Hazel Murdock’s gaze narrowed. “Are you saying I wouldn’t do right by my own blood?”
“Of course not,” Cord soothed. “It’s just that it’s a lot of responsibility to take on.”
“Who’ll do it, if I don’t?”
“She could stay with me,” Sharon Lynn blurted, before Cord could warn her not to.
“You’ve fallen for her, haven’t you?” the old woman said. Despite Sharon Lynn’s silence, she reached her own conclusion and nodded. “Yes, I can see that you have. Maybe we could come to some sort of an arrangement, just between the two of us.”
Before Sharon Lynn could speak, Cord asked, “What kind of an arrangement, Mrs. Murdock?”
Her gaze darted nervously from him to Sharon Lynn and back again.
“A little money, maybe, just to help out with my expenses,” she said at last. “Like you said, I’m getting up in years. My pension won’t be much.”
“You would sell your granddaughter?” Cord asked, his tone deadly. Even though Justin had warned him to anticipate something exactly like this, he was appalled.
She clearly heard the disgust in his voice and backpeddled. “Sell her? I never said such a thing.”
“That’s what it sounded like to me. What did it sound like to you, Sharon Lynn?”
Sharon Lynn was too near tears to answer.
“I don’t think we have anything more to discuss, Mrs. Murdock,” Cord said emphatically, propelling her toward the door. “If you want your granddaughter, file the appropriate papers with the court.”
“I don’t have money to hire a fancy lawyer,” she whined. “You know that, too, don’t you? I’ll go to a reporter. I’ll tell him you’re trying to take away an old lady’s only blood relation. You’ll regret this. I’ll see to it.”
Cord let her rant, then said quietly, “You’ll take Ashley over my dead body, Mrs. Murdock.”
He gave her a curt nod, then shut the door and locked it behind her. He flipped the sign on the door to Closed and went back to Sharon Lynn, who was trembling so badly he took the whimpering baby from her, then circled an arm around her waist and drew her in tight, too.
“I can’t give her up to a woman like that,” Sharon Lynn whispered. “I just can’t. Cord, she was drunk. She was here to see her grandbaby for the first time and she was so drunk she could hardly stand up. What if she took the baby in a car with her like that?”
He heard the horror in her voice and knew that it was her two greatest fears all wrapped up into one terrifying threat. “She won’t take the baby,” he insisted. “No matter what, she won’t take Ashley away from us.”
“How can we be sure?”
Here it was then, the moment he’d been waiting for. A part of him hated having to resort to using her quiet desperation to get what he wanted most in this world. Only the firm belief that she needed a family—needed him—every bit as much as he needed her permitted him to go through with the plan already supported by her grandfather.
“Come over here and sit down,” he urged. “I have an idea.”
Sharon Lynn was dazed. The whole time that horrible woman had been there, she had felt as if all the life were being sucked out of her. Only the weight of the baby in her arms had felt real. That and Cord’s unwavering presence. He had been so angry, so fiercely furious she had been astonished that Hazel Murdock hadn’t understood that and kept that awful offer to sell the baby to herself.
His anger had died now, but it had been replaced by a firm resolve. Gazing into his eyes in the gathering darkness, she saw that resolve, and her own fears were quieted. It no longer seemed to matter that she couldn’t imagine what they could possibly do to guarantee that Ashley would remain safely with them. It was enough that Cord seemed convinced that there was something that would give them a chance.
“Do you think she’ll go to court?” she asked, voicing her most immediate fear.
“I doubt it, not unless there’s money in it for her,” he said scathingly.
“But what if she does?”
“Then we’ll offer the court a better alternative, one no judge could possibly resist if he has the best interests of the baby at heart.”
She considered the all-too-scanty list of possibilities, but there was only one that made sense to her, only one she could live with.
“I could offer to keep the baby myself. I could adopt her,” she said tentatively, then went on with more enthusiasm. “Why not? I’m responsible. I have my own business. I could give her a good home.” Her conviction wavered ever so slightly. “It shouldn’t matter that I’m not married, should it?”
His gaze caught hers as he slowly shook his head. “To be honest, it could.”
There were a zillion single moms in the world. “But—”
He cut off her protest. “Just wait. I have a better plan. You and I will ask for custody.”
“Together? But how…?” Her voice trailed off as understanding dawned. “You and I…” She couldn’t seem to make herself complete the thought.
Cord had no such hesitation. “We’ll get married,” he said as if it were no more than a date for coffee. “We’ll show the court that we can offer Ashley the kind of stable, two-parent home she deserves. It’s the perfect solution.”
She waited for the shock of the outrageous suggestion to sink in, waited for her stomach to rebel at the mere thought of taking another risk on marriage, at going through another ceremony that could end in tragedy, but it didn’t happen. This wasn’t a real marriage he was proposing, after all. It was a strategic alliance, a way to prevent Ashley from going home with that awful woman. And this was Cord, a man she’d come to trust. Her heart wouldn’t be on the line, nor would his.
As she heard herself ticking off rationalizations, she realized that she was going to consider saying yes. If it could keep the baby safe, she would consider it.
