Harlequin Special Edition November 2014 - Box Set 2 of 2: The Maverick's Thanksgiving BabyA Celebration ChristmasDr. Daddy's Perfect Christmas

by Brenda Harlen

  “Tonight?” She shook her head with sincere regret. “I can’t.”

  Brian frowned. “What do you mean—you can’t?”

  She couldn’t blame him for sounding confused. In the almost five years that she’d worked at Alliston & Blake, she had probably never before uttered those same words. Her job had always been her number one priority and she’d happily juggled every other part of her life to accommodate it.

  “I’m sorry,” she apologized automatically. “But I already have plans for tonight.”

  “Plans?” Her boss’s frown deepened as his gaze skipped to Jesse again. “Plans can’t compare to opportunities, and this is an incredible opportunity for you, Maggie. Mr. Edler specifically asked that you be assigned to his team for this new project.”

  She looked at Jesse, her conviction wavering. His expression was guarded, giving her no hint of what he was thinking or feeling. He was leaving the choice entirely up to her, and she knew that if she told him this meeting was more important than their dinner plans because it had the potential to make her career, he’d probably wish her luck.

  But was it?

  Was one meeting with Perry Edler more important than the conversation she needed to have with her baby’s father—a conversation for which he’d traveled more than twelve hundred miles?

  Maybe the answer to that question should have been immediately obvious to her, but it wasn’t. Because her job wasn’t just important—it was vital. If she didn’t have her job at Alliston & Blake, she’d have no income to provide the essentials of life—food, clothing, shelter—for her baby. And okay, working as an attorney she’d have to add day care to that list, and day care was expensive, which meant that she’d have to increase her billable hours, which meant working more hours. The cycle was endless, and it made her head ache just to think about it.

  If she let this one client meeting take precedence, where would it end? When would her job stop being more important than her life? When would the needs of her child finally matter more than the demands of her boss?

  Brian took her silence as acquiescence. “We have an eight o’clock reservation at Patina—I’ll see you there.”

  She looked at Jesse. “Can you give us a minute, please?”

  “Sure,” he agreed easily, already moving toward the door with the long, loose stride that was somehow both easy and sexy.

  She waited until he’d closed the door before she turned back to her boss. “I’m sorry,” she said again, but more firmly this time. “I can’t make it.”

  His brows lifted. “This is a major career opportunity, Maggie.”

  She knew that it was—but she didn’t much care for the strings that were obviously attached. “For the past five years, I’ve done everything you’ve asked of me—and more. I’ve come in early and stayed late. I’ve worked weekends and holidays that no one else wanted to work.”

  “And that’s why you’ve earned this opportunity,” he confirmed. “But if you’re unavailable tonight, I’m sure Patricia will be pleased to join Mr. Edler’s group.”

  Patricia was another junior associate who had made no secret of her ambitions—or her willingness to step on other people as she climbed her way to the top at Alliston & Blake.

  “I thought Mr. Edler specifically asked for me.”

  “He asked for a young up-and-comer with lots of energy and enthusiasm.” Brian amended his earlier claim. “I thought that was you.”

  “And now it’s Patricia,” she realized dully.

  “You’re good, but you’re not indispensable,” her boss said.

  “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  She was afraid that she did. And she was angry and frustrated because she knew there was nothing she could do—notwithstanding everything that she’d already done—to sway his opinion. If she couldn’t be available to the firm every minute of every day, he would find someone who could.

  She glanced from her boss to the door through which Jesse had exited. She could see him through the glass, leaning on a horizontal filing cabinet and chatting to one of the secretaries. Brian was a company man, from his neatly styled salon-trimmed hair to his immaculately polished Italian leather shoes. Jesse was every inch a cowboy—with a capital C. He was rugged and rough, charming and sweet, and he’d crossed state lines to be with her this weekend.

  She’d never known anyone like him and it was immediately evident to her why—because he didn’t, and wouldn’t ever, fit in her corporate world.

  Brian, obviously having followed the direction of her gaze, lifted his brows. “Do you really want to throw away this opportunity for some cowboy that you’re having a fling with?”

  “We’re not having a fling,” she told him. “We’re having a baby.”

  He frowned. “You’re joking.”

  “Actually, I’m not.”

  “You’re really pregnant?”

  She nodded. “Due in April.”

  “Well, that puts a different spin on the situation.”

  “Why is that?”

  “As you already noted, I need someone who is available to come in early and stay late, someone who can work weekends and holidays. Are you still going to be able to do that when you have a baby at home?”

  “I don’t know,” she admitted.

  “That’s not an answer that’s going to get you very far in this firm,” he warned.

  “Are you firing me?”

  “No,” he said quickly. “Of course not. You’re a valued associate and an important member of the Alliston & Blake team.”

  Which only meant that he knew he couldn’t fire her without risk of being sued for unlawful termination.

  “And I won’t ever be anything more than an associate here, will I?”

