Accidental Family

by Kristin Gabriel

  “No fair blaming it on the baby,” she said. “I’m the one who’s pregnant, but you’re the one with the cravings.”

  “So how about it?” he asked. “Shall we order a banana split for three?”

  She smiled. “It sounds great, but I really should get back to Cooper’s Corner. The Sweetheart Dance is tonight, and I’ve got to give the winner of the raffle her free hairstyle and makeup session.”

  “Are you still planning to go to the dance?”

  She hesitated for a moment. “If I can find a date. Do you know any eligible bachelors?”

  He grinned. “Actually, I do know one guy who might interest you. He’s a Canadian who works in the publishing business and he’s been taking ballroom dancing lessons for the past six months.”

  Her eyes widened. “Have you really?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely. And they’ve been almost as awful as the swimming lessons.”

  She laughed. “You never cease to amaze me.”

  He looked at her for a long moment while the sizzling tension between them slowly mounted. “The feeling is mutual, Rowena.”

  She turned from him and cleared her throat. “If we have a date, you’d better take me home so I can get ready.”

  Alan started the engine, his body making him fully aware that he was more than ready for Rowena.

  * * *

  ALAN HELD ROWENA in his arms on the dance floor in the elementary school gymnasium, wondering if he was dreaming again. Her hair smelled like gardenias, and the soft curves of her body fit perfectly against his own. She wore a killer red dress that dipped low enough in the front to make more than one male eye turn in her direction, yet was loose enough around the waist to conceal her pregnancy.

  Beneath red streamers draped over the ceiling, couples young and old filled the dance floor. He saw Keegan Cooper dancing reluctantly with one of the young twins. Maureen was dancing with the other twin riding on her hip. Clint stood on the sidelines manning the punch bowl and talking with Ed Taylor, who wore a threadbare blue suit that had seen better days.

  It looked as if the whole town had shown up for the dance, and every one of them had taken note of Alan and Rowena.

  “Are they still staring?” Rowena asked, her breath whispering against his neck. The sensation caused heat to sizzle through his body.

  “Not as much,” he replied, turning his attention to her. “Does it bother you?”

  She lifted her face to look at him, and he was struck once again by how damn beautiful she was. “Not at all. But I’d hate for you to feel like you were on display.”

  “I don’t think I’m the one they’re looking at,” he said, expertly sidestepping another couple. “You look breathtaking tonight.”

  She smiled. “The women aren’t staring at me, Alan. They’re probably wondering if you’re Fred Astaire’s illegitimate son. You’re a wonderful dancer.”

  “Glad to know those lessons are finally paying off.”

  “You were serious before, about taking dance lessons?”

  He nodded. “When I found out I had Hodgkin’s disease, I started thinking about all the things I should have done but never found the time for. So I decided to make the time. I wrote up a list of everything I wanted to do and started at the top.” He gave her a wry smile. “Some of them turned out to be impossible. Like writing a book.”

  “Why is that impossible?” she asked. “I would think working in publishing would give you an edge.”

  “Maybe,” he admitted. “If I ever found time to write. I guess I let too many other things get in the way.” He grinned. “All the things on my list.”

  Her eyes gleamed with amusement. “You actually made a list?”

  “Three pages long,” he admitted.

  “So what else is on it?”

  “A bunch of things that don’t seem very important anymore. Like riding in a hot-air balloon and taking scuba diving lessons.” He hesitated. “Having a child was on the list, too, but way down at the bottom. I should have realized that it belonged at the top.”

  Her grip tightened on him. “It must have been hard for you.”

  He knew she was referring to his bout with Hodgkin’s disease, and his throat tightened as the memory of those years came rushing back. “It seems like a lifetime ago.”

  The song ended, and the bandleader announced a fifteen-minute break. Alan and Rowena found two empty chairs in the corner of the gymnasium.

  “Would you like some more punch?” he asked.

  She reached for his hand. “I’d like you to tell me what you went through three years ago.”

  He sucked in a deep breath, not certain he was ready to share those feelings he’d tried so hard to bury. But when she gently squeezed his hand, he knew he didn’t want to hold anything back from her.

  “I think the worst part of it was being alone,” he began. “My mom had passed away two years earlier, and my dad...” He cleared his throat. “He wasn’t around much.”

  “I can’t imagine a parent not being there for a child at a time like that. Even if that child is an adult.”

  “I can’t, either,” he replied honestly. “But my dad was never there for me while I was growing up. I’m not even sure he liked me, much less loved me.”

  He saw the look of horror on her face. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I realized a long time ago that my father and I would never have a relationship. He grew up an orphan, so maybe that’s why he could never connect with me. I don’t know the reason. All I do know is that I never want my child to wonder if his father cares about him. That’s why I’m so determined to be a good father myself.”

  Rowena slowly nodded. “We’ve both let our pasts dictate our future. I grew up the child of divorced parents who loathed each other. The problem was that I loved both of them so much I couldn’t bear to be part of that animosity. But I didn’t have a choice. I don’t think they even realized they were using me as a weapon in their battle, but I was the one who almost got destroyed.”

