by Alison Bliss
But no. Nash ruined it by barging into the courtroom and demanding rights to a baby no one knew anything about. Not only did he have bad timing, but he also had home turf advantage, which hardly seemed fair.
She looked at his smiling face and narrowed her eyes. He was calm, too cool for her comfort. Whether he did this on purpose or not, Nash obviously knew he had her cornered. And once again, he was entertaining this stupid idea of marrying her to stay close to the baby.
The last thing she wanted was to rehash their previous argument or have a frank conversation about their iffy future in front of a group of strangers. There had to be a way to finesse her way out of the complicated dilemma she’d gotten herself into. But the smile he wore pissed her off.
“You think you have it all figured out, don’t you?” she asked Nash, not bothering to hide her irritation.
“Hey, this hasn’t been a walk in the park for me, either. But like I said, I think we could make it work. I want to try.”
She crossed her arms and shook her head. “It’s not going to happen.”
Judge Barclay grinned, clearly amused by their unique circumstances. “Come on, Sutherland. You can do better than that. I’ve seen you debate your way out of a paper bag. Why don’t you state your case to Ms. Hobbs and see if you can’t change her mind?”
“This is an outrage,” Doug shouted. “I’m Bailey’s husband. I think I should have a say as to—”
“Put a sock in it, Doug,” the judge said, then motioned for Nash to go ahead.
Nash straightened his back, making himself look larger than he already was. His eyes zeroed in on her, and his lips formed a firm line. A muscle twitched in his cheek and his jaw tightened. He was serious. Dead serious. This was apparently his game face, one he probably used in court hundreds of times.
“Ms. Hobbs,” Nash began, keeping a straight face and a professional tone. “Is there any question as to the paternity of your unborn baby?”
Bailey crossed her arms and tried not to laugh at his courtroom persona. “No,” she said, playing along even though she thought it was pointless.
“For the record, can you please state who the biological father is of the child in question.”
She rolled her eyes. “You.”
“Let it be known that the witness has indicated Nash Sutherland as the father. Now, Ms. Hobbs…” He sauntered around the floor, pausing for dramatic effect. “What findings have led you to believe, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Mr. Sutherland would pose as a poor example of a husband?”
The question caught her off guard and she blinked. “Uh, nothing. It’s just that—”
“So all parties agree that Mr. Sutherland would undoubtedly exercise all of his support obligations?”
“Well, yes…I guess, but—”
“Is it true that you are contemplating a move to a remote area of Alaska, a change in custodial setting that would deprive Mr. Sutherland of contact with his own child, a profound impact that surely would be in neither of their best interests?”
Several women in the room gasped and the bailiff shook his head in disapproval. Even Doug looked a little put out, which surprised her since that cheating dick obviously never gave a shit about anybody but himself. Bailey refused to answer Nash, figuring it was within her rights to plead the fifth. Damn him. He’s making me look like a jerk.
Nash didn’t wait for her response before he moved on with his questioning. “Is it true that you asked Mr. Sutherland to transfer custody to you, leaving the father with no parental rights whatsoever?”
Bailey sighed. This was getting out of hand. “Nash, that’s enough.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t agree and continued. “Is it your position that Mr. Sutherland would not be a suitable father to your child and are suggesting to the court that he would be an unfit parent?”
Her eyes widened. “What? No! I didn’t say that.”
“So there’s no question that Mr. Sutherland—”
“I object!” Bailey yelled. “And quit talking about yourself in third person. It’s stupid.”
Nash wore a proud grin, knowing damn well he had just won over everyone in the courtroom with his little speech. “Apparently, Ms. Hobbs would like the floor. I’d like to turn it over to her now…if it pleases the court.”
“Oh, it does,” Judge Barclay said with a chuckle. Then he caught the annoyed look Bailey gave him and cleared his throat. “Thank you, counselor. Ms. Hobbs? Is there anything you’d like to say in rebuttal?”
As all eyes turned to her, Bailey shifted nervously. She tried to think of an eloquent way to put her thoughts into words, but nothing would outdo Nash’s stellar performance at making her look bad. After a long, thoughtful pause, she blurted out the only thing she could think of. “I cheat at board games.”
Judge Barclay leaned toward the bailiff. “Well, hell, get the executioner on the line. We’ve got a stone-cold felon here.”
Laughter rumbled throughout the courtroom.
“What I mean is…” She looked directly at Nash as the rumblings dissipated. “You don’t know a thing about me. We’re probably complete opposites and not the least bit compatible.”
“Oh, I’d say we were plenty compatible...” Nash shrugged his eyebrows. Others in the room snickered, but he ignored them. He stepped closer and ran one strong finger down her cheekbone, then stroked her chin with his thumb. “I know it’s not enough, but it’s a damn good place to start, Bailey.” His voice lowered considerably, as if he were speaking privately to her and a dozen other people weren’t present. “You may not know me very well now, but you will.”
Her breath hitched as a warm sensation coursed through her veins. It was the unspoken promise gleaming in his eyes that made his offer even more attractive. His bed would be the one place where they would get to know each other—really know each other—inside and out. Hell, it was more than Doug had ever offered her.