  “You know that’s not my decision to make.”

  “You’re a partner, Brian—one of the most senior, aside from Mr. Alliston and Mr. Blake. When you make a recommendation, the rest of the partners listen.”

  “If you’re asking if I would recommend you for the partner track, I would have to say that, right now, I would not.”

  Though it was the answer she’d anticipated, it was still a shock to hear him say the words aloud. “That’s not fair.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a fact of life, Maggie. A partner is expected to put the needs of the firm first. Always.”

  “I can, and I would,” she said, although without much conviction.

  “Tell me,” Brian said, “what you would do if you were on your way to court for closing arguments in a trial and the day care called because your child was feverish and vomiting?”

  She didn’t say anything, because she knew the answer she would give him wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear. And he knew it, too.

  “Being a mother is a noble undertaking, but not one that’s compatible with a partnership at Alliston & Blake.”

  Maggie dropped the file she’d come into the office to retrieve back on top of her desk.

  “I’ll see you on Monday.”

  * * *

  Maggie didn’t say anything to Jesse about her conversation with Brian. She didn’t want him to feel sorry for her; she didn’t want to give him any ammunition to manipulate her emotions to his own purposes; but mostly she didn’t want his empathy, because she was afraid that would be her undoing.

  “Do you like sushi?” she asked, when they exited the building.

  He made a face. “No, and you shouldn’t eat it, either, while you’re pregnant.”

  “Suddenly you’re an expert on pregnancy?”

  “I’ve been reading up, learning a few things.”

  “Can I have steak?”

  He nodded, either oblivious to or ignoring the sarcasm in her tone. “Red meat has lots of protein and iron, but it should be thoroughly co
oked to ensure there is no residual bacteria.”

  “You really have been reading up,” she noted, feeling duly chastised.

  “I’m interested,” he said simply.

  She was, too, and she’d gone out to buy all of the best-reviewed books when her doctor had confirmed that she was going to have a baby. But they were still in a neat pile on her bedside table because she was usually too tired when she got home at the end of the day to want to crack the cover of a pregnancy guide or child-care manual.

  “I’m hungry,” she said, and led him through a set of frosted glass doors and into Lou’s Chophouse.

  The atmosphere was upscale casual, the decor consisting of glossy wood tables and leather-padded benches, with frosted glass dividers separating the booths and pendant-style lights hanging over the tables. When they were seated, the hostess handed them menus in leather folders, ran through the daily specials and promised that their server would be over momentarily to take their drink order.

  Maggie ordered the peppercorn sirloin with basmati rice and steamed broccoli. He opted for the twelve-ounce strip loin with a fully loaded baked potato and seasonal vegetables.

  But when her meal was delivered, she found she had no appetite. Mindful of the tiny life in her belly, though, she forced herself to cut into the steak and eat a few bites.

  She didn’t fool Jesse. He was halfway through his own steak when he said, “You’re picking at your food.”

  “I guess I’m not as hungry as I thought I was.”

  “Is that all it is?”

  She stabbed at her broccoli. “No,” she admitted. “But I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Have you changed your mind?”

  “About what?”

  “Keeping the baby.”

  “No,” she answered without hesitation. “I’m not sure about a lot of things, but I’m sure about that.”

  He exhaled an audible sigh of relief. “You probably know there aren’t a lot of lawyers in Rust Creek Falls. In fact, Ben Dalton is it, but word around town is that he’s interested in bringing in an associate.”

  “I have a job,” she reminded him.

  “I’m just presenting you with another option.”

  “Except that it’s not an option, because I’m not licensed to practice in Montana.”

  “You’d have to pass the State Bar,” he acknowledged.

  “Have you been reading up on that, too?”

  “A little.”

  “Then you should know that writing a Bar exam is a little more complicated than going to the store to pick up a quart of milk.”

  “Do you think the Montana exam is more difficult than the one you wrote here?”

  “No,” she admitted. “But I wrote the California Bar five years ago.”

  “And you’ve forgotten how to study since then?”

  One side of her mouth tipped up in response to his teasing. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then it’s something you could at least consider?”

  “Yes, it’s something I could consider,” she agreed. “But if I did get a job in Rust Creek Falls, what would I do about day care?”

  “We have day care in Montana. In fact, the Country Kids Day Care is just a few blocks from Ben Dalton’s office.”

  “Why are you okay with me putting our baby in day care in Rust Creek Falls but not in LA?”

  “Because you wouldn’t need day care for twelve hours a day,” he pointed out logically. “Because even if you had to work late, I’d be there to help out, so our child would have more time with both parents.”

  “You make it sound so logical.”

  “It is logical.”

  She sighed. “I used to have a plan for my life and confidence that I knew exactly what I was doing. Now...I don’t have a clue.”

  “So we’ll figure it out together,” he said.

  “And what if we don’t?”

