Sealing the Deal

by Sandy James

  “I’m sorry,” Beth said to Judge Layton. “May we please continue?”

  “If that’s what you’d like to do,” the judge replied. The concern on his face made her pat his arm.

  “It is. It’s exactly what I want.”

  “Will you take Robert as your lawfully wedded husband?”

  Beth nodded and stated clearly and loudly, “I will.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  All Beth could do was stare at the computer printout and wonder why the results of one stupid little test could have the potential to destroy her life so thoroughly.

  Just as she’d feared, Emma was Darren Brown’s biological daughter. DNA said so. According to the laws of the state of Illinois, it also gave him the right to contest the adoption and perhaps take Emma away.

  The normally optimistic Beth couldn’t stop herself from dreaming up sinister reasons Darren might fight for custody. The one she finally settled on was money.

  Tiffany’s life insurance policies provided a rather large sum of money for her daughter. Beth had sunk all the funds into secure investments to earn interest as Emma grew. Once she was of age, Emma could use that money for her education or to buy a home. There was nothing that required Beth to do so because there were no rules for Emma’s guardian on what to do with the money. Darren would surely see it as a windfall.

  “Don’t look so down,” Alexis said, dragging Beth back into the present.

  Robert frowned. “Why not? The guy’s her father.”

  “You’re her father.” Alexis drummed her fingers on her glass desktop. “He was just the sperm donor. Doesn’t mean the fight is over. Not by a long shot.”

  “I thought it was a done deal,” he said, looking as upset as Beth felt. “Biological fathers always get custody in court, don’t they?”

  “Not at all,” Alexis replied. “First off, I haven’t had a chance to talk to him yet, at least not at length. Just a quick phone chat to get some pertinent facts. He hasn’t retained a lawyer, either, which means he hasn’t decided exactly what he wants to do.”

  Beth’s heart leapt at that news. If she had just discovered she had a daughter, she’d be hunting down a modern-day Clarence Darrow to start whatever needed to be done to get her home. And she sure wouldn’t spare a thought for the people who tried to keep her from her true mother.

  I’m a hypocrite.

  She tried to switch tactics. Maybe Darren didn’t want kids. Why hadn’t she thought about that sooner instead of wallowing in worry? None of the guys Tiffany hung around were exactly “dad” material. With Darren’s past, he might not even want Emma around. He had a business to run; he didn’t have time to care for a child.

  “He wants to come here,” Alexis announced. “We have an appointment next Monday.”

  “Here?” Beth’s voice cracked. “He’s coming here?” So much for him not wanting Emma.

  “He’s driving to Cloverleaf with his girlfriend—his pregnant girlfriend.”

  Even better! Why would he and his woman want Emma when they were starting a family of their own? Unless…

  What if they thought Emma belonged in their growing family?

  “Beth?” Alexis’s voice was soft. “You’re very quiet today. What’s on your mind?”

  “Worry,” Robert replied. “She’s worried, and so am I.”

  Alexis shook her head. “It’s too soon to be concerned. The game’s just beginning.”

  “Game?” Beth clenched her hands into fists. “You think this is a game? I could lose my daughter.” Even saying the words hurt.

  “Easy,” Alexis said. “I wasn’t making light of your situation. I promise you that I take it every bit as seriously as you and Robert do.”

  “Then why call it a game?”

  “Because that’s how I view the law. It’s a chess game, a matter of finding the right strategy and seeing it through until there are no moves left.” A smile lit the lawyer’s face. “I promise you this—I’m a pro at it. I’m going to do everything I can to keep Emma with you two. I’ve seen how great you are and how she’s already found her family. Darren might have helped create her, but Robert is her father. And you’re her mother, Beth.”

  Robert took Beth’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Hear that? You’re Emma’s mother, B. Never forget that.”

  “I guess I just don’t understand why Tiffany’s wishes aren’t being considered. Shouldn’t the court follow what she wanted for Emma?” Beth asked.

