Baby, Oh Baby!

by Robin Wells

  "How long would we have to stay married?" she asked.

  Jake lifted his shoulders. "A year ought to do it." "A year?" Annie shook her head. "Oh, no. That's way too long."

  "Well, then, how about nine months?"

  "That's not much better. What about three?"

  "Six," Jake countered.

  "Five," Annie replied.

  "Five months, two weeks and three days."

  "Five months, and not a day more," Annie stated firmly.

  Jake's grin was rakish and unexpected. "Sold."

  Annie couldn't help but grin back. Their eyes locked, and a jolt of attraction, unbidden and unwanted, surged between them. Annie was relieved when Madeline grabbed Jake's tie in a hangman's hold, and he had to turn his attention to disengaging the baby's grip.

  "So it's settled," he said, setting Madeline on the floor. "We'll get married right away, and stay married for five months. At the end of that time, we'll divorce."

  Annie felt as if she were having an out-of-body experience. "How soon is `right away'?"

  Jake stood and straightened. "Well, what are you doing tomorrow?"

  Good grief. How could he be so casual about it? They were talking about getting married, not going out for a pizza.

  But then, this wouldn't be a real marriage, she reminded herself. It was strictly a matter of convenience, a way of simplifying Madeline's life.

  Ignoring her pounding heart, she tried to match Jake's air of nonchalance. "Tomorrow? Well, I'd planned on mopping the floor, playing several rounds of patty-cake and preparing a fabulous meal of stewed peaches. I'll take another look at my schedule, though, and see if I can find time to squeeze in a wedding."

  "Do you, Jake, take this woman, Annie, to be your lawfully wedded wife..

  Annie looked around the oak-paneled judge's chambers at the Tulsa County Courthouse the next afternoon. This was a far cry from the setting she'd always envisioned for her next wedding—her real wedding, as she'd always privately thought of it. Her first wedding had been her mother's production—a garden party extravaganza so elaborate that Annie wouldn't have been surprised if singing midgets had popped out of the wedding cake.

  She'd mentally pictured a beautiful church lined with stained glass windows, not a dark, stuffy office. She'd imagined flickering candles, not a spastic fluorescent light, and in her mind's eye, the air had been scented" with flowers, not musty law books. She'd wanted a small, intimate ceremony, but she'd always thought there would be more than four guests, and she'd always thought they'd be seated, not huddled together in a cramped space between two bookshelves at the side of a judge's large desk.

  The only notable thing about the room was the window— or, more specifically, the billboard visible through it.

  It was an ad for a water park, and it showed a gleeful child rocketing down a long water slide. When Annie had first seen it, she could have sworn she'd heard her grandfather chuckle as his voice read the message: Go Ahead. Take the Plunge.

  Well, it was good to know that Grandpa approved, Annie thought dryly. When she'd called her old boss and friend in New York to explain her change of plans, the two had both thought she'd lost her mind. Ben and Helen certainly had their doubts.

  "Annie, dear, this is so sudden!" Helen had exclaimed when she'd heard the news yesterday afternoon. She and Ben had come by the house to help Annie pack, thinking they were going to drive her and Madeline to the airport.

  Instead of loading Annie's bags into the truck, Ben had been introduced to Jake and told of their plans to marry.

  Ben had scowled at Jake, as if he were considering doing the man bodily harm. "Is this some kind of shyster lawyer trick to get Madeline all for yourself?"

  "I telephoned Henry," Annie said quickly. "He thinks getting married is a great idea. He says it's in Madeline's best interests. Mine, too."

  "Hmph." Ben had turned a worried gaze to Annie. "One minute you're ready to pull up stakes and hightail it back to New York because you don't trust this man, and the next you're plannin' on marryin' him? I can't say that I follow your reasonin'."

  "Jake didn't hire that private investigator." With Jake's help, she'd rapidly explained the situation.

  "Hmph." Ben had eyed Jake, his eyebrows beetling in a suspicious frown. "Gettin' married is a big step. I haven't heard you say anything about love."

