For Richer or Poorer

by JoAnn Ross

  Another pain hit. Hard. “I suppose it’s too late to change my mind.” Vowing to remain calm, she waited for the contraction to subside, then took his outstretched hand and struggled out of the chair. “We might as well get this show on the road.”

  Connor was about to give a scheduled press conference concerning his plans for the future of Xanadu when Blythe called with the news that Lily was in labor. Leaving the assembled reporters, he ran out of the studio.

  He was driving like a maniac, breaking every speeding law on the books, when a CHP motorcycle cop pulled him over just before he’d reached the Sunset off-ramp. Fortunately, the giant wearing the uniform of authority and storm trooper boots turned out to be a father of six, who upon learning that it was Connor’s first baby, assured him that he had plenty of time, reminded him that it wouldn’t do his wife any good for him to end up in an accident, then sent him on his way with a warning.

  The birthing room had been designed to calm fears and ease anxiety. Yellow rosebuds climbed up white trellises on the wallpapered walls, lace curtains covered the windows, letting in a buttery sunshine while blocking off the less than inspiring view of the asphalt parking lot.

  Propped up in bed against a pile of pillows, Lily was surrounded by friends when Connor came strolling in the door as if nothing had happened between them.

  “Someone call for a coach?” he asked in a mild tone that belied the wild, out-of-control pounding of his heart.

  Never having been one to hold grudges for very long, Lily wasn’t about to start now. Not when she was so honestly relieved to see Mac. Connor, she reminded herself.

  “You’re late.”

  Relief flooded over him in cooling waves. Connor could feel the tension literally draining from his body. “I got held up.”

  He walked toward her, his gaze riveted on her face. She’d obviously been working hard; her blond hair was drenched in perspiration and she’d chewed angry marks into her bottom lip.

  She couldn’t take her eyes from this man she’d thought she’d lost. This man she’d stubbornly, foolishly sent away. This man she loved.

  “Better late than never,” she said.

  The uncensored love he saw shining in her sapphire eyes made his hopes soar. Just as he reached her side, another contraction swept over her and she began to pant in quick, short, energy-draining gasps.

  He sat down on the edge of the bed and looked straight into her eyes. “Deep breath, remember?”

  His voice was deep and warm and soothing. As were his hands as they began massaging her abdomen, which hardened with the contraction.

  “Slow and deep.” He began to breathe with her, encouraging her to relax. “Nice and easy.” His hands stroked outward and upward toward her hip bones. “We’ve plenty of time, sweetheart.” As she became strangely hypnotized by the commanding gleam in his eyes, Lily’s breathing gradually slowed.

  As Lily and Connor shared the intensely intimate moment, the others, wanting to give the couple some much needed privacy, slipped unnoticed from the room.

  Connor had been to the classes. Watched the films. He’d even reread the book three times in the past two days, preparing for this event. But nothing had prepared him for the sight of the woman he loved in such obvious pain.

  Reminding himself that his job was to ease her discomfort, not add to it with his own, he forced himself to remain calm.

  “That’s it,” he crooned encouragingly. “You’re doing great.” His fingertips were like magic wands, soothing the pressure, easing her pain. “This is going to be a walk in the park,” he promised.

  “You’re as big a liar as the nurse who taught the damn class,” Lily accused through clenched teeth. The contraction passed. She lay back against the pillows.

  Her face was glistening with fresh sweat. Her hair was hanging limp around her shoulders. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman Connor had ever seen.

  “I’m sorry.” This was not the time for excuses or explanations, but he felt it needed to be said.

  “I know.”

  Although she’d already decided to forgive him as little as two hours ago, Lily had been looking forward to making him crawl. Just a little. But now, on the verge of bringing a new life into the world, she realized what he’d done, and his reasons for having done it, no longer mattered.

  What was important was that she loved him. That he loved her. And that they’d both love this child.

  “I brought you a present.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a gray velvet box. As he held it out to her, he felt as nervous as a teenager asking a girl out on a first date.

  Suddenly as nervous as he, Lily opened the box with trembling fingers.

  “Oh, Mac,” she breathed on a soft sigh, as she viewed the gold band that featured two hands clasping a heart. “It’s lovely.”

  “It was my great-grandmother’s.” It was going to be all right, Connor realized. They were going to be all right. “My great-grandfather brought it over on the boat with him from County Tipperary for his bride.”

  Watching her face carefully, he said, “I knew you’d already had diamonds.” Cait had also told him how she’d sold them to pay off her husband’s debts. “I wanted to give you something from the heart.”

  Her eyes misted. Knowing that he could probably afford the Hope diamond and realizing that he understood that family meant more to her than money ever could, made this heirloom even more special.

  His next words reminded her how often she’d thought Mac could read her mind. “By the way, my mother can’t wait to meet you. She’s also on cloud nine about becoming a grandmother. In fact, when I talked to her last night, she’d just gotten home from a class on cooking natural baby food.”

