The Maverick's Baby Arrangement

by Kathy Douglass

  “Of course she is,” Mallory said before turning to Brittany. “So what kind of dress are you going to wear?”

  That was it? No talk about Brittany’s new role as stepmother?

  “Can we not talk about the wedding until after we eat?” Lucas pleaded.

  “I second that motion,” Ethan said. “Just hearing the word is making my stomach turn and I won’t be able to do justice to this great food. Everything tastes delicious, Mom, by the way.”

  Mallory blew her youngest child a kiss.

  “We’ll stop talking about the wedding if you guys agree to clean up the kitchen,” Tiffany said.

  “Fine,” Lucas said as Ethan nodded. “Anything not to have to talk about lace and beads.”

  After that, conversation switched to other topics. Brittany was pleased by the way her siblings included Daniel and even ribbed him good-naturedly. He seemed to enjoy the banter and gave as good as he got. If ever she found Mr. Right, she’d want him to fit in with her family just as well as Daniel did.

  When dinner was done, Lucas and Ethan kept their word and cleared the dishes. The women teased them before they went into the living room to continue discussing the wedding.

  “Let’s talk in my office,” Phillip said, clapping a hand on Daniel’s shoulder.

  “Sure.” Daniel looked at Hailey, who was now lying across Mallory’s lap. As the dinner had progressed, Hailey had grown tired of sitting in her high chair and had started to fuss. Daniel had taken her out of the chair, ready to hold her, but Mallory had taken her, saying that Hailey needed to become familiar with the rest of her family. Throughout the meal, Hailey had spent time on everyone’s lap. Brittany had no doubt that the little girl was going to be spoiled in no time.

  “Go. She’ll be fine,” Mallory said. “I’ve raised five of my own, so I know a thing or two about babies. Besides, Brittany is here if Hailey needs to see a familiar face.”

  Brittany watched as Daniel followed her father out of the room. Her mother patted her hand. “He’ll be fine.”

  “I know,” Brittany replied. Phillip was a gentle man who loved his family. As long as Brittany was happy, he would be happy.

  “This is kind of sudden,” her mother said softly so that her words reached Brittany’s ears alone. She should have known her mother wouldn’t let the timing issue drop easily.

  “I know. But it feels right to me.”

  “I raised you to know your own mind and make your own decisions. You’ve done a good job to date. I’m not going to try to run your life now, so stop frowning at me before your face freezes that way. If you think getting married this soon is right for you, then it’s fine by me. Now, let’s talk about colors.”

  After that, Brittany was able to completely relax. Unlike most teenagers or women in their twenties, she’d never imagined her dream wedding. And, oddly enough for an event planner, she was stumped when it came to planning her own wedding. Perhaps it was because she didn’t want to be surrounded by the symbols of love and devotion when she and Daniel weren’t devoted to each other. And they certainly weren’t in love. Heck, a week ago, she wasn’t even sure she liked him. She’d grown to admire him, but admiration was a long way away from being in love.

  Could she really go with pink hyacinths when they symbolized happiness and love? Or pink peonies, which meant romance and a happy marriage? Not a chance. And she certainly couldn’t use dahlias knowing they symbolized commitment and honesty. Nothing about this wedding was honest.

  “How about tulips?” Tiffany suggested.

  “Yes, you love tulips,” her mother added.

  She did. But tulips were a symbol of perfect love. She wanted to say no as she had to magenta lilacs and their love and passion, but she didn’t want to raise suspicions by being difficult. And, really, who else knew the symbolism behind the flowers? Definitely not her sisters.

  “Okay. I like that idea.”

  “What about bridesmaids?” Stephanie asked.

  “I want each of you to stand up with me, of course. And Amanda.”

  “Yes.” Stephanie cheered, clapping her hands.

  “I was hoping you were going to say that,” Tiffany said. “What color dresses are we going to wear?”

  “What color would you like?”

  The sisters talked excitedly to each other, coming up with and then discarding several colors as too bold, too boring, too...something.

