly. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure you make him nervous.”

  “Good.”

  She laughed. “You’re such an alpha male of the species, Liam.”

  “For better or worse,” he reminded her. “Remember?”

  They spent a few hours moving her suitcases and some smaller items to his house and then headed to his parents’ ranch by eleven. She’d never set foot inside the sprawling ranch house before and was awed by the sheer luxury of the place. The polished timber floors, raked ceilings, fittings and furniture were faultlessly put together and looked as stylish as a magazine spread. Liam took her hand, leading her through the house and out to the pool area out back.

  Gwen O’Sullivan sat in a chair beneath a Balinese canopy. Dressed in white linen, she looked as stylish as her surroundings. She was drinking iced tea and staring out toward the huge pool. Liam greeted his mother with a perfunctory kiss on the cheek and squeezed her shoulder.

  “Where’s Dad?” he asked, looking around. “I didn’t see his car out front.”

  Gwen turned in her seat and removed her sunglasses. Her red-rimmed eyes were unmissable. “He’s gone.”

  Kayla gasped and she saw Liam’s entire body turn to stone. “Gone?”

  “Yes,” she said, steadier now. “Gone. I kicked him out last night. I kicked every inch of that lying, cheating, no-good-son-of-a-bitch’s ass to the curb. And it felt damned good.”

  Chapter Eight

  A couple of things struck Liam simultaneously. First, his dad had told her the truth and now his parents’ marriage was obviously in trouble. And second, his always refined and poised mother was using words like ass and son of a bitch. Something she’d never done before.

  “You kicked him out?” He moved around the table and dropped into a chair. “Really?”

  “Really,” she confirmed.

  Liam grasped his mother’s hand and squeezed. “So, he told you?”

  “About Kathleen? Yes.”

  “And...anything else?” he prompted.

  “You mean the son he has with her?” She nodded unsteadily. “Yes...he told me everything. He told me about the affair. About the child. About the thirty-year-old secret he’s been keeping. He almost seemed relieved once I knew. And a little surprised when I told him to leave,” she added and shrugged. “But he left without making a scene. He probably stayed at the hotel last night.”

  Liam’s insides churned. He’d expected arguments. Maybe hysterics. But he hadn’t anticipated his mother would demand that his father leave the ranch they’d lived on together for thirty-five years.

  “Mom, are you sure this is what you want? I know he made a—”

  “I needed some time to think,” she said and waved a hand. “And to admit to myself that our marriage has been in trouble for a long time.”

  Whoa. Not what he had expected to hear. His parents’ marriage had always seemed...solid. Even through the difficult times, like his sister’s death, they had stayed strong. Sure, they were very different people, but no two people in any relationship were without fundamental differences.

  Liam glanced toward K
ayla. She stood a few feet away, arms crossed, her expression one of sadness and concern.

  “I want you to know, I don’t blame your aunt,” his mother said, looking directly toward Kayla. “I knew Kathleen... She was a sweet girl. I’d like to say she was some kind of temptress, but that’s not who she was. I always believed the resentment between my husband and your father was fueled by a business deal gone bad... It never occurred to me that Kathleen had anything to do with it. But I understand now. The scandal would have been worse than the hatred between two men who had once been the closest of friends. And I was so busy back then I didn’t take much notice of what was happening in my marriage. Maybe I didn’t want to see. I had three young children and another on the way and I was doing a lot of community work. And J.D...” His mother sighed as her words trailed off for a moment. “J.D. said he fell in love with her. Even if I’d known, I’m not sure there would have been anything I could have done to change what happened.”

  His father had loved Kathleen? Liam’s mind reeled. And his mother, who he suspected was hurting through to her bones, was the picture of calmness and dignity. The need to fix her pain chugged through him like a freight train. But he knew there was little he could do, few words he could offer that would give her comfort. When his cell rang he was almost glad for the interruption. It was his brother, Kieran, and he answered the call quickly, excusing himself and heading inside so he could talk to his younger brother in private. He stood by the kitchen window, his gaze directed toward the pool area.

  “What the hell is going on there?” his brother demanded before he could speak. “Dad just called. He said he’s been kicked out of the house. I’ve been calling Mom all morning but it’s been going straight to voice mail.”

  “I’m at the ranch right now,” Liam said, then took a breath and quietly told his brother everything he knew. With half his attention focused on Kieran, the other half was on Kayla, who was now sitting beside his mother and holding her hand. It seemed an almost poignant picture. The two women he cared for most in the world, who had suddenly been brought together through chaos, were offering comfort to one another.