The Last Marchetti Bachelor

by Teresa Southwick

  “Okay,” he agreed. “Care to enlighten me? How am I good?”

  “You really sidetracked me today. Not only did we not decide which one of us was leaving the cabin, I called my parents, but you did not call yours.”

  He grinned. He’d wondered if she would figure that out. “You’re right. I am good.”

  “So are you leaving? Or should I?”

  “Neither.” He rested his hands on her shoulders, moving his right thumb up so that he could caress the underside of her slender jaw. Her shiver at his touch filled him with male satisfaction. “That winding mountain road is dangerous at night. We’re adults. We can be trusted alone together.”

  “All evidence to the contrary,” she said, pressing her hands over her abdomen.

  “Curves can be dangerous,” he admitted. And he wasn’t talking about the road. “But if it will make you happy, I’ll go.”

  She sighed. “No. You’re right. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you.”

  “So you do care about me,” he said, carefully putting a teasing note in his voice to camouflage how very much her answer meant.

  “Of course. You’re the father of my child. We’re friends—”

  “Friends? I’m disappointed in you. You’re a lawyer. Words are your life. And that’s the best you can come up with to describe us? Sometimes actions speak louder—and more eloquently—than words.”

  He tunneled his fingers into her thick curls and let his thumb explore her full, trembling mouth. Just for a moment. When he couldn’t wait any longer, he bent his head and touched his lips to hers. Her small female moan of pleasure was like fuel to the sparks he’d created. Passion exploded into flame. Sliding his arm around her waist, he pulled her full against him. Her mouth, stiff at first, softened and yielded to him with only the slightest coaxing. She was incredibly delicate, so womanly, warm and willing that she stole the breath from his lungs.

  Without hesitation her hands moved up his chest to encircle his neck. He and Maddie were pressed together from chest to thigh, yet it wasn’t close enough. Luke lightly ran his tongue over the soft seam of her lips until she opened to him. He stroked the sweet interior, not satisfied until he felt her tremble with need and her shallow breathing matched his own. She felt small, fragile, vulnerable in his arms. This wisp of a woman brought out his protective instincts like no other. He wanted to keep her safe. He wanted her. Only her.

  “Maddie,” he whispered into her ear. “If we don’t stop, I think I’m going to carry you inside and have my way with you.”

  She pulled back and looked at him, eyes huge and beautiful. “Luke, we can’t.”

  “Why?”

  “We’ve been over it before. Please don’t make this difficult.”

  “It wouldn’t be—if you’d marry me.”

  “If only I—”

  From if only it was a hop, skip and a jump to yes. “So when are we going to set the date?” he asked.

  Chapter Ten

  Stunned, Madison backed away and stared up at him. She missed his warmth as the cool mountain air whistled past the cabin walls and caressed her hot cheeks. And hot was definitely the operative word—inside and out.

  One kiss. One touch of his mouth to hers and she’d been putty in his hands again. And she knew he knew it. Because this time he was using her feelings for him to get what he wanted. It felt so wonderful to be wanted—desired. Loved? That was going too far. But somehow he sensed the depth of her emotions, because he’d gone in for the kill at her most vulnerable moment.

  She took a deep breath. “You know, this just has to be said. You’ve got all the sensitivity of a charging rhino. How stupid do you think I am?”

  “You’re one of the brightest people I’ve ever met—male or female. Why?”

  “Because I can’t help wondering why in the world you would think I’d fall for this manipulation?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Get my motor running, then pop the question in a moment of—”

  “Passion?” he asked, one dark eyebrow rising.

  “Weakness,” she clarified.

  “First of all, I resent the insinuation that I would be that underhanded.” He ran his fingers through his hair. Was his hand shaking? “Second, I freely admit that women are beyond my sphere of expertise. But if your parents have no objection to a marriage, why do you? Why shouldn’t we set the date?”

  “One good reason is your assumption that just because they think it’s okay I do.”

  “Those are the two words I want to hear.”

  She shook her head. “You’re trying to steamroll me again.”

  “I know better than to try that with you, Maddie. It just seemed like a good idea to bring up the subject. Tell me that kiss didn’t turn you on, too, and we’ll drop this whole thing.”

  “It didn’t turn me on,” she said, raising her gaze as far as his shirt collar. Maybe he wouldn’t notice that she didn’t quite look him in the eyes. Maybe he wouldn’t guess that she was lying.

  “You’re lying,” he charged. “I suppose it was someone else who moaned that sexy little moan just a few minutes ago.”

  “I never,” she fibbed again.

  “Yeah, you did. And you’re breathing like you just finished a 10 K run.”

  She took a deep breath and slowly released it. “This is just another method of control,” she accused. “You’re trying to run the show.”

  “Do you blame me? You’ve been avoiding me for days.”

  “And for good reason, obviously.”

  “It’s not obvious to me,” he returned.

  “We’ve already gone through this, Luke. This is all about you and what you want.”

  “Tell me again, Maddie. I didn’t get it then. Maybe you can make me understand now.”

