by Anne Rainey
“Shhh, calm yourself, sweetheart,” he murmured. “You took me by surprise, but we can deal with this together. It’s going to be okay.” She nodded and buried her head into his T-shirt. “Jesus, Catherine, I missed you something awful.”
Dean could feel her relaxing against him, and his hopes soared. “I missed you too,” she admitted in a quiet voice.
He began massaging her back and whispered, “Can you ever forgive me for what I did?”
Her head came up, and once more her expressive eyes were holding him captive. She seemed to be debating whether to bolt or stay. Finally, she said, “I came back because . . . because I love you, Dean.”
The words had Dean wanting to howl at the moon. His hands shook as he cupped her face in his palms and whispered, “I love you too. So much I’ve been going slowly crazy without you.”
Dean lifted her into his arms and carried her to his chair. He sat with her in his lap and said, “The way I see it there’s only one way to handle this.”
Catherine went rigid in his arms. She lifted up and glared at him. “If you’re suggesting we get rid of the baby, forget it. It’s not an option, Dean.”
Dean flinched, his jaw going rigid with anger. “There is no way on earth I would kill my own child. Don’t ever insult me like that again.”
Catherine blinked rapidly and bit her lip. “God, I’m sorry.” She clenched her eyes closed tight. “Of course you would never suggest that. I’m so sorry.”
Dean forced himself to remain calm. She was on edge and jumpy. She’d come back to him, and he knew how much courage that had taken for her. Even with all he’d put her through, she’d come back to him.
“I’ve been screwing things up from the beginning, Catherine,” he admitted. “But when you left it broke me. I gave you time to think because I didn’t want to rush you. But you should know that I booked a flight out to Atlanta. I was going to be leaving tomorrow morning. I was determined to make you listen. One way or the other.”
“You should’ve told me about the investigation from the moment you went to Jonas.”
He winced at the reminder. “I know, I fucked up. Never again, Catherine.” When she sat silently in his lap, waiting for him to continue, Dean poured out the rest of it. “When Linda cheated on me I thought nothing could feel worse. I’d bought the woman a ring and the whole time she had another man on the side.” Her gaze softened, but before she could say anything, Dean took her face in his palms and said, “When you went back to Georgia I knew the truth. You’re the woman my heart belongs to. You’re the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, sweetheart.”
Tears filled her eyes, and Dean couldn’t tell if they were the good kind or not. “Are you saying you want to marry me?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. I want to call you mine. I want the world to know you’re taken and that our child is loved and cherished.”
“Dean, I don’t know what to say.”
“Say you love me. Say yes, sweetheart,” he growled. Dean kissed her forehead, her cheek, then finally their lips met. He let out a sigh of relief when she melted against him and wound her arms around his neck. Dean lifted an inch and whispered, “Only you, Catherine. It was only ever you. From the time I saw your picture you stole my heart, sweets.”
“Yes, Dean. Oh, God, I love you so much and I have so much to tell you. I—”
He cut her off with a kiss, then eased her away. “You’re here, that’s all that matters now. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t work. All I could think about was you. Then I took the pregnancy tests and I was so scared.”
“Scared?”
“I was afraid I’d waited too long. I was afraid you wouldn’t want me.” She placed her hand over her abdomen and whispered, “I was terrified you wouldn’t want us.”
“Ah, sweetheart, how could you ever think that? You’re my world. Don’t you know that?”
“It’s still so convoluted though. I mean, with my parents’ estate to deal with and my life in Georgia.”
“As long as we’re together I don’t care where we live.”
Catherine smiled and covered his mouth with hers. Dean had never tasted anything sweeter. “You know, I think I’d like to live closer to Gracie. And your mom and sister were very kind to me when I had the chance to visit with them the last time.”
He rolled his eyes. “They both love you to pieces. They’ve been browbeating me for being such an ass to you.”
“I think . . . I think it would be nice if our baby lived closer to her grandmom, don’t you?”
Dean noticed that she’d referred to their baby as a girl, but he didn’t think Catherine even realized it. He pictured a little red-haired imp, and he grinned. “Yeah, Mom will love it and we’d sure as hell never want for a babysitter.” His gaze narrowed as he thought of all she’d be leaving behind in Georgia. “What about your life in Atlanta? Your friend Mary and your parents’ home? Won’t you miss all that?”
Catherine bit her lip and looked at his shirt. As she picked at a loose thread she said, “I would miss Mary, for sure, but my home is with you and the baby, Dean.” Her gaze came back to his. “And Mary and I can still keep in touch through visits and the Internet. It’s not as if I’d be living halfway across the country.”
“What about your job though?” he asked, unwilling to let her make a rash decision that she might later regret.
“Dean, the baby’s entire family is here in Ohio. I want her to be close to them.” She shrugged. “My business is portable. That’s the beauty of being a website designer.”
“You need to be sure, sweetheart.”
“I am,” she said in a firm voice. “Besides, I was sort of thinking it’d be nice to cut back on the web work and be a mother for a while.”
Dean groaned. “I love the idea of you barefoot and pregnant. Hell, careers can come later.”