  “Well?” Brittany asked when they’d finally stopped talking.

  They grinned at each other before speaking in unison. “Pink.”

  Brittany laughed. Her sisters knew pink was her favorite color. Not because she was a froufrou girl. She’d just always liked it. And each of her sisters looked fantastic in pink. Of course, they looked good in everything.

  All the laughter and chatting had Hailey stirring and she sat up and looked around. At that moment, Lucas and Ethan returned to the room. Hailey took one look at Lucas and began to bounce on Mallory’s lap and clap her hands. Then she raised her arms and stretched her little body as she tried to reach him. With rich brown skin and pretty-boy good looks, Lucas appealed to females from eight to eighty-eight. Apparently, that number should be lowered to eight months since Hailey wasn’t immune to his charm, either.

  “Hey, sweetie. Want to hang out with Uncle Lucas?” He reached out and swept her into his arms then settled her on his shoulders. Hailey squealed in delight and grabbed his locs. Laughing, he went down on his hands and knees to give her a horsey ride. Hailey bellowed with laughter and kicked her legs as if urging him to go faster, so he did.

  “You’d better slow down,” Brittany warned.

  “Why? She likes it.” Lucas began bucking like bronco, which delighted Hailey even more and she laughed raucously. “See? I’m totally going to be her favorite uncle.”

  “When she spits up all over your head, don’t say anything.”

  “What’s a little spit between friends?” he asked. He did, however, get to his feet and lower Hailey from his shoulders. He held her against his chest and looked into her eyes. “You wouldn’t spit up on Uncle Lucas now, would you?”

  Hailey just laughed.

  “Looks like she isn’t making any promises. Smart girl,” Stephanie said.

  Lucas winked. “We have a bond that doesn’t require words.”

  Brittany watched the interaction between her siblings then glanced at her watch. She nibbled on her bottom lip.

  “Why do you look so worried all of a sudden?” Stephanie asked.

  “I’m just wondering what Dad and Daniel have been talking about all this time.”

  “Dad is probably threatening him within an inch of his life,” Ethan said, cleaning his glasses on his pressed button-down shirt before returning them to his face. “You know, telling him how you’re his precious daughter and that he’d better treat you like gold or else.”

  “No way. Dad is probably telling him to run while he can,” Lucas joked. “Brittany has been known to be bossy.”

  “Good thing you’re holding the baby, or you would be toast,” Brittany said.

  “Would you two stop?” her mother said, clearly exasperated. “Your father and Daniel are just getting to know each other.”

  “Get away while you still can,” Lucas said, laughing.

  “Brat.” But Brittany laughed. Her mother was probably right. So why couldn’t she shake the mental image of her father chasing her fake fiancé?

  * * *

  Daniel fought back the ridiculous nerves churning his stomach. He and Phillip were going to have a simple talk. Daniel talked to people all of the time. This shouldn’t be any different. But it was. Because this wasn’t a talk between friends or business associates. This was a man-to-man talk between a man and his future father-in-law. True, the marriage between Daniel and Brittany wasn’t going to be a real one, and Daniel didn’t exp
ect it to last long. But Phillip didn’t know that. He believed Daniel and Brittany were going to be together for the rest of their lives.

  Now that he’d met the Brandts and he and Hailey had been enveloped into her family, Daniel understood why Brittany hadn’t wanted to tell them the truth. They were honest and open people who wouldn’t be comfortable with the deceit. Though she’d tried to hide it, Daniel could tell that Brittany wasn’t at ease with the deception, either. But because she wanted to help him, she was willing to compromise her morals.

  “Don’t look so nervous,” Phillip said with a grin. “This won’t be painful. I just want to get to know you better. It’s easier to talk privately. You and Brittany are going to be getting married in a couple of weeks, so that doesn’t give us much time.”

  “True. What do you want to know about me?”

  Phillip laughed. “This isn’t a job interview. I don’t have a list of questions to ask you. Truth be told, I wasn’t expecting to meet you today. When Brittany said she was bringing a guest to dinner, I thought she meant Amanda. It turns out she meant her fiancé and her future daughter.”

