There was no warmth in Henrietta’s voice, and a cold chill slithered down Astrid’s spine. She looked past Henrietta and saw Noah and Jason’s dad walking into the house carrying two shopping bags from Wright’s. Where was Jason? Why wasn’t he the one inviting her? Sudden resolution coursed through her, and she shook her head. She did not need to go where she wasn’t welcome. She wasn’t that desperate anymore. “Thank you, but I’m having dinner with my brother, Harlan.”
Henrietta looked past her, and her eyes widened noticeably. “So, he really is your brother?”
Harlan walked up beside Astrid and set his hand on her shoulder. His fingers dug in, and she could sense the tension roiling off him. “Of course I am.”
“Well.” Henrietta looked back and forth between them. “Then I suppose you both should come.”
Astrid gritted her teeth at the coolness of the reception. “Thank you, but—”
“Sure, we’ll be there. Give us five minutes.” Harlan reached past Astrid, extending his hand. “Harlan Shea. Nice to meet you, Henrietta. Sorry we didn’t get properly introduced before.”
Henrietta narrowed her eyes as she shook Harlan’s hand. “Yes, well, then we will see you both in a few minutes.”
She excused herself and scurried down the pathway toward the house, not even looking back as she ducked inside.
Astrid glared at Harlan. “Why did you accept? Didn’t you see her hostility? I don’t need that—”
“No, you don’t,” Harlan agreed. “But that woman is going to be the grandmother of your child. I’d rather find out what kind of world my nephew or niece is coming into than leave it to chance.” His eyes flashed. “If you need to disappear, I’ll help you. I can make you vanish.”
Astrid stared at Harlan as the meaning of his words sank in. She didn’t know which was more terrifying, the idea that her brother knew how to make her vanish, or the idea of Jason’s parents trying to take her child. “You think they’ll try to take the baby from me?”
“They have money. You don’t. The playing field isn’t even, and I want to know what we’re dealing with.” He took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Come on, sis, let’s go meet the rest of the family. I need to know that you’re safe before I leave town.”
Holy cow. She was supposed to go to dinner with Jason’s parents so she and Harlan could assess whether they were going to try to take the baby? Terror licked at her heart, and she gritted her teeth. She was tired of being afraid that someone would find her inadequate and unworthy. So damn tired of it.
“Wait.” She let go of Harlan and ran back into her bedroom. “Just a sec.” She yanked open her closet and grabbed her favorite skirt, a shimmery ankle length skirt that flowed around her legs like the softest caress. It was black-based, with intense color swirls of blues and greens, and it always reminded her of the ocean, of the freedom that the huge expanse of water could offer. She quickly pulled it on, and then donned a cream-colored tank top that hugged her curves and always made her feel beautiful and strong. She quickly touched up her makeup, checked her hair, and then grabbed her favorite pair of earrings, the ones that were two intertwined hearts. One for her, one for the baby.
She paused to inspect herself in the mirror, and smiled at what she saw. Yes, there were still bags under her eyes from so many days of not sleeping and all the stress, but she looked like a woman who deserved to be listened to. She didn’t look like a homeless waif who didn’t deserve to be noticed. Astrid smiled and nodded. “Okay, then,” she whispered. “Bring it on.”
As she hurried out of the room, she saw the man’s bracelet on her table that she’d started to design for Jason. The word FIRE blazed up at her. Fire. Dammit. She was tired of being ignored and underestimated. She grabbed the bracelet and fastened it around her wrist as she headed out into the living room.
Harlan let out a low whistle the moment he saw her. “Hell, Astrid. When did you grow up?”
She lifted her chin. “I grew up the day Mom brought her first boyfriend home when I was five. He passed out in the living room half-naked, with Mom on top of him.”
Harlan’s face darkened, and anger flashed across it. “Shit, Astrid. I’m sorry. I should have been there for you.”
Astrid’s throat tightened, and she pulled her shoulders back. “You’re here now,” she said softly. “And I appreciate it.”
Harlan nodded. “You ready?”
