Stevie’s soft laughter ended with a choke. She coughed a couple of times, waving Cole off when he stood and stepped forward as if to pound her back. Once she’d recovered her breath, she told herself she must have misheard him. “You, um—what?”
“I’m asking you to marry me,” he repeated. Slowly this time, as if to make sure she comprehended.
Though her first reaction was shock, as his words sank in she found herself almost unbearably touched. A lump formed in her throat when she looked at him standing there all rumpled and noble and earnest. And sexy as all get-out, but she pushed that particular observation to the back of her mind to concentrate on the conversation.
She rested a hand lightly on his arm and spoke in a voice that wasn’t entirely steady. “That’s very sweet of you, Cole, but you understand pregnant women don’t have to get married these days, right?”
He covered her hand with his own. “Yes, I know. But you have to admit it would be much easier if you have someone to share the responsibilities. I like kids. Always thought I’d have at least one of my own someday, but I’d sort of given up on that expectation. I wasn’t sure I’d ever marry again. I liked being married, but I get frazzled just thinking about the pressures and social expectations of courtship. Yet I can picture myself raising this child with you.”
She drew her hand slowly from beneath his to latch on to a lock of her hair, twisting it so tightly her fingertip went numb. Was this real? Cole wasn’t one to play practical jokes. And even if he were, this would hardly be funny. “I’m not sure what to say.”
Still standing close, he studied her gravely, as if trying to read her mind. She wished him luck with that. The way her head was spinning, even she couldn’t make sense of her thoughts.
“I can tell you’re surprised, and I understand. But think about it, Stevie. It makes perfect sense. We could have a good life together. With my telecommuting job, I could watch the baby while you’re working. Your career is flexible enough that we could coordinate our schedules around my business trips. I make a good living, so between the two of us, the child would be well cared for. I’m good with kids—and you have to admit I build a really great snowman,” he added with a disarmingly self-deprecating smile.
“Wow.” She swallowed, then said again, “Wow! You’re actually serious.”
He nodded. “It’s a good plan, right? Win-win. For me, for you—and for this baby.”
Oh, that was hardly a fair argument, she thought with a hard swallow. She’d told him she wished she could give her child a devoted dad. And she could hardly imagine a more upstanding candidate for the position.
She became aware that the hand not tangled in her hair had gone subconsciously to her stomach. She was still having trouble believing this was an actual proposal of marriage, but still she had to ask, “You’d really have no objection to raising another man’s child as your own?”
Cole looked genuinely startled by the question. As straightforward as ever, he replied, “I’ve never had a particular desire to see my own face in miniature. My childhood best friend was adopted, something he discussed openly. He was closer to his adoptive family than I was to my biological one.”
Though she didn’t know the details of his estrangement from his father, she couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t be grateful to have a son like Cole.
“Kids don’t need a certified pedigree to make them happy,” he added, just a hint of uncharacteristic wistfulness in his voice now. “They need love. Encouragement. Unwavering support. I can offer all those things to this child we can welcome together. Let’s face it, neither of us expected this development, but we’re both in the right place at the right time to accept the challenge.”
Something deep inside her tightened in response to his words. “You’ve really given this a lot of consideration, haven’t you?”
He nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it for days. I had to consider all the ramifications before I came to you. I’d never make a commitment I wasn’t prepared to honor completely and permanently. I’m absolutely sure about this.”
It wasn’t often that naturally talkative Stevie found herself without words, but Cole had managed to strike her speechless. She almost wondered if she were dreaming this entire conversation, drifting into foolish daydreams about what might have been...
Cole reached out to gently untangle her hand from her hair, then cradled both her hands in his. She wasn’t sure if he’d practiced this proposal, but he spoke without hesitation, visibly sincere. “Marry me, Stevie. You said I’m one of your best friends. I feel the same about you. We mesh well together, have from the start. We can make this work. We can give this child the type of home and family you and I both wanted growing up. I’m not making a sacrifice or being unselfish in this offer. I want very much to be a dad to this kid. I think I’d make a good one.”
She’d spent her whole life acting on impulse, following her heart, her hunches, her instincts. Every one of those usual prompts urged her now to accept Cole’s offer on the spot. Still, she owed it to him, to herself, to her child to take time to consider before she leaped this time.
