Healed by Their Unexpected Family

by Karin Baine

  ‘Well now, wouldn’t it make more sense to cut out all the intrusive medical procedures and do things the old-fashioned way?’

  Now her head was filled with explicit images of Jamie naked except for the tangled sheets they were entwined in. That longing that she’d convinced herself had been a one-off the last time they’d met began again inside her.

  With those brown eyes sparkling with mischief and promise, she was tempted to take him up on the offer. Neither of them wanted some grand love affair but it was obvious they had a connection that would make sparks fly.

  ‘I suspect sense wouldn’t be playing a big part in that scenario. More like lust.’ One of them had to be honest about this attraction they were dancing around. Pretending that this talk of a secret liaison was for their brothers’ benefit wasn’t fooling anyone.

  She swallowed hard and tried to pull herself together. When this pre-conception meeting had been first suggested, she’d sworn not to let him literally charm the pants totally off her this time. Now she was swearing at herself for getting caught under his spell again.

  ‘Would that really be so bad?’ His dark gaze rendered her immobile now that he’d made her so hot she’d melted into her chair.

  ‘There’s no guarantee we’d conceive that way.’ She was scrabbling for excuses now when her head was full of the possibilities available to her with him. The alternative conception method Jamie was suggesting sounded so much more enjoyable than the one planned that she was afraid she was going to take him up on it.

  ‘It doesn’t have to be a one-time offer. I’m prepared to put the hard work in to make this happen.’ His voice dropped so low she could feel it deep in the pit of her stomach, and lower...

  ‘I, uh...’ She had no words. Her brain was mush, her mouth dry. It had been a while since she’d shared a bed with anyone. Longer still since she’d had this level of passion stirred up inside her.

  Despite all the promises she’d made to herself about staying away from men, and this one in particular, all she could think about was grabbing him by the hand and finding the nearest hotel room. At this stage she wasn’t even thinking of a baby, only her own pleasure. That wasn’t part of the deal.

  * * *

  Jamie couldn’t believe she was considering his outrageous proposal, or that he’d made it. There was something about Kayla that intrigued him and made him want to push her buttons. When he’d first spotted her at the wedding, he’d known this was the sister Liam had spoken about fondly. The pretty blonde in the off-the-shoulder, gypsy-style floral dress had to be the woman he’d heard loved animals too much to eat them and enjoyed nothing more than meditating and clearing something called chakras. From a distance, she’d seemed so calm and serene and totally in character with the Kayla who’d been described to him. Until she’d spoken to him. Then the carefree, laid-back, spiritual doula he’d heard about had changed into a tightly wound spitfire.

  Only around him though, he’d noted. From a distance he’d watched her charm everyone else with her easygoing nature and was amused by her reaction when he was around. Her pale skin flushed a dramatic scarlet when he spoke to her and she couldn’t get away from him quickly enough. He might have taken offence if it weren’t for the surreptitious glances he noticed she kept shooting his way. Her interest in him seemed to mark a change in his behaviour too. Ordinarily he wasn’t quite so...abrasive.

  Now she appeared more open to the idea of a fling his juices were flowing. When the air between them was still so charged with sexual awareness in the middle of a coffee shop, he knew they could set the sheets on fire together.

  ‘You know, my place isn’t far from here and my car’s just outside...’ he tossed out as he finished his coffee. It was madness, yet that flash of lust he’d seen when he’d mentioned the idea was unmistakable and irresistible. As was the subconscious licking of her lips and toying with her unruly blond hair. All signs she was interested in him. Along with the fact she was yet to tell him where to get off thinking she was the type of woman who’d agree to some afternoon hanky-panky with someone she hardly knew.

  ‘Jamie, I...uh—’

  He was expecting her to turn him down, but she set down her cup with trembling hands and was beginning to lift her handbag from the floor as if she was getting ready to go with him. Jamie unhooked his jacket from the back of the chair and dug for his car keys in the pocket. This was the most spontaneous, reckless thing he’d ever done. That included volunteering to be a sperm donor for his infertile brother.

  ‘I’m so glad we caught you two!’

  At the sound of Liam’s loud Northern Irish voice, they jumped apart. As though they’d literally been caught in the act. Chance would have been a fine thing.

  ‘Actually, we were just leaving.’ He held out a hand to help Kayla up but as she glanced between the two men Jamie knew the moment had passed. For now.

  ‘You can’t go yet. I’ve only got here and Tom’s on his way. We want to catch up on all the gossip and tell you what’s happening at the clinic.’ Liam pulled out a chair and invited himself to join them. The couple had been heavily involved in a project out in Vietnam setting up facilities for medical care in impoverished areas of Central Vietnam and it would be rude of them not to stay and listen to their latest news.

  Kayla couldn’t even meet his eye now, so Jamie had no choice but to sit back down and quell the excitement that had been escalating until his brother-in-law crashed their party.

  Tom arrived shortly after. ‘Sorry I’m late. The trains are a nightmare as usual. Got held up leaving Victoria Station because of a signal failure or something. What have I missed?’

  He gave Jamie a half-hug and kissed Kayla on the cheek before pulling over another chair from a nearby table and squeezing in beside his husband.