  Jake and Annie had agreed to keep the real nature of their marriage to themselves. Ben and Helen would be upset to learn that she was entering into a sham of a holy institution, and there was no point in giving Tom a new reason to interfere.

  "We both love Madeline," Jake had told Ben.

  Helen had placed her hand on his arm. "A lot of folks have gotten married for a lot worse reasons," she said softly. "In the old days, love often came after marriage."

  Ben had heaved a sigh, then slowly shaken his large head. "I'd say you're puffin' the cart before the horse, but seein' as you two had a baby before you even met ..." He rubbed a large, calloused hand across his balding skull. "Heck, I reckon the cart has already been to town and back, and the horse hasn't even- left the barn." He'd held out his hand to Jake. "You've got yourself a fine woman there. Treat her Bright, and we'll get along."

  Susanna had been a much easier sell. Jake had been worried about how his mother-in-law would react to the news, but his concerns had proven unfounded. She'd insisted that Jake put Annie on the phone immediately.

  "I'm so happy for you, dear!" Susanna had said. "Welcome to the family."

  Annie had been touched by the older woman's warmth. "Thank you"

  "Jake says you're getting married tomorrow."

  "Yes. We, uh, decided to do it as soon as possible."

  "Well, I want to come to the wedding," she'd said. "And I'd love to watch Madeline while you two honeymoon."

  Honeymoon—now there was a startling concept. Annie had been too shocked to respond. Even now, she couldn't bring herself to imagine what Susanna thought they were going to do for a honeymoon. She'd packed a bag for Madeline, because Jake had convinced her to let Susanna keep Madeline after the ceremony. Annie had packed a bag for herself, as well, because they were going to spend their wedding night at Jake's house.

  Wedding night. The phrase made goosebumps rise on her flesh. Not that anything was actually going happen, Annie reminded herself. She and Jake were just going through the motions, trying to look like a normal, newly married couple.

  The sleeves of the judge's black robe billowed out like the wings of a bat as the courthouse air conditioner kicked into high gear. He raised his voice to be heard over it. "For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness or in health, as long as you both shall live......

  Or five months, whichever comes first. It was the time limit Annie and Jake had agreed upon. Jake had assured her that an amicable divorce, with both parties in agreement, could be finalized in a matter of days. Getting divorced would be almost as easy as getting married.

  And that had been surprisingly easy. Jake had called a judge yesterday and scheduled the wedding. He'd picked Annie and Madeline up early this morning and driven them to Tulsa. They'd stopped at a medical lab and taken premarital blood tests, , then headed to the Court Clerk's office to purchase a marriage license. The next stop had been a jewelry store.

  Annie had selected a plain gold band. When she tried to buy a matching one for Jake, he'd refused.

  "I don't want a ring," he'd said.

  "Oh, come on. If I'm going to wear one, you should, too."

  "No.,,

  Annie had smiled persuasively. "You know the old saying—what's good for the goose ..."

  A nerve had flicked in his cheek, and his mouth had firmed into a stubborn line. "Drop it, Annie. I'm not wearing a ring, and that's all there is to it."

  The flash of obstinance was the only genuine emotion Jake had shown all day. He'd put his arm around her waist as he'd escorted her into the judge's chambers, but Annie was certain that was only for the benefit of Ben and Helen
and Susanna, who'd followed them into the small room.

  Jake turned toward her now, his eyes dark and inscrutable. "I do."

  "Do you, Annie, take this man, Jake," the judge intoned, "to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

  Annie stared at Jake, her stomach tightening. Why, oh why did he have to be so handsome? Just being in the same room with him made her feel oddly short of breath. Her gaze locked on his lips. The memory of how his mouth had moved over hers, gentle yet demanding, soft and firm all at the same time, hit her with a force that left her weak-kneed.

  Dear heavens. What was she doing? It was one thing to marry the man. It was entirely another to allow herself to be attracted to him.

  "To have and to hold...."

  Oh, mercy, she wanted to have him, all right. And to hold him just like she had during that kiss.