“But there’s a minor glitch in your plan, Nash. We don’t even like each other half the time. If you marry me, you’ll only end up miserable.”
The corners of his mouth lifted. “Haven’t had a peaceful moment since I met you, anyway.”
“I’m serious, Nash. We’ll end up fighting like mortal enemies.”
“Good. It’ll give us a reason to have lots of make-up sex,” Nash said with a serious, I’m-not-even-remotely-joking face.
Nash leaned on the judge’s bench with one hand, waiting for her answer. He wore his sexy smirk, the one that could melt the panties off any woman within a five-mile radius. But that wasn’t all Bailey saw in him. He was smart, funny, and cocky. And he looked hot. Really hot. God, no wonder he made her body want to ovulate. But she couldn’t base her decision off her confused sensory glands.
She turned and addressed Judge Barclay. “Can I have a moment to myself, please?”
He nodded. “We’ll adjourn for a short recess. Court will resume in fifteen minutes.”
Bailey stepped out of the courtroom and looked for the nearest bathroom. She noted one at the end of the hallway and rushed inside, gasping in large breaths of fresh, Nash-free air. Jesus. I was actually going to say yes. Am I fucking insane? This will never work. The door opened behind her, but she didn’t look up. Instead, she gripped the sink to keep her hands from shaking.
“Bailey?”
The sound of his voice startled her and she whirled around too fast, making herself dizzy. She braced herself against the paper towel dispenser. In a flash, Nash was there, holding her up, with one arm wrapped firmly around her waist as his concerned eyes stared into hers.
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
She righted herself and wiggled out of his grip. “I-I’m fine. I was just a little dizzy, that’s all. It’s the morning sickness.”
He wet a paper towel under the faucet and handed it to her. “If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should sit down for a few minutes.”
“No, really, I’m okay,” she said, patting her forehead with the damp paper towe
l.
He rubbed at the back of her neck. “Well, as soon as I become your husband, you can let me focus on taking care of you and the baby for a while.”
Her body stiffened. “Nash, about that…”
A coolness took over his face. “Don’t do it. Don’t back out on me now. You were going to say yes before you came in here and talked yourself out of it. I know you were. You were going to marry me.”
She lowered her eyes, avoiding his gaze. “Not for the right reasons.”
“Who gives a shit about the right reasons? Just marry me. All you have to do is say yes. We’ve already broken all the rules of dating, anyway. What’s one more? The baby wants his parents to be together.”
“There you go again, calling him a boy,” she said, raising her voice. Nash quirked an eyebrow. Shit. He’s still got me doing it, too. “Damn it, you know what I mean. And quit using our baby as a pawn. These tactics of yours aren’t going to work.”
“Well, if you weren’t being so selfish, you’d see that—”
“Selfish? Are you fucking kidding me? I’m trying to keep you from making the biggest mistake of your life.” She marched over to the trashcan and tossed her paper towel inside. “Damn it, Nash. Somewhere in this world, there is a woman you’re meant to be with. That is the person you should want to marry.”
Nash’s eyes flared with anger. “And what makes you so goddamn sure that you’re not her?” Then, without waiting for a response, he walked out the bathroom door, slamming it with an alarming amount of frustration.
A few minutes later, Bailey—feeling guiltier by the minute—emerged from the bathroom and sat outside the courtroom on a long wooden bench. She had five minutes before she needed to go back inside and wanted some time to clear her head before facing Nash for round two.
The door swung open and Judge Barclay stepped out. He held out his hands and offered her a package of peanut butter crackers and a bottle of water. “Sutherland said you were feeling sick. He ran down to the vending machine and got these for you.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking them from his hands. “But why are you bringing them out to me?”
“Guess he figures you wouldn’t accept his help.”
She frowned at that. “It’s not that. It’s just—”
“It’s just that—and pardon my French—you’re too plain chickenshit to take a chance on him.”
“Excuse me?” Bailey said, blinking.
Barclay chuckled a little and sat down beside her, patting her knee. “Look, it’s none of my business. But if you ask me, that boy is head over heels for you. I saw the way you two looked at each other in there. You’ve got chemistry.”
“Maybe. But that isn’t the same thing as love.”
“No, it’s better. Couples fall out of love all the time. It happens. But lust can keep you going for years. I should know…I married my wife two weeks after I met her and got her in the backseat of my Crown Victoria.”
“You fell in love that quick?”
“Hell, no. I wanted to sleep with her some more. But the only way I was getting past her father or his shotgun was by marrying her. So I did. That was forty years ago.”
Bailey smiled at him, though her heart and mind were still warring against each other. “Maybe we should go back inside.”
“One more quick word of advice, Ms. Hobbs.” Judge Barclay grinned and patted her hand. “Do me a favor. Shit or get off the pot already.”
Chapter Twelve
He had no right to be mad.
No matter how much he disagreed with her, he couldn’t force her into marrying him. Deep down, Nash knew that. He even respected her decision to stand on her own two feet and not willingly participate in a loveless marriage. But it still pissed him off.
What is it about this woman that has me so unsettled? As the mother of his unborn child, of course he cared about what happened to her. But that wasn’t it. Something else had him in an uproar. Something besides her being so damn frustratingly stubborn.
