by Susan Fox
Leery of startling the boy, Logan kept his voice low. “Is he in better humor?”
Claire offered a faint smile. “Much better. Perhaps if you’d come over and sit down, he wouldn’t be so intimidated by your s-i-z-e.”
The fact that she’d spelled out the word tickled him. He brought her things and put them beside her. But instead of sitting on the floor like a woman or a kid might, Logan hunkered down and gave Claire a prompting look. After all, she was the expert and she’d just been generous enough to give advice. Though she might be doing it solely to help the boy, Logan would benefit.
“An s-m-i-l-e might help, Mr. Pierce. They look like this,” she added and widened her own stiff smile.
Logan felt the sting to his pride. Was she poking fun at him? He studied her face and it seemed a little too guileless to be believed. He wasn’t sure how to take this. If she was teasing him, he automatically took a dim view of it, though he did manage what he was sure was a more pleasant expression.
“Hey there, Cody.” His greeting to the boy felt awkward and that was a surprising frustration. He’d expected something more man-to-man, an instinctive understanding because the boy was blood kin and they were both male.
He’d have to remember that the child had had mostly female influence in his life, so it might take a little longer for them to hit it off.
Cody turned his head and sneaked a look at him before he shyly hid his face again. Claire eased the boy a little away from herself.
“Say hello to your uncle Logan, sweetheart,” she coaxed. “He’s the one who got you the beautiful book.”
As if being bought a book was a big deal to the kid, the boy looked over at him, a little less mistrustfully. But there was no hello, so Logan took a chance.
“Have you tried out the rocking horse?”
Cody merely blinked at that, but Claire shook her head.
“Ever seen a real pony?” he tried next, and felt a flush creep along his cheekbones. It felt odd and somehow unmanly to talk to the boy this way. And he was stumbling around at it in front of Claire, who handled the kid easily and with a familiarity that he suddenly doubted he’d ever have.
It was a reminder not only of her power over his nephew, but that however dense the judge had been, Claire Ryan was the one person qualified to continue raising this boy. Logan might have won the legal right, but morally, Claire was the one who’d earned it. The hard way.
Knowing that did nothing to ease his sense of guilt for pushing to get the boy, and it annoyed him that the guilt he’d tried to ignore about blackmailing Claire suddenly spiked. He had good motives, and he meant to cause only good to come out of this, but he’d charged into something private and special to lay claim to a child whom he was using to coerce a woman into marriage.
He’d taken away Claire’s choices with both things, and once she married him, he’d be after even more things that she might not have chosen to give him otherwise. It was all he could do now to tamp down his conscience to a more bearable level.
“We’ll go see a real pony when we get back from town,” he said gruffly, then lifted his gaze to Claire, compelled to keep pushing despite his feelings of guilt. “Are you done thinkin’ about this? It’d be best to get to town before the courthouse closes.”
Claire had been privately enjoying the big man’s effort to somehow connect with the boy, and she’d been unwillingly touched by it. It was clear Logan was trying, and it was also clear that he probably had no experience with two-year-olds. She’d seen the flush that had darkened his tanned skin and again felt as if she was glimpsing something—embarrassment this time—that humanized the man and made him less objectionable. Until he’d mentioned the courthouse.
“Surely you realize how bizarre that idea is, Mr. Pierce. Marriages are hard enough to make and keep when both people know each other and are in love. You and I are complete strangers. We aren’t even attracted to each other. There’s not a drop of chemistry.”
Those dark, dark eyes gentled a fraction. “Speak for yourself, Ms. Ryan. As I see it, we’ve got as good a chance to have something worthwhile as the fools who imagine they’re in love and can’t keep their hands off each other. At least neither of us will whine about it and go to war when the fire goes out.”
Claire’s brows went up. “You’re amazingly cynical.”
“I’m amazingly right. And the boy needs two parents. I’ve made my proposal.”
Claire felt even more trapped, only this time the trap felt brutally tight. “So,” she began a little hoarsely, “no marriage, no nothing after Monday morning.”
His hard gaze fell briefly from hers. It was a telltale sign of guilt that gave her a sliver of hope until it came back up and drilled harshly into hers.
“That’s about the size of it.”
Claire felt a gurgle of hilarity come up and realized she’d been distraught for so long and felt so pressured now that she was on the verge of becoming a bit hysterical.
This brute was determined to get his way, and as insane as his so-called marriage “proposal” was, she felt too desperate to hold out for long. If she could bring herself to go through with it, the only thing that would make being married to Logan Pierce bearable and worth the sacrifice, was that she could adopt Cody. Then she’d be free to walk away with her son and Logan Piece would have no legal way to force either of them to do anything.
But before she allowed him to rush her off to the courthouse, she needed to hear a few assurances. After all, getting the license didn’t mean they were married. She might be able to string him along a few days and delay the ceremony for quite a while if she gave in this time with at least a semblance of grace.
Claire lifted Cody to his feet and pointed him toward the toy box. “Why don’t you see what toys are in the toy box while your uncle and I have a talk?” Just as the boy started in that direction, Claire remembered their manners and caught him.
“Ooops, Mommy forgot.”
