What Makes A Father (HQR Special Edition)

by Teresa Southwick

  “You and Annie have two children together. You’re parents and good ones. In spite of Gabriel’s dopey quiz, you’re compatible. I can see it the way you work together with the babies. If there were any cracks, the strain of caring for them would break them wide open. If anything, you two have grown stronger from the experience.”

  That statement had the ring of truth to it. “Maybe, but—”

  “Please don’t go by those completely irrelevant questions. Fortunately your aunt Lillian relies on her instincts about a man and woman when she’s matchmaking. Her success rate is pretty high, too.” She smiled. “That intuition for pairing up a man and woman runs in the family.”

  “Even if you’re right about Annie and me—”

  “I am.” She pointed at him. “And you’re going to say, why rush things? And I will say, why wait? You care and so does she. Together you can give Charlie and Sarah a stable home, a loving environment. And all of that under one roof.”

  “This idea is crazy, Mom.”

  She tapped her lip. “And your paternity petition is still pending with the court. It couldn’t hurt to show that you’re making a legal commitment to their mother, as well.”

  “We don’t have to be married for me to present a strong case. I have the DNA proof.”

  “Of course you do. And that was one of those things that just popped into my mind. But this isn’t. If you don’t get out of your own way and marry her, someone else just might snatch her up, right out from under your nose. That old boyfriend could still be lurking.”

  “Not after what he called my children.” Mason still wanted to clock him for that.

  “Maybe not him, but Annie is pretty, smart and funny. Someone is going to sweep her off her feet. It should be you.”

  When Mason was in medical school, there hadn’t been a class on jealousy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t diagnose it now. The knot in his gut, elevated blood pressure and the pounding in his temples. All symptoms that confirmed the thought of Annie with another guy was just wrong.

  But that didn’t answer the question.

  What was he going to do about it?

  Chapter Eight

  Annie sat on the medical exam table at the orthopedic office and watched Dr. Jack Andrews cut through her cast. Mason had driven and was standing by her, but there was something on his mind other than freedom for her leg. She wasn’t sure how she knew that but she did.

  The doctor shut off the mini-saw and set it aside, then pried apart the cast and cotton-like material beneath that was sticking to her skin. He smiled. “How does the leg feel?”

  “Like heaven. But it looks gross. All white and shriveled and different from the other one.” She glanced at Mason, not sure she wanted him to see the grossness and not sure why she should care that he did. And it was a waste of energy because he’d already seen.

  “Don’t worry. That’s normal for what you’ve been through.” Dr. Andrews was a colleague of Mason’s, young and good-looking, but his opinion on the attractiveness of her leg didn’t matter.

  “It doesn’t look normal.” She glanced at Mason again to see if he was grossed out. He didn’t look repulsed. He looked like Mason. Strong, steady and incredibly cute Mason.

  “Soak the limb in warm water twice a day for the first few days and wash it with mild soap. Use a soft cloth or even gauze. That will help remove the dead skin.”

  “Does she need to take it easy, Jack?” Just like Mason to ask that.

  “As you know, the muscles are atrophied from lack of use. I’m going to prescribe physical therapy for a few weeks so the experts can work on teaching you exercises to strengthen it. In a very short time you’ll build the leg up again.” He met her gaze, his own serious. “Your balance might be somewhat compromised after weeks of not walking normally. Go slow. Use the crutches at first to see how you do. But it won’t be long before you’ll forget this ever happened.”

  “I doubt that.” His smile was nice, she thought, but her insides didn’t quiver at all from it. Not like when Mason smiled at her.

  And the experience hadn’t been all bad. She’d gotten to know his family, how wonderful they were. He’d been pretty wonderful, too. The twins were lucky to have him for a father. Was he really determined to stay a bachelor? He was so loving with the babies, it was hard to believe he wouldn’t meet a woman who would convince him to try again.

  “You’ve been a perfect patient, Annie.”

  “And you’ve been a perfect doctor, Doctor,” she said. “No offense but I hope I never have to see you again.”

  Mason laughed. “She means professionally.”

  “I got that,” the other man said. “The feeling is mutual.”

  She shook his hand. “Seriously, thank you so much for everything.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  When they were alone, Mason handed her the sneaker she hadn’t used for six weeks.

  “Thanks, Mason.”

  “For?”

  “Do I have to pick one thing?” She thought for a moment. “First of all for reminding me to bring my sock and shoe. I’d have forgotten if not for you. It seems like forever since I needed it and I’d have crutched right out of the house without it.”

  “Happy to help.”

  “I also want to thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty these last weeks. And for being a good father to the twins.”

  “I should be thanking you. For making sure I knew about them.”

  “It was the right thing to do.” Her stomach did the quivery thing when he smiled.

  “Are you ready to get out of here?”

  “So ready.” The crutches were braced against the exam table and she grabbed them. “Following doctor’s orders. No point in setting myself back. But now I can pick up my babies, not just wait for someone to hand them to me.”

  “How do you feel about grabbing some lunch before we go home to the kids?”

