The Baby Bargain (Men of Maine Series Book 3)

by Diana Tobin

  “Oh, dear. I’ve hurt their feelings, haven’t I?” mourned Nettie.

  Micki waved that off. “Ethan explained you intended the wedding to be small and simple and hadn’t realized they’d be willing to make another trip up here so soon. I have a feeling Robert and Eileen will be spending a lot of time in Maine, especially during the summer. Makes me want the builders to finish the guest house first.”

  “I thought you liked your in-laws.” Lynn frowned at her sister.

  “I do. I love them. Eileen still tends to hover, even though Ethan says she’s much better. I think it’s kind of sweet, but he tends to get tense when she tells him to be careful every time he walks out the door.” A leg injury had ended her husband’s hockey career before Micki had met him. “There are times I want to tell him to be careful, too, but that has less to do with his leg and more to do with the fact he’s mine.”

  “Newlyweds,” Lynn said with a trace of sarcasm. “Where is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Wonderful?”

  “He and Marc went with JC to pick up the columns and arch for the wedding.”

  “JC? Why is he involved?”

  “You know he rents Mom’s pasture.” Micki grinned at Lynn. “I think he has a bit of a crush on her. Weren’t you two friends?”

  Lynn couldn’t meet her sister’s gaze. “We went to school together. We were never friends. He was so annoying in high school. Hopefully, he’s grown out of that.”

  Before Micki could comment, Nettie asked, “Micki, honey, do you have to put all your hair products in here?” She waved a hand over the table. “Can’t we go to the upstairs bathroom?”

  “Mama, the light is better here, and I have more room to work.” She patted Nettie’s shoulder, sensing nerves were getting to her. “Rose will do your nails when she gets here and the rest of us will decorate out back. None of the food will be in here. We’re setting up everything outside. I promise, no one will see any of this.” Micki wished she’d already found a masseuse for her salon. Her mother could use the stress release. “Where’s Marc’s wife? Did they arrive early enough for you to get acquainted?”

  “She couldn’t come,” Nettie replied. “Marc says she does a lot of charity work and had to attend a fundraiser.”

  “Humph!” grumbled Lynn.

  Micki jammed her hands on her hips. “She couldn’t find someone to go in her place so she could attend a family event?”

  “Now, girls. Don’t be so hasty to judge. It’s not like we planned this wedding months in advance.” Micki narrowed her eyes. “We decided at your wedding, honey. We just didn’t announce it until you came home from your honeymoon. That’s why I didn’t think the Reighs would come back so soon. We didn’t expect everyone to change their plans just for us.”

  “Why not?” demanded Micki. Then, she raised a hand in a gesture of peace. “Sorry. I know I—” She met Lynn’s gaze. “We haven’t been the best daughters, and that ends now. We’d change any plans for you, especially something as important as your wedding. I just don’t get my brother. He’s been married, what, four years? And none of us have met his wife? Does she really exist?” She drew in a long breath. “Sorry. Sorry. This is your day. If little Miss Cassandra is too busy to come meet us all, that’s her loss. We’re all going to have the best time!”

  “Amen,” agreed Lynn. “Looks like the guys are here with the decorations.”

  “Rose is right behind them. Good.” Micki opened the door to let in her manicurist. “You sit down, Mom, and let Rose pamper you. The rest of us will go out and turn the backyard into a wedding chapel.” She pressed a kiss to Nettie’s cheek and squeezed Rose’s hand as she left the room.

  “Miss Nettie, you get comfortable,” Rose instructed. “I’m going to get a pan of warm water and we’ll start on your pedicure. Pick out your polish color.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Michaela headed straight for Ethan when she got outside. He wrapped her up in his arms, lifting her off her feet as he planted a kiss on her lips. “Hello, sugar.”

  “Mom. Dad,” complained Charley. “We’ll never be ready for Grammie and Wil’s wedding if you spend all day snogging.”

  The newlyweds shared a look and a grin.

  JC Benjamin walked up just in time to hear Charley’s remark. “What the hell is snogging?” he asked.

  “Quarter.” Charley held out her palm while she gave the man a look of disbelief. “Snogging. You know,” she waved her other hand at her parents. “Kissing, and all that.”