She knew what it would mean to her, what it could mean to Ashley to agree to such a marriage, but Cord’s motives were less certain and that troubled her. Of course, he cared about the baby. There wasn’t any doubt about that, but this was a huge step to take to protect a child who wasn’t even his own.
She studied him intently, but his expression was unreadable as he awaited her answer. “Why would you agree to something like that?” she asked eventually.
He grinned. “You seem to forget I’m not agreeing to it. I’m suggesting it.”
She shrugged off the distinction. “Why, though?”
“Because I’ve thought long and hard about this and it’s the only thing that makes sense. It would be the right thing for the baby, to keep her with you.” He shrugged and admitted, “And with me. I’ve fallen for her, too, you know. I want to go on being a part of her life. I want to be a dad, a different kind of dad from the one I had, different from the one biologically responsible for Ashley.”
He cupped her cheek in his palm and the graze of his fingers sent heat flaring through her.
“You’re a strong woman, Sharon Lynn. I have no doubt a court would take your petition for custody seriously, but weighed against a willing blood relation, I don’t know. It could go either way. Even Justin concedes that. Together, though, we’d be an indomitable force to reckon with.”
He made the case passionately. Convincingly. Sharon Lynn’s hand shook as she reached for her cup of coffee to buy herself some time to think it through, to analyze the pitfalls.
There were a million of them, most of them for Cord. She would be getting what she wanted most in this world, a chance to be a mother to a little girl she had already come to think of as her own.
She tried to look at the proposal from Cord’s perspective. He claimed that a chance to be a father would be enough for him, but would it, really? Could any man be satisfied with so little in a marriage, even a temporary one?
“For how long?” she asked eventually. She swallowed hard, then cleared her throat. “How long exactly would we have to stay married?”
For once he couldn’t seem to
look directly at her and he hesitated for a very long time before answering. Finally he lifted his eyes to fix a steady gaze on her. “As long as it takes.”
“And you would make that kind of a commitment, just like that?”
He nodded slowly. “I already have.”
She believed him. How could she not? He was willing to put months, maybe even years of his life on the line for her and Ashley. How many men would do that and ask nothing in return? That was what he was saying, wasn’t it? She faced him squarely, determined to get every detail spelled out, no matter how embarrassing.
“This would be a marriage in name only, right? That is what you’re suggesting.”
He stirred uneasily at that, but then his gaze locked with hers, held it until the blood seemed to pool low in her body, sending waves of warmth flooding through her. The sensation—the pull—was strong enough to make her wonder if she could live with that.
“If that’s the way you honestly want it,” he said.
Did she? Did she want nothing more than a marriage of convenience? She thought of all the kisses they’d shared, of the one time when it had almost gone beyond that. She would have to be a fool or a liar to say that there wasn’t a powerful attraction between them. If they married, if they were living in close proximity day after day, would it be possible not to act on that attraction? Would willpower and resolve be enough to keep things from getting wildly complicated?
“Sleeping together would be dangerous,” she said in a choked whisper.
He gave her a knowing look. “Make it harder to walk away when the time came? Is that what you mean?”
She nodded.
Cord regarded her with a rueful grin. “Would that be so awful then?”
“What?”
“To not walk away. To make it a real marriage.” Before she could reply, he pressed a finger to her lips. “Don’t answer that. It’s not something we need to decide right now. We can take this one step at a time. Go as slow…” He grinned. “Or as fast, as you want.”
The gentle teasing should have reminded her of how easily he was capable of setting off sparks in the pit of her stomach, but instead she found it oddly reassuring. If they could talk like this—and joke—wouldn’t they be able to get through anything? Wouldn’t they be able to make this work for as long as they needed to?
Her hands felt icy. She picked up her mug of coffee again and clung to it for the warmth it provided. She felt steadier then, as well, and filled with resolve. She lifted her gaze and met Cord’s anxious glance.
“I’ll do it,” she said quietly. “For the baby.”
“For the baby,” he agreed softly.
The air around them seemed suddenly charged with electricity. There was a new awareness, a new, but thrilling tension between them.
“So, what do we do next?” she asked at last.
For an instant, he seemed stymied. She found that oddly reassuring, too, for some reason. Even though he’d had longer to consider this option, he obviously hadn’t taken her reply for granted. He’d known there were doubts and uncertainties she would have to overcome.
“Buy an engagement ring,” he suggested finally. “Tell your family.”
“Oh, boy,” she murmured as she thought of the chaos likely to ensue. “Maybe I should break the news first, by myself.”
“No way, darlin’. From this moment on, we’re in this together. I’m going to be right there by your side, every bit the proud fiancé.”
“Cord, we won’t…we don’t have to tell them about the arrangement, do we?”
“Absolutely not. That’s why we need a ring. We’re going to do this by the book.”
She thought of another wedding not even a year before. She couldn’t go through another fancy ceremony, another lavish reception. Besides, there was no time for that.
“Couldn’t we just elope?” she asked wistfully.