She nodded, wishing that Jason was going to be there. Or maybe not. Would he make it better or worse? Not that she needed him. She’d relied on Paul to shield her from his parents, and he’d failed. No more relying on anyone else. She thought of Emma and Clare, and even Eppie and Judith, and how they’d stood by her even when they’d learned the truth about her. Harlan was there, too. She had her team now, for the first time in her life, and people like Henrietta Sarantos couldn’t hurt her anymore. This was her life, and she was taking control. Confidence suddenly rushed through her. “Let’s do it.”
Harlan grinned. “Damn, sis, you’re a knockout when you’re pissed.”
Astrid burst out laughing as she headed toward the door. “Thanks, I think.”
“Anytime,” Harlan said, pulling the door shut behind them. “You’ll bring Sarantos to his knees, and that’s the way it should be.”
She was still smiling as she walked up the pathway to the house whose windows she’d peered into a thousand times, longing for it. And now, it was occupied by a woman ready to reject her.
Screw the house. It was just a house.
It was she who mattered. The only way anyone could take away her self-respect was if she let them, and damn, she was tired of that.
She fisted her hands, ran her finger over the inscription on her bracelet, and then went into the lion’s den.
*
Jason sped down his driveway, the gravel spinning up from his tires. His jaw was still aching from where Harlan had hit him, and he was frustrated as hell that he’d been tied up with contractors when his parents had decided to take Noah home.
To say his parents had been shocked by Harlan’s revelation about Astrid’s pregnancy was an understatement, but with Noah listening, they hadn’t been able to corner Jason on it. Which was good. It gave him time to figure out how to handle it to best protect Astrid.
He slammed his palm on his steering wheel as he pulled up behind his parents’ rental car. Shit. He’d wanted more time before exposing Astrid to his parents. How the hell was he going to deal with this?
Scowling, he climbed out of his car. He didn’t bother to go to the main house. He just strode up to Astrid’s door and thudded his fist on it. He didn’t even know what he was going to say to her. He just needed to touch base and connect with her. He knew that simply being in her presence would settle him and help him figure out the best way to handle it.
She didn’t answer the door.
He knocked again. “Astrid! It’s Jason. I need to talk with you.”
Again, no answer. Was she ignoring him, or not home?
Jason strode over to the window and peered inside. It was dark, without a single light on. Astrid wasn’t there. For a split second, trepidation rocked through him, but then he saw the outlines of her furniture. She hadn’t moved out. Swearing, he leaned his forehead against the window frame, shocked by the intensity of his reaction when he’d thought she might have left.
Shit. He was in over his head. Astrid was like a river, running freely. There was no way to grab onto her and hold her, and the notion of her slipping through his grasp sent panic racing through him.
Scowling, Jason turned away and pulled out his phone. He dialed Astrid’s number as he headed across the grass toward his house.
Her phone went right into voicemail.
Tension ran through him as he jammed the phone in his pocket. Why would she have her phone off? What if something happened to her? Sweat broke out on his temple as he remembered that she lost her baby last time. What if something was wrong, and she couldn’t call for help beca
use her phone wasn’t on?
Almost frantic, he slammed open his front door, then froze when he heard Astrid’s voice coming from his living room. Shock rippled through him, then the most intense relief he’d ever felt. She was safe. He tore down the hall, desperate to see her, to know that she was really okay. His whole body shuddered with relief and need as her voice continued to roll through him.
When he reached the doorway to the living room, and saw her sitting on the couch, he actually had to grasp the doorframe for a second to keep his balance, his relief was so great. Astrid’s hair was untamed and wild around her shoulders, and she looked truly breathtaking in her rainbow-colored skirt and sexy-as-hell top. Her eyes were a vivid brown, deep with passion and fire. Jesus. He’d forgotten the sheer depth of his response to her, and his whole body surged with adrenaline at the sight of her. Jesus. She was like an angel brought down to earth.
“So, Astrid, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.” He heard the cold tone of his mother, and looked sharply around the rest of the room. He’d been so infatuated with Astrid that he hadn’t noticed anything else.