  He held his breath as she talked, realizing she must trust him to reveal this much of herself.

  “I left home as soon as I graduated from high school,” she continued, “and landed in New York City. I met a man named Max Heller there. He was handsome, charming and the most sophisticated man I’d ever known.”

  He thought about telling her he’d overheard Maureen’s telephone call about Heller and the letter. But he decided against it, not wanting to break her flow. “I hate him already.”

  A smile teased her lips. “He was a director on Another Dawn, and I thought he was wonderful. At first. But soon I learned he wanted to direct me offstage as well as on. He wanted to dictate everything I did in my life.”

  “I can imagine how well that went over.”

  Her smile widened. “I’m sure you can. Although I wasn’t quite as confident in myself back then. I mistook his attention for love. It took me a while to figure out how Max’s need to control me wasn’t healthy for either of us.”

  “So you got away from him.” It was a statement, not a question.

  “Not soon enough.” She suppressed a shiver. “I realized how bad it was when I won a role in an off-Broadway play. A role Max hadn’t wanted me to take.”

  “Why not?”

  She shrugged. “He didn’t think the money was good enough. He was furious when I pursued it even after he advised me against it.”

  “So what happened?”

  “He called the producer of the play and told him I was close to a nervous breakdown and couldn’t take on the pressure of another role in addition to playing Savannah Corrington.”

  “Don’t tell me the producer bought that?”

  “He did. Max had called in a favor with a tabloid reporter, so an item about my impending collapse appeared in the paper that
same day. I can’t really blame the producer. He couldn’t afford to take a chance on someone he thought was unstable.”

  “Heller sounds completely twisted.”

  She nodded. “He didn’t want to just keep me from doing the play. He wanted to humiliate me. To punish me for going against his wishes.”

  “So that’s when you left him?”

  “Yes.” She leaned back in her chair. “Shortly after that I left show business and moved to Cooper’s Corner. And I haven’t looked back since.”

  “Do you miss it?” he asked, truly curious. “The big city? The fame? The glamour?”

  “It’s a different lifestyle,” she admitted. “Some actors become addicted to it. I never did. The business was too cutthroat for me.”

  “Publishing can be the same way,” he replied. “Great highs, but lots of lows, too. I used to love it, but lately I can’t seem to dredge up the same drive to succeed that I used to have. Maybe it got zapped away during those radiation treatments.”

  “Or maybe you just realized what’s really important in life.”

  He looked into her eyes, seeing the most important person to him at this moment. “Maybe you’re right.”

  Phyllis Cooper approached their table. “My, don’t you two look serious.”

  “Hi, Phyllis,” Rowena said. “The decoration committee did a wonderful job. The gym looks great.”

  Phyllis preened. “Why, thank you. I had great people helping me. My Bonnie, of course, Burt Tubb and Alison Fairchild. We all worked hard to make it as romantic as possible. The papier-mâché Cupid hanging over the dance floor was my idea. Sort of like mistletoe at Christmas.” Her gaze moved over the couples nuzzling together as they danced. “It seems to be working, too.”

  Rowena motioned to Alan. “This is my date, Alan Rand. Alan, this is Phyllis Cooper.”

  Phyllis’s eyes twinkled. “We’ve already met. Mr. Rand has been in my store several times. He’s not much of a talker, though.”

  “I’ve always been a little shy,” Alan confessed, meeting Rowena’s amused gaze.

  Phyllis nodded with approval. “The strong, silent type. I like that. And I’m so glad to see you here together. I told Philo not to worry about that little tiff you had in the store. You two are such a cute couple that I was sure you’d make up.”

  Alan saw the flush in Rowena’s cheeks. “If you’ll excuse us, Mrs. Cooper, I was just about to ask Rowena to dance with me.”

  “Of course,” Phyllis said. “Although I think Cupid’s already found his mark with you two.”

  Rowena’s face was as red as her dress by the time they reached the dance floor. “I’ve never been so mortified in my life. Cupid’s already found his mark. Can you believe she actually said that?”

  Alan laughed as he pulled her into his arms. “No. But I’m having a great time. How about you? Tired?”

  “Maybe a little,” she admitted. “It’s amazing how spending ten days in bed can drain a person’s energy.”

  “Then why don’t you let me take you home?”

  She circled her arms around his neck. “First I want to see if that Cupid Phyllis made really works.”

  Then she kissed him.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  TIME STOPPED FOR Alan when Rowena reached up to kiss him. The dance music and the crowd around them faded away as she moved her soft, succulent lips over his mouth. A low groan rumbled in his chest, and he pulled her closer, relishing the contact of her body against his own.

  Alan had kissed women before, but never like this. He poured his heart and soul into it, telling her with his body what he couldn’t yet communicate with words. She threaded her fingers through his hair, and the sensation nearly destroyed him. His body throbbed with desire. And from the soft, needy whimpers he heard emanating from her throat, that desire was mutual.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” a deep voice said over the loudspeakers, “may I have your attention, please?”