  “Would it be all right with your mom? Does she have to be somewhere?”

  “It was her idea.” He opened the exam room door.

  “In that case, I’m on board.”

  They walked down the hallway with medical offices on either side, then into the lobby area, where automatic doors opened to the outside. Annie was using the crutches to take part of her weight but felt pretty good moving on her own two feet. No dizziness or pain, just some minor weakness. She felt free, happy, and was looking forward to lunch with Mason.

  It was one of those perfect fall days in Southern California and she was enthusiastically on board when he suggested getting sandwiches to eat in the park. There was one a short distance from his new house where they found a picnic table with a roof overhead not far off the cement walkway.

  They were sitting side by side, looking at the white gazebo surrounded by yellow-, coral-and pink-flowered bushes. There were towering trees, shrubs, green grass and just a perfect amount of breeze.

  “It’s so beautiful here.” Annie sighed contentedly then took the paper-wrapped turkey sub sandwich and napkin he handed her and immediately unwrapped it.

  “Yeah.” He set his own lunch on the table and didn’t do anything but stare at it.

  “I can’t wait until Charlie and Sarah are big enough to run around and play on the kids’ equipment.” She pointed to a bright yellow, blue and red structure with tubes and stairs surrounded by rubberized material for unexpected landings.

  “Uh-huh,” he answered absently. Definitely distracted about something.

  Annie wanted to know what was up with him. Maybe her comment about him being a good father had somehow freaked him out, put pressure on him. With her luck, the bum leg making her dependent on him had made him change his mind about wanting to take responsibility for the twins. Showed him he wasn’t cut out for being a dad and he wanted off the hook. She couldn’t stand it anymore and
had to know.

  She put her sandwich down without taking a bite. “Look, just spit it out. Get it over with.”

  “Spit what out?”

  “Whatever it is you’re so jumpy about.”

  “I’m not jumpy.” But he didn’t sound too sure of that.

  “You’ve been preoccupied since we left the house. The whole time we’ve been gone you hardly said two words. Except to the doctor. So, just tell me what’s going on. I can handle it. I’ve been alone before.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re responsible enough to not feel comfortable telling me but decent enough to do it to my face. You don’t want to be tied down by the twins.” The quivery feeling in her stomach became something else that made her want to cry.

  He stared at her for several moments then shook his head. “You couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “So I’ve made a fool of myself and you don’t have anything on your mind?”

  “No, you’re right about that,” he confirmed. “I’m actually surprised you know me well enough to recognize that.”

  “Of course I do.” Although she was a little surprised, too. And also really anxious about what was going on in his head. “So, I say again, just get it over with. Please.”

  “That’s what someone says when they think it’s going to be something bad.”

  Damn aviator sunglasses were sexy as all get-out but she couldn’t see his eyes. The window to the soul. A clue to what he was feeling. “Because it is bad, right?”

  “I didn’t think so, but I guess it could be interpreted that way.”

  “Darn it, Mason. Will you just tell me what we’re talking about here?”

  “Okay.” He blew out a breath. “I was going to ask you to marry me.”

  Shut the front door! Annie’s jaw dropped and she blinked at him for several moments. Unsure what to say, she finally asked, “Why?”

  “That should be a simple enough answer but in our case it’s complicated.” He angled his body toward her. “I don’t know where to start.”

  “So we’re not talking love here.” Please don’t be talking love, she thought. They both had the scars to prove that was a losing proposition.

  “Different L word. We like each other.”

  “True.” And that was so much safer.

  “And respect,” he said. “I respect you a lot and I’m pretty sure you feel the same about me.”

  “Definitely.” Even when she thought he was going to leave, she gave him credit for doing it in person. “Okay, but we could just go back to the way things were before I broke my leg. I’ll move back to my apartment and you can visit any time you want.”

  He sighed. “I want more. I’ll be moving into the house. It just seems like a natural transition to do that together. If I hadn’t spent time with you and the kids in the same house, it would have taken me longer to get to this place, but I would have eventually.”

  “And that is?”

  “I don’t want to visit my kids. I want to live with them under the same roof, together with their mother. You’ve said that the apartment is too small and you were going to look for a bigger place.” He shrugged. “I just happen to have one. And since the broken leg and living with my folks, you’re half out of there anyway. If we just move your stuff to my place, it would be easier. You love the house.”

  “I do. And your points are all good ones. But we could just live together,” she suggested. “Share expenses. Babysitting. It’s a little unconventional, but this situation is the very definition of that. We don’t have to get married to be a family.”

  He took off his glasses and his eyes were bluer and more intense than ever before. “I want a traditional family. For me and for them. With you.”

  Traditional family. The words struck a chord in Annie’s soul, a tune she didn’t fully realize had been playing her whole life. She’d never experienced what Mason was offering her. But he had and she’d seen it in action. He knew how to do the family thing. It was as natural to him as breathing. If he was going to abandon her and the twins, he’d have done it already. He wouldn’t be offering her a legal commitment.

  “Annie?”

  “I’m thinking.” She met his gaze. “Maybe we should try dating or something first?”