His parents had taken control of the armchairs on either side of the fireplace. Belatedly, Jason noticed that Harlan was sitting beside Astrid. He saw now how stiffly Astrid was sitting, with her shoulders erect and tense. A plate of Ophelia’s lasagna sat in her lap, along with some salad, but her meal was untouched. Her chin was up, and her body language was one of battle.
He could see Noah in the next room, playing Wii, having clearly been excused so the adults could have private time. The atmosphere in the room was intense, so sharp the air almost bit his lungs when he breathed.
Shit. His mother had gone after Astrid. Fierce protectiveness surged through Jason, and he strode into the room. Without even pausing to consider his actions, Jason headed right for Astrid and sat down beside her, shoving himself between Astrid and her brother. He threw his arm across the couch behind her shoulders and leaned toward her, using his body to show they were on the same team.
Astrid stiffened and threw him a confused look.
He ignored it and gave his attention fully to her. “Are you okay?” he asked softly. “My parents can be a real nightmare.”
“I heard that,” his mother said.
“I figured you could.” Jason didn’t look away from Astrid, his heart tightening when he saw the outrage blazing in her eyes. “You okay?”
“Sit somewhere else, Sarantos.” Harlan’s voice was low and threatening.
Fuck that. This was his home, and Astrid was under his protection. Jason shot Harlan a hard look. “You had your one free punch,” he said quietly. “You don’t get another, so back off.”
Astrid’s eyes widened, and her gaze dropped to his jaw. “Harlan did that?”
“Yeah.”
She looked past Jason at her brother, and he saw the flash of surprise in her eyes. Surprise that someone had defended her? Outrage rocked Jason, and he swore. How could she have been taught that no one would stand up for her? She deserved so much more.
“Jason,” Henrietta said with overstated warmth. “You’re just in time for dinner.” She loaded up a plate from the casserole dish that was on a tray in the middle of his coffee table. “I was just asking Astrid about her parents. I was curious to know what they do.”
Jason set the plate down on the coffee table, not interested in eating. He remembered all too well how they’d grilled Kate for her pedigree, and he wouldn’t let them do it to Astrid. He had to set the standard that this was different. That it would not be allowed. “It doesn’t matter what they do—”
“No, it’s okay, Jason.” Astrid touched his arm to halt his protest, and electricity leapt between them at the touch. Jason put his hand over hers to keep her touching him, but she pulled her hand away and turned toward his parents. “I don’t know what my father does. My mother divorced him before I was born, and I never met him.”
Henrietta’s eyes widened, and Jason swore at the hint of vulnerability in Astrid’s voice. “So, who raised you, then?”
“Mom, let it go.” Jason’s voice was sharp. He could tell they were treading on dangerous ground for Astrid. “Why don’t you ask Astrid about her jewelry-making business? She does incredible designs. Really amazing stuff.”
“No.” Astrid stood up, walking to the end of the table. “I want to answer this.” Defiance flared in her eyes, courage so strong it made his heart stop. “By the time I turned seventeen, my mother had been married eight times. Harlan and I have different fathers, and we weren’t even raised together. The longest I lived in any house was six months, because my mother moved us all around to try to find the next man she was going to marry and get some money off of.”
Jason’s heart tightened as he watched Astrid talk. There was so much hurt in her eyes, but her shoulders were back, daring his mother to judge her. “There were times we lived in our car for weeks and weeks. I never graduated from high school because I never stayed in a school long enough to finish an academic year. We had no money, except for what my mother stole from her boyfriends before we would skip town. She never had a job that I knew of.”
Henrietta’s eyes were hard, her face unreadable. “So, where is she now?”
Real pain flashed across Astrid’s face, so intense Jason’s own heart ached for her. “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her in several years. We had a falling out.”
Son of a bitch. Jason was shocked by her revelations, by the childhood Astrid had survived. She had no home. No roots. No foundation.
“Have you been married?” Henrietta asked, but there was a strange softness to her voice, that caught Jason’s attention. Did his mother actually feel sympathy for Astrid?
“No.” Astrid’s answer was simple, but Jason heard the wealth of emotion beneath that one word. There was so much she wasn’t sharing.