  “You’re angry with your parents for not being honest with you. This obsession to marry me is nothing more than the manifestation of your need to keep the upper hand. You’re determined to have control over this child. To do that you need to control the child’s mother. Which is the only reason that you’re so determined to marry me. And you’ll use my mother and my r-reaction to your kiss against me. To get what you want.”

  “That’s pretty harsh,” he said, eyes narrowed dangerously.

  “Really? As I see it, if you’re not in control, you cut people out of your life, people who love you.”

  Like me.

  The thought popped into her mind so unexpectedly she swayed slightly. If the railing hadn’t been behind her to steady her, the jolt would have knocked her flat. He hadn’t technically cut her out of his life, but only because she was the mother of his child. But he’d done everything except hire a private detective for surveillance to show that he didn’t trust her. That created emotional distance, which was the same as cutting her out of his life.

  Did she love him? Lord, she hoped not. But she had an awful feeling that all he had to do was say he loved her and she would follow him anywhere. And if he didn’t feel it, enough to say it on his own, then she didn’t want to hear it. She would never believe it.

  He stared at her. “All I want is for this child to never wonder about who his father is. The way I’ve had to wonder. I have questions that will never be answered.”

  “Your parents could help you with some of them if you’d give them a chance.”

  “Yeah. But they robbed me of the chance to meet the man.”

  “Get over it, Luke. No one goes through life without missing opportunities. Some we blow ourselves. Some are taken out of our hands. But if you walk away from a beautiful relationship with your family, I guarantee the day will come when you’ll kick yourself from here to kingdom come. You had the best possible male role model in Tom Marchetti. If you’re a good father to this child, you have him to thank. And so do I. But look how you repaid him. You turned your back on your mother and him.”

  “What does that have to do with marrying me?”

  “I can’t help wonde
ring if running away is your programmed response to disappointment. No one is perfect, Luke. If I don’t do what you want, or this child ever lets you down, are you going to turn away? Take back your love? Like you have from your parents? Because they aren’t perfect?”

  Or never give love in the first place? Like you have with me? she wondered.

  “That’s not fair, Maddie. You can’t compare what I’ve gone through with the ups and downs of parenting.”

  “You’re the one who keeps throwing the probability of patterns up to me. Look at your own behavior. Why shouldn’t I believe you would cut us out of your life if things don’t go your way?”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you’re going to keep my child from me?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing could be farther from the truth. I’m just trying to make you see why I can’t marry you. I know what it’s like when you’re not wanted. All my life I’ve struggled to win my parents’ love.”

  “That’s not what I saw earlier. Seems like you and your mom got along fine.”

  She shrugged. “I haven’t figured out what was up with her. Maybe it’s always been there and she didn’t know how to show it. Or maybe she’s been abducted by aliens and a beta unit left in her place.”

  “What’s your point?” he asked, fisting his hands on his hips.

  “Your parents showed you their love every chance they got. And the first time it’s tested, you take yours back.”

  “Even if you’re right, what’s that got to do with you and me and our baby?”

  “Whether or not my folks loved me is irrelevant, because I perceived that they didn’t. I know how much it hurts when you’re not loved. There’s no way I will sentence this baby to life with a parent who doesn’t love him.”

  Or his mother, she added silently.

  “Maddie, be reasonable.”

  She folded her arms over her chest, trying to control the shivering. It wasn’t the mountain air making her tremble. The cold she felt came clear from her soul. “I think I’m being eminently fair, logical, rational and prudent. There’s nothing more to say. Good night, Luke. I’ll be leaving first thing in the morning.”

  “Maddie, listen—”

  She went to the door, then glanced back at him. “I have listened, and there’s nothing you’ve said that changes my mind. I have a doctor’s appointment on Monday—1:00 p.m. You’re welcome to be there. If you want.”

  She went to the master bedroom and closed and locked the door. Then she lay on the bed and buried her face in the pillow so he wouldn’t hear her cry.

  All her life she’d been successful at everything she’d tried—except love. Being a failure at that hurt so much. She’d known it would. And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t tried to keep herself from falling for Luke. But she knew, the way a woman knows these things, that he was the only man for her. Why did he have to be a man who couldn’t love her back?

  They shared a child, a special little someone who would connect them for the rest of their lives. Somehow she had to find a way to keep him from knowing how very much it hurt that he couldn’t care.

  “So what brings you here, Son?” Tom Marchetti had just opened the front door and stood there, looking as if everything was normal.

  The only clue about the rift between them was that he hadn’t automatically stepped back, assuming Luke would come inside. He was six foot two, taller than Luke. His once-dark hair was now liberally laced with gray, but his brown eyes still gleamed with his trademark intelligence.

  Luke shifted from one foot to the other. “At the cabin, over the weekend, Maddie and I—”

  “You two went to the mountains?”

  “Rosie set us up.”

  “Ah” was the only response from the older man.

  “Anyway, I made a deal with Maddie. We both agreed to call our folks.” He shrugged. “She followed through and I didn’t. So here I am.”