She laughed. “Don’t go all caveman on me, Dean. I didn’t say I was going to give up working all together. Just take a break.”
He wagged his eyebrows at her. “Unless I keep you knocked up.”
She laughed and slapped him on the chest. “Now that we’ve settled that, how soon can you leave here today?” She got off his lap and stood in front of him. “I want to tell Gracie the good news.”
Dean got to his feet and tugged her until she was pressed up against him. He kissed the top of her head and murmured, “We’ll leave now, but we’re going to have to make a stop first.”
She pulled back and stared up at him. “Oh, where to?”
“My house.” He stopped and corrected himself. “Our house, I mean.” He cupped her bottom and squeezed. “We need to seal the deal, don’t you think?”
“Oh, yes, definitely,” she said in a breathless voice.
As Dean stood there staring down at her, he felt like the luckiest man alive. It definitely didn’t get any better than this.
Epilogue
Eight months later . . .
Dean grabbed the man by the shirt and yanked him off his feet. “She wants juice. If you have to tear apart the entire hospital, she will get juice!”
Catherine shook her head, exasperated. “Stop assaulting the poor man, Dean. I don’t have to have juice. Really, it’s okay.”
He dropped the man, and Catherine watched as the poor orderly hurried out of the room. Dean’s dark brown gaze swung back to her and her heart did a little flip. He was so handsome when he did the manly, protective thing. Would she ever get tired of looking at him? She doubted it. He was too good looking for his own good.
Catherine tried to sit up, but her back was still hurting so she gave up and lay back down. Lordy, who would have thought that having a baby could be so monumentally painful? And why did women feel the need to do it more than once? Just the thought of going through that again had her cringing. Then again, she wouldn’t change a thing. Her baby was gorgeous. Perfect. She already had a head full of da
rk hair, just like her father. The Harrison genes had shone through loud and clear.
“Dean, we need to talk.”
He strode to the bed, grasped her hand, and began to massage his thumb over the back of it. “Are you in pain? Do you want the doctor, sweetheart?”
She shook her head. “Nothing like that. But our conversation before all this happened, we need to finish it.”
“Are you sure you’re up to it?”
She nodded. “We need to decide on a name for our little girl.”
He sat next to her on the bed and brought her hand to his lips, then proceeded to kiss each fingertip, before replying, “I thought you wanted to name her after your mom.”
“I do. It’s a good name, but I think we should include your mom too.”
“I think that’s a good idea. Audrey Jean Harrison. I like it.”
She smiled. “Do you think she’ll eventually shorten it to AJ?”
He shrugged. “If she does I don’t see a problem with it.”
She smiled. “You’re going to spoil her rotten, aren’t you?”
“Bet on it, sweetheart,” he growled. “I love you with all my heart, Catherine, and I plan to spoil the both of you.”
Her heart swelled with love. “I wish my mama could’ve been here to see this. She would’ve been so happy.”
He frowned and stroked her hair away from her face. “I think that she’s watching you right now. I bet she’s grinning from ear to ear too. And my mom will be here soon. She just got caught in traffic.”
“I’m glad. I’m going to want to pick her brain about raising children.” Catherine recalled that horrible moment when she’d seen the proof about her biological father. “As much as it makes me sick to know who my real father was, I’m glad I know. I’m glad there aren’t any more secrets.”
Dean leaned down, placing both hands beside her body, caging her in. “No more secrets, Catherine. Never again.”
She nodded. “I love you so much.”
His lips brushed hers, gently, sweetly, then he raised up an inch and groaned, “It’s a good thing, because the feeling is mutual.” His deep voice slid over her skin like velvet. “You belong to me, sweetheart. The baby and I are your present and future.”
“Yes,” she agreed breathlessly.
Dean pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with predatory heat. He was hard and demanding. She gave him access to her mouth and he swooped in, scouring and drinking in her moans of pleasure. When he lifted, they were both panting and out of breath.
“Without you I felt lost, Catherine. I’m so sorry for not trusting you. I’m sorry for not believing in you.”
“I know, and it’s in the past,” she rushed to reassure him. “Besides, we both made mistakes, Dean.”
Dean nodded, then stood back up. “Shall I go find out if our daughter is ready to be fed?”
Because their baby was a preemie, she had to stay in an incubator for a few days for observation, though the nurses had all said she was a healthy girl and had the lungs to prove it. “Yes, my breasts are beginning to ache.”
His gaze shot to her swollen chest. “You are beautiful when you feed my daughter, Catherine.”
She felt like a great big whale, but Dean’s praise always made her feel beautiful. “Go, before you start something you can’t possibly finish.”
“Oh, I can finish all right,” he huskily whispered. “We’d just have to be a little creative since I can’t penetrate you for the next six weeks.”
She frowned. “How do you know how long?”
“I asked the doctor about it.” He grinned, totally unrepentant. “He said you need to wait until your six-week checkup. He needs to be sure you are healed properly.”
Her cheeks heated as she imagined that intimate conversation. “I can’t believe you asked him about that.”
