Son of Scandal

by Dani Wade

  Unless it was sleeping for twelve hours straight in Paxton’s arms.

  She checked her phone on the way out—no calls.

  Paxton had driven his parents to the hospital, behind the ambulance, with the assurance that he’d call later on, when he knew something more definite. But the hours had passed with nothing but silence. Now Ivy just wanted to curl up in a space of her own and recover from all the ups and downs of today. But she wasn’t sure where that space actually was anymore—Paxton’s? Auntie’s?

  She felt like she didn’t belong anywhere. And even though Paxton had acted like he loved her, acted like he wanted her, still the words were missing. She needed the assurance of the feelings rather than just her assumption that they were there.

  She should be thrilled that her family had been cleared of the accusations from generations ago. That Paxton had come back to her, but the future was no more certain than it had been five hours ago.

  Except now her feet hurt.

  Pausing beneath the tall lamppost illuminating the front steps of Keller House, Ivy reached up and loosened the pins that secured her updo from her hair so it could fall in waves around her shoulders. Her headache eased slightly. She sighed, wanting to melt into a puddle.

  But not yet. Maybe after she got home and had a bath.

  But that only made her remember the time that Paxton had washed her hair, and the tears welled once more.

  She lingered at the top of the stone steps, in almost the exact same place she had waited for Paxton all those months ago. A long look at the dark navy sky, with its bright stars so clear this far from the city, steadied her.

  At least the stars made her smile.

  A real smile, not the professional one she’d pasted on her lips for the last few hours.

  “Everything will be okay,” she said aloud, echoing Paxton’s words as she rubbed her baby bump through the soft chiffon of her formal down.

  “Ivy.”

  She glanced down as Paxton’s voice reached out to her from the dark, but her movement was too quick. The shadowy landscape around her swirled. She listed to the side, but Paxton caught her before she lost her balance.

  “Careful there,” he said, pulling her firmly against him. “I can only handle one ambulance ride tonight.”

  Ivy laughed, just as he’d intended, but let her fingers grasp the lapels of his jacket tighter than normal to steady herself.

  “Guess it’s been a little longer since I ate than I thought.”

  “Junior and I can’t have that.”

  What? “Who says it’s a boy?”

  “Grandmother insists. She couldn’t stop telling everyone at the hospital about it.”

  Out of respect, Ivy only gave a quiet harrumph instead of an insistent one.

  “But right now, I’m less worried about him and more worried about you.”

  “I’ll be fine—”

  “No.” He quietly shut her down. “I know you aren’t, Ivy. And that’s my fault.”

  She held her breath a moment longer than normal as he tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

  “But I’m ready to remedy that.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, but wasn’t sure she was ready for the answer.

  “We’ve gone about this all wrong, you and I.”

  Oh yeah. “I’ll agree with that.”

  He buried his other hand in her hair, cupping her head so that she couldn’t look away. As if her aching heart would let her do that.

  “Well, from here on out, I want to do it right. You deserve that, Ivy.”

  She shook her head. “I want it to be right for both of us. That’s all I care about, Paxton.”

  He confirmed her words with a kiss, slow and slick, until she couldn’t think of anything but the taste and feel of him. Only when she lost all touch with reality did he pull back.

  Then to her surprise, he knelt before her on one knee.

  “Paxton!”

  “Ivy!” He grinned—oh, that smile got her every time—then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small jeweler’s box. Her body went really still.

  He popped it open so the light on top of the lamppost nearby glinted off a central princess-cut diamond. But Ivy barely glanced at it before looking back up into his strong, handsome face.

  “Will you marry me, Ivy?” he asked. No bravado, no overconfidence, just a quiet question. “I need you.”

  As much as she hated to say it, she forced the words out. “I’m sorry, Paxton.”

  He cocked his head to the side, an unspoken question.

  “I can’t. Even though you’re saying all the right things, it’s not the things that I need to know.”

  Somehow she knew, if he never said the words, she’d spend her whole life wondering if he was willing to risk his heart for her. And he needed to know it, too. Know that he could put the past behind him and move forward with her.

  Pulling her hand to his mouth, he pressed a kiss to her skin, then looked up and said, “I love you, Ivy. I love everything about you—you’re strong, you’re sexy and you stand your ground with my family, without losing your signature grace and poise. I know it. They do, too.”

  Then he stood. “I hope it’s never an issue again, but if it is, know that I’m by your side, no matter what.”

  There was no mistaking his sincerity as they stood in the moonlight, having come full circle from where this adventure had all started.