  “It’s good to see you, Son.” Tom opened the door wider. “Come on into the kitchen. Your mother is busy, but you look like you could use a decent meal.”

  “That’s Ma’s line.”

  “So it is. I learned from the best.”

  They walked into the kitchen where more than once Luke had talked over a problem or two or ten with this man. Never knowing that they weren’t connected by blood.

  Luke pulled out one of the ladderback oak chairs, but he was too keyed-up to sit. It was time to get this all out in the open. “So you think Ma is the best? Even after what she did to you?”

  “And what is it you think she did to me?”

  “You took her back after she betrayed you with another man. My father,” he added.

  “I’m a selfish man, Luke.” Tom cut a piece of chocolate cake and poured a glass of milk and set both in front of him.

  “Selfish?” That didn’t compute with the man he knew. “What do you mean?”

  “I won’t lie to you. I was angry about what your mother did. I left.” He stood on the other side of the table and met his gaze. “I even tried to stop loving Flo.”

  “What happened?”

  “The love wouldn’t stop. And that’s where the selfish part comes in. I wanted her in my life any way I could get her.”

  “That makes you weak, not selfish,” he said.

  Tom thought that over for a few moments. Then he nodded. “You’re probably right. Without Flo I felt like a part of myself was missing. The light went out of my life. Everything I’d worked so hard for, and jeopardized my marriage for, didn’t mean anything without her. If that makes me weak, then I’m guilty as charged.”

  “So that’s why you took her back after she betrayed you?”

  “She made a mistake. But so did I. I forgot that relationships take work. It takes two to make or break a marriage. I assume half the blame as well as half the rewards. I didn’t just take her back, I begged her not to leave me.”

  Stunned, Luke sat down, leaving the cake and milk still untouched. “Did you know she was carrying another man’s child at the time?”

  He nodded. “She was up-front and honest. At first she refused to reconcile because of it. And I could have let that come between us. But it would have meant giving up your mother. That was something I couldn’t do.” He looked down at his clasped hands for a moment. “The choices we make shape our lives. I chose to be a father to you. There are decisions I’ve made that I do regret, but not that one. I love you. And I won’t qualify it by saying as if you were my own son. You are my son.”

  Luke was humbled by the sincerity he saw in his father’s face. Would he ever have Tom Marchetti’s strength? Was it enough to grow up under his steady, guiding hand?

  Tom walked over to the kitchen cupboards, opening each until he found what he wanted. He reached up and took out the mended crystal bowl that was always on the Thanksgiving dinner table.

  He brought it over to Luke and handed it to him. “The five of you have always wondered about this. To Flo and me it’s a symbol of what we almost lost. I broke it when I found out about you. I left the same day. She saved the pieces because it was my mother’s. When I came to my senses, Flo and I patched it up and put it back together. We did the same to our life. When we need a reminder, out comes the bowl.”

  Before Maddie, Luke wouldn’t have understood feelings that strong. He did now. Because of Maddie. Was it love? He’d doubted for so long that it would happen to him, he wasn’t sure he would recognize it if it waltzed up and kissed him full on the mouth. He envied the depth of feeling that had brought Flo and Tom Marchetti through trial by fire. Their love had withstood the test and come out stronger.

  But he still couldn’t reconcile why they had kept him in the dark about his biological father. If Brad Stephenson hadn’t left a will, Luke wouldn’t know about him even now. There had been clues, but he’d had no reason to doubt his parentage. Did he wish to go back? To have never known? But he did know, and he had questions.

  “Why didn’t you and Mom tell me?” he said, tapping his c
hest. “Didn’t it occur to you that I might want to know?”

  “We discussed the situation—your father, Flo and me. Sometimes saying nothing is the best course of action.”

  “It’s a lie of omission.”

  “Technically, yes. But it seemed best to raise you in a large, loving family. Kids want to fit in. A situation like that would have set you apart, caused problems that were unnecessary. Did I treat you any differently from your brothers or sister? Did you suspect that you were special?”

  Luke smiled at the word. “I never guessed.”

  Tom nodded with satisfaction. “Then I’m damn proud of the job I did,” he said.

  Luke suddenly got it. The fact that he’d never guessed the secret was a testament to Tom Marchetti’s strength and decency. And a profound measure of his love.

  He got up, rounded the table and hugged his father. “You’re the best man I’ve ever met.”

  “I wish you’d had a chance to meet Brad. He was a good man.”

  “You’re not angry with him?” Luke asked, amazed.

  Again he tried to imagine what it would feel like. He hadn’t raised a child yet, but his feelings of protectiveness grew stronger every day. If anyone shook up his child’s life the way his own had been, he would want satisfaction.

  Tom shrugged. “I was at first. But I can’t blame him for facing his mortality and not wanting to leave this earth without you knowing about him. The fact that he didn’t say anything all these years shows how much he loved you.”

  Luke nodded. “I guess I’m lucky.”

  “I guess you are,” said a female voice.

  He looked past his father and saw his mother standing in the doorway. “Hi, Ma,” he said. “You’re finished being busy.”

  She nodded. “You and your father have had enough time to talk.”