Henrietta leaned forward, watching Astrid intently. “Are you really pregnant with my son’s child?”
Harlan growled and moved to stand up, but Jason was faster. Much faster.
“Enough.” Jason vaulted to his feet and strode over to Astrid, stepping in front of her. He didn’t care if Astrid wanted to keep it going. There were lines he could not allow his mother to cross. “Mom, you’re stepping over the line—”
“I am not.” Henrietta didn’t bother to stand up. She just gazed calmly at Jason, her face the epitome of self-confidence. “You’re my son. Any child of yours is my grandchild. It’s my right to be involved.”
It was exactly the same attitude as when she’d come after Kate. From the first meeting, Henrietta had judged Kate as inadequate. She’d spent the rest of his marriage trying to eat away at his belief in his wife and his marriage. “Let it go, Mom,” he said, his voice edged like flint. “Now.” He took Astrid’s arm. “Come on. Let’s leave. I’ll walk you home.”
“No.” Astrid pushed past him, pulling out of his grasp. “Let me answer.” She surveyed the room, her small hands clenched in fists as she looked at his father and mother. Mack had stayed silent the whole time, but he was leaning forward in his chair, listening intently.
“Yes, I am pregnant. But it is my child, not yours.” Her words were fierce and strong, directed right at Henrietta. “You will never interfere in its life, and I will defend it against every threat with my entire soul. You may judge me as inferior because of my mother, but you know what? Your opinion doesn’t have anything to do with the truth.”
Pride swelled through Jason, and he grinned at Astrid. You go, sweetheart. Hell, she didn’t need him to protect her. She had it handled all by herself.
A small grin played at the corner of Mack’s mouth, and Henrietta sat up. “Are you threatening to keep me away from my grandchild?” She sounded shocked and a little incredulous.
Astrid’s eyes blazed. “I’ll do it if I have to.”
Slowly, ever so slowly, Henrietta rose to her feet, and Jason saw the fury in his mother’s eyes. Shit! This was completely spiraling.<
br />
“Astrid.” Harlan stood up. “I think it’s time to go.”
“Yes, I agree.” She lifted her chin, and turned away as Jason caught her hand.
He was startled to feel how cold her fingers were and how badly her hand was trembling. “Astrid,” he said quietly. “I—”
“You will not keep my grandchild from me,” Henrietta snapped. “And—”
“Mom!” Jason spun toward her, anger flaring deep inside him as Harlan hustled Astrid out the door. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Henrietta’s eyes flashed. “What are you doing, Jason? Can’t you see that she’s like Kate? She has no sense of family or how to be a parent. She was practically raised on the streets! You’re a family man, Jason. You can’t be with another woman who can’t understand how to be a family.”
“She’s not like Kate,” he snapped. “Kate was cold and cared only about her career. Astrid is the most emotionally alive and vulnerable woman I’ve ever met. Her heart is so full of hope and pain that it makes my soul hurt just to feel it.”
“There’s no love in Astrid,” Henrietta interrupted. “Can’t you see how aloof she is? She’s not looking for a marriage or a family. She’s planning to raise that child on her own. Can’t you tell that? She didn’t even once look at you for support when you came in.” His mom’s voice softened. “Jason, you don’t need another cold, independent woman. It’ll break you. You need someone who is so full of warmth and love, who will fill your home and your life with real love.”
Her accusation burned through Jason, and he fisted his hands to keep his emotions in check. “For your information,” he said, his voice steely with the effort of staying calm. “Astrid’s had a fucking brutal life, and she has no reason to trust me or anyone else. Yeah, to you she may seem aloof at times, but she’s simply protecting herself. She has the capacity to love deeply. I know she does.”
“Do you?” His mom looked at him, and suddenly Jason didn’t see the hostile woman trying to destroy his hope at a future. He saw an old, tired soul who wanted the best for her son. Some of his anger faded. “Jason, you made the same claim about Kate, and you were wrong. You and the boys suffered for it. Don’t make the same mistake again. Can she really love? Or are you going down the same path you went down before?”
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