“I look forward to inventing interesting things for us to do until then, sweetheart,” he murmured just before he turned and left the room.
She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled over. The man was insatiable. As the door closed behind him, the phone rang. Catherine smiled, wondering if it was Mary. “Hello?”
“Uh, guess where I am.”
“Gracie? What’s going on?”
Her sister laughed. “I’m in the hospital, not too far down the hall from you actually.”
“Oh no, is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine, but the baby is insisting on being born.”
Catherine nearly dropped the phone. “You’re kidding me!”
Gracie laughed, but Catherine could tell it was strained. “Nope. The contractions started about an hour ago. It seems our babies were determined to have the same birthday. Is that something or what?”
Catherine grinned, happier than she’d ever thought possible. “I’m so glad, sis. I love you.”
“I love you too, but I need to go before I scream in your ear.” There was some rustling and then, “Hey, Wade wants to talk to Dean. Is he there?”
Dean came back into the room then, carrying a tiny bundle in his powerful arms, his face awash with pleasure. Catherine felt tears of happiness spring to her eyes. When he saw her, he frowned. “Is everything okay?”
“Better than okay,” she whispered, then she handed the phone to him. “Your brother has some news for you.”
Dean gave her the baby, then sat on the edge of the bed, watching her every move. Catherine pulled the flap of her gown down and began nursing their very hungry little girl. Dean’s eyes darkened and his free hand came up to cup her other breast in his hand, as if needing to take part in the experience. She knew the instant Wade delivered the happy news. Dean’s lips curved.
Catherine couldn’t imagine how she ever could’ve considered living without Dean. He was the best sort of man. Strong, yet gentle. Kind and loyal and every bit as devoted to her and the baby as she was to him.
She knew her life with the hardheaded man wouldn’t always be an easy road, but even their arguments were fraught with heat and passion. It was more than she’d ever dreamed of having.
Apparently taking a walk on the wild side all those months ago hadn’t been such a bad decision after all.
Dean stood tall and proud under the rose-covered arbor, love welling inside his chest as he watched his sweet Catherine walk toward him. Her pale yellow dress set off her straight red hair beautifully. He was a lucky man.
Audrey, their baby, clutched tightly to her very proud grandmom. Hell, between Deanna, Gracie, and his mom, the little squirt couldn’t make a peep without someone running to her aid. He was the worst of the lot, he admitted to himself with a proud grin.
Catherine had long since sold her parents’ home, and they’d been married going on six months. Still, his mother hadn’t been thrilled about the quickie wedding and had eventually talked them into a small summer ceremony in the backyard of the home he’d grown up in.
Dean was glad he’d held firm about having a small outside affair, at least, as it was only their close family in attendance. Gracie sat with her squirmy baby boy, Jacob, held protectively in her arms, with Wade close by her side. Deanna and Jonas sat next to his mom and her friend, Mac. Dean and Wade hadn’t been crazy about the man at first, but he treated his mom well and that was all that mattered to them. He looked at them all with pride as they watched on, pleased grins on their faces.
Yes, he’d definitely made the right decision when he’d insisted on a small gathering. It would make it so much easier for him to sneak off with Catherine later.
His wife fairly bloomed beneath the summer sun. Her hips swayed as she walked toward him, driving him wild with thoughts of what he’d be able to do to her once he had her alone.
As she reached him, Dean held out his hands and a jolt of possessiveness shot through him when she placed her own delicate hands in his with trust and love shining in her eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered, never tiring of saying those three little words.
“I love you,
” she said, tears of joy shining in her eyes.
No doubt, Dean had made many mistakes in his life, but marrying Catherine was definitely one of the smartest moves he’d ever made. And he intended to spend the rest of his life proving to her that she’d been right to accept his proposal.
Their life had only just begun.
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1
1826, London, England
“Are you all right, ma’am? May I help you?”
Lady Lucinda Haymore flinched as the tall soldier came toward her, his hand outstretched and his voice full of concern. She clutched the torn muslin of her bodice against her bosom, and wondered desperately how much he could see of her in the dark shadows of the garden.
“I’m fine, sir, please . . .” She struggled to force any more words out and stared blindly at the elaborate gold buttons of his dress uniform. “I’m afraid I slipped and fell on the steps and have ripped my gown.”
He paused, and she realized that he had positioned his body to shield her from the bright lights of the house and the other guests at the ball.
“If you do not require my help, may I fetch someone for you, then?”
His question was softly spoken as if he feared she might flee.
“Could you find Miss Emily Ross for me?”
“Indeed I can. I have a slight acquaintance with her.” He hesitated. “But first, may I suggest you sit down? You look as if you might swoon.”
Even as he spoke, the ground tilted alarmingly, and Lucinda started to sway. Before her knees gave way, the soldier caught her by the elbows and deftly maneuvered her backward to a stone bench framed by climbing roses. Even as she shrank from his direct gaze, she managed to get a fleeting impression of his face. His eyes were deep set and a very light gray, his cheekbones impossibly high, and his hair quite white, despite his apparent youth.
