by Skye Taylor
Silence fell over the group, but only for a moment before the little girls returned to the subject of Disney World.
“YOU SHOULD HAVE called,” Zoe told Porter as they crossed the lawn toward her house.
“I did. You didn’t answer.”
“Must have been pretty last minute because I was home all day until a couple hours ago.”
“I decided talking on the phone wasn’t getting us anywhere. I figured if I came to plead my case in person, you’d see reason. I called on my way up here.”
“See reason? You make it sound like I’m being unreasonable.”
“Well, you are.”
“What’s unreasonable about wanting time to make such an important decision?” They reached the stairs, and Zoe paused to glare at Porter before starting up. “Marriage is a big step.”
“And parenthood is a big responsibility,” Porter shot back. He tried to put a hand under Zoe’s elbow, but she jerked away.
Porter had caught her off-guard on his first visit. She’d been unbelievably complacent letting him kiss her. Twice! Now the thought of him even touching her was repellent. There was no way she could marry this man and submit to a lifetime of his arrogantly possessive touching and kissing.
“Yeah, well, I’m willing to take that responsibility, and I’ve decided I don’t need your help.” Zoe hurried up the stairs as fast as her bulk would allow. She was going to make this break as swift and painless as possible. She wanted Porter Dubois out of her life. And she wanted him out now.
She’d argued the case from both sides. Three sides if you counted Molly’s. And the cons outweighed the pros about a dozen to one. The only thing Porter could offer her was financial security, but she was doing okay, and money never meant that much to her anyway. Her father might be upset with her now, but he would come around once his granddaughter became part of his life.
Stacked against that was a lifetime of regrets. A home that held no loving warmth. A social life that meant nothing to her and would only take time away from being the kind of mother she wanted to be. And a coffin nail in any hope of finding the kind of love she craved.
Besides, Molly wouldn’t benefit from a father so focused on his work that he was never around. Zoe knew that much from her own growing up years. And it wasn’t like she planned to cut Molly off from any kind of relationship with her father.
“It’s still my kid. I can insist on my rights.”
“I won’t . . . stop you.” Zoe had to pause at the top of the stairs to catch her breath. “Molly has a right . . . to know her father, and . . . I wouldn’t take that away from her.”
“You’ve already named our child? And you didn’t consult me?”
“You weren’t around when I was thinking of names for my baby.” Zoe yanked the screen door open and charged into the hall. Porter strode in behind her with maddening persistence.
Jet hurried over to welcome Zoe home, while Scotch barked at the intruder with all the hair on his back straight up in alarm. Hoover looked from Zoe to Porter as if trying to decide if this man was a threat or not.
“Good God, Zoe! Three dogs? Wouldn’t one have been more than enough?”
Zoe recalled Porter’s opinion of dogs, once expressed after a visit to Bree’s house. Bree’s big, shaggy, English sheepdog had slobbered happily all over Zoe’s skirt and left dog hair thoroughly embedded in Porter’s charcoal trousers. Porter had made it clear that in his opinion dogs didn’t belong in the house. Another reason she couldn’t marry this man.
“Hush, Scotch!”
The terrier stopped barking immediately but continued to murmur threats low in his throat as Porter followed Zoe into the kitchen.
Zoe crossed to the sink and reached for the ring box. She didn’t feel even a sliver of regret as she flipped the lid shut over the pretty ring. Then she turned to face Porter.
“I can’t marry you.” She thrust the box in his direction, but he didn’t take it.
“Now you are being unreasonable.”
“Look, Porter. I don’t know why you suddenly changed your mind, and frankly, at this point, I don’t care. If you’d asked me back when I first discovered I was pregnant, I would have said yes. But you didn’t, and I’ve grown up since then.”
Porter raised his eyebrows with condescending arrogance. “Grown up?”
“And wiser. You don’t love me, and you never did. I was just a convenience. And I’ll be honest. I didn’t love you either. I wanted to, but . . .” Zoe shrugged. She stepped close enough to tuck the box into Porter’s shirt pocket. He grabbed her wrist.
“Think about our—think about Molly. We don’t have to be in love to give her a two-parent home. Think about all I can give her.”
“Take your hand off me.” Now all three dogs growled.
Porter dropped Zoe’s wrist and darted a nervous glance toward the dogs. “They don’t bite, I hope?”
Zoe moved to the far side of the kitchen island and hiked her butt onto a stool. She wasn’t afraid of Porter and didn’t believe for a minute that he would hurt her physically. But she liked having the barrier between them, and they did need to talk. “They won’t hurt you so long as you don’t threaten me.”
Porter scoffed. “So now I’m a threat? I come here with good intentions, offering you my name and all my worldly possessions, and I’m a threat?”
This time it was Zoe’s turn to scoff. “I have no doubt there would have been a lengthy and detailed prenup for me to sign had I accepted your offer. But I’ve told you no. So from here on out, the discussion is about your paternal rights. I’d rather you weren’t with me when Molly is born, but you can visit as often as you like. I won’t stop you.”
“Perhaps you should return to Wilmington and live with your father.”