“Think about it,” he urged, reading the emotions chasing themselves across her face. “I don’t want to rush you into anything that doesn’t feel right to you, and nothing has to change between us if you choose to decline my proposal. We can still be friends. I just want you to know that I’m here for you and the baby, and that I hope—”
“Yes.”
So much for caution.
He went still, his head cocked to one side as he eyed her closely. “Yes?”
She felt her fingers tremble in his big strong hands. His grip tightened just enough to show her that he felt it, too. She freed her hands and stepped back to give herself a little distance, drawing herself up to her full height, such as it was. Her voice was satisfactorily steady when she demanded, “Do you promise you’ll always be a caring, committed father to this child, no matter what happens?”
“You have my word,” he answered without a hint of hesitation. “You both do.”
If there was one thing she’d learned about Cole McKellar during the past year, it was that he was the most honest man she’d ever met. Bluntly so, at times, but that was only part of his unique charm.
“Then the answer is yes.”
It wasn’t the hearts-and-flowers-and-violins marriage proposal she’d vaguely imagined for herself in youthful, Hollywood-tinted fantasies, but look where those silly daydreams had led her, how many times they’d let her down. She was going to be a mother now, and it was time to put unrealistic expectations behind her.
If she made a list of all the attributes she’d want for her child’s father, Cole would match nearly every item on the page. Maybe he wasn’t the type to write love songs for her or shower her with grand, romantic gestures, but the men who had done those things in the past hadn’t stayed around to deal with the everyday realities of life. He wasn’t claiming a grand passion for her—perhaps his late wife would always hold that position in his heart—but she knew he was quite fond of her, and she didn’t doubt that he respected her intelligence and admired her success in her business. That meant a great deal to her.
Other men had claimed to love her, but hadn’t stayed around to make a life with her. Cole would be there, stable, dependable, practical. She needed to work on being more like him—starting now.
“Yes,” she repeated, more firmly this time.
A smile spread across his face and she had to admit he looked pleased. If he had any doubts about this plan, it wasn’t visible in his expression. As for herself, she was still nervous—oh, hell, she was scared to her toenails—but she’d made her decision. She gave her tummy a little pat, sending a silent message in that direction. You’re welcome, kid.
“Great,” he said with obvious satisfaction. “We’ll make this work, Stevie, I promise.”
“I believe you.” She would certainly do her part, she vowed.
Her legs seemed to have weakened, so she moved to sit on the couch. Cole sat beside her, drawing his phone from his pocket. She frowned a little. Was he already calling someone with the news? Was he really this excited about—
But he’d merely opened his calendar. “So when do you want to do this? The baby is due in—six months, right?”
She nodded, trying to focus on practical details. “Yes.”
“So that doesn’t give us a lot of time to take care of things. We’ll have to decide where to live, set up a nursery, work out our schedules, that sort of thing. You, um—do you want a big wedding? Because if you do—”
“No,” she assured him quickly. “I’d prefer something small and simple.”
She could see relief cross his face, though knowing Cole, she suspected he’d have agreed to a huge affair if she’d said she wanted one.
“I don’t need my parents there,” he said. “Considering they don’t even like being in the same state at the same time, they’d hardly want to attend the same wedding. They’ll probably be relieved they don’t have to make the effort. I’m pretty sure my mom will be pleased at the prospect of having a grandchild. I think she’d pretty much given up on the idea.”
She twisted her fingers in her lap. Would his mother really welcome this child, even though her son wasn’t the biological father? “Are you, um, going to tell your parents that I was already pregnant when you and I decided to get married?”
Cole shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s unnecessary. I won’t lie, but there’s no need to tell everyone our business. You can make the decision with your mother and brother. We’ll tell the child when he or she is old enough to understand, of course, and I guess your closest friends will know the truth, but I’d be fine with letting the rest make their own assumptions.”
“That works for me, too,” she murmured.
He nodded, putting that item behind them before returning to the previous one. “What about you? Do you want to wait until your mother and brother can get here to have the ceremony?”
She barely had to think about it before shaking her head. “Mom isn’t really interested in ceremonies—and she’s never been a big fan of marriage,” she added with a wry laugh. “She’ll be satisfied with hearing the details afterward and then flying in for a visit after the baby arrives. Same goes for my brother.”
“And what about your friends?”