  “When you walk into a courtroom, do you worry that you can’t handle the case?”

  “I never walk into a courtroom unprepared.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m not sure the same rules apply to pregnancy and parenthood.”

  “I’m not sure there are any rules for parenthood—more like guidelines.”

  “Thanks, Captain Barbossa.”

  He grinned, pleased that she’d recognized the movie reference.

  Maggie just sighed. “I used to be able to think things through—now my emotions seem to be all over the map, and I don’t know if that’s just the pregnancy hormones or...”

  “Or?” he prompted.

  “Or maybe this baby is giving me the excuse I need to make the changes to my life that I’ve wanted to make for a while.”

  “I have an idea for a change,” he said. “You could marry me.”

  She shook her head.

  “Why not?”

  “Because I’m trying to be rational,” she reminded him.

  “You’re pregnant with my baby, we have good chemistry—which might explain the baby,” he acknowledged, earning a small smile from her. “You like to cook, I like to eat.”

  “Wow, your argument is...underwhelming.”

  “I’ll be faithful, Maggie. I can promise you that.” He knew it wasn’t a declaration likely to make a woman swoon, but it was honest.

  “I’m not sure that should be enough for either of us,” she said softly.

  “I’m not looking to fall in love.”

  “Why not?”

  “Can we focus on what’s relevant here?”

  “What do you consider relevant?” she asked.

  “The fact that I want to be a husband to you and a father to our baby.” He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “And maybe give that baby a brother or a sister someday.”

  “How do you know you want to be a husband to me?” she challenged. “You don’t even know me.”

  “I know that you’re beautiful and smart and warm and compassionate. I know that your family is important to you. You’re close to your parents and your brothers and our baby is a real, biological connection to me and will bind us together forever.

  “I know you enjoy your work, and I don’t think you’d be happy to give up your career. But I also don’t think you’ll be happy, long-term, in a career that takes everything from you and gives nothing back—as it seems your job at Alliston & Blake is doing.

  “The fact that you want to have and keep this baby proves you want to be a mother, and since you don’t do anything in half measures, you want to be a good mother. Which means that you need to find a way to balance work outside the home with responsibilities to the child that we’re bringing into the world.”

  She didn’t know if anyone had seen into her heart so clearly, and the realization that he’d done so was a little worrisome. If he could read her thoughts and feelings that easily, it wouldn’t take him long to figure out that she had strong feelings for him, and she was afraid he would manipulate those feelings to get what he wanted.

  “You missed one thing,” she told him.

  “What’s that?”

  “I was raised by two parents who love one another as much as they love their children, and I always promised myself that if and when I did get married, it would be because I’d found someone that I loved the same way.”

  “I’d say the baby you’re carrying trumps that idealistic dream.”

  Idealistic dream.

  The dismissal in those two words cut to the quick. Just when she’d almost been ready to let him persuade her that they could make a marriage work, those two words told her so much more than he’d likely intended.

  “She must have really done a number on you,” Maggie mused.

  “Who?”

/>   “The woman who made you afraid to risk your heart.”

  Chapter Seven

  Jesse didn’t want to talk about the past but the future—his future with Maggie and their baby.

  Except that her insight, as uncomfortable as it made him, was valid. And it forced him to ask himself some hard questions: Why was he pushing for marriage? Why was he trying to convince Maggie to move to Rust Creek Falls? How long did he really think an LA transplant would last in a small Montana town? Didn’t he learn anything from his painful experience with his ex?

  He’d met Shaelyn Everton when he was a student at Montana State University. She didn’t really have a major—she was just taking some courses that interested her while she tried to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Their paths had crossed at a pub on campus—his friend had been hitting on her friend, leaving the two of them to make conversation with one another.

  She’d been pretty and sweet and he’d fallen fast and hard. Some of his friends had warned that she didn’t want an education just an “MRS” degree, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was that they were going to be together.

  He’d proposed to her the day of his graduation, and she’d happily accepted. She’d promised that she was excited to go to Rust Creek Falls with him, to spend time with his family and start to plan their wedding.

  She’d visited his hometown with him at Christmastime, a few months earlier, but they’d been so busy with family and holiday events, she didn’t have much time to experience the town. She admitted to him, after only a few days, that she was feeling a little bit of culture shock.

  He didn’t understand what she meant—having been born and raised in Rust Creek Falls, he was certain the town had all the amenities anyone could need. And anything that wasn’t readily available in town—specialty shops and fancy restaurants—was close enough in Kalispell.

  Her frustration had come to a head one night when she decided to make Salisbury steak for dinner. Unfortunately, she’d forgotten to buy mushrooms when she’d gone into Kalispell to get groceries. She went to Crawford’s, but they only had canned, and she had a complete meltdown. Jesse tried to reassure her, suggesting that she could make the recipe without the mushrooms—he wasn’t a huge fan, anyway. But she’d refused, insisting that it wouldn’t be the same.