“Why? So Dad can badger me into changing my mind about marrying you?”
“So you won’t be alone.”
“I’m not alone here. I’ve got my dog squad for protection. And my cats to keep me company in bed. And I’ll have Molly.”
“And the redneck next door.”
“He’s not a redneck,” Zoe shot back in Jake’s defense.
Porter’s face took on an arrogant sneer. “He’s not the kind of man you’re used to.”
“If you mean, he’s the kind of man who cares about other people before he worries about himself, then yes, he’s definitely not the kind of man I’m used to, but—”
“And you’re in love with him.”
Zoe considered denying it, but then decided there was no point in lying. “Yes, I’m in love with him. But that’s the end of it. He’s been married and got burnt. He doesn’t want another wife. But, he’s a wonderful neighbor, and he’s been there to help me out these last few months far more than you or my father ever were. He’s become a very good friend.”
Porter looked as if he wanted to say more, but decided to let it go while he hunted for a better argument. “When is your due date?”
“The end of the month.”
Porter stood up. He pulled the box from his pocket and placed it on the counter. “Having a husband does have its advantages. You might want to change your mind. Call me when you go into labor so I won’t be the last to know I’m a father.”
He turned and stalked out. Scotch followed him with all the officiousness of a starched-up butler. Zoe heard the front door shut, then Scotch returned and sat at her feet waiting for praise.
Zoe bent to pat the dog, and pain stabbed sharply in her groin. She gasped and straightened again. The contraction weakened after a brief moment and disappeared.
“It’s too soon,” Zoe murmured. She got up and went to the sink. She reached for a glass, filled it with water, and drank. Then waited. Nothing. Not sure what to do next, she headed to the living room, then changed her mind and went out
onto the porch. Carefully, she lowered herself into a rocker and relaxed.
She spent the next few minutes wondering if there would be another contraction or if that was a random Braxton Hicks. She’d begun to have some of the early contractions about a week ago, but they had felt different. And they’d gone away when she walked around. If another one started, she’d get up and walk around the porch or go sweep the kitchen floor.
Jake’s family gathering seemed to be breaking up. Aunt Catherine’s Buick pulled out first, followed by the sporty little car that turned out to belong to Philip. Jake’s parents appeared next and climbed into one of the pickup trucks. As it backed into the road, Jake’s mother turned and waved to Zoe.
Another five minutes passed before Ben and his two boys came around the corner of the house followed closely by Will. The boys clambered into the back of the stretch-cab pickup truck, and Will got into the passenger seat. In another moment, they were gone as well.
The last to leave were Kate and her family. Zoe watched the two little girls scramble into their seats while Kate and Ethan climbed in front. Jake stood beside the minivan with one hand on each of his twins’ shoulders. Then he bent, probably to say goodbye to Ethan through the open window. As the van pulled away the twins waved and kept waving until the van had turned the corner and disappeared.
Jake glanced across the span of lawn and noticed Zoe sitting on her porch. He waved, pointed to the twins, then in the general direction of his upstairs, and finally, at her. He must be trying to tell her he’d come over after he put the twins to bed. Whatever he wanted to talk about must be urgent. He turned the twins toward the house and gave their butts a soft pat, then followed them up the walk.
Molly was going to miss out on so much. Zoe would have felt bad about turning Porter down, except she couldn’t feature Porter ever being that casually loving with his children. She couldn’t imagine him giving them baths or putting them to bed, either. Reading to them, maybe, but overseeing the brushing of teeth and tucking them in didn’t seem like Porter’s thing.
Her own father had never even been home at bedtime. He came home for supper but would be off again before the dishes had been cleared. Even when Zoe’s mother was still alive, he’d seemed to always have one meeting or another every night.
Zoe grunted and doubled over as another contraction hit her. She struggled out of the chair and walked to the end of the porch and back. It seemed better, so she continued walking until it went away again. Might as well sweep the floor, she thought, and headed inside.
When she got to the kitchen the dogs were standing at the back door, so she let them out, then grabbed the broom and began sweeping. By the time the floor was clean, she’d had two more contractions, but they were weaker. More false labor.
She’d picked up the dog bowls before she started on the floor, so she fixed their suppers before putting the bowls back down. Then she went to the door and called them in. Scotch and Hoover headed directly to their bowls. Jet stopped for a pat, then joined the rest of the crew. Zoe grinned. Her Dog Squad! Porter had been appalled!
Admittedly, she’d been a little appalled herself after returning from the rescue shelter. She’d gone with the idea of getting a dog to keep her company and at the same time, ward off unwelcome guests once she’d moved out of her father’s house and into her own. The shelter had just hosted an open house fundraiser, and nearly all the dogs currently at the shelter had been adopted. All except her three. They’d been sharing a cage and hung together as if finding comfort in numbers. With three pairs of pleading brown eyes gazing hopefully up at her, she simply couldn’t take just one and leave the other two behind.
Her compassion had paid off. The trio had run off her unwelcome guest, and Scotch, at least, had vocalized all the displeasure Zoe didn’t feel free to express. Zoe grinned and gave them all another round of hugs.