“Jenny and Tess are going to be...surprised.” Which was the understatement of the year, of course.
Cole studied her expression. “How do you think they’ll feel about our plans?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
She was sure her friends would be concerned she was acting on impulse and would urge her to take more time to think about all of this, despite the pregnancy deadline. Bonded with their soul mates, they would obviously want the same for her. Jenny had turned down a socially advantageous proposal from a wealthy and connected attorney to wed the cop she’d loved since their college years. Tess’s engagement to her employer might have started out as an arrangement meant to assuage their matchmaking relatives during the holidays, but it hadn’t taken them long to realize they’d been deeply in love for some time.
Both Jenny and Tess would certainly remind Stevie that she had always been the one to defend the fairy tale version of romance, to insist marriage should be based on passion, not practicality. But their circumstances were very different from her own, she reminded herself. They’d had only their own best interests to consider during their courtships. Jenny understood the pain of growing up without a father, her own having died before she was even born, but would she approve of Stevie’s decision to provide for her baby’s needs over her own silly fantasies?
“I don’t know,” she repeated.
“Would you change your mind if they do disapprove?”
She shook her head firmly. “Of course not. It’s just that I’m not quite sure how to explain it to them. As I’ve said, I haven’t even told them yet that I’m pregnant. I just don’t want them to worry about me.”
As much as she hated to admit it, things were changing between her and her friends with marriages and babies coming into the picture. It was inevitable, she supposed. They would always be close, but the time they could spend together would be even more limited with these new responsibilities.
“Here’s an idea.” Cole drummed the fingers of one hand lightly against his thigh. She could tell by his expression that he’d turned his full attention to solving her latest dilemma. “Instead of telling them ahead of time and dealing with their questions and opinions, why don’t you just present it to them as a fait accompli? We could elope, then tell them we’re married and we’re committed to raising this child together. There would be little they could say at that point except to congratulate you and wish you well.”
She blinked. “Not tell them beforehand? But Jen and I have always told each other everything. Tess, too, since we met her.”
“You haven’t told them you’re pregnant.”
She winced in response to that very reasonable rebuttal. “No.”
“What’s your schedule tomorrow?” he asked after a moment.
The seemingly abrupt change of subject made her blink again before answering, “I have a meeting in the morning, but it should only take a couple of hours.”
“Can you be done by noon? I have a few things to deal with, but I can be finished by lunchtime. There’s no waiting period to be married in this state, so we could leave at around one o’clock tomorrow afternoon, pick up a marriage license and stop at one of those little wedding chapels in the Ozarks. Afterward, we’ll drive into Missouri and spend a couple nights at a nice inn in Branson, and be back at work Monday morning. I wish I could take you somewhere special for a real honeymoon, but my schedule is pretty tight at the moment and I’m sure yours is, too, getting ready for your maternity leave and all.”
“Tomorrow,” she repeated somewhat blankly, feeling swept along by a current that had surged out of control. She’d already agreed to marry him, so why did setting a time cause a flicker of panic inside her? “You’re talking about getting married tomorrow?”
“Well, we could wait a little longer if you need more time.”
“I—” She chewed her lower lip as she considered. Though she felt a bit cowardly to admit it, she could see the appeal of telling her friends after the fact rather than facing a barrage of questions and doubts and advice. Cole was right—this way it would be too late for them to try to talk her out of marrying him. Too late to talk herself out of it. “Tomorrow works for me.”
He gave her knee a little squeeze, his fingers lingering long enough to make her vividly aware of his touch. “I’ll make the arrangements with the chapel and a hotel. February is hardly peak tourist season, so we shouldn’t have trouble getting reservations. Some of the Branson theaters are probably closed for the season, but I’m sure a few are still open. It’ll be fun, right?”
“Fun.” Stevie laughed in bemusement and pressed her cold hands to her warm cheeks. “How is it that you can make even the craziest plan sound absolutely rational?”
Cole had the grace to smile crookedly as he rose from the couch. “My special talent?”
“Apparently.”
“Well?”
Rising as he did, she drew a slightly shaky breath and pressed a hand to her stomach. “Okay. I have a consultation at nine in the morning, but I can be ready to leave by one o’clock.”