  ‘Nothing. Unfortunately,’ he mumbled. It was difficult not to sound ticked off when these two had killed the mood and left Kayla glaring at him for saying so.

  ‘Good. Kayla thought we should meet up to discuss any qualms anyone had about the process. Is there anything we should know about?’ Tom’s question was met only with silence.

  They hadn’t got around to listing the pros and cons about the baby idea when they’d been busy flirting up a storm. Kayla didn’t strike him as the type who’d stay silent if she had a problem and, since he’d been on board from day one, Jamie didn’t see the point in making them sweat.

  ‘Nope. We’re ready and willing to get our baby-making on. Where do we sign?’ His answer clearly delighted the two men, who grasped each other’s hands.

  ‘Kayla? You’re the one who’ll be doing all the hard work. Now you’ve had a chance to talk it over with Jamie, are you happy for us to push ahead?’ Even Liam sounded nervous about his sister continuing with her commitment and he didn’t know Jamie had just propositioned her.

  Any hint of sexual attraction towards him seemed to have evaporated since she was still frowning at him for his earlier indiscreet remark. ‘Jamie has made it clear he’s not the sort of person interested in committing to this beyond his ability to fill a plastic cup. I think you should get that down in writing in case he changes his mind again.’

  Wow. He hoped it was sexual frustration causing her to lash out too. If she really believed he was the unreliable, flaky type who’d mess his brother around, she knew nothing about him at all. He’d spent his whole adult life raising and providing for his kid brother. That was why he’d no intention of marrying or having kids of his own any time soon. Now Tom was married and starting a family, Jamie was free of responsibility. He no longer had a dependant to think of with every decision he made, and he didn’t think it was selfish of him to want a little quality time for himself.

  He couldn’t be sure if she’d formed her disapproval of him at the wedding or this afternoon when he’d made a pass at her and hadn’t followed through, but it was no longer important. Once he’d done his part be
hind closed doors he’d walk away with a clear conscience and wouldn’t have to set eyes on her again.

  If she was as sensitive as she appeared, he’d be better off letting her despise him. There was no point in getting involved with someone who’d read more into a fling than he was willing to give. Jamie had been there, done that, and wasn’t in a hurry to repeat the experience. The same could be said about his attitude to fatherhood.

  CHAPTER TWO

  IT HAD BEEN three months since that dreaded phone call from Jamie, but she could still hear it.

  ‘I’m sorry, Kayla, there’s been an accident. Tom, Liam...they didn’t make it.’

  Her world had fallen apart with those words at a time when she should have been enjoying her pregnancy. She’d conceived on the first attempt, thanks to the assistance at the fertility clinic and not an afternoon of passion with Jamie. With their brothers’ well-timed intervention that day, she’d taken back control of her senses and avoided any further one-to-one dealings with Jamie.

  The guys had gone over to Vietnam to tie up loose ends on the project they’d been working on out there. As Tom was an architect, and Liam a builder, they’d used their skills to build a medical centre for an impoverished area they’d visited on their holidays a few years ago. This was supposed to have been their babymoon, their last trip before they settled down into family life. Heavy rainfall had caused flooding, resulting in a landslide in the area where they’d been staying. Liam and Tom had been swept away to their deaths.

  It was only a matter of weeks before this baby was due and she had no idea how she was going to do everything on her own.

  ‘Kayla. Let me in.’

  Oh, yes, and Jamie had suddenly turned into a stalker, showing up all the time and trying to convince her he was out to win Father of the Year. It was a complete turnaround from his visits earlier in the pregnancy when he’d been more interested in catching up with his brother than acknowledging the baby. The way she’d preferred it. Life was difficult enough for her trying to come to terms with the fact she was about to become a mum without having to deal with him and those unwanted feelings he kept stirring up inside her.

  ‘I don’t care if you are the father of this baby. You’re practically a stranger and I have no intention of letting you interfere in my life.’ Kayla slammed the door and promptly burst into tears. This was all such a mess.

  She rubbed her hand over her huge belly. ‘I’m so sorry, little one. We all wanted better for you.’

  He or she should have had happily married parents with a life mapped out. Not an unlovable mother and a playboy father who’d never wanted the responsibility of a baby, handing it over to those better suited to the parenting role. She’d let this child down before it had even been born. How the hell was she going to provide the upbringing it deserved? It wasn’t as though she had good role models to follow. She was going into this blind.

  Another veil of tears fell, soaking the delicate silk scarf around her neck; Liam had bought it for her last birthday. Her brother had known she’d adore it because of the motif. The dragonfly was her personal totem and a powerful symbol of change and light in many cultures. In this case Liam said it represented the start of their new life and the rebirth of their family.

  Now it was a reminder of everything she’d lost.

  She slipped the scarf off her neck and draped it around the photograph of Liam and Tom on their wedding day. Happiness radiated from their smiles as they gazed at each other, so full of hope for their future together. Only to have it so cruelly snatched away from them a short time later.

  ‘I have as much right as you to be here.’ Jamie’s voice carried down the hall to interrupt her grief and cause her temper to flare again. His constant presence was preventing her from focusing on more important matters. Such as the prospect of becoming a single parent.