  “Why didn’t you just say so?” he grumbled. “What’s the quarter for?” He dug into the pocket of his snug jeans.

  “Charley is our Appropriate Language Counselor,” said Lynn joining the group. “Meaning, she fines us each time we swear.”

  “Oh. Beg your pardon, kid.” JC’s gaze narrowed as he studied her. “CJ? Is that you? Thought you were one of Charley’s friends.” He turned to fully face her, his gaze going over her from head to toe and back again.

  For a moment, she wished she’d worn something nicer than yoga pants and an over-sized tee shirt. She gave him a sweet smile that didn’t match her eyes. “I’m better than a friend. I’m Aunt Lynn.” The smile she gave her niece was genuine. “Isn’t that right, Charley?”

  “Yep. Dani and I keep getting more family and friends,” the girl replied happily.

  “Hmm. What happened to you?” he asked. Both Lynn and Charley frowned at JC in puzzlement. “Looks to me like you stopped growing. You’re as short as your niece.”

  She gave him a frigid look and wrapped an arm around her niece. “Too bad your IQ matches your shoe size. Guess all those rumors from high school were just that.” Steering Charley toward the others, she turned her back on JC. “We’d better get started.”

  “Still bossy as always,” he mumbled. When Charley stopped and began to turn around, he realized he’d spoken louder than intended. But, Lynn shook her head at her niece and kept walking.

  Now, he felt like a dumbass for letting the kid hear how he felt about her aunt. One look at CJ, make that Lynn, and he’d felt like he was back in high school. Panting after the one girl who was unattainable.

  Did she really think she was hiding anything under that big shirt? The thin fabric clung to her impressive curves. The woman had to know those excuse for pants clung to her ass, making a man want nothing more than to fill his palms with the firm flesh.

  His snug jeans were quickly getting too tight in the crotch. Dammit all! He’d fallen for impressive tits and a firm ass before. All that had gotten him was months of grief and the loss of half his farm. He wasn’t about to let his dick do his thinking again.

  JC stomped to his truck and grabbed out a column. “Where does Nettie want this stuff?” he snarled.

  “Ethan. Marc. Let’s unload Mr. Benjamin’s truck. He’s obviously over-extended his time with polite society and needs to be on his way.” Lynn stalked over to take the column from his hands.

  “You can’t carry this alone,” JC growled at her. “It’s damn near twice as tall as you.”

  Jamming her hands on her hips she gave him a cold look. “My lack of height does not make me lacking in brains, manners, nor strength. I’ll wrestle every one of these damn things into place so you can get the hell out of here.”

  “That’s fifty cents from you, Auntie Lynn,” Charley piped up. “Another quarter from you, JC.”

  JC dropped his end and stood nose-to-nose with Lynn. “I wouldn’t walk over rose petals for you. I’m doing this for Nettie. How such a wonderful woman ended up with a shrew like you for a daughter is a mystery to me. Now, keep your curvy little ass out of my face and let me do what I came here for.”

  “Why, you…you—” Before Lynn could complete her thought Marc wrapped an arm around one side of her with Dani on the other.

  “Grammie needs your advice on something, Auntie.” Dani looked over the top of her diminutive aunt to wink at her uncle. “We’ll handle things out here. Promise.”

  Lynn narrowed her gaze at her
oldest niece. “I know what you’re doing.”

  Marc chuckled. “They don’t let dummies into law school, Sis.” He gave her a quick hug. “I want you on my side in any kind of fight.”

  “I wasn’t fighting,” she protested. “Just stating facts.” Marc shoved her into the house and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. When the door shut behind him, she quietly said, “You’d be surprised at the idiots they let into law school.”

  Outside, Ethan clapped a hand on Charley’s shoulder. “Close your mouth, sprite. I’ll give you five bucks to lay off charging everyone for swearing. Looks like the pressure of being the wedding planner is taking its toll on your aunt.”

  Michaela helped JC with the column he and Lynn had been wrestling over. “Something happen between you and my sister I should know about?”