He tucked a finger under her chin and turned her head until they were facing each other. “I promised I won’t ask more of you than you’re ready to give, but I will ask this. We are not going to slip away as if we’re doing something wrong. I’ll agree to a quiet ceremony with just family there, because there’s not time for more, but we want this to be believable. We don’t want anyone thinking for an instant that we’re not ecstatic about this marriage. It wouldn’t look good to the judge.”
She considered that. “Yes, I see what you mean.” She could also see that to do otherwise would hurt his pride. He might not say it, but no man would want the world thinking that he was marrying for anything other than love. Come to think of it, she didn’t want that, either.
He held out a hand, waited until she’d placed hers in it, then said, “Let’s go jewelry shopping.”
“Here? In Los Piños?”
“Why not?”
“You realize everyone in town will know before nightfall.”
An irrepressible grin spread across his face. “Then that’ll pretty much solve our other problem, won’t it? It ought to bring the whole darn family running to us.”
For the first time in hours, she actually laughed. “You know, this could be fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve done anything to shock that crowd.”
“Then I’d say it’s way past time.”
They bundled up the baby, closed Dolan’s for the night and walked down the block to the jewelry store. It wasn’t big or fancy, but it did have a nice collection of expensive rings. Faced with the selection and the curious glances of Michael Trent, who owned the place, Sharon Lynn told herself it was perfectly natural that she felt jittery. Surely it wasn’t actual anticipation, not when this was all essentially make-believe.
Cord gestured toward a modest, but elegantly set solitaire diamond. “That one,” he said.
Sharon Lynn didn’t know a lot about jewels, but she knew that the one he’d chosen would be way too expensive given the circumstances. She smiled at Michael Trent.
“Excuse us a minute, would you?” She tugged Cord away from the counter for privacy. “You can’t spend that kind of money on a ring.”
He faced her defiantly. “Why can’t I?”
“You can’t use the money you’ve been saving for a ranch like this.”
“Darlin’, if we’re going to make this believable, then you have to have a ring that’s suitable. Now stop arguing and tell me if you like that one I picked out.”
“It’s beautiful, but—”
He gestured to the owner. “She’ll try that one.”
“Cord, simple wedding bands would do.”
“No,” he said succinctly and took the ring from Michael Trent. “Hold out your hand.” When she did, he slid the ring on her finger, then smiled, looking inordinately pleased. “Perfect fit. It was made for you.”
“Cord—”
Her protest was lost as he turned his back on her, chose matching wedding bands and concluded the transaction, practically before she could blink.
Outside, she scowled at him. “It’s a very good thing this marriage isn’t for real, Cord Branson.”
“Why is that, darlin’?”
“You don’t listen.”
“Not when you’re talking foolishness,” he agreed easily. “Let’s go buy some nonalcoholic champagne so we can celebrate when your family starts turning up.”
“You’re a blasted bulldozer, you know that, don’t you?”
He grinned. “If you say so, dear.”
“Agreeing with me now won’t get you off the hook. I’m going to remember the past few minutes for a very long time and I am going to make you pay.”
He actually had the audacity to laugh at that. “I’ll look forward to it.”
For the first time since this incredible turn of events had begun, Sharon Lynn wondered if she had any idea at all of exactly what she was letting herself in for. Shaking Cord Branson when the time came just might not turn out to be the breeze she’d been anticipating.
Chapter 15
Cord had to work very hard not to app
ear triumphant as he and Sharon Lynn put together an assortment of appetizers for the visitors he had no doubt would be popping in before the evening was out. He had a hunch that rather than stuffed celery and carrot sticks, they could both use a couple of vitamin-enriched milk shakes and a thick, juicy steak for fortitude if they were going to withstand the intense scrutiny of her family.
“Want to take bets on who’ll show up first?” he inquired to try to coax a smile from her. She’d been looking a little panicky for the past half hour.
She sighed and sank onto a chair at the kitchen table. “Does it really matter?” She regarded him worriedly. “What am I going to tell them?”
“The truth, that you and I are going to get married just as soon as the necessary paperwork can be taken care of.”
“You know what they’re going to think, don’t you?”
“That it’s a shotgun wedding,” he guessed. He wasn’t about to tell her that her grandfather already knew otherwise. Harlan Adams might be proud of his matchmaking skills, but Cord knew for a fact that Sharon Lynn would rebel if she thought they’d conspired in any way.
He gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. “Well, in a manner of speaking, it is. When it’s over we’re going to have a baby—Ashley.” When she didn’t seem persuaded, he hunkered down in front of her and rested his hands on her thighs. “You’re going to have to look happier about this. We need them to buy the idea that we’re desperately in love.”
“How do you suggest we convince them of that?”
“Oh, I have a few ideas. Just try not to bolt for the door when I put them into action.”
If anything, she looked more worried than ever. “Cord, I don’t think—”
Fortunately she was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. “I’ll get it,” he said, anxious to escape before she started analyzing their plan to death.
“You try to muster up one of those zillion-kilowatt smiles.”
“Yeah, right,” she muttered as if she had nothing in the world to smile about.
“Remember to show off your ring.” He shook his head as she glanced down at her hand as if she’d never noticed the ring before.
The Unclaimed Baby Page 17