  Alan and Rowena broke apart to find the dance floor empty except for the two of them. They looked sheepishly at each other, and Alan wondered how long ago the band had stopped playing. He’d been too lost in their kiss to notice.

  Burt Tubb stood nearby holding a microphone in one hand and an envelope in the other. “Let’s give a round of applause to Rowena Dahl and Alan Rand, voted this year’s Most Romantic Couple.”

  Cheers and knowing smiles broke out in the crowd around them. Rowena glanced at Alan, a becoming pink blush on her cheeks. His gaze fell to her full, luscious mouth, and he wanted to kiss her all over again.

  Burt handed the envelope to Alan. “The prize is a romantic dinner for two at Tubb’s Café, home of some of the best service and finest local cuisine you’ll find anywhere in the state.”

  The crowd laughed at Burt’s blatant self-promotion.

  “Thanks,” Alan said, handing the envelope to Rowena. Her cheeks still looked flushed, but he saw the glow of pride in her eyes. At that moment, he realized what kissing him on the dance floor meant. The people of Cooper’s Corner believed that he and Rowena were a couple.

  She had just confirmed it for them.

  An odd sensation rippled like a feather across his chest. He suddenly had an inexplicable urge to laugh. To grab Rowena in his arms and whirl her around in a circle. Clearing his throat, he wondered what the hell was coming over him. Had the dance committee put something unusual in that punch?

  “Now it’s time for our winners to enjoy their spotlight dance,” Burt announced, then motioned to the band to begin playing.

  The overhead lights dimmed in the gymnasium, and a moment later Alan and Rowena found themselves bathed in the glow of the spotlight. She moved toward him with a self-conscious smile as a jazzy rendition of the song “It Had To Be You” filled the air.

  “Are you terribly embarrassed?” she asked, walking into his arms.

  “Standing in the spotlight is a first for me,” he admitted, moving to the beat of the music. “Although I was once voted most valuable player on my soccer team.”

  “What was the prize?”

  “A black eye from the team captain. He didn’t like anyone but himself to be the center of attention.”

  She smiled at him, her blond hair gleaming like spun gold in the glare of the spotlight. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anybody here lay a hand on you.”

  He gazed into her eyes. “There are some hands on me that I don’t mind at all.”

  Her blush deepened, and she moved closer to rest her head on his shoulder. Her hair brushed lightly against his cheek, and he inhaled deeply, relishing her familiar scent.

  “I love this song,” she murmured.

  “It’s the perfect one for us,” he replied, “if you listen to the words. Especially considering the way we met. Have you ever thought about it, Rowena?”

  She pulled back far enough to look at his face. “Thought about what?”

  “The way we met. What if that mistake at the Orr Fertility Clinic wasn’t a mistake at all. What if it was fate?”

  Her amethyst eyes widened. “Do you really believe that, Alan?”

  “I don’t know,” he replied truthfully. “All I do know is that this is the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me. That sperm switch brought us together. And right now I can’t imagine any place else I’d rather be.”

  “Do you want to hear something really crazy? Neither can I.”

  He closed his eyes as he rested his cheek against the top of her head. For the first time in a very long while he didn’t feel alone anymore. What was it about her that intrigued him so much? He’d met countless glamorous women in his business, but none of them had had the same effect on him as Rowena. Was it because he knew she carried his child? Or was there something more? Something he’d never experienced before?

 
“Alan?” she asked as the band began to play the song a second time and the other couples joined them on the dance floor.

  “Yes?”

  She looked at him with a mischievous smile. “Did I mention I bought some bananas today? Along with a gallon of Neapolitan ice cream? I have chocolate syrup and strawberries and pineapple, too. All the makings for a banana split.” Her eyes flashed with something that made his body tighten. “In case you still have that craving.”

  He looked into her eyes. “I definitely have a craving. But not for a banana split.”

  She licked her lips. “Do you think anyone will mind if the Most Romantic Couple leaves the dance early?”

  “I don’t care,” he said, guiding her toward the door. His heart pounded at the promise he’d just seen in her eyes. Some small voice in his head told him this was all happening too fast. He’d made it a practice to err on the side of caution where women were concerned. Made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t interested in a commitment before he embarked on a relationship.

  But this was different. This was Rowena. And for the first time in his life, he was letting his heart take full control.

  * * *

  FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER they were on her front porch. Neither of them had spoken during the short ride to her house. Alan’s body throbbed with need, and he hoped Rowena hadn’t changed her mind in the interim. He wanted her. She wanted him. Had anything in the world ever been more simple?

  But by the time she unlocked the door and they walked inside, nothing seemed simple anymore. What if he moved too fast? What if he disappointed her? Wiping his damp palms on his slacks, he watched her walk to the hearth and bend to place a log on the iron grate. His body hardened in an instant.

  This was ridiculous. He was as nervous as a randy teenager. Alan took a deep, calming breath as she stoked the fire. A few moments later, a blaze crackled up from the logs, and Alan got his runaway hormones under control.

  Rowena turned away from the hearth to face him, the golden flames of the fire casting an ethereal glow around her. He stopped breathing for a moment as he looked at her. She was incredible, both inside and out.