  “I’d be dishonest if I told you we weren’t fighting an uphill battle,” Alexis replied. “Despite Tiffany’s wishes, biology has the upper hand in the law, especially since Tiffany never told Darren about Emma. Legally, he has the best chance at custody. But I intend to make a sound argument about what’s in Emma’s best interests. As an officer of the court, I believe staying with you is what’s in her best interests. If Darren fights for her, the court will also appoint a guardian ad litem whose only concern is what is the right thing to do for Emma.”

  * * *

  It wasn’t until after supper that Beth was able to find the time to think hard about the future. She’d been too busy all evening being a wife and a mother. Making their meal. Doing a couple of loads of the never-ending laundry. Picking up the things Emma always discarded around the house.

  Sometimes she was surprised just how quickly she and Robert had settled into married life. Like any couple, they had spats. But most of the time, their relationship went as smoothly as a well-choreographed dance. They each had chores they performed without complaint, and they balanced their time with Emma so that she knew how much she was loved.

  Marriage seemed to agree with Robert. With the exception of when they were discussing the possibility of losing Emma, he was usually in a good mood. He smiled. He whistled. He still gave her hugs and kisses whenever they’d been apart, even if for only an hour.

  She loved him to the depths of her soul.

  With a half-smile, Beth hung up the jacket Robert had thrown over the end of the couch when he’d come home. God love him, her husband was a slob. Beth never scolded him for dropping his shoes wherever he’d been when he kicked them off, nor did she complain about the wet towels he left on the bathroom floor or the fact that he constantly left the toothpaste resting on the sink, next to the cap he’d forgotten to put back on.

  Little things like that didn’t bother her. If she was honest with herself, she’d admit she found his habits endearing, probably because she loved him so darn much. And he always returned the “ignoring” favor.

  Robert never mentioned how she left the books she loved to read all around the house or how she’d taken up a heck of a lot more than half of the master closet. He also overlooked her rather obsessive need to buy toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues in bulk quantities.

  They complemented each other, and their passion burned bright. All he had to do was fix those eyes on her and her blood turned hot. Perhaps that was only because they were still newlyweds, but she wasn’t going to question such a wonderful gift.

  Almost ready to turn in for the night, Beth crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned her shoulder against the door frame, watching Emma sleeping in her crib. Although she was in perpetual motion from the moment she opened her eyes each morning, she always slept like a rock. She looked so peaceful, her lips parted as she breathed slow and even. The perfect little angel, and Beth loved her with every piece of her heart.

  It took all of her restraint not to go over, gather Emma into her arms, and hold her tight. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye at the thought of her daughter being snatched from the only stability she’d ever enjoyed and thrust into a world full of people she didn’t even know. How much psychological damage could that kind of jarring change create?

  Strong arms snaked around Beth’s waist before Robert pulled her back against him. He brushed a kiss against her cheek, sending shivers racing over her skin. “I got tired of waiting for you to come to bed.” He nuzzled her neck, making a small gigg
le bubble up.

  “I was watching Emma.” All of the warmth inside her vanished. “I love her so much.”

  Robert squeezed her tightly and rubbed his chin against her temple. “So do I, B.”

  “We can’t lose her.”

  “Have some faith. Alexis is the best. Let her do her job and keep hope in your heart.” He turned her in his arms, and she looped her arms around his neck. “You know it’s the thing I love most about you.”

  She searched his eyes, trying to make sense of his comment. “What is?”

  “How you never give up hope.”

  Beth tried to drop her gaze, ashamed he didn’t see her as she truly was. He was wrong. Each passing hour stole a little more of the confidence she’d held her whole life that things happened for a reason. What reason could justify Emma losing her mother—and then losing her second mother? In what world was that fair?

  With gentle fingertips, he lifted her chin until she was looking into his eyes again. “I’m right here, love. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

  Tears filled her eyes, but these were tears of joy rather than sadness. She rose on tiptoes to press her lips to his.

