Baby for Keeps

by Janice Maynard

  In case she decided to be obstructive, he didn’t wait for an answer, but instead, eased his way past her into the tiny efficiency apartment. He stopped short. Now it was his turn to be shocked. The space was virtually empty. A camp chair sat in the living room in front of him. A portable crib and a sleeping bag occupied the central section of the carpeted floor. There were no other items of furniture. No television, no sofa, no bed.

  Dylan’s net worth amounted to over three million dollars. Yet, the woman he loved was sleeping on the floor every night. Guilt for what he had done to her sickened him. Fury raged in his chest for his own stupidity. He had to convince Mia that he was sorry. That he was wrong to send her away. That he loved her too much to let her go. He had a feeling his negotiation skills were going to be tested to the limit.

  Projecting a calm he didn’t feel, he walked past Mia’s single chair and lowered himself to the floor, his back against a wall. “We need to talk.”

  She glared at him. “The last time you said that it was a prelude to kicking me out of your house.”

  Swallowing hard, he took the hit without trying to justify his actions. “Please, Mia. Let me say what I came to say.” She looked ill, and that worried him more than anything.

  “If that’s what it takes to get rid of you, fine.” Instead of taking the chair, she copied his pose, leaning against the adjacent wall.

  Cora was asleep, so he kept his voice low. “I’m sorry for being an arrogant, insensitive jerk. It was presumptuous of me to think I knew what was best for you, for your life, for Cora.”

  “And what brought about this monumental change of heart?” Now he could see the grief in her gaze. Grief that could and should be laid firmly at his door.

  “You left.” He said it bluntly, willing her to understand.

  “And?”

  “And I realized how much I loved you. Well,” he said, backtracking, “I was pretty sure about that before you left. But my empty house sealed the deal. I also realized that I had tried to play God with your future. As if you were not smart enough to choose your own path. And when you think about it, that makes me look pretty stupid.”

  “You’re not stupid.” Her response was automatic.

  She’d said those same three words to him more than a decade ago and again when she returned to Silver Glen. The trouble was, he hadn’t been able to hear them.

  “Let’s just say that I’m willing to learn from my mistakes.”

  “Okay. You’re forgiven. Please leave.”

  “Not so fast,” he said, stung by her rejection, though he undoubtedly deserved it. “I want a do-over.”

  “I don’t know what that means.”

  As he studied her face, he was struck by the way her cheekbones stood out and by the dark smudges beneath her eyes. “You look terrible,” he blurted out.

  “Is that your idea of a do-over?”

  For the first time he saw a glimmer of amusement on her face. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I’ve been worried as hell about you.”

  “I’m not your responsibility.”

  They seemed to be going in circles. “Mia.” He stopped, searched his heart, and did the best he could. He’d made a lot of mistakes in his life, but none he wanted to fix more than this one. “I didn’t give you a choice before. I didn’t ask what you wanted. That’s why I’m here now. I need to know what you want. What will make you happy.” He gave the tiny apartment a disparaging glance. “Surely not this place.”

  “I’ve moved on, Dylan. I’m making a new start. I’m not the same woman you booted out of your life eight weeks ago.”

  “Have you been sick?” He had to know.

  She shrugged. “In a manner of speaking. When I left Silver Glen, I had a severe relapse into postpartum depression. But don’t worry,” she said quickly. “I’m under a doctor’s care, and I’m going to be fine. I have three job interviews in the next two weeks. Cora and I are back on our feet.”

  “But are you happy?”

  It hadn’t escaped his notice that he’d told her he loved her and she never even acknowledged his declaration.

  She looked down at her lap where her hands twisted and clenched. “I’m content. I think happiness is a bit of a myth. I’m focusing on Cora and her well-being. That’s what matters to me now.”

  “Happiness is not a myth. It’s real. And I’ll ask you again. What do you want, Mia? If I hadn’t been such a jackass, what would have made you happy in Silver Glen?” She had never said she loved him, but she had hinted at it. Why wouldn’t she express that emotion now? Had he hurt her too badly for her to ever trust him again?

  “Please go, Dylan.” Her face was the color of skim milk.

  He scooted across the distance that separated them and sat beside her, hip to hip. “You’re wearing the bracelet I gave you.” He toyed with the book charm, his fingertips brushing the back of her hand.

  “It entertains the baby.”

  He ignored her ridiculous explanation. “I want to marry you, Mia.”

  He felt her body jerk, but she didn’t say a word. So he forged ahead doggedly. “I may as well spell it out, so you know where I stand. But keep in mind that all of this is subject to your approval...to your wants and needs.”

  Needing badly to connect with her, he took her hand in his, clasping her fingers and resting their linked hands on his thigh. She didn’t pull away. So maybe there was still hope. “My family has the means to build a research facility in Silver Glen. We could bring in top-notch scientists from all over the world. You could run the whole thing, or we could outfit a lab just for you and the projects that are important to you. I can hire a manager for the Silver Dollar so I’ll be free to keep Cora while you work. I’d like to adopt her if it’s okay with you.” He ran out of steam, his heart sinking to the soles of his feet. Mia had all the animation of a block of wood, not exactly the kind of response a man looks for when he proposes.