  ‘How did you get in?’ She watched helplessly as he stalked into the living room as though he owned the place.

  He swung the house key around his finger on the hand-stitched felt key ring she’d made with Tom’s name on it as a moving-in present. ‘This is my house too, remember? You’re not the only one who lost a brother and it’s about time you stopped avoiding me. We have a lot to discuss.’

  Their brothers had left everything to the two of them in their wills, making it impossible for Kayla to avoid him unless she sold up, and there was enough upheaval without having to move to a new house as well. It was a pity the wills hadn’t been updated since the surrogacy arrangement. Then they might have had some idea of what it was they were expected to do.

  Jamie threw himself onto the settee and she worried he was ensconced for the night. There was no other choice for her but to join him. Although it took her slightly longer to ease herself and her bump into a chair.

  ‘I thought you’d made it abundantly clear from the start you didn’t want anything to do with this baby.’ She wished that were still the case. He had a choice where she didn’t. No matter what happened, she had to give birth and be a mother to this baby.

  ‘That was when I thought I was going to be nothing but a sperm donor to make my brother’s dream of being a father come true. I wanted Tom to be happy. No matter how unconventional, I wanted to see his dream of having a family come true. Now he’s gone this baby will need someone to look out for it.’

  ‘I’m looking out for it. I am the mother.’ He wasn’t the only one who’d done this with the intention of making the couple happy. This wasn’t the time to be searching for accolades. Jamie had provided his little swimmers because Tom’s hadn’t been doing the job they were supposed to, but she’d been the one who’d gone through the intrusive medically assisted insemination process.

  It was she who’d carried the baby all this time. She was the one whose body would never be the same again.

  ‘In case you’ve forgotten, I’m the father.’

  ‘I haven’t forgotten. I’m giving you the opportunity to walk away. As you’d planned from the start.’ She didn’t want to parent on her own, but it was preferable to a lifetime of being tied to this man.

  Kayla had moved to London with Liam nearly fifteen years ago to escape the control of their parents and she wasn’t going to tie herself to a man she hardly knew now. That hadn’t ended well the last time she’d been conned into it. She’d been left broken-hearted and homeless when she’d rebelled against Paul’s dominance in their relationship.

  It wasn’t that long since she’d lost her brother. She was vulnerable, and she wasn’t going to let anyone take advantage of that.

  Jamie stood up. He was imposing at his full height, which had to be a good foot taller than her five-foot-three-inch frame. Especially when he was dressed in his GP’s sharp suit and tie and she was in her ever-expanding maternity leggings and voluminous, stretch jersey, dark grey bump-coverer.

  He strode towards her with such purpose her mouth suddenly went dry.

  Then he leaned down and whispered, ‘Not going to happen.’

  The ebb and flow of a shiver brought the tiny hairs on her arms to attention as his breath warmed her cheek. He gave her scant time to linger on her body’s reaction and walked away again towards the kitchen.

  When she managed to compose herself enough to follow him she wished she hadn’t. Her sense of incredulity and temper rose further with every cupboard he opened, showing no respect for the fact this had been her home for the better part of a year. He might have inherited a share through tragic circumstances, but his lack of good manners and bold self-entitlement were not aiding their already strained relationship.

  ‘Don’t you have any proper food in this place?’ He was rummaging in the fridge, turning his nose up at the contents as he inspected them.

  ‘I only have proper food. It’s much healthier than that processed junk you probably favour.’ Liam and Tom had shared her healthy approach to food, but Jamie didn’t look as though he
could be sustained by lettuce and carrots alone.

  ‘Give me a dirty, big burger any day,’ he grumbled, confirming the belief he was a man who enjoyed the red-meat-fuelled lifestyle of his caveman ancestors.

  Although lean, Jamie was solid muscle and sinew. She could see that by the way his tailored shirt clung to his torso, and his thighs stretched the fabric of his tight-fitting black trousers. This was someone who needed protein to fuel his workout. He’d be more inclined towards swimming rather than being a gym bunny, she decided. Mainly because she could imagine him gliding through the water with those powerful limbs, showing off that streamlined body in nothing but a tight-fitting pair of swim trunks.

  ‘I said, we’re going to have to do a grocery shop or I’ll starve to death here.’

  Kayla blinked away her glistening-wet, semi-naked fantasy to centre on the fully dressed version of Jamie, whose mouth was twitching as he tried not to laugh. It was then she realised she’d been staring, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. She blamed the sudden heat consuming her body on the rise of her blood pressure at having an unwanted visitor going through her things. Not due to any thoughts of Tom’s big brother with his wet hair curling at the nape of his neck or water sluicing over his naked body.

  ‘You—you don’t live here. My cupboards are none of your business,’ she blustered, slamming shut all the doors he’d opened during his plundering.

  ‘Well, here’s the thing, Kayla. It was one thing being the biological father only and Tom taking responsibility for raising this child. Now he’s not here, the baton passes to me and I’m afraid I’m not going to sit back and let your hippy-dippy ways dictate my baby’s life.’ He folded his arms and rested his backside against her worktop as casual as he liked.