  * * *

  Desire flooded Robert’s senses. His emotions were running hot, and he needed Beth right now in a way that felt downright primitive. In one quick move, he swept her into his arms and strode to their room, gently kicking the door shut behind them.

  As was her endearing habit, she took a quick glance at the tiny screen on her nightstand—the monitor to the technological eye that kept watch over Emma whenever she was in her crib. He’d often awaken in the wee hours of the morning to find Beth awake as well, watching their daughter sleep.

  Robert captured Beth’s mouth for a kiss, growling in impatience. He slid his tongue past her lips, and she returned the ferocity of the kiss, cradling his face in her cool hands as her tongue mated with his.

  After setting her on the bed, he lifted her nightshirt over her head and tossed it aside. Then he stumbled out of his boxers, trying to keep staring at his sexy wife and undressing at the same time.

  As Beth lay back, he stretched over her, loving the heat of her smooth skin as it touched his. It was probably a good thing she wore lacy panties. Otherwise he’d be fighting the overwhelming urge to immediately thrust inside her. He kissed her again, thinking he should slow things down a little.

  Beth wouldn’t allow it. With her hands against his chest, she lightly pushed him away before she wriggled out of her panties. Falling back against the mattress, she opened her arms in welcome.

  Robert answered her invitation, blanketing her with his body and kissing her again, a mating of their tongues until he thought he’d go mad for want of her. Moving to his side, he stroked up her thigh until he was caressing her core, seeking the spot he knew would drive her wild.

  Her hips bucked when he found the sensitive nub, and she drew in a sharp breath. He tormented and taunted and gave her no quarter. He kissed her neck, teasing her with nibbles as he worked his way to her chest. After pressing a reverent kiss to the valley between her breasts, he closed his mouth around one tight nipple and suckled.

  A low moan escaped her lips. Arching her back, she raked her fingers through his hair.

  When he slid his fingers deep inside her, Beth’s body clenched around them, telling him she was close. He shifted to her other breast, laving the nipple before pulling it gently with his teeth.

  “Robert. I need you inside me. Please.” She tugged hard on his hair.

  His need was every bit as desperate as hers, so Robert answered her call, moving over her and using his knee to push her legs farther apart. Before he could guide his cock inside her, she grasped it and led him home.

  One thrust found him deep inside his wife’s warmth, and the feeling was so sublime he had to close his eyes and breathe deeply to maintain his self-control. Before he could start to move, Beth wrapped her legs around his hips and pulled him as deeply inside her as he could go.

  He was lost, mindless to anything except giving her pleasure and seeking his own. Again and again he pushed into her, each thrust a little harder until she caught her breath and held it. Then her thighs squeezed his hips as she moaned his name, the sound of her pleasure hitting him hard and forcing his own orgasm as he poured his essence into his wife.

  Robert was so spent, he could barely hold himself up on his elbows to shelter Beth from his weight. She lazily trailed her fingers up and down his back, humming softly. Another of her endearing habits.

  After reluctantly withdrawing, doing a hasty cleanup, and then slipping his boxers back on, he slid beneath the sheets. As she went into their bathroom, he waited for her to join him.

  When she flipped off the light and crawled into bed, he pulled her into his arms. She laid her hand on his chest, pillowed her head against his shoulder, and let out what he hoped was a contented sigh. “That was… amazing.”

  He gave her a quick squeeze. “Damn right it was. You’re a wildcat, B. And it’s dark in here, so don’t even bother blushing.”

  She pushed herself up enough to check the monitor before dropping her head against his shoulder again. “She’s still asleep.” Her body tensed. “I’m afraid, Robert.”

  “I am, too.”