  “You didn’t refer to Hailey as Brittany’s future stepdaughter.”

  Leaning back in his leather chair, Phillip crossed his arms over his stomach and raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t refer to her as your niece, either.”

  “True. I don’t think of her that way. I think of her as my daughter.”

  “There you have it.” Phillip nodded his head, as if that explained everything. And in a way it did. To the Brandts, family was family. That was why they’d opened their arms and their hearts to him and Hailey.

  A lump sprouted in Daniel’s throat and he had to swallow before speaking. This was what he wanted for Hailey. He wanted to raise her as his daughter, like he’d sworn he would. But more than that, he wanted to give her a loving family. Of course, this family would disappear once he gained legal custody of Hailey and he and Brittany split, but in the meantime, she would be loved beyond his greatest imagining.

  Phillip crossed his legs. He fired off a few questions to get the conversation rolling but, true to his word, the talk was genial, relaxed. “So you want to open a guest ranch?” he finally asked.

  “Yes. That’s actually how Brittany and I met. I hired her firm to plan a dinner for me. Needless to say, she made quite the impression on me.”

  “That’s Brittany. I was beginning to think she was so focused on her career that she wouldn’t ever consider getting married and having a family. It turns out she was waiting for the right man.” After a moment, Phillip stood and extended a hand. “I’m glad to know you. Welcome to the family.”

  Inexplicably, the lump returned to Daniel’s throat. He wasn’t normally sentimental, but over the past few hours at the Brandts’, he’d found himself growing emotional. The last few years had been rough on him. He’d lost his parents and sister, leaving him with only Hailey as his family. His family might not have been as big or affectionate as this one, but they’d loved each other in their own way. He hadn’t realized just how alone he’d been before Hailey had come into his life. Now he had the Brandts, too. At least for the duration of his marriage to Brittany.

  “Thank you. You have a great family.”

  “I think so, but then I’m biased. They’ll be your family soon, too. Now, let’s get out of here. I’d like to spend a little bit more time spoiling my new granddaughter. And another piece of German chocolate cake wouldn’t hurt.”

  Daniel followed his future father-in-law into the living room. The sight that greeted him made him smile. Brittany and her sisters were sitting on the sofa, their heads together as they talked a mile a minute. Mallory was sitting in a chair beside them, nodding as she typed into her laptop. Wedding planning was apparently in full swing.

  Brittany glanced up at him and smiled. He felt the strangest twinge in his chest as his breath caught. She was so beautiful; he could have looked at her all night. But her beauty wasn’t limited to the physical. She had the most gorgeous heart of anyone he’d ever met.

  Hailey was sitting on a blanket, banging on a metal bowl with a wooden spoon and “singing” along. He scooped her up and gave her a big kiss. “That’s a bit noisy. How about we give it a rest?”

  The women just laughed. Clearly, they hadn’t been bothered by the noise.

  “The guys are in the kitchen getting more dessert, if you want to join them,” Brittany said. “Or you could help us with the planning. It’s your wedding, too.”

  “Whatever you decide is fine with me.”

  “Besides, there’s cake and coffee in the kitchen,” Tiffany teased.

  “Yep.”

  “We’ll be done soon,” Brittany promised.

  “Take your time,” Daniel said, stepping out and joining the male members of the Brandt family. The day was turning out better than he’d expected, and he was actually having fun. He didn’t have a problem with enjoying himself a little while longer. After all, he knew it was going to end soon.

  Perhaps too soon?

  Chapter Nine

  “I really enjoyed myself today,” Daniel said. “I’m glad I got to meet your family.”

  “They loved you,” Brittany said honestly. Though she’d been the one who’d wanted them to meet, she’d been worried about their reaction to him and news of her upcoming wedding. She should have known her family would welcome him and Hailey with open arms. He’d fit right in and had become fast friends with her brothers. When she and mother had hugged at the door before they’d left, Mallory had whispered in her ear, “Daniel’s a good man. You’ve chosen well.” Her mother’s words had filled Brittany with unexpected pride and warmth. Her mother had always wanted Brittany to find the same joy in marriage that she herself had found. Brittany didn’t want to think about how disappointed her mother would be when she found out the truth. But since Brittany had gone into this with her open eyes she would deal with her mother’s reaction when the time came.