Cody looked at her expectantly, and she gave him an encouraging smile. “Can you tell Uncle Logan thank you for the book and the pretty room?”
Cody looked over at Logan. Just when Claire thought he couldn’t overcome his shyness, he said a quiet, “Fanks.” He struggled to suppress a bashful smile before he turned away and scampered over to the toy box to look inside.
Claire got smoothly to her feet before Logan could straighten to his full height, just in case he’d found enough manners in the last little while to offer her his hand. She didn’t want to touch or be touched by him.
Now that Cody was completely absorbed by the wooden truck he’d pulled out of the toy box, she edged away from Logan to step out into the hall. She wanted to stay close enough to keep an eye on Cody, but she also didn’t want the boy to overhear her talk with Logan. Surely they could keep their voices down.
Logan went along with her, though it was clear by his frown when she stopped outside the door, that he wasn’t sure why either of them were just standing there.
“I need you to answer some things, but I realize we’re short on time,” she began briskly. “I’d appreciate the truth, Mr. Pierce.”
He seemed to bristle. “You’ll get it.”
Claire lifted her brows but didn’t challenge that. “Are you capable of marital fidelity?”
“I’ve sowed my wild oats,” he said, and his voice was again a growl.
Her brows climbed higher. “I sincerely hope none of those wild oats show up. I’m already committed to raise one child that I didn’t conceive.”
His expression had just started to go stony when she posed the next question. “What assurance do I have that you’ll allow me to adopt Cody?”
“We can do a prenup.”
Claire nodded. “Are you capable of attending the church of my choice on Sundays, or are you a complete heathen?”
That one must have caught him off guard because it wiped the stoniness from his face. “I can and I’m not.”
“You’re not what, a heathen?
”
“That’s right. I’ll go.”
“I’ll expect you to set a good example.”
“Done.”
“Will you heed my opinions and take them seriously, or are you expecting a doormat?”
Now she got what had to be the closest thing to a smile that Logan Piece might be capable of. “I reckon my hopes are fading on that.”
Claire almost laughed. His answer made her like him, and she hadn’t expected that. It was the only nice surprise in this whole mess. Nevertheless, she pressed on toward something that was a little more delicate than everything else.
“We’ve talked about fidelity, but I hope you understand that intimacy is out of the question until we know each other and have a high level of trust. Very high.”
“Fine with me, too,” he said, and Claire felt like heaving a huge sigh of relief. Until she heard what he said next.
“But we’ll share a bed from the wedding night on. I won’t have it get around that I married a woman who wouldn’t sleep with me.”
Claire couldn’t disguise her horror. “How would anyone find out? It’s none of their business anyway.”
“I’ve got a housekeeper. Unless you want to fire a woman who’ll retire next year, and take care of both the boy and this house by yourself, that’s the way it’ll have to be.”
Claire felt a quiver of sensual peril that made her mouth go dry. She couldn’t share a bed with a stranger, especially not this stranger. If the problem was Elsa finding out, then she’d make certain Elsa never had reason to suspect. It should be a fairly simple problem to solve.
“Anything else you have to know right now?” His voice was brusque. “We’ve got a little over an hour, and it takes forty-five minutes to get downtown.”
Claire had been saving this last question, hoping for a reprieve. “Won’t I need a birth certificate?”
That gave him pause, but it didn’t deter him as effectively as she’d hoped.
“We’ll see when we get there. Better collect the boy,” he said, then nodded toward Cody, who’d pulled out two more trucks and was now playing with them on the carpet. “If he needs to take something along, let him bring whatever he wants. I don’t want a problem with him at the courthouse.”
“He won’t be a problem,” she said, then rushed back into the room to get another fresh diaper out of the cloth bag Logan had brought in with him.
As she readied Cody for the drive, she prayed earnestly that they wouldn’t be able to get a marriage license without her birth certificate. There had to be some way to slow all this down without risking even a brief separation from Cody.
Claire felt doomed. Apparently this county didn’t require a birth certificate since she had a valid Texas driver’s license to verify her age and identity as a U.S. citizen. Before she could even begin to get her racing heart under control, they were on their way back to the ranch.
Cody was in his car seat in the back of the SUV, contentedly making truck engine sounds as he ran a small pickup on the inside of the vehicle door. He’d actually allowed Logan to carry him out of the courthouse, and he’d seemed to enjoy the novelty of the much higher vantage point the big man’s height afforded him.
Claire was torn between wanting the boy to stay close only to her and wanting him to feel comfortable and secure with the man the court had given custody of him to. She’d rarely felt jealous of anyone, so her jealous feelings now were another unhappy surprise.
If Logan had approached her differently and had made some effort at having a family relationship with the boy that hadn’t put her in this awful position—if he hadn’t used blackmail—she was certain she would have graciously shared the boy and been glad to do it. She would have allowed Logan to be a natural part of the boy’s life and she would have done everything possible to facilitate that.
Instead, Logan Pierce had pushed and bullied to get what he’d wanted, and she hated that Cody’s small acceptance of him would reward him yet again for being a tyrant.
