by Mary Eason
“Does this mean you’ll stay? You won’t leave?” she asked and held her breath.
“If that’s what you really want,” he told her slowly. “But your father is right. We have to talk.”
“Yes, I don’t want there to be any more misunderstandings between us.”
“Come sit down. I’ll make some coffee.”
Kate thought about the baby and told him, “How about some hot chocolate instead. And I’ll make it—you sit.”
If Alex thought her request was strange he didn’t say anything. But he didn’t do as she asked. Instead, he got out two mugs and the cocoa and helped her make it. Then he made a fire in the living room and they sat on the floor drinking their chocolate in silence for a long time.
“You want me to start?” Alex asked and Kate nodded relieved. She needed to tell him about the baby, but when faced with doing so it was almost impossible to get the words out.
“Okay, but just promise me you’ll listen to everything I have to say before responding. Some of it’s not pretty,” he admitted and glanced her way. She nodded.
“I knew you were Robert’s daughter when I met you that night at the bookstore,” Alex said and looked her way again. It was hard not to react to those words, but he’d pretty much told her this before. Kate closed her eyes for a moment then nodded again.
“Okay, go on,” she told him at last.
“And everything you accused me of, I’d planned to do.”
“Alex…” Kate didn’t think she could stand to hear anymore. She sat the cocoa down and tried to get to her feet, but he reached for her arm, stopping her.
“No. You promised you would listen to everything.” Kate hadn’t planned on the words hurting so much to hear. But she knew she needed to hear him out. No matter how difficult it was to hear. Slowly she lowered her weight back to the floor.
“Thank you,” he told her quietly before releasing her arm. “I said I went there that night to follow through with my plans to hurt your father by using you, but the second I met you, I knew in my heart it was over, even if I couldn’t yet let it go just yet. You see, the real flesh and blood you wasn’t anything like what I’d been expecting. When you fell into my arms and I kissed you…well, it was so over for me. Once you told me, you didn’t believe in romance anymore I wanted to change your mind, and convince us both there was such a thing. I think I did. You certainly convinced me.”
Kate smiled and nodded silently. Oh yes, she’d become a believer again after their first night together.
“I tried to talk myself into ending things with you after that night. I knew how this would look if you found out. But when I thought about not seeing you again, I couldn’t do it. I know I should have come clean right away, and believe me I tried. But I thought once you and I were married, once I was sure you loved me as well, there wouldn’t be any way you’d ever want to leave me, even if you found out the truth.”
Alex shook his head and touched her cheek softly. “Nothing prepared me for your leaving. I went to see your father that morning after you left and confessed everything.”
“Oh Alex, I didn’t want to leave you. I just couldn’t believe you lied to me. You told me you’d never been married before. You have no idea how much that hurt to hear.”
“Kate.” He turned to face her as he spoke. “What I told you was I’d never loved anyone before you; it was the truth. I’ve never been in love before you, Kate.” She met his gaze unflinching and wanted to believe him.
“It’s true. You see, Marissa and I were just kids when we got married. We weren’t in love. We didn’t have a clue what love was about.” Alex rubbed his hand across his eyes and stared into the fire, remembering.
“Marissa and I were married right out of high school. I think we were both just thought that’s what was expected of us. I went to school on a scholarship, but Marissa wasn’t interested. She just wanted to be a wife. For a while, things were okay between us, but I think it was simply because I was never home. I was at school all day, then I worked most of the night. When we were together, we ended up fighting all the time. And after a few years of it, I think we both knew we’d made a mistake.” He glanced her way to see her reaction before continuing.
“Marissa thought having a family would help. I couldn’t see bringing a child into that sort of a mess. So we fought more often. And I found new reasons to stay away.”
Kate watched his expression very carefully, wondering what he would feel about their child. Would he think it was another mistake, or would Alex be thrilled?