  “I loved them, too.”

  They’d finally gotten Hailey down for the night. After her busy day, she’d splashed for a long time in her bath before calming down enough to let Brittany wash her, then dress her in footed pajamas and rock her to sleep. Brittany had been surprised by how natural it had felt to hold the little girl and sing her a lullaby. But considering that Hailey was about to become her temporary daughter, it was a good development.

  Daniel and Brittany were sitting in his very masculine living room. The curtains were open and moonlight streamed through the windows, making the large room feel intimate.

  She shifted, brushing against Daniel’s shoulder. They both froze. Until this moment she hadn’t realized how close they were sitting. Suddenly there was a shift in the atmosphere and Brittany felt a oneness with Daniel that she’d never felt with anyone else. She certainly hadn’t expected to feel it with him. The bond that she’d been pretending to share with him was starting to feel real. That was a problem. She needed to draw a bright line between what was real and what was fake.

  She took a reluctant breath. “I guess I should be getting home.”

  “So soon?” He sounded shocked and maybe a little bit disappointed. No, she had to be imagining that. Why would he be disappointed? “I was hoping you could stay awhile. I could make some coffee to go with the cake.”

  Brittany laughed. Mallory had sent home two large pieces of cake, along with a plate of leftovers. “I’ll just take the coffee. You can keep my piece of cake.”

  “You sure?”

  She nodded.

  He placed a hand over his heart and stared into her eyes. “You’re the best.”

  Brittany’s heart did a silly little lurch and she cautioned herself to calm down. His words didn’t mean anything. He was just glad to have an extra dessert. Still, it was foolish to deny the way she’d reacted. Not one for lying—present situation excepted—she
forced herself to acknowledge her attraction to him while simultaneously making up her mind not to let it grow.

  How pitiful would it be to allow herself to fall for someone she knew had no intention of returning the feeling? Daniel had made it clear that theirs was now and always would be a business relationship. And since she wasn’t really the maternal type and wasn’t looking to marry anytime in the near future, why was she so bothered?

  Daniel was back in a minute, holding two mugs, one with a plate balanced on top. He offered her the solitary mug and then set the other on the table.

  She took a sip of her coffee. “Delicious.”

  “Thanks.” He settled back on the sofa beside her, grabbed the plate and fork, and then took a bite of cake. Leaning back, he closed his eyes, savoring the treat. She had never found the way a man chewed especially sexy, but she was slightly turned on by watching Daniel devour his cake. She licked her lips as she imagined his lips on hers and the pleasure they would both get from kissing.

  “So, do you want to talk more about the wedding?” she said, suddenly warm. She needed to focus on something other than how sexy his lips were and how badly she wanted to feel them on hers.

  “Sure. What did you guys come up with?”

  “My sisters will be my bridesmaids. And I’m going to ask Amanda to be my maid of honor. Do you have three close friends who can stand up for you?”

  “Yes. I’ll ask my friends Sam and Dominick to be groomsmen and my best friend, Stephanos, to be my best man.”

  “Are you going to have a bachelor party? If so, I can keep Hailey for you.”

  “I don’t think so. The four of us will probably just get together the night they arrive and go to dinner or something. Of course, I have to tell them I’m getting married first.”

  She grinned. “What are you waiting for? Scared of what they’ll say? Or has reality hit you? Are you scared of turning in your bachelor card?”

  “Not hardly.”

  “I did a little checking on you. Before you moved here, you were considered one of the Southwest’s most eligible bachelors. There were dozens of pictures of you with beautiful women. Emphasis on the word women. You were frequently photographed with a beautiful woman on your arm, but rarely the same woman twice. Maybe your friends won’t believe you’re ready to settle down with one woman. Especially with someone like me.”