  “No. Nothing ever happened between us. Nothing ever will,” he snapped out. “Your sister is a stuck up, prissy, little bi—uh, snot. Thinks she’s better than the rest of us. Just like in high school.” He shot a glance at the house. “She hasn’t changed a bit.”

  Michaela guided him over by the stand of lilacs that were more tree than bush. They set down the column they carried and got it stabilized. “The columns need to be set up along here so the lilacs are in the background. Mom and Wil are going to say their vows here in the middle.” She and JC headed back for another load.

  “How much time have you spent with my sister since she’s come back?”

  “None,” he bit out.

  “Soo, you really have no idea if she’s changed or not. You have no idea of the troubles or hardships she’s had to deal with the past few years. You don’t know if she’s married, has children, had her heart broken. You don’t know anything about her, do you?”

  “I don’t need to know anything about her.” He pulled another column from the back of his truck. “I don’t need to see her. I don’t need to be around her.” No way would he admit what the sight of her did to him. He didn’t like thinking of her being married. Probably some rich guy, another lawyer, who granted her every wish and made her life easy. They probably lived in some big fancy house and had servants to wait on them. She probably never had to wash a dish or make a bed or mop a floor after her husband tracked in mud.

  Like he’d expected of Suzanne.

  As far as he could see, Caro-Lynn Baxter was just like his ex-wife.

  “Look, Micki. I don’t mean to insult your family. Your mother is a great lady. I mean that sincerely. From what little I’ve seen, you’re doing a good job raising your daughters.” He took off his cap and ran his fingers through his blonde hair before replacing it. “CJ was a great kid. By high school, she was a pain in the ass. Changing her name to Lynn, or whatever the hell she goes by these days. Always so prim and proper with her nose up in the air like the smell of hard working farm boys, like me, offended her.”

  “Did you ever ask her out? Invite her to a party?”

  “Yeah. She always turned me down. Almost before I could get the words out.”

  Michaela tipped her head to one side to study him. “Hmm. Did you really invite her out, or suggest she meet you under the bleachers for a good time?”

  He shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, shamed at how she’d pegged him. “Doesn’t matter. That was years ago and she did a good job of steering clear of me then. That’s all that’s necessary now. We can keep clear of each other until she leaves again.”

  “Really?” Michaela picked up her end of the column, forcing JC to do the same. “You might have to work on that. Lynn is home to stay.”

  He fumbled his end of the column before answering with a grunt. “Her husband coming for the wedding?”

  “Did she tell you she’s married?”

  “She hasn’t told me anything.”

  They settled their load before Michaela spoke again, staring right at him. “You might try having an actual conversation with her. Amazing what you can learn about a person when you keep an open mind and a shut mouth.”

  JC crossed his arms over his wide chest. “I should stand around and listen to her brag about what a great life she has. How much money she makes being a fancy lawyer. How much better she is than a poor farmer, like me.”

  “Sounds like you have self-esteem issues of your own.” She patted his shoulder as she stepped past him. “You might ask her about how our father tried to make her into a boy.”

  ○◊○

  Lynn and Michaela were dressed and ready to take their places beside their mother as she took vows to become Mrs. Wilbur Owens.

  “You look beautiful, Mama,” Lynn said in an emotion choked voice. Michaela nodded her agreement.

  Nettie reached out to hold the hand of each of her girls. “I’m so glad both of you are here today. I’m so glad both of you are back to stay in Webster. Thank you for accepting Wil into our family.”

  “Mom, you’ve got to stop this,” Michaela protested. “We’ll all end up in tears and undo all my work on our makeup.” That made each of them giggle.

  A rap on the bedroom door sounded just before it opened and Marc stuck his head in. “Wow. You ladies are gorgeous.” He smiled at each one in turn. “Lynn. Micki. Mind if I have a moment alone with Mom?”

  “Sure. We’ll be downstairs, ready when you are.” Lynn patted Marc’s arm as she passed him. “You look very handsome Dr. Baxter.”

  When they were alone Nettie turned to face her son. “Thank you for being here today. I’m sorry Cassandra couldn’t join you.”