  There under the stars, he pulled the ring from the jeweler’s box, then slipped the box back into his pocket before lifting her hand. The gold band felt cool against her skin as he slipped the ring on to her finger.

  “You’re stuck with me, Ivy, no matter what the world decides to throw at us.”

  She smiled at him, knowing that he deserved just as much from her. Not just her love, but... “And I promise, no more secrets.”

  He kissed the ring where it encircled her finger. “Except for one,” he said.

  She glanced up at him.

  “The gender reveal. I think we need to keep that secret to ourselves.”

  Oh, he was naughty. “Your grandmother is going to have a fit.”

  “Well, we’ve got to have fun where we can.”

  Epilogue

  The Harden sisters stepped into the hallway at Keller House—Ivy and Jasmine on the outside, with Willow in the middle. All of them were dressed in their own versions of wedding white. Just down the hall, Auntie stood with Rosie and two of Paxton’s nieces, each with a basket of flower petals.

  Ivy nodded, and the wedding director got everyone underway.

  “Whose idea was it to walk half the house to get to the wedding ceremony?” Willow asked with a lighthearted grumble. “I have to pee again.”

  “You just went,” Jasmine exclaimed.

  “Doesn’t matter when you have two munchkins bouncing on your bladder.”

  Ivy sympathized. At thirty-eight weeks herself, she felt like there was definitely no more room at the inn. They’d wanted the wedding before all the babies were born, and this was the only time they’d been able to coordinate for everyone, but they were definitely pushing it a little.

  They were lucky Willow had been blessed with an extremely easy pregnancy, despite the twins, and had only had to deal with a few limitations. Bed rest not being one of them.

  “Just do your best,” Ivy said. “It will be over and party time soon.”

  “And all you’ll remember of your wedding is the urgent need for the bathroom,” Jasmine teased.

  Which was funny because it was true. So, that’s how the Harden sisters arrived at the ballroom door for their wedding, giggling.

  They walked into the crowded room as if they were royalty. A very limited amount of exclusive invitations had been given to attend the wedding of the year. Three of Sa
vannah’s most notorious bachelors were being wed after making a splash on the social scene with their brides-to-be.

  The large room was understated elegance incarnate. The gilded panels and floor-to-ceiling mirrors along one wall were incredibly elegant. Jasmine had chosen antique-white chairs, with gold leafing to compliment the surroundings.

  Enormous flower arrangements and tulle bows splashed a mixture of the women’s colors in pastel versions of green, blue and rose on the gilded backdrop. The aisle to the altar had been set wide enough to accommodate the three of them as they made their way to the men waiting for them in dark gray suits.

  They paused at the end of the aisle, allowing the photographer to take a couple of shots.

  Willow sighed, then looked at each of her sisters in turn. “I’d say that ring did an incredible job, right, ladies?”

  They shared a smile. Willow had been right all along. The ring had been magical...and it had unleashed a magic in their lives unlike anything they could have imagined. Even in all the fantasies that had gotten Ivy through her lonely teenage years.

  “Mother knew just what she was doing when she passed that on to us,” Ivy agreed.

  Her heart swelled over Paxton’s loving gaze as he watched her approach. To marry him with her family celebrating with them and his child nestled deep beneath her ribs was the most enchanted moment she could ever have imagined.

  And she didn’t miss her glimpse of his family in the front two rows, either. His grandmother had not been happy for her only grandson to share his spotlight on this special day, but she was definitely learning his boundaries...protective barriers he fiercely upheld against everyone, including his family.

  Paxton wouldn’t be held back, but lowered his head to brush his lips over Ivy’s as soon as she arrived, drawing a ripple of comments from the crowd. He grinned, causing her heart to speed up and her body to ask for more.

  “We’re pretty good at making a splash, huh?” he asked.

  “Oh yeah,” she said, then glanced at her sisters, only to see the other couples watching them.

  “We’re ready when you are,” Willow said. The crowd laughed.

  “You look beautiful, princess,” Paxton murmured.

  With Paxton, she definitely felt like a princess. Every day he pampered her and cared for her, showing her exactly how much he wanted her and their baby. She was due in just a few short weeks, and they were so excited about the birth of their son.

  Not that they had mentioned the gender to anyone...including his grandmother. A fact that always made Paxton laugh.

  As the officiant spoke a blessing over the couples, Ivy marveled at how far they’d come as a family. She looked past Paxton to her sisters and their soon-to-be husbands.

  Each one unique. Bringing their own history, pain and strengths to their relationships. This year had changed the course of their family. Today they celebrated marriage, but it was also a celebration of family. Triumph. New life.