It was difficult to accept that Logan was already getting everything, including her now, but she focused instead on the idea that Cody could benefit greatly from having a good relationship with his uncle. Because the court hadn’t given her or the boy any other choice, she had to make the best of things for Cody’s sake.
And unless there was some way to get Logan to back off his marriage demand, it would be best for Cody if she tried to get along with the man. Doing what she could to make things run smoothly between the three of them seemed to be her only sensible option.
Until she could legally become Cody’s mother. Keeping that in mind would make it easier to tolerate all this. The very moment she had legal standing with the court, Logan Pierce wouldn’t find it quite so easy to bully and manipulate her. He’d have to develop a few sterling character qualities if he meant to persuade her to stay married to him.
And judging by what she’d seen so far, the only way Logan Pierce would ever possess such sterling qualities would be if he could find a few of them to buy and tape to his body.
CHAPTER FOUR
THEY arrived back at the ranch in time to wash up for supper at 6:00 p.m. The wooden highchair in the formal dining room complemented the long, polished table that was now covered with a beautiful damask tablecloth. A lavish bouquet of artificial flowers provided the centerpiece, and the china and crystal were elegant. Claire felt as if she should have dressed up, but Logan didn’t suggest it. In fact, he was still in his work clothes, and she appreciated the lack of formality.
Cody needed the height of the highchair, but not the tray. Claire moved his small place setting and placemat to the table between Logan’s place at the head and the place set for her to his right. She unhooked the tray and set it on a nearby chair before she helped Cody climb up.
If either Logan or Elsa objected to this arrangement, neither of them commented on it. Logan slid the boy’s chair up to the table, then took another moment to seat her. Claire covered her surprise by tucking a small fingertip towel she’d brought into the neck of Cody’s shirt to serve as a bib.
Once they were settled, Elsa served the food and left the room. Logan reached for the meat plate. Claire delicately cleared her throat, then repeated it a little more insistently when the sound failed to get Logan’s attention.
Logan stopped, holding the meat plate between them, and glanced at her. Claire stared meaningfully at him as she lifted her hands and laced her fingers together in a prayer pose. Beside her, Cody followed suit, pressing his little palms together and scrunching his eyes closed.
Logan stayed frozen a moment more as he took this in, then set the meat plate aside. His dark brows lowered in a frown. Claire closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly to repeat the simple, childlike prayer that Cody echoed. She paused at the end of the prayer and Cody called out an eager Amen.
When she opened her eyes and looked over at Logan, she saw he hadn’t moved. From the look of him, he hadn’t bowed his head or closed his eyes. But he was staring at Cody and she caught the unmistakable combination of chagrin and gentleness in his eyes. Almost as if the little boy’s recitation had both chastened and moved him.
Claire couldn’t help but like Logan for that. Perhaps the man wasn’t so bad. Perhaps he had potential. But then she remembered what he’d said about her potential and was irritated all over again.
She took the meat plate he handed her and served herself before she passed it back and picked up her knife and fork to slice off a small piece of steak to put on the boy’s plate. None of them spoke while she cut Cody’s steak into bite-sized pieces. She took the other food dishes Logan passed her and served both herself and Cody before she handed them back.
Cody was normally a good eater, and none of that changed tonight. He wasn’t particularly adept with his fork, but she did no more than remind him to use it from time to time. It amused her to watch Logan’s face as Cody picked up a piece of steak and laboriously stuck it onto the tines of his fork before he lifted it t
o his mouth.
She wondered if Logan would say anything, but he didn’t. Instead, he seemed enthralled by the whole process as Cody worked his way through his meal. Claire was unwillingly touched by that too. However much a tyrant he was, Logan wasn’t fussing with Cody’s little errors, and he didn’t make any comments or complaints to her about them either.
It was a fact that anyone who wanted to impress her had only to treat Cody well. Had this manipulator figured that out, or was all this genuine?
Claire couldn’t seem to talk herself out of the notion that what she was seeing and sensing in Logan was real. Though he’d started out remote and disapproving toward the boy, he’d been more than making up for it since. Cody was losing some of his bashfulness with the big man, and his attention wandered Logan’s way frequently, though he stayed close to Claire for security.
After supper, Logan helped her bring their things in from her car before he drove it away to park in his huge garage. Claire hadn’t been able to bring everything of Cody’s, and she’d hoped to use that as an excuse to come back to Pierce Ranch if things hadn’t gone well that day. She’d brought all of Cody’s clothes and many of his books and toys had been included, but not the larger things.
She still wasn’t certain how well today had gone. Yes, it looked as if there was a way to remain an important part of Cody’s life, but it would come at a heavy cost. On the other hand, this child was more than worth the hazard of marrying an arrogant man she couldn’t love and tolerating that marriage for as long as it took to become Cody’s legal mother.
Perhaps she should consider Logan’s proposal a blessing. It was just so hard to cave in and agree to marry the man one moment before she absolutely had to, though the impulse to spare herself for as long as possible made her feel selfish for considering her comfort rather than Cody’s.
When she finished putting Cody’s things away in his new room, she went into the guest room she’d been given across the hall. She unpacked the clothes she’d brought along for herself, just in case, and she was glad now that she had. She’d included a small variety of things, so there was enough to last four or five days if need be.