As she sank onto a stool, she noticed the ring box still sitting on the counter where Porter had left it. She wasn’t going to change her mind. She should have made him take it with him. She got up to put it back on the windowsill, and another sharp stab of pain shot across her back and into her gut.
The phone rang. After a moment of holding her breath, willing the contraction to go away, Zoe reached for the phone. “Hello?”
“It’s Jake.”
Like he had to tell her who was on the other end of the line. She’d know his voice anywhere.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to get over there tonight after all. I just got a page, and I’m headed to the fire station.”
“Stay . . . safe.” She tried to keep the catch from her voice, but the ache in her gut hadn’t let up yet.
“Are you okay?” He sounded rushed.
“I’m fine.” At least she hoped she was fine. She would have been happier knowing he was right next door if this turned out to be the real deal, but with Bree only a couple miles away, she wouldn’t be alone. Not if she didn’t want to be.
“You’re sure?” Worry laced his words in spite of his need to be gone.
“I’m sure. Take care of yourself, Jake.”
“I always do. Look, I’ll catch up with you later if this turns out to be a nothing.” Then the line went dead.
Zoe reached to put the phone back on the hook and stood clutching the sink for support. Please God, this has got to be just a false alarm. I still have a month to go.
Chapter 31
ZOE AWOKE IN the morning surprised to find herself still at home and still pregnant. In spite of erratic timing, the contractions had seemed pretty persistent when she’d finally gone to bed. She’d been seriously worried and had fully expected to be lying awake with an eye on the clock until it was time to call someone for a ride to the hospital.
But it hadn’t been the real deal after all. And now it was time to get up and get dressed for work. She wallowed her way to the edge of the bed and slid her feet to the floor. Man, but she felt huge. She was so ready to be done with this pregnancy. Waddling to the bathroom a dozen times a night, feeling like a beached whale any time she wanted to get up out of a chair or off her bed. Even her maternity clothes had grown snug. How was she going to endure another month?
Showered and dressed, Zoe’s attitude improved. She headed down to the kitchen to fix herself some breakfast. Halfway there, the phone began to ring. Hurrying just wasn’t an option any longer, so she hoped whoever was calling would let it ring awhile. But the ringing stopped before she got to the phone.
“Rats.”
Zoe let the dogs out into the back yard and turned the kettle on for her insipid morning brew of herbal tea. Real coffee was another thing she was looking forward to as soon as Molly was born.
The phone began to ring a second time. This time she had only two steps to reach it. “Hello?”
“Good morning, Zoe. I tried you a moment ago but didn’t get an answer. Did I wake you up?”
“No, Daddy. I was halfway down the stairs. I’m not moving all that fast these days.” What on earth could her father be calling about first thing in the morning?
“I wanted to catch you before you headed out for work. Got a few minutes?”
“Sure. What’s up?” The kettle screeched, and Zoe reached to pour the steaming water into her mug.
“I just talked with Porter.”
Zoe’s heart lurched unpleasantly. Now she knew the reason behind the early morning call. Porter must have arrived at the office and gone straight to her father to whine about his spurned offer. “Lucky you.” She couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
“I’m not the lucky one, but you don’t seem to have a grasp on what’s in your own best interests. Porter told me he asked you to marry him, but you turned him down. Care to tell me why?”
“Six months ago Porter demanded I get an abortion. He was very straightforward in his rationale for not want
ing to become a parent or to get married. Now he comes here with a flashy ring and tells me he’s changed his mind, but he didn’t give me a single believable reason for such a dramatic reversal.”
“What do you call a believable reason? Isn’t the fact that he’s the father of your baby motivation enough?” her father sputtered.
Zoe could imagine his face getting red and knew he was winding up to deliver a lecture. She took a sip of herbal tea and settled in to endure it until he’d said his piece.
“I brought you up in a decent God-fearing home. Bringing a bastard into the family isn’t exactly how I expected you to conduct your life.”
“You didn’t seem to mind me sleeping with him.” Zoe couldn’t help arguing back. Her father had done everything but turn down the sheets to encourage her affair with Porter.
“I thought you would eventually get married. The current social custom of sleeping together before marriage is deplorable enough, but you were careless and got yourself pregnant which is another thing entirely. Porter just happens to be willing to set things straight.”
Willing? Now she knew her father had been behind Porter’s about-face. “What did you do? Bribe him with a partnership?”
“I might have mentioned that as my son-in-law, he would certainly be offered a partnership. Same as any of my own sons. But I did not bribe him.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, Daddy, but that’s not a good enough reason to get married. You might not call it bribery, but I doubt Porter would have had anything more to do with me if you hadn’t dangled that carrot in front of him.”
“Porter will be a good provider. He’ll see that you want for nothing, and he’ll give the kid his name. Isn’t that worth considering?”
“I have considered it. Very carefully. And it’s not enough. The kid needs more than just her father’s name and the benefits of his wallet. She needs love and acceptance. She needs to grow up with parents who love and respect each other. But Porter doesn’t love or respect me, and I don’t love him.”
