by Raye Morgan
“There must be some mistake.” She took the form again and studied it. The date was just two days old. “Funny,” she murmured, but she quickly showed them to the elevator and sent them to the correct floor.
Something very strange was going on. Could it be…?
Turning, she hurried back to her office and rushed right through to Kane’s. He was on the telephone, but she didn’t wait.
“What’s happening with the day-care center?” she demanded.
He hesitated, then told the party on the other end of the conversation he would get back to him, and hung up the phone, watching her the whole time.
“What is going on?” she said again.
He leaned back in his chair and gave her a slow grin like she hadn’t seen in weeks. “What’s put this bee in your bonnet?” he asked her, one eyebrow raised.
“Will you tell me?” she cried, frustrated. “I thought there were problems. Insurmountable problems.”
“Sure there are problems. There are always problems.”
“But…”
He rose from his chair, his eyes sparkling with amusement at her agitation. “Did you really think I was going to let them take the day-care center away from us?” he asked as he came toward her. “Did you think I would let all my employees down?”
She stared at him. “But your business…you could lose it. At least, that’s what they were saying….”
“If anyone tries to close us down, we’ll fight it,” he said simply, smiling down at her. “Listen, I didn’t get where I am by running from challenges. When something is important to me, I’ll take my chances.”
He was going to keep the day-care center! He was going to fight for it. He was a hero! He’d never looked more handsome than he did to her at that very moment.
“Oh Kane!” She threw her arms around his neck.
“Hey,” he said, teasing her. “Watch the suit.”
But his arms came around her and he looked down at her soft mouth and the two of them came together as though something stronger than they could fight was pulling them. His mouth on hers was hot as a summer sun, intoxicating as a shot of brandy. She opened to him as though she’d been waiting for him all her life, and right now, she just about felt as though she had been. She needed him so badly, needed his kiss, needed his strength. His hard body was paradise and she melted against him like a supplicant at the gates.
Her fingers sank into his thick hair, pulling him even harder against her, and his hands slid down and took possession of her bottom, tucking her into the hard hunger of his hips. Her senses swam in a river of sweet desire and she moaned low in her throat, devouring his mouth with her own. If he’d have her, she would take him right there, wrap her lonely body around him and surrender to his claim.
She was his. Didn’t he know that?
Voices in the hall finally penetrated the sensual fog they were enveloped in and they pulled reluctantly apart. In another moment, people filled the office, laughing and talking and presenting some sort of problem to Kane. Maggie didn’t stick around to find out what it was. She slipped out and went to her desk, holding close the knowledge that Kane wanted her. At least there was that.
Chapter Ten
And still it took Maggie a couple of weeks to come to her senses. Thinking back on it later, she blamed it on being pregnant.
“All those crazy hormones were messing up my thinking,” she would tell herself. But once her thinking did clear, she knew exactly what she had to do.
She knew she couldn’t let events overtake her again. She was beginning to think there must be something in her that brought this controlling impulse out in men. But she knew she couldn’t let herself be treated as a cipher. She had never been able to stand up to her father, or to her first husband. But she was a different woman now. And she would stand up for herself if it killed her.
That evening she joined Kane as he read the newspaper on the terrace. It was a warm evening and a breeze was blowing. They sat in silence watching the sun’s last reflections in the windows of the surrounding high-rise buildings.
Maggie closed her eyes and tried to gather strength. She knew what she was risking by confronting him. He might just shrug his shoulders and tell her to take a hike. And then it would all be over.
But she had to do this. She couldn’t live in fear. She’d done that too often in her life.
“Kane,” she said at last, turning toward him. “I want to break our contract.”
He looked at her over the newspaper he was reading. “What are you talking about?”
“I’ve already broken the terms of our agreement. The entire issue is null and void for all practical purposes. Things have changed between us.”
His face darkened. “Nothing’s changed.”
“Yes it has.” She lifted her chin. “We agreed to a loveless marriage, and I’ve broken my word. I’ve…I’ve fallen in love with you.”
The words had seemed impossible to say, and she’d been worried that she wouldn’t be able to get them out. But now that she had, she felt a flood of relief. It was out in the open. She’d done it.
But he wasn’t saying anything. He was staring at her as though she were a ghost. If only he would kiss her. If only he would smile and tell her that he loved her, too. But as the seconds ticked by, she realized that wasn’t going to happen.
“So you see,” she told him bravely, her voice wavering only slightly. “We’re going to have to start over.”
“Maggie we’ve talked about this,” he said at last, his face expressionless. “We both agreed it would be best if we kept emotions out of it.”
“Easy to say. Hard to do.”
“Yes.” He stared into her eyes for a moment, then frowned and shook his head. He knew what she wanted from him but he couldn’t do it. Even if he wanted to, he just couldn’t. Still, he wanted to do something to show her how he felt about her. Maybe he couldn’t do what she was asking for, but there were other ways to manifest his affection.