  He waved his hand as if the presence of his wife was of little matter. “Today isn’t about her. It’s about you and Wil.” He stuck his hands in his pockets and shuffled his feet. “I know I don’t have the right to ask, and you can certainly tell me no, but may I have the privilege of walking you down the aisle?”

  “Marc Anthony Baxter. You are determined to make me ruin my makeup.”

  He felt as if she’d just punched him. “I’m sorry, Mom. Never mind. I know it was presumptuous of me.”

  Nettie stepped forward to grab both his arms and give him a slight shake. “Baby.” She reached up to cup his jaw in one hand. “You’ll always be my baby, my first born. I’d be honored to have you walk me out to Wil.”

  “Maybe Ethan should do the honors. He’s been a better son to you than I have.”

  “Honestly, I considered it,” Nettie admitted. “I took to Ethan right away. Never to replace you. No one can replace you. I’ve learned there’s room in a heart for many. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t want to make you feel obligated or trapped.”

  He drew her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingers. “You could never trap me. I consider it a profound honor to walk you to your new husband. Wil is the kind of man you always deserved.”

  Nettie’s smile lit up the room. “Let’s go.”

  Tucking her hand into his arm, Marc led his mother from the room. A woman who could never make anyone feel trapped. His wife had done that better than his mother would ever consider.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “That woman could fuck up a—” JC muttered as he watched the mayor of Webster sashay around the food table, handing out orders like a drill sergeant. He broke off, not finishing his thought, as he felt someone behind him

  “Don’t hold back, JC. Tell me how you really feel.” He winced and turned slightly to see that it was Lynn. “You do know Catherine Yablonski is one of my mother’s oldest friends.” Lynn stared at the scene across the yard and blew out a breath. “But what you said—or started to say—is so true.”

  Relief made his shoulders relax and he shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

  She didn’t look at him, but he saw the lift at the corner of her mouth. A very kissable looking mouth.

  “Look, I—uh…should apologize for this morning. Weddings put me in a bad mood.” As apologies went, his sucked. He wasn’t willing to get into all the reasons being around her put his back up, or any other part of his anatomy. Not to mention, the last wedding he’d attended h
ad been his own.

  “Bad wedding experience?” Lynn flicked a glance at him.

  “Bad wedding. Worse marriage,” he said sourly. “You?”

  “No, thank God. The so-called engagement was horrible enough.” She fidgeted with the bouquet of white flowers she held. “I suppose I’d better go—Oh, bless Ethan!”

  Lynn’s brother-in-law had captured the mayor’s hand and tucked it firmly into the crook of his arm, then led her to a table where her husband was seated. Ethan snatched up two of the packaged cookies on the way and pressed them into the mayor’s free hand.

  “Disaster averted?”

  “Yes. We’re going to owe Ethan big time.”

  “I meant your almost marriage.” JC stepped closer.

  The grin left her face. “Yes, I managed to avoid that disaster. You should get some food. It looks wonderful.”

  He leaned down. “You smell like lilacs.” Giving into temptation he ran a calloused finger over the thin strap on her shoulder, pleased when she shivered. “Just like on your dress.” He lifted his hand before she could tell him to stop.

  A soft sigh escaped her. She smoothed a hand down the front of her pretty summer dress. “Why don’t I fill a plate for you?”

  JC grabbed her elbow before she could move away. “Michaela said your dad tried to make you his son. What did she mean—” he growled out.

  Her gaze flew up to his, and she interrupted quickly. “Dad wanted another son and got me. I don’t think he was quite into the whole transgender deal, but figured if he treated me like a boy I’d become one. Nature took its course.” She shifted her shoulder in a way that gave him a better view of her cleavage. “That’s why I don’t take well to being called CJ.”

  He didn’t release her, but began rubbing his thumb over her arm while the backs of his fingers pressed into the side of her full breast. He was a foot taller than Lynn even with the high shoes she had on, and he was grateful for the view. She was a neat little package he wouldn’t mind exploring. “I promise never to call you CJ again,” he said softly. “Your father was a fool.” He glanced up at the bride. “In more ways than one.” Letting his hand glide down her arm to her fingers he lifted them to his mouth. “Let’s start over. I’m JC Benjamin. We went to school together when I was young and stupid. Will you have supper with me?”