  “So you don’t want a traditional relationship.”

  “I didn’t say that. Actually, I’ve wanted that my whole life,” she admitted.

  “Okay. We could date, but we’ll wind up right back here. I feel as if we’ve been more than dating since we met. And it’s been pretty terrific. You. The kids. It’s what I want.”

  His marriage broke up because his wife couldn’t have children. She and Mason were already parents. Annie did like him. A lot. It wasn’t love, but that was so much better. Who needed drama and heartbreak? He was steady. Supportive. Sweet. She was happy around him and enjoyed spending time together. She looked forward to seeing him after work.

  And there was that kiss.

  “Come on, Annie.” He took her hand and brushed his thumb over her left ring finger. “This is the right thing to do.”

  Her exact words just a little while ago about letting him know he was a father. She waited for some sign, a knot in her stomach, a shred of doubt in her mind, something to make her say no way. But there was nothing. Just a feeling that this could work really well.

  “Okay, Mason. I’ll marry you.”

  * * *

  Escrow on the house had closed less than a week ago so Annie had been busy helping Mason move things in. It had kept her too busy to be nervous about the wedding. But two weeks after his proposal they were going to take vows. Things had come together quickly, partly because it was small, partly because Florence Blackburne was a tireless volunteer on their behalf and wanted this to happen.

  On Thursday evening two weeks after becoming engaged, Annie and Mason stood in front of someone who was licensed by the State of California to marry them. Flo had found him on the internet. He was a skinny twentysomething who looked like a college student earning extra money. Carla was her maid of honor; Mason’s dad was the best man. His mom and sister held the babies, who looked completely adorable. Charlie had on a little black suit and red bow tie that he kept pulling off. Sarah was wearing a pink-tulle, cap-sleeved dress with a darker pink satin ribbon that tied in a big bow in the back.

  If anyone thought Annie’s tea-length red dress was an odd choice, they kept it to themselves. The bodice was snug-fitting chiffon and the full, flirty, asymmetrical mid-calf hem flattered her figure. Muscle was building up in her leg but she was a little sensitive about it being thinner than the other one.

  Patrick’s Place had been closed for this private function. Carla was BFFs with the owner, Tess Morrow Wallace, and had facilitated the arrangements. Annie was aware that Mason had met his ex-wife here, but the interior was new so she chose to be superstitious about that, in a positive way.

  Tables and chairs were arranged to form an aisle for Annie to walk down. Now the Blackburne family formed a semicircle around Annie and Mason in the center of the room. Together they had written their own vows to each other and she was glad there wouldn’t be any surprises because the unexpected always had a way of being bad.

  Annie cleared her throat to go first. “I, Annie Campbell, take you, Mason Blackburne, to be my husband, and father to Sarah and Charlie. You’re a good, decent man who takes care of them and me. In front of everyone gathered here, I promise to honor and cherish you and put the family we’re making today above all else.”

  In his black suit, Mason was more handsome than she’d ever seen him. The blue stripes in his silk tie brought out the intense color of his eyes in the best possible way. And his smile... Her heart fluttered and she wasn’t sure if nerves had chosen this moment to trip her up or if it was something else a lot more complicated. He didn’t touch her with
any part of his body, but their gazes met and locked and made her feel as if he was holding her in his arms.

  “I, Mason Blackburne, take you, Annie Campbell, for my wife. I solemnly promise to respect, honor and care for you and our children to the very best of my ability. It’s good and right, and I look forward to making a family with you and Sarah and Charlie.”

  She and Mason exchanged plain gold bands, after which the internet guy said, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Neither of them moved and Gabriel Blackburne said, “Isn’t this the part where you kiss the bride?”

  Annie felt a quiver in her stomach and instinctively turned her face up to look at Mason. He smiled then slowly lowered his mouth as her eyes drifted closed. His lips were soft and chaste but that didn’t stop memories of their first kiss from popping into her mind. This felt like a down payment on a promise for later. And it didn’t last nearly long enough.

  Mason pulled back and said, “Hello, Mrs. Blackburne. How do you feel?”

  Good question. This was a done deal now. Legal. She’d made decisions in the past and instantly had second thoughts if not outright regrets. What-the-heck-have-I-done moments. But this wasn’t one of them. Mason was all the good things a man should be and there was no denying that sparks happened every time he touched her. Most important, the babies would have their father and a normal life.

  “I feel great,” she said, smiling back at him.

  “Me, too.”

  “Me, three.” Carla hugged both of them. “Congratulations. You make a beautiful couple.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” With Sarah in her arms, Florence gave her son a one-armed hug before doing the same to Annie. “Welcome to the family, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you.” Unexpectedly, Annie’s eyes filled with emotional tears. Her voice only caught a little when she said, “It’s really nice to have a family.”

  The rest of the Blackburnes lined up to congratulate them. All but Gabriel, she noticed. The bar was open and he’d walked over for a drink. Then she was swept up in the celebration and Charlie was leaning toward her, wanting to be held. Sarah did the same to Mason.