  “What can we do?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

  Her fear was understandable because he shared it. Every time he thought about them losing Emma, he bordered on a panic attack. His chest would become heavy and tight, as though everything were pressing in on him. To have his daughter raised by another man, even if that man was her biological father, seemed wrong. Darren might have contributed his DNA, but Robert was her Bobber, the man who chased away the monsters from under the crib. The man who read to her every day, who pushed her swing while she squealed in joy. No one could love her as much as he did.

  “Robert? Are you okay?”

  Having not realized he’d tensed, he eased the tight hold he had on his wife. “I’m fine.”

  “You still haven’t answered me. Should we squirrel away some money and, I don’t know, try to hide?”

  He shook his head. “We can’t run away from our lives.”

  “I need you to help me with this,” she insisted. “What are we gonna do?”

  After a moment of searching to find the right things to say to calm her fears, he decided honesty was the best thing he could offer her. “We can trust Alexis to do her job and hope things turn out right.”

  “If we lose Emma—”

  “One day at a time, love. Instead of driving ourselves crazy with worry, let’s just take things one day at a time.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The moment Beth saw Darren, the past came rushing back. In her eyes, he was still that kid who liked to stir up trouble, the bad boy who Tiffany claimed to love. The good times and the bad were right there, plain as day.

  How could Tiffany have hidden his child from him? Why was her sister too afraid to tell him about Emma? What did Tiffany know that Beth didn’t? Or was it something Tiffany feared?

  The unknowns were the hardest to fight, and Beth would drive herself insane thinking about them before this whole ordeal was over.

  Darren was still a good-looking guy, although he’d cut his long hair into a short, businesslike style. His youthful skinny body had bulked up, his arms muscular and his waist trim. Had she not been so desperately in love with Robert, Beth might even have been attracted to him.

  He’d dressed in expensive clothing, and she recognized his loafers as Gucci. Clearly he was a success now, and she’d have to stop thinking about him as a kid who’d done stupid things. He owned his own business and had made something of himself.

  A young woman walked by his side as they came up the carpeted hallway of Alexis’s office suite. Alexis had chosen the location, wanting there to be some formality and control in the affair. The girl was blond, her build slender. Her clothes and shoes had to be designer as well, and she was clearly pregnant.
The rock on the third finger of her left hand was about two carats bigger than the engagement ring Robert had given Beth.

  In her fear, all Beth could think was that Darren and this woman were having a baby of their own. Why would they need to take away hers?

  “Wow.” Darren gave Beth a weak smile. “You haven’t changed a bit, B.”

  Robert scowled at him, probably at the use of his pet name for her.

  She’d forgotten how Darren used to tease her, almost unmercifully, and how he’d always called her B. It had bugged the heck out of Tiffany, who often gave him a playful punch in the arm whenever he joked with Beth.

  “You sure have,” Beth said. “Changed, that is. A lot.” She wasn’t surprised to hear the tremor in her voice. Then a flush heated her face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay,” Darren said with a lopsided smile. “I have changed, and I’m damned proud of it.” His features sobered. “Losing Tiffany was a big wakeup call for me. I wanted to be the kind of man she deserved. So I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and made something of my life. Took me years to get where I am, and I was so happy when we connected again. But…”

  Beth could easily finish the story. “But she ran away. Again.”

  Darren nodded. “Took me a while to find out where she was, but by then she’d gone to Afghanistan and…”

  She had to glance away.

  “I-I’m sorry about what happened. For your loss.”

  Beth nodded, trying not to get choked up. The grief over losing her only sister was still too new, too raw. “Thank you.” Then she looked at Darren again and patted the baby’s back. “This is Emma.”

  Darren leveled a hard stare to where Emma lay sleeping with her face pillowed against Beth’s chest. “She’s really mine?”

  “That’s what the test says.”

  Alexis jumped into the conversation. “Why don’t we all get a little more comfortable? I have a nice social room we can use.”

  As if on cue, her assistant rose and picked up a large silver tray full of coffee cups, a large carafe, several pastries, and pieces of fruit. She carried them through an ornate door and set them on the large table by the seating area.