As matter-of-fact as Cole was being about all this, she wouldn’t have been entirely surprised if he’d sealed the deal by offering his hand to shake. Instead, he reached into his pocket. For the first time since he’d blindsided her with this plan he’d obviously considered so carefully, she saw a hint of uncertainty in his expression. “I picked up something for you while I was in Chicago. I hope you like it.”
“I’m sure I’ll—” Her voice faded when she saw the little velvet box resting on his palm. “Oh.”
“I wanted to be prepared in case you said yes.” He opened the hinged lid to reveal the contents.
Her breath caught when the overhead light glittered off a diamond set on a white gold band. It was exactly the type of ring she’d have expected Cole to choose, simple and classic. Even the choice of square-cut over the slightly more traditional round stone was typical of him—though the gesture itself was certainly unexpected.
“It’s beautiful, Cole.” Her voice sounded husky to her own ears.
He caught her hand and slid the ring on her finger. She told herself it was a good omen that it fit surprisingly well. Her hands were small, but the ring wasn’t overpowering. In fact, she’d have said it was exactly right for her.
He was watching her face. “If you’d prefer another style, we can swap it for—”
She curled her fingers protectively around the ring. “This one is perfect.”
“I’m glad you like it. So, I’ll go now and start making arrangements. This time tomorrow, we’ll be in Branson.”
And married, she added silently, swallowing hard.
She could tell his mind was already engaged with lists of tasks he wanted to complete before tomorrow. She knew how he got when he was focused on a deadline. He was probably itching to tap away at his trustworthy little tablet. “All right. See you tomorrow.”
She walked him to the door, feeling as if she were moving in an odd sort of slow motion. She’d begun the day as an anxious, single mother-to-be. Only a few hours later, she found herself engaged to be married to a man who was busily planning their future while she still reeled from his proposal.
He let himself out, closing the door behind him. With a little sigh, Stevie started to turn away. She paused with a start when the door swept open again. Cole stepped back inside, his expression rueful.
“That was a lousy way to conclude our conversation, wasn’t it?” he asked. “I think I can do much better.”
Before she quite realized his intention, he gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers.
As first kisses went, especially with such little fanfare, this one was impressive. Solid and sturdy, Cole enveloped her, engulfed her. Every feminine nerve ending inside her responded to that potent masculinity with a rush of sensation unlike anything she’d experienced before.
She was kissing Cole! Or he was kissing her. And if ever she had contemplated what it might be like to do so—and she’d imagined it on more than a few occasions, just for curiosity—the reality was more explosive than she could ever have predicted. How could she possibly have suspected that the quiet numbers cruncher next door kissed like a dashing pirate?
His lips were firm, warm, skilled. The hint of his late-day beard was pleasantly rough against her softer skin. He tasted of sexy, spicy, virile male; a potent combination that made her suddenly, unexpectedly hungry for more. She couldn’t quite hold back the tiny murmur of protest when he drew his mouth a couple inches from hers, breaking the contact.
Cole looked almost as dazed as she felt when their gazes locked. And then he swooped in for another taste, and she discovered to her amazement that the first kiss hadn’t been a fluke. She couldn’t have said how long it lasted, or which of them moved closer to deepen the kiss, to press their bodies together. She couldn’t help noticing that Cole was tautly aroused as he thrust his tongue between her parted lips for a more thorough exploration.
How long had this embrace been building? Hours? Days? Months? Was it possible she wasn’t the only one who’d wondered what it would be like, who’d secretly wished to find out?
She didn’t realize she was gripping his shirt in both white-knuckled fists until he finally, firmly set her back a step, carefully untangling her fingers from the now-wrinkled fabric. Wow. Did she say that aloud or was the word just echoing in her otherwise blank mind?
His face a bit flushed, Cole shifted his weight uncomfortably, then cleared his throat before saying, “Well. That was...reassuring.”
She blinked, not entirely sure how to respond to that comment. It wasn’t the adjective she’d have chosen to describe the embrace. Amazing, maybe. Spectacular. Toe-curlingly stimulating, even. But...reassuring?
After only a moment, Cole chuckled huskily, gave her shoulder a little squeeze, then opened the door. “I’ll call you later. If you need anything in the meantime, you know where to find me.”
The door closed behind him again and this time it stayed shut. Stevie stood without moving for what seemed like a very long time. In a daze, she pushed her hair from her overwarm face.