He looked up as she came in with the judge. She was carrying the bottle of water and the pack of crackers he had purchased to help with her morning sickness. He’d asked the bailiff to deliver them to her, but Barclay had volunteered instead. Nash wished she would just let him help her. She couldn’t really want to raise this baby alone.
Damn it, she needs somebody. It may as well be me. But Bailey had made it perfectly clear that she didn’t want him anywhere in the picture.
She stopped beside him, but he refused to look directly at her. He just wanted to quit delaying the inevitable. If Bailey would rather stay married to her cheating prick of a husband than be with him, then that was her choice and her loss. She’d have to live with the consequences.
As the judge took his seat behind the bench, the bailiff made his announcement. “All rise. Court is now in session. The honorable Judge Barclay is presiding.”
“Okay, Ms. Hobbs,” the judge said. “If there’s nothing further I can do for you, then—”
“Wait. Give me a minute, please.” She turned to Nash, and he glanced up to see her twisting her trembling fingers together and biting her lip. “Did you mean what you said?”
“About what?” he said, his tone coming out depressed and flat.
“In the bathroom, when you said I could be the woman you’re meant to be with. Did you mean it?”
He nodded. “Of course I meant it. I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t—”
“Then ask me again.”
He stared deep into her eyes to see if they were talking about the same thing. “Ask you what exactly?”
She smiled, which was the only answer she gave.
“Are you sure, Bailey? I don’t think I can stand to hear you say no again. There’s only so much rejection a man can take.”
“Ask me,” she repeated.
His nerves twitched and his heart stopped beating, but he managed to force the words off his tongue. “M-marry me?”
Her smiled widened and her eyes softened, but there was no hesitation with her answer. “Yes.”
Nash blinked, then reached for her, cupping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her closer. “Really?”
She nodded, then laughed as he let out a whoop and wrapped his arms around her, swinging her in a circle. When he put her down, she looked a little green, but he couldn’t stop grinning.
He pointed to the judge. “You heard that, right? She said she’d marry me.”
Doug leaned back in his chair and mumbled, “So what. Been there, done that. And trust me, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”
Nash started for him, but Bailey stepped in front of him, blocking his path. “He’s just being an ass.” She threw an ugly look over her shoulder at Doug and then glanced eagerly to the judge. “Now will you please grant the divorce?”
“You bet,” he said with a proud smile. “Give me a minute to sign the divorce decree and make everything official.”
Nash couldn’t believe it. Maybe right now she was marrying him for the sake of the baby, but he hoped to turn that around. He didn’t want that to be why they stayed married. Because he couldn’t stand the thought of being anything but a hands-on father, he would make this marriage work. Not for the baby’s sake, but for all their sakes. Of course, that was if she didn’t back out before they made it down the aisle.
“When we’re done here, why don’t we go get some lunch and talk out the details?” Nash suggested. Then he cringed and ran his hand through his hair, realizing it sounded more like a business proposal. “What I mean is…”
“I know what you mean. And that’s fine. I know we have a lot to discuss.”
He nodded just as Judge Barclay called her name.
“Here’s a copy of your divorce papers. They need to be filed first, but then you can go see Vickie over in the Vital Statistics office and take her this form and a copy of the final divorce decree. She’ll help you from there.”
“Vital statistics?” Nash asked. �
��Why does Bailey need to see Vickie? She didn’t change her last name after she got married. Hobbs is her maiden name.”
Judge Barclay let out a hard breath. “Sutherland, do you think I’m an idiot?”
“No, of course not. I just—”
“Texas law requires a person to wait thirty days after a divorce to remarry and there’s a seventy-two hour waiting period after applying for a marriage license.”
“I know, sir, but I’m not sure what either of those things have to do with Bailey.”
Barclay grinned. “Surely you didn’t think I’d trust her to carry out her end of the bargain on her own, did you? No offense, but Ms. Hobbs is a flight risk. I waived both waiting periods. I’ll see you both back here at four o’clock.”
“Hold on a second,” Bailey said, her face bearing a confused look. “What happens at four o’clock?”
Nash’s lips twitched a little, knowing she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear. “Our wedding.”
Chapter Thirteen
“He can’t do this, can he?” Bailey asked, as she exited the courthouse with Nash and a marriage license in hand.
“Well, no. Not technically. But since it’s Judge Barclay and he’s about to retire, I’m pretty sure he thinks he can.”
“Well, there’s got to be some way we can get out of this.” When Nash didn’t respond, she realized he was no longer at her side and turned to see him standing frozen in the middle of the sidewalk, glaring at her. “What are you doing?”
“So you were planning on backing out of this marriage?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just all happening way too fast. I thought I’d have time to—”
“To what? Leave me high and dry while you run off to live in an igloo with my baby? I don’t fucking think so.”
Bailey waited for a lady to pass in front of her on the sidewalk before speaking. “Stop making a scene. I’m just saying it’s a little quicker than what I had in mind. I thought maybe a trial run on living together under the same roof would weed out any complications that might arise between us. You know, like roomies or something. At least until we figured out how everything would work.”