  Then the pastor gave each husband-to-be the chance to speak as they placed the rings on their new wives’ fingers.

  Royce went first. “Jasmine, until I met you, my life was made up of numbers and spreadsheets. Now it’s filled with color and laughter and joy. I promise to put you and our family above all else.”

  Then Tate. “Willow, you’ve shown me that life is truly worth living. Not in fear, but in full. I promise never to retreat from the world, or you, again. And to look up from my typewriter every once in a while...”

  And Paxton. “Ivy, you are the strongest, most gracious woman I’ve ever known. You’ve taught me about trust and love and true connection. As the saying goes, I promise to never leave you nor forsake you. I love you.”

  As he slid the ring on to her finger to nestle against her engagement ring, Ivy felt a rush of tears that she rapidly blinked away. She met Paxton’s gaze and mouthed, “I love you, too.”

  “I now pronounce you husbands and wives,” the pastor said, his emphasis drawing a laugh from their guests. But Ivy paid no mind as she leaned in for Paxton’s firm kiss, eager to seal all the promises they’d made to each other.

  The standing ovation from the wedding guests finally pulled them apart. As Ivy stared into the amber eyes that mirrored her own happiness, she heard Willow say, “Well, I almost made it through the whole thing.”

  Suddenly all eyes were on her very pregnant sister. Jasmine and Ivy both rushed to Willow’s side.

  “Are you okay?” Ivy asked.

  Ever the pragmatist, Willow grimaced. “I really did try to wait, but I think my water just broke.”

  Her sisters laughed. Jasmine joked, “I don’t think that’s something you can control.”

  “I haven’t been able to control anything about this pregnancy.”

  Paxton looked from Willow to Ivy and back. “Honestly, the odds were against a labor-free wedding.”

  Ivy reached out to Tate, who had gone pale and shaky. “Are you okay?”

  “Is this bad?” he asked. “Isn’t it awfully early?”

  Willow shook her head. “You know the doctor said this might happen. Everything will be fine. But we might want to go on to the hospital, instead of partying. You know, do the responsible-parenting thing.”

  “Yes, definitely,” Tate said.

  Royce turned to the crowd. “Ladies and gentlemen, please head into the reception room down the hall. Some of us will join you for the cutting of the cake, but I’m sure you can understand our sense of urgency.”

  The crowd obediently headed to the back of the room and out the ballroom doors to the dining hall, where the reception had been set up, but the swell of speculation echoed off the mirrored walls. Auntie followed the final trickle of people, holding Rosie by the hand.

  “Willow did this just for me,” Tate said. “Didn’t you, wife?”

  “I don’t understand,” Paxton said.

  Willow gave a half grin that turned into a grimace as she bent forward to breathe.

  “Contractions already?” Ivy asked, feeling her own face contort into a sympathy-induced frown.

  Willow nodded. After a moment she straightened and said, “Tate didn’t want to be stuck having to talk to hundreds of people at the reception...”

  “Convenient,” Paxton said.

  Jasmine’s event-planner persona kicked in. “Okay, hospital time. We will meet you after we’ve posed for some pictures with the cakes.”

  Thank goodness they’d taken all the other wedding photos earlier.

  Paxton and Ivy followed the other couples out through the kitchen, where a driver was waiting to take them to the hospital. They watched as the car, with its cute Just Married banner on the back window, gained speed as it headed down the drive.

  “Pretty soon it will be our turn,” Paxton said.

  “I know your grandmother can’t wait.”

  “I can’t wait.” Paxton placed a quick kiss on Ivy’s neck, sending shivers down her spine. “I’m ready for the adventure to begin.”

  Ivy smiled into Paxton’s gorgeous amber eyes, wondering if their baby would be lucky enough to inherit them. “I think it already has.”

  * * *

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  Hot Texas Nights

  by Janice Maynard

  One

  Ethan Barringer was on top of the world. After months of late nights, endless negotiations and an almost unbearable workload, his drive and focus had finally paid off big-time. Perry Construction had won the bid to renovate the building that would become a brand-new Cattleman’s Club in Houston, Texas. Although seventy-year-old Sterling Perry owned the company—and would likely claim all the credit for the coup—Ethan, Sterling’s CEO, basked in the satisfaction of knowing he himself had made it happen.

  He rolled a chilled bottle of beer between his fingertips, his right knee bouncing restlessly beneath the table. Adrenaline pumped through his veins. The irony didn’t escape him. If there was ever a time for celebration, this was it. But he had neglected his social life so completely during the last few months that there was no one on hand to raise a glass with him tonight.