“Look, I know what.” He put the newspaper down. “I meant to do this before, but I got so tied up with business. I’m going to open a couple of credit cards in your name—”
Her head went back and she gasped. “What? You think I want your money?” She could hardly believe he could be such a bad judge of her character. “I’m not Crystal, Kane. You can’t buy me off.”
He looked at her in surprise, then realized he should have known better. What was he thinking? “Maggie, wait. I didn’t mean—”
“Do you think this is just a way to manipulate more money out of you?” she demanded, bewildered and hurt. “Do you really think I just want to pressure you to give me things?” She swallowed hard and her hands formed fists at her sides.
“Well, guess what,” she said quietly. “Funny, but you’re right. That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Her jaw set, she glared at him again. “But Kane, what I want out of you is not your damn bank book. What I want is your heart.”
She didn’t wait this time. She could already see his answer in his eyes.
“I love you, Kane, and if you don’t love me back, it’s over. I can’t live like this. I’ll go as soon as the baby is born. I’ll stay nearby so that you can be a father to our baby. But I won’t live under your roof if you don’t love me.”
She rose and turned to go. At the sliding glass door, she paused, closing her eyes and praying he would call her back. But he didn’t say anything, and she went on to her bedroom.
Kane watched her go, his heart like lead in his chest. He felt paralyzed. He couldn’t speak. A strange detachment held him, as though he were watching a movie he’d seen before. A part of him wanted to reach out for her, to tell her how he felt about her. But he couldn’t do it. He sat where he was, as cold and useless as a stone.
On the whole, things were moving along apace. She and Kane were on friendly footing, as though nothing had ever happened. Maggie’s friends at work were planning a baby shower for her. She’d called and made arrangements to
begin natural childbirth classes in a few days. Though it was hard to believe eight weeks had passed since their wedding. She was seven and a half months pregnant. It wouldn’t be long now.
The baby was kicking all the time, making her laugh, making her gasp. Sometimes she felt as though he already had a personality, and she found herself crooning little sayings to him when no one was listening. She and Kane had chosen a bedroom for the baby and decorated it with stuffed animals and a mural of a happy-go-lucky bunch of circus animals. On the surface, to the casual onlooker, everything would seem to be going very well.
It had been a weird day for April. Spring was breaking out all over, and yet she’d gone through the motions of her work feeling as though she had a little black cloud tagging along above her head. Something just felt out of whack. Deep inside she had some sort of apprehension brewing and she didn’t know why.
“Here, have a pickle,” CeCe offered as she came into the break room that afternoon where many of her friends were gathered for a late snack.
Maggie looked at it and blanched. “No thanks.”
“No? I thought pregnant women always loved pickles.”
“Not this pregnant woman.” She felt slightly sick in a way she hadn’t felt since the first few months of her pregnancy. With a shudder, she left the break room and took a short walk around the floor, trying to find some way to start feeling better.
And then the queasy feeling began to change into a crampy sensation, and a tiny, growing sliver of fear began to flit around the edges of her mind. Somehow it wasn’t that much of a surprise when she went into the bathroom and saw the blood.
Sharon had come in behind her and was fixing her hair at the mirror. “Have you heard about plans for the grand opening of the day-care center?” she was asking. “I hear there will be food and balloons and clowns for the kids. It will be so much fun.”
“Sharon,” Maggie said, coming out and leaning against the sink, feeling faint. “Please get Kane. I think something’s wrong.”
Sharon gasped. “Ohmigod. Oh, Maggie, are you okay? I’ll get him. Wait here!”
“Please hurry,” Maggie said urgently, sinking to sit on the lounge couch and doubling over with pain.
And then everything became very confused. There were sirens and Kane’s voice, but she wasn’t sure where she was or what was happening.
The next time her mind became clear, she knew right away she was in a hospital bed. There were tubes connected here and there, to her hand and to a band around her waist and monitors were making strange noises. The first thing she did was reach down to press her free hand to her stomach. Yes, her baby was still there. Relief flooded her and tears welled in her eyes.
And suddenly Kane was bending over her. He looked strained and worried. She smiled up at him, wanting to tell him not to worry, but how could she when she had no idea what was going on? Something felt very wrong and her smile slipped away.
“Maggie, they are doing everything they can to try to keep the baby in where he belongs as long as possible. But don’t worry about him. His vital signs are fine.”
She nodded and closed her eyes and went back to sleep again. It seemed safer to stay in dreamland for a while.
Kane sank back into the chair drawn right up next to her bed, rubbing his hand against his unshaven chin. This had been his home for the last twenty-four hours, and he wasn’t leaving until everything was all right. And it had to be all right. It had to be.
Maggie woke up again. She’d been sleeping so much lately she wasn’t sure what day it was. She heard people talking. They were saying something about danger to the baby, but she kept drifting off again before she could pin it down. Then she heard Kane talking to Jill and she opened her eyes and smiled at them both.
“Hi,” she said. “How’s the baby doing?”
“Fine,” Kane told her, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. “How are you?”
She was going to fall asleep again. She could feel it coming. But she wanted to tell him something before she slipped away. She’d been dreaming about it and she wanted to make sure he knew.