  A feeling of panic welled up inside of her. She knew what it was like to fall for. someone who was still in love with someone else. That had been the story of her first marriage, chapter and verse. It was a mistake she'd vowed to never make again. Hadn't she learned the hard way how lonely a one-way love affair was?

  "...to love and to cherish, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"

  Annie felt as if her throat were paralyzed. Her eyes fastened on Jake's face. If only he weren't so attractive—not to mention smart and. funny and so endearingly tender with Madeline.

  And sexy. Had she mentioned sexy? Goodness gracious, he was sexy! How could she marry him, when she was so physically attracted to him?

  "You're supposed to respond, `I do,' "the judge whispered.

  But it wasn't the judge's words she heard; it was the words printed on the billboard out the window behind him. Her grandfather's voice, urgent and insistent, again whispered in her ear, "Go ahead. Take the plunge."

  Annie drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and dove heart-first into waters that were dark and turbulent and way over her head.

  "I do."

  Jake cut a sideways glance at Annie as he pulled away from the curb of the French restaurant where Susanna had insisted on taking everyone after the wedding. He'd thought he would be relieved to get away from Susanna and Ben and Helen, that he would feel more at ease when he no longer needed to act as if he and Annie were starry-eyed newlyweds, but being alone with Annie was even more unnerving than keeping up any pretense.

  He'd thought the wedding would be nothing more than a simple exchange of vows. Dadblast it, he'd forgotten all about the obligatory kiss at the end of the ceremony. He should have had the foresight to prepare for it. If it hadn't taken him by surprise, surely it wouldn't have rattled him so much.

  But it had, it rattled him down to the soles of his wingtips. When the judge had said, "You may kiss the bride," Jake had had no choice but to comply. After. all, everyone in the room—including the judge, who was not only Jake's friend, but Tom's—thought they were committing to, a serious stab at marriage.

  Jake had intended to just brush Annie's lips with his, but somehow, that plan never stood a ghost of a chance. The moment he entered her airspace, he was pulled down by a force as compelling as gravity. The scent of her perfume, the warmth of her breath, the softness of her lips moving under his, they had all conspired to turn a perfunctory kiss into a lava-hot lip-lock that had left them both gasping for air.

  Crimony. He'd meant to put on a convincing performance, not completely lose his head. Why was it that every time he kissed Annie, losing his head was exactly what . happened?

  Annie's voice drew his thoughts back to the present. "It was sweet of Susanna, offering to watch Madeline tonight," she was saying. "She told me she's already bought a baby bed and that she's turning a spare bedroom into a nursery so that Madeline can visit often."

  "Oh, that'll go over well with Tom," Jake said sarcastically.

  Annie looked at him with curiosity. "Doesn't he like children?"

  "He likes children. He just doesn't like this situation."

  "What kind of person is he?" Annie asked. "I have him pictured as some kind of monster, but I can't imagine Susanna with a man like that."

  Lately Jake had been having a hard time knowing what. Tom was like, either. He changed traffic lanes, considering the question. "He's not a monster. He's acting like a jerk about this, but it's not the way he is about most things." Jake pressed the accelerator and passed a slow-moving minivan. "He was a wonderful father to Rachel. They were close—really close. He was very involved in her life. He was the kind of father I always wished I'd had." Jake guided the car back into the right lane and glanced at Annie. "I guess if I had a role model of the way I want to be with Madeline, Tom would be it."

  Jake felt Annie's eyes on him, warm and intent. "It must have been hard on him when Rachel died," she said softly.

  "It was. It was hard on all of us." He braked for a traffic light.

  "What's Tom like?"

  "He's always been a salt-of-the-earth kind of guy—someone you could count on to level with your to come through in a pinch. I can't name the number of people that Tom has helped, personally, professionally and financially. He used to be really involved in the community, too. He used to serve on the boards of all kinds of charities and causes"

  "Used to?"