  Finally, when he began to feel foolish and depressed all at the same time, Mia stood up to pace. She paused on the far side of the room. “I appreciate your apology and your proposal...or all of your proposals,” she said quietly. “But I have to say no.”

  Was it possible for a man to feel his heart shatter?

  Swallowing the lump of regret and grief in his throat, he stood as well. “Why, Mia? Why do you have to say no?” In his bed and in his arms, he could have sworn that she felt something for him.

  She rubbed her temples with her fingertips, her posture defeated. “I’m pregnant, Dylan.”

  * * *

  Mia’s emotions were all over the map. When all the color leached from Dylan’s face, he slid down the wall, his butt thumping the ground. “How? Is it another man?”

  Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. “Now you are being stupid. Of course not. Do you remember that night when we made love half-asleep? Actually, it was toward morning. Neither of us thought to use protection.”

  She saw the moment when he remembered. Some expression crossed his face, one she couldn’t discern. “I don’t know what to say.” His words were raspy as if he could barely speak.

  “It isn’t your fault. We were both in that bed. And you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t intend to father any children. You’ll have access, of course, if you want it.”

  “If I want it?” He parroted the words, clearly in shock.

  “I know this is a lot to absorb, but your life won’t change. You don’t have to worry about anything. I can handle this.”

  He shook his head as if trying to dismiss the remnants of a bad dream. When he rose to his feet a second time, alarm skittered down her spine. His black scowl promised retribution. “Are you insane? Of course I want my child!”

  She refused to be frightened by his bluster. They had to clear this up once and for all. “But what if your son or da
ughter takes after you? What if your child has dyslexia? Or bad eyesight? Or a heart murmur? Or isn’t coordinated? What if he or she does poorly in school?”

  He put his hand over her mouth and drew her close. “You’ve made your point, Mia.” His lopsided smile broadened with dawning wonder. “My God, a baby.” He touched her flat belly with reverence. “We’re going to be parents. Cora will have a sibling.” He kissed her hard. A possessive mating of teeth and tongues and ragged breath that took the starch out of her knees.

  Mia’s eyes stung with tears when they separated, her throat tight. “I love you, Dylan, very much. But I have to be sure where you stand. You can’t kick us to the curb every time I get an award or receive recognition for my work. I have to know that our relationship is one of equals.”

  * * *

  He understood what she was saying. And he wasn’t foolish enough to think everything would be easy. But none of that was critical in the end. “I’m so proud of you, Mia. I’ll always be proud of you. But what matters to me now is far more important than your brain. I see the love in your heart. For Cora. For me. I want to be the man who makes you proud. Your friend. Your lover. Cora’s father. I love you, Mia. For always.”

  She searched his face with a gaze full of hesitant wonder. “You really mean it, don’t you? You understand.”

  “It’s taken me a while,” he said quietly. “But yes. I do.”

  She flung herself against him, her arms tightening around his neck in a stranglehold. “I adore you, Dylan Kavanagh.”

  Stroking her hair, he propped his chin on top of her head. “Pretty soon, word’s going to get out about us and it will be pretty clear that I’m the smart one for snapping you up.”

  “You’re such a flatterer. But I like it.”

  He pulled back and took her hands in his. “We’ll get married this weekend,” he said. “My family knows everyone in Silver Glen. We can do it at the hotel, or a church if you’d prefer. Zoe can help you find a dress....”

  Mia put a hand over his mouth. “This isn’t going to be easy for you, is it? Letting me make decisions?”

  He nipped her fingers with his teeth. “We’ll probably argue a lot. And have wild, incredible makeup sex. I love you, Mia, more than you’ll ever understand, even with that genius brain of yours.”

  He went still as she cupped his cheeks in her hands and searched his eyes for the truth. What she saw must have reassured her, because when she spoke, the words were confident and strong. “I want to spend time with our children before they start school. It’s important to me. But with what you’re suggesting about the lab, I can work from home, or utilize a flex schedule.”

  Dylan sobered. “Our children.” The reality was sinking in at last. He and Mia had built a family. The rush of exhilaration weakened his knees. “Then you will have your wish. And in that case...” He stepped back enough to take her hands.

  “Yes?”

  He paused, swallowing hard. “I’d like to go back to school and finish a degree. With your help.”

  * * *

  Mia hadn’t known she could love him any more. “Will you believe me when I say it doesn’t matter to me? I love you, Dylan Kavanagh. And I always will.”

  “Not for you,” he said quietly, his eyes alight with happiness. “For me. For Cora. And for this one.” He placed both of his hands on her stomach. “I have a feeling I’m going to have more than one genius on my hands, and I need to be able to keep up.”

  She laid her head against his chest, feeling the wonderfully steady beat of his heart. “You’re going to be a wonderful father.”

  “And lover,” he reminded helpfully.

  “That, too.”