“Kane,” she said, clinging to his hand. “I know you’ll never love me, but I want you to know, no matter what happens, you will always have your baby. I will never try to take him away from you in any way. I promise you that.”
He leaned close and kissed her and her eyes closed. Straightening, he looked at his sister-in-law. “Where the hell did she get the idea that I would never love her?” he demanded, his dark eyes tortured.
Jill shrugged and gave him a fake smile. “I don’t know. Maybe when you started treating her like the cleaning lady instead of your wife.”
He scowled. “That’s ridiculous.”
Jill sighed. “Kane, wake up. You’re a very smart man but you must be blind. Why can’t you see that the very things you’re doing to protect yourself from being hurt are guaranteeing that that very hurt will be inevitable?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.” Reaching up, she kissed his cheek. “And I have faith that you’re going to do something about it. Right away.” She turned to go. “See you tomorrow. Give me a call if anything happens.”
He nodded glumly, sitting back down in the chair and staring at Maggie. Jill was annoying as hell, but she was so often right about things. If he was honest with himself he’d have to admit he’d been so busy protecting himself against the chance that Maggie might leave him that he’d set up the circumstances to push her into doing exactly that. What kind of an idiot was he, anyway?
Reaching out, he smoothed a strand of hair back off Maggie’s perfect forehead. And his heart swelled with love.
Maggie woke up and looked around the room. A nurse was bustling in with a tray.
“Awake? Wonderful. Just in time for your lunch.”
Maggie frowned, wondering how she was going to eat anything, then noticed that the nurse hadn’t meant it literally. She was busy attaching a new glucose drip to the IV that was stuck in Maggie’s hand.
“Yummy,” she murmured, trying to smile.
“That’s what we like, patients with a sense of humor,” the nurse told her with a laugh. Then she stopped beside the bed. “I have to tell you, honey, the whole floor is talking about that husband of yours. Talk about devotion. He lives in that chair.” She gestured toward it with her head. “He hardly ever takes his eyes off you.”
As though on cue, Kane appeared in the doorway.
“And here he is now,” the nurse said, giving Maggie a wink and moving on.
“Maggie.” He came to her and bent, and she lifted her lips for his kiss. “Oh Maggie, I wish you didn’t have to go through all this.”
“It will all be worth it if the baby comes through okay,” she said.
He hesitated. “Maggie, are you awake enough to understand if I explain what they’re planning to do?”
She nodded, suddenly anxious.
“They are going to have to take the baby in the morning. Your system just won’t calm down and get back to normal.”
She fretted. “It’s too soon.”
He nodded. “I know. But it can’t be helped. There’s too much danger in waiting any longer.” He drew her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, his dark eyes holding hers. “Maggie, we’ll be okay. We’re in this together.”
“But if he dies….”
His fingers tightened around hers. “Maggie, we’ll still have each other. We can have another baby.” He kissed her fingers again and went on, his voice husky with emotion. “But there will never be another you. I need you to make it. You promise me.”
She felt as though she were in a dream. She tried to focus but she was so sleepy. “Tomorrow?” she said.
“Yes. In the morning.”
“We haven’t decided on a name,” she said groggily, fighting to stay awake a few more minutes.
“What would you like to name him?”
She thought for a moment, then remember
ed something she’d been planning before all this happened. “What was your father’s name?”
“My father’s name?” He looked surprised. “Benjamin.”
She smiled. “Benjamin it is.” And then she was asleep.
He stared down at her. What on earth had made her say that? She couldn’t have said anything more perfect. Benjamin. His father’s name. Somehow that closed a circle for him and his heart was lighter than it had been for days.
God, but she was good. How could he not love her?
He was so nervous the next morning, he was jumpy as a cat. Maggie was being prepped for surgery and he had to stay out of her room while they were going through the preparations. He stood outside the door, scowling, until the nurse told him he could go back in.
“They say I’m going back to sleep again,” she told him sleepily. “All I do is sleep in this place.”
“This time we’ll have a baby when you wake up,” he told her, taking her hand in his.
She nodded, looking pleased.
He looked down into her beloved face and the truth came pouring out. “Maggie,” he said, his voice choked. “Maggie, I love you.”
“Do you mean that?” She squinted at him. “You’re not just saying that because the doctor told you to say it so I’d be in a better frame of mind for my surgery?”
He groaned. “Maggie, no one could get me to say I love you if I didn’t mean it.” He gathered her into his arms and held her tenderly. “I love you. And for some stupid reason I haven’t been able to tell you or show you.” She felt so small, so frail in his embrace. Could she survive this? If he lost her….
Suddenly he could say the things he’d wanted to say to her. Suddenly it was as though a floodgate had been released.
“Maggie, I love you more than life itself,” he told her urgently. “If anything were to happen to you, I think I’d die.”
“You won’t die.” She smiled. “But I might just die of happiness.”
“You’re going to have to leave the room, Mr. Haley.” The nurse was very stern. “It’s time.”