As she turned slowly back into her living room, she felt as if she should pinch herself to make sure she was really awake. Either this was one truly bizarre dream, or she’d just agreed to marry her next-door neighbor. Tomorrow!
* * *
Stevie could usually pack for a week in a carry-on bag, and rarely spent more than a few minutes deciding what to take. Yet it took her more than an hour to choose and pack the next day. And all for a two-night trip, she thought with a shake of her head as she stood in the middle of her bedroom, dithering over shoe choices.
It wasn’t as if she needed anything different from her usual informal, somewhat bohemian wardrobe, not in Branson. With its live theaters, shopping malls, themed restaurants, golf courses and arcades, the town nestled in the Ozarks on the banks of sprawling Lake Taneycomo was a cheerfully cheesy tourist magnet.
There hadn’t been a lot of extra money for vacations and travel when she’d been a child, but two or three times each year she and her mother and brother had made the just-over-three-hour road trip to Branson for a relatively inexpensive family weekend. She still had warm memories from those trips, which she’d mentioned to Cole during a couple of their rambling, lengthy chats. Did he remember? Probably. Cole didn’t forget much.
She zipped her suitcase, then frowned at it, wondering if she’d packed enough. No. She wasn’t going to second-guess this. It was only a weekend trip.
It was also her honeymoon, she thought, chewing on her lower lip as she gazed down at her ring. This wasn’t at all what she’d imagined when she’d ever fantasized about a honeymoon.
Was she dressed appropriately for an elopement? Had the weather been warmer, she’d have worn something sleeveless and lacy, perhaps. There was no snow on the ground now, but it was cold enough that she’d have shivered in lace. She’d chosen, instead, a dusky blue sweater dress with black leggings and tall boots. The dress had come from Jenny’s shop, and Jenny had told her the color made her eyes look brighter and bluer. Sometimes she wore a wide belt with it, but she left off the belt this time, accessorizing with a chunky ebony-bead necklace, instead.
Posing in front of the mirror, she looked hard at her midsection. She still doubted anyone could tell her condition just by looking at her. Had she not seen the positive pregnancy test and heard the doctor’s confirmation, she would hardly believe it herself. It still didn’t seem quite real. Nor did the fact that she was going to be a married woman in a few hours.
She opened the silver jewelry box on her dresser to take out the hoop earrings she planned to wear today. As she removed them, a narrow slip of paper caught her attention. She’d saved it from a fortune cookie; she didn’t even remember exactly when, but she’d had it for several years. Something about its message had spoken to her: You will live an unexpected life.
She laughed shortly. “You surely got that right, Confucius.”
* * *
Cole was pleased that they were in the car and on the road exactly on the schedule they’d agreed upon. Though he and Stevie hadn’t confided the reason they’d both be out of town for the next two nights, they’d arranged for Lori to check on Dusty tomorrow, so the long weekend was all cleared for their brief honeymoon. Even the weather was cooperating. It was cold, but the roads were dry and the sky a cloudless pale blue. He took that as a good sign.
He was very much aware of how close they sat in the front seats of his SUV. He could reach easily enough across the narrow console to take her hand or rest his on her knee. Because that thought was all too tempting, he tightened his fingers on the steering wheel and tried not to think about the kisses that had left him tossing and turning in his bed most of the night.
He didn’t have to worry about awkward silences during the drive. Though he’d seen the self-consciousness in her eyes when she’d answered the door, Stevie wasn’t the type to be quiet when she was flustered. Just the opposite, actually; she tended to babble. Cole wasn’t sure she took a breath during the first hour of their drive. She chattered about so many random topics he couldn’t even keep up, her hands fluttering around her like restless little birds.
Though he didn’t say much in return—couldn’t have slipped in more than a word or two if he’d wanted to—he didn’t mind her frenetic monologue. Nor did he try to calm her. She had every reason to be jittery. He was a little nervous, himself—not because he had doubts about the plans they’d made, but because he hoped he was up to the massive responsibilities he was taking on. He had to admit he’d assigned himself a daunting task. Torn between bittersweet memories of the past, concerns for the future and frustrated physical desire, he hadn’t gotten much sleep last night.