  Dylan glanced around the small room that had been her hideout for long, miserable weeks. “I think we’re done here, Mia, my love. Let’s take Cora and go home. You’re both mine now. For keeps.”

  * * * * *

  If you liked Dylan’s story, pick up his brother Liam’s tale, both part of the KAVANAGHS OF SILVER GLEN from USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard!

  A NOT-SO-INNOCENT SEDUCTION

  Available now from Harlequin Desire!

  If you liked this Billionaires & Babies novel, watch for the next book in this #1 bestselling Desire series,

  THE SHEIKH’S SON

  by Kristi Gold, available July 2014.

  Keep reading for an excerpt from THE TEXAN’S FORBIDDEN FIANCEE by Sara Orwig.

  Ten years ago one devastating night changed everything for Austin, Hunter and Alex. Now they must each play their part in the revenge against the one man who ruined it all.

  Austin Treffen has the plan… Hunter has the money… Alex has the power!

  Read each of their stories in the captivating Fifth Avenue trilogy,

  only from Harlequin Presents:

  Avenge Me by Maisey Yates (June 2014)

  Scandalize Me by Caitlin Crews (July 2014)

  Expose Me by Kate Hewitt (August 2014)

  And don’t miss the Fifth Avenue prequel that started it all, Take Me, by Maisey Yates!

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  One

  In the small town of Verity, Texas, when the door to the Texas United Western Bank opened, Jake Calhoun’s breath whooshed out as if a fist slammed into his gut. Through the years he had imagined this moment, yet he had thought it would never take place. Now every vivid detail became etched in his memory.

  Across the street Madison Milan stepped into the September morning sunlight and glanced around. Sunshine glinted on her thick brown hair that was pulled back and tied with a red scarf. Dressed in jeans, a red shirt showing beneath her open denim jacket, with loafers on her feet, she answered a greeting of someone who passed her.

  The shock of finally seeing her rocked him. She was not a figment of his imagination. She was real, alive and only two hundred yards away. Anger surged in his bloodstream, swiftly replaced by desire, intense, hot and startling. Gone was the momentary jolt of finally facing her, replaced by scalding memories. How could he feel desire? The hurt had been so deep, and so long ago.

  The memories bombarded him, quick and relentless. She was the most fun female in the junior class, the prettiest football queen ever and had the best-looking legs of any Verity High cheerleader. But now that girl was gone. In her place stood a beautiful woman. Everyone who passed her on the street acknowledged her and she responded with a smile; some stopped to talk. He wondered if she had such a constant stream of people greeting her every time she came to town. Right now a tall, thin cowboy took his turn chatting with her and she smiled up at him.

  Jake’s emotions warred over the conflicts that rocked him. On the one hand, he wanted to take her family ranch from her and destroy her. After all, she was a Milan, as deceptive, deceitful and out for Calhoun blood as any other Milan in her family. At the same time, she was beautiful, sexy and the most desirable woman he had ever known.

  She had been only a girl when he had gotten the closest to her. They had met in high school and the attraction had been hot and instant. He’d been the quarterback of the football team and she’d been a cheerleader.

  His unwanted longing grew stronger, stirred by memories that made him weak in the knees. Memories of her soft lips and hot kisses, her silky hair that hung to her waist then, her laughter and boundless energy, her soft curves against him when they danced. The lightning flashes of memory continued to pound him: how they each fought the attraction because of the feud that raged between their families; their first
kiss; the first time they made love—the first for her ever. The recollections were so vivid they seemed recent instead of thirteen years ago. She had married the year she had graduated from college and the union had lasted two months. Since that time she had remained single—he knew that much about her—and it was long enough ago to be significant now.

  She was probably as competitive in business now as she had been years ago in sports.

  He brought himself back to the problem at hand. He wanted to talk to her, but he hadn’t figured on a steady stream of locals who paused to chat with her.

  From the background information his staff had put together he knew she usually drove a white four-door pickup to town. He’d spotted it two blocks farther west down Main Street in front of the grocery, and now he wondered if he should wait at the truck for her.

  When she turned to walk in that direction, he crossed the street, lengthened his stride until he was half a block behind her. She entered the hardware store and he followed her inside. In minutes he found her in front of the paint section. As he approached her, his pulse quickened.

  * * *

  Madison Milan selected tubes of paint for her next art project, searching for the perfect shade of burnt umber. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone moving along the aisle toward her. When she saw who it was, she froze. Her heart missed a beat and then thudded. Anger swept over her, an intense, scorching fury that shocked her because she had convinced herself she had gotten over the past. This was the drawback about moving to the ranch after her parents gave it to her. She had come every fall and late spring for the past three years, being careful to avoid Verity as much as possible just to avoid running into Jake. This was the moment she had hoped would never happen. At the same time, an unwanted streak of desire heightened her fury. She didn’t want to feel desire when she encountered Jake Calhoun.

  He had grown taller. His shoulders appeared broader. He had filled out and he was even more handsome. He wasn’t the nineteen-year-old boy she remembered.