  He slipped the ring on her finger. Then bent down and gave her a long, deep, drugging kiss that was sweeter than any they’d shared.

  “You are going to let me make an honest woman of you, aren’t you?”

  Lily laughed, even as she felt another contraction beginning to swell. “Far be it from me to disappoint your mother.”

  The afternoon ripened, dusk fell, night draped its velvet cloak over the city as Lily worked to bring her baby into the world.

  Connor never left her side, proving a wellspring of support as he massaged her abdomen and back, stroked her arms and legs, wiped her face with cool cloths, moistened her throat and lips with chips of ice, helped her stay calm, and, most importantly, cheered her on.

  For the early part of the evening, the others would take turns visiting. Then finally, it was time.

  “You’re doing great, sweetheart,” Connor said, breathing in rhythm with her quick pants. “Just a little bit more.”

  “Let’s have another push, Lily,” the doctor said. “The baby’s about to crown.”

  Her head swimming from the effort, Lily bore down.

  “Look, Lily.” Connor lifted their joined hands and pointed toward the mirror that allowed them to watch the birth. “You can see the baby’s head.”

  Stirred by the sight, Lily took a deep breath and on a deep-throated moan, pushed harder, bracing herself for another wave of pain.

  “It’s out.” The doctor’s tone was briskly pleased. “Okay, Lily, the hard work is over now. From here on in, it’s going to be a cakewalk.”

  Lily was drenched in sweat. The scrub shirt Connor had donned for the birth was drenched as well. More sweat dripped off his forehead onto their linked hands. Neither Connor nor Lily noticed. All their attention was directed toward the amazing sight of those little eyes, nose, mouth and chin.

  “It’s got hair,” Connor said on a note of wonder.

  “Of course my child has hair,” Lily said indignantly, unwilling to admit that she was as amazed as he by the wet black fuzz.

  “I thought babies were supposed to be bald. Like Winston Churchill.”

  “Don’t make me laugh,” Lily complained, caught between laughter and tears. “Not now.” She began to pant again. “And for the record, my baby is
beautiful.”

  “That’s what my mother always said about me.” Connor brushed some damp hair off her forehead. “My father, on the other hand, said I looked a great deal like Uncle Fester.”

  Another laugh eased the pain. Seconds later the pressure abated as the baby slid from her womb with a silky ease. “What is it?” Lily and Connor asked together.

  “You’re the proud parents of a lovely baby girl,” the doctor announced.

  “Oh, my God!” Tears welled up in Lily’s eyes, then brimmed over. “A little girl.”

  “We have a daughter.” The thought was as stunning as it was thrilling. His eyes as wet as Lily’s, Connor brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. “Thank you.”

  As the loud, indignant wail of new life echoed around them, Connor bent his head and pressed his lips against Lily’s.

  The wiggling infant was placed at Lily’s breast and immediately began suckling on a nipple. She really was a mother, Lily thought. Life was incredible.

  “A miracle,” Connor murmured. He’d never witnessed a more powerfully emotional sight.

  Bringing her daughter into the world had taken hours. She should be exhausted. But instead, Lily couldn’t remember ever having been more exhilarated.

  “Yes.” As she stroked the top of her child’s head, Lily watched the flash of gold and thought about all the generations of love those clasped hands represented.

  Two months ago, she’d been alone in the world, without any family to celebrate her triumphs and support her when she was down. But now, amazingly, she had a daughter. And soon, a husband who loved her. She even had a mother-in-law eager to cook baby food.

  It didn’t matter that Mac was wealthy. She’d feel exactly the same way if he’d turned out to be the out-of-work carpenter she’d thought she’d fallen in love with. Because so long as they had each other—and their child—they’d be the richest people on earth.

  Lily smiled up at him, her love-filled heart shining in her eyes. “It seems to be a night for miracles.”

  * * *

  A miracle.

  Alexandra’s head was spinning as she left the doctor’s office on Sunset Boulevard. It couldn’t be true. But it was. The rabbit had died. She was pregnant. Eight weeks to be exact.

  Having been told she could not conceive, Alexandra had resigned herself to never having children. When she’d shared her secret shame with Patrick, he’d quickly, in his direct western way, assured her that it didn’t matter. That he had plenty of brood mares back on his ranch in Wyoming. He didn’t need to marry one.

  And now his child was growing inside her. Despite the problems this would cause at Xanadu, despite the fact that Walter Stern would be livid, joy bubbled through her, sparkling in her veins like champagne.

  Laughing, Alexandra pressed her hand against her still flat stomach and imagined she could feel their baby stir.

  Then she went home to tell her husband that he was about to become a father.

  * * * * *

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-8627-6

  For Richer or Poorer

  Copyright © 1995 by JoAnn Ross

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

  All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  ® and ™ are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

  www.Harlequin.com