“Oh, my gosh.” Stevie covered her cheeks with her hands, laughing ruefully. “I’m talking a thousand miles a minute, aren’t I? I haven’t given you a chance to speak at all. Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I enjoy listening to you. It makes the drive go by faster.”
“Yes, well, I’ve run out of small talk.”
“Maybe we should discuss some of the decisions we have ahead of us. I made a list last night...”
She chuckled softly. “Of course you did. Should I pull out your trusty notebook?”
He didn’t mind her teasing any more than her chattering. It was all just part of what made up Stevie, and he couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to change her.
“There’s no need,” he said with his own attempt at levity. “I memorized the list.”
It pleased him that she laughed before asking, “Okay, what’s the first item on the agenda?”
He started with an easy question. “How are you feeling? Still no morning sickness?”
“Not a day. Unlike poor Jenny. She said she starting getting sick almost immediately. She didn’t tell us about the pregnancy until Wednesday because she said she was afraid she’d jinx it, but she’s been dealing with morning sickness for a couple of weeks.”
“You’re lucky, then.”
“I suppose.” As if hearing how the words might have sounded, she shook her head quickly. “It’s not that I want to be sick, of course. I just don’t really feel pregnant, you know? I’ve seen the tests and I saw an ultrasound and heard the heartbeat at this week’s doctor’s appointment, but sometimes it still just doesn’t feel real.”
“I can imagine. Well, not really, because it’s not something I’ll ever experience, obviously, but it must be an odd sensation. You said you saw an ultrasound?”
“Yes. I have the printout at home. It’s pretty cool. Still just a little peanut a couple inches long, which I guess is why I’m not really showing yet, but you can see the little arms and legs and some facial features.”
Another ripple of nerves coursed through him at the thought of actually seeing the baby he planned to raise as his own. “Can you tell yet if it’s a boy or a girl?” Not that it mattered to him.
“No, not yet. I’ll have another ultrasound after twenty weeks and we should be able to tell then.”
“Will you want to know then or would you rather be surprised at delivery?”
She laughed wryly. “I wouldn’t be patient enough to wait that long. It’ll be hard enough waiting until the ultrasound to find out.”
Exactly as he’d have expected from her. And, being the type who always liked to be prepared, he felt the same way. “Have you bought any baby supplies yet?”
“Nothing yet. Except...”
“Except?”
“I bought a night-light shaped like a turtle. It’s made to sit on a table beside the crib. The shell glows and there’s a battery backup that keeps it illuminated even if the power goes out. I was afraid of the dark when I was little, and I thought maybe the baby will be, too.”
Curious, he slanted her a sideways glance. “Are you still afraid of the dark?”
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “I still sleep with a flashlight close at hand.”
That surprised him. He hadn’t thought Stevie was afraid of anything. “Is there a particular reason you’re afraid of the dark?”
She hesitated a minute, then sighed. “I’ve always had that tendency, but it got worse when I was nine and Tom was ten and a half. I had a night-light in my room, but I still got scared when I heard funny noises. I didn’t say much about it because Tom made fun of me, and you know how siblings can be.”
“I was an only child, but I saw enough of my friends’ siblings to get the picture.”
“Anyway, Mom had taken a part-time second job working at a hotel desk in the evenings, earning extra money for Tom to get braces. Mrs. Clausen from next door came over to stay with us on those evenings. One night there was a thunderstorm and the power went out. I woke up in a totally dark room and got scared. I called and called, but no one answered and I was certain I was alone in the house—well, except for maybe the monsters under the bed or in the closet,” she added ruefully.
“Where was Mrs. Clausen?” he asked, caught up in the story.
Stevie gave a low laugh that held little humor. “Stuck in the front bathroom. She got flustered in the dark and couldn’t find the door lock. It was probably no more than minutes before she managed to get to me, but it seemed like hours. I was sobbing hysterically by the time she made her way to me.”
“And your brother?”
“Slept through the whole storm.”
“I’m sure you were frightened. That must have been traumatic for you.”
Her hands fluttered again. “I grew up. Got over it to an extent. I still keep a flashlight on the nightstand, but I’m pretty confident now that there are no monsters under the bed or in the closet.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it must be a painful memory but it means a lot that you trust me with it.”
She reached over to pat his thigh, her soft laugh more natural this time. “It was just an anecdote, Cole, not a confession to my priest.”