  Jake nodded. "Susanna was always the impetus behind that. After Rachel died, she barely left the house, and Tom began to focus all of his energy on work." The light changed, and Jake guided the car through the intersection. "He's been working like a demon ever since. I think he's overextended himself. He's taken on too many big cases, accepted too many speaking engagements, and won't accept enough help from me or anyone else. I'm worried about him. He's on the verge of burnout. He's stressed and edgy and not acting like himself. He's not seeing this whole situation with Madeline rationally."

  Annie nodded slowly. "He probably feels like Rachel got cheated."

  `Jake glanced over, surprised that she understood. "That's it exactly."

  "He's going to hate the fact that we got married."

  That was putting it mildly. "He'll come around." At least, Jake hoped he would. "Tom's always been the voice of reason," Jake explained. "If you push him up against a wall, he'll scratch and claw and do his best to tear it down, but when he finally realizes the wall won't budge, well, he accepts it and goes in another direction. That's why he's so good at his job."

  "I hope he comes around. He sounds like a formidable opponent."

  Jake made the turn onto the highway, and they drove in silence for a while.

  "I know we just left her, but I already miss Madeline," Annie remarked.

  "She'll be fine with Susanna."

  "I know. Madeline seems to adore her." Annie gazed out the window at the passing lights. "It's just. . . aside from when I was in the hospital after the appendectomy, I've never spent a night apart from the baby."

  "What about when was she born?" Jake asked.

  "She stayed with me in my hospital room. I couldn't bear to be apart from her." In the light of street lamp, Jake saw a soft smile flit across Annie's face. "I'd dreamed about her for so long, it was hard to believe she'd finally arrived. I just completely fell in love.

  "It was like—oh, I don't know—like I was getting to hold a part of my very own heart. She was my baby."

  Annie wrapped the word in warmth, like an infant in a blanket. Jake's chest grew oddly tight. "What was your pregnancy like?"

  "Oh, it was great. I loved being pregnant. Madeline was really active. You should have seen the way she kicked."

  1 would have liked to, Jake thought. The thought left him with an uneasy sense of guilt. "When did you first learn you were pregnant?"

  "Exactly thirteen days after the insemination. I couldn't wait to see if I was late, so I did a home pregnancy test a day early. I used the kind that shows a plus or a minus. It was a plus. I couldn't believe it. I was ecstatic. I only wished ..."

  She cut herself off abru
ptly, as if she'd thought better of what she was about to say.

  He braked at another stoplight, then looked directly at her. "What?"

  She lifted her shoulders. "Nothing."

  "Tell me what you were about to say," he urged. "Just that I wished I'd been able to share the news with the baby's father."

  I wish so, too. The words formed so clearly in Jake's mind that for a moment he was afraid he'd said them aloud.

  He wouldn't have wanted to know, of course—not at the time. When Madeline was conceived, Rachel had only been gone a month or two, and his grief had been fresh and raw.

  And yet, deep in his gut, in an odd, inexplicable way, - he was sorry he hadn't been there to share the experience with Annie.

  "Did you have morning sickness?"

  "A little. But not always in the mornings. It happened any time I got hungry." Annie grinned ruefully. "My solution was to eat around the clock. I gained seven pounds the first trimester."

  Jake smiled.

  "It was an easy pregnancy," Annie continued. "The only part that was a little difficult was at the end. It was hard getting around. My stomach was always in the way."

  Jake grinned at the image. "Was Madeline a big baby?"

  "Eight pounds, four ounces."

  A burst of paternal pride filled Jake's chest. "Did she arrive on schedule?"

  Annie shook her head. "She was ten days overdue. The doctor was planning to induce labor if she didn't arrive in a couple of days. I was out in the barn, feeding the alpacas, when my water broke. Ben and Helen drove me to the hospital. Helen was my labor coach."

  He had wondered if anyone had been with Annie when she delivered. "Why did you have a Caesarian?"

  "Madeline was in the breech position. The doctor said it was safer to deliver that way."

  Jake pulled into the driveway of his house and hit the automatic garage door opener. "Were you awake?" Annie nodded.

  "You must have been scared."

  "Only that Madeline wasn't going to be all right."