Please let him be happy…
“She accused me of having an affair.” He turned back to Kate. “It wasn’t true, but I wasn’t a husband to her either. I resented being tied to Marissa by that time. The night of the accident, we had a huge fight. I told her I wanted a divorce. She stormed out. Kate, the accident was Marissa’s fault. I spoke to the investigating officer a few weeks later. He told me the truth. So you see, I knew your father hadn’t caused the accident, but I was just so angry with myself that it just seemed easier to blame Robert for Marissa’s death than accept my own part in it.”
“Oh, Alex.” Kate touched his face and watched him close his eyes in pain. “You weren’t responsible. Marissa was in charge of her own life and death. But I wish I’d waited, listened to you that day at your office, or when you came after me in Denver.”
“Me too,” he told her quietly. “I should have told you before I married you. If only I’d been honest with you about everything. I’m sorry I wasn’t.”
“We both made mistakes, but we’re still here and we’re talking through them. That’s a good thing, right?”
He smiled back at her. “That, Mrs. Bradshaw, is a great thing.”
“But I need you to promise me, if you ever have doubts again, you’ll talk to me first about them. Don’t run away again, Kate.”
“No, I won’t.” Kate knew it was time to tell Alex about their baby.
“Alex, I have something to tell you, but it’s so hard to say. Especially after what you’ve just said about Marissa and, and not wanting to bring a child into such an unhappy environment.”
“What do you mean?” His eyes narrowed as he watched the color spread across her face, and then he knew.
“Are you pregnant?” Alex asked in wonder. “Oh my God, you are!” He didn’t give her time to answer. Alex swept her up into his arms and planted kisses across her mouth, her eyelids, her forehead.
“Does this mean you’re happy about the news?” Kate teased and started to giggle.
“Happy, I’m more than happy. I’m walking on air! I can’t believe this is really happening. I was almost ready to give up hope tonight, Kate and now…I can’t imagine being happier.”
“Me too,” she told him before she took his face in her hands and kissed him most thoroughly.
“I can’t wait to see your father’s face when we tell him he’s going to be a grandfather tomorrow.”
“Un-uh. You heard his doctor. We have to let him get stronger before we spring this on him. I want my father around to see his granddaughter grow up.”
“How can you expect me to wait until…wait, did you say granddaughter?” he asked slowly. “Does this mean you know already?”
“No, but I’ve always wanted a little girl. What about you?”
“Me? Oh, I think I can be happy with a little girl. And we can always try for a boy the next time.”
“The next time? How many kids do you want?” Kate asked in concern.
“Lots. As many as we’re blessed with. But that’s half the fun in it, isn’t it. Making them.”
“Yes, at least it is with you, Mr. Bradshaw.” Then Kate remembered how abandoned he’d loved her in Colorado.
“Were you trying to get me pregnant that night in Colorado?”
He faked a cringe. “Well, I guess I was hoping…I’d do anything to keep you with me, Kate. In fact, you’d be surprised what I’ve done.”
“Like what for instan
ce?”
“You know Judge Ludlow?”
“Yes…oh, no you didn’t?” Kate asked in surprise then grinned at his little boy expression.
“Oh yeah. He’s a very good friend of mine, actually. And so is your attorney. There’s no way that ruling is legally binding.”
Kate punched him on the arm.
“Ouch!”
“What else have you been up to?”
“Nothing. At least nothing I’m willing to admit to, that is…”
Kate tried to look angry, but in truth, it no longer mattered what brought them together. She loved this man in her arms who she’d once believed to be her enemy. And she never planned on leaving him again.
About the author
Mary Eason grew up in a small Texas town famous for, well not much of anything really. Being the baby of the family and quite a bit younger than her brothers and sister, Mary had plenty of time to entertain herself. Making up stories seem to come natural to her.
As a pre-teen, Mary discovered romance novels and knew instinctively that was what she wanted to do with her over-active imagination.
She wrote her first novel as a teen, (it’s tucked away somewhere never to see the light of day), but never really pursued her writing career seriously until a few years later, when she wrote her first romantic comedy and was hooked.
Today, Mary still lives in Texas, and still writes about romance. In fact, she can’t think of anything else she’d rather do.
Table of Contents
Copyright
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
About the author