Reaction to that familiar touch surged through him, but he pushed it away. She had a way of gently poking at him when he got too formal and serious. He covered her hand with his and squeezed before gripping the steering wheel again, silently acknowledging he’d gotten the message. Still, he’d meant every word. If he and Stevie were going to make this work, they had to be honest and open with each other.
Stevie drew her hand away and laced her fingers in her lap. Her voice sounded a bit higher-pitched when she said, “Anyway, Mom stopped working nights after that incident. She bought Tom’s braces on a payment plan. Fortunately my teeth were straight.”
He laughed, then asked, “How do you think your mom will feel about becoming a grandmother?”
“She most definitely won’t be a traditional grandma. She’ll wonder why we’re bothering with what she calls ‘the obsolete and unnecessary institution of marriage.’ I’m sure she’ll come see the baby as soon as she can make arrangements. We gathered in Tennessee at my brother’s house for Christmas, but I didn’t know about the pregnancy then—or hadn’t accepted the possibility yet.”
“I’ll bring her here for your due date, if she’d like to be here. You should have your mother with you.”
“That’s sweet of you, but I’ll buy her ticket. I do okay financially, you know. Well enough to live comfortably, if not extravagantly. As I told you, I’m budgeting for my leave time, so...”
Her voice drifted off with another vague gesture of her hands. A very self-sufficient woman, his wife-to-be. That was only one of the many things he admired about her, though he still hoped she’d let him help her out.
He slanted a sideways glance at her. She looked very pretty today. That blue dress was especially flattering with her blond hair and big blue eyes. The soft knit fabric hugged her curves—and for such a petite woman, she had very nice curves. He cleared his throat, shifted in his seat, and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
“I want to buy the kid a stuffed tiger,” he said to distract himself. “Maybe we’ll find one this weekend.”
“A tiger?” Stevie twisted in her seat to look at him.
He nodded. “You had a night-light, I had Stripy. My uncle Bob—my dad’s younger brother—gave him to me when I was four, maybe five. My parents were fighting then, splitting up and getting back together, shuttling me between them and my paternal grandparents. I never knew where I’d be spending the next night or whether my parents would be too quiet or yelling at each other. I started having nightmares, waking up screaming nearly every night. Uncle Bob bought me the tiger to chase away the monsters at night. He was a big Calvin and Hobbes fan. He’d read the comic strips to me from the newspaper.”
“The tiger stopped your nightmares?”
He shrugged. “Didn’t stop them. But when I woke up, Stripy was always there, and it made me feel better. The nightmares stopped after my parents split up for good and we all settled into new, more peaceful routines. I spent most of my childhood on my grandparents’ cattle farm in El Paso, Arkansas, while Mom went back to college. Dad poured his energy into building his car repair business. With the exception of a couple of rocky years, I had a pretty good childhood. But I still have fond memories of Stripy. I think our kid should have one, though I can promise you we’ll never put him—or her—through what my folks did to me. They got married too young, had a baby before they knew what they wanted for themselves. You and I are old enough and realistic enough to avoid all that foolishness.”
“Absolutely,” she said with almost grim determination. “We’ll give him—or her—a stable, safe and secure childhood so he—or she—never has to depend on a night-light or a stuffed toy to chase away the monsters under the bed.”
He frowned for a moment at the road ahead, processing her words as he drove in silence. He knew, of course, that she’d accepted his unexpected proposal for the benefit of her baby, just as the child’s best interests had been a strong consideration for him when he’d offered. But he hoped she didn’t see their marriage as a sacrifice on her part. “I want you to be happy, too, Stevie. We’ll have a good life together. I’ll always be there for you when you need support or encouragement.”
She patted his thigh again, a vaguely unsatisfying gesture this time as it seemed entirely too indulgent. “And when you come back from those dull business trips, Dusty and Li’l Peanut and I will be there to welcome you with hugs and a home-cooked meal.”
“Sounds great,” he said, and meant it. It sounded ideal. He should stop trying to second-guess her thoughts and feelings—he wasn’t good at it, anyway—and just accept his good fortune.
He pushed thoughts of the past away and focused instead on the future. After all, this was the beginning of their life together. He would be spending the weekend with this fascinating, desirable woman...and he planned to make this honeymoon a memory Stevie would always cherish.