“Mr. Adkins, there have been three objections to the wedding proceeding,” the cleric explained. “I’m not sure what we should do, but I don’t think the wedding should continue without discovering the reason for these interruptions.”
“Caroline?” James demanded.
“I can’t marry him, Daddy,” she said, tears in her eyes. “He’s not the father of my baby.”
“You don’t have proof of that,” Adrian reminded her harshly.
“We do,” a quiet voice said just behind him.
James, Caroline and Adrian turned around to face the strangers who had spoken last. At least they were strangers to Adrian, Caroline supposed. She knew one of them, the investigator she’d hired, and she was sure her father also knew him.
Just behind them stood Max. The man she loved, the man she’d hoped to marry. And the man she would have to walk away from.
And past Max, Caroline saw the entire church whispering, craning their necks, enjoying the show. They’d never seen a wedding like this one. And she hoped they never did again.
“I think it might be best if we retired to my office for a few minutes and sorted things out,” the Reverend Mr. Spencer said.
James Adkins, his face growing redder by the minute, nodded in agreement. “All right.” He turned to the audience. “There’s a little confusion. If you’ll just be patient, we’ll resume the wedding shortly.”
Caroline stared at her bouquet. She was afraid her father was promising more than he could deliver.
THE REVEREND Mr. Spencer’s office was a large one, but it seemed small after everyone crowded in. In addition to the bride and groom, the pastor and the two detectives, James Adkins was joined by his wife and his younger daughter. And, of course, Max.
Caroline had taken one look at his determined face and turned away. Tears threatened and she didn’t want to cry in front of any of them. Most especially Max.
“Now, I think we would all like to hear an explanation of what evidence you are talking about,” Reverend Spencer said to the two men.
“Sir, we were hired by the bride and Mr. Daniels to determine if the picture this man showed them was valid. We have proof that it was not, and that he altered the picture to persuade Miss Adkins to marry him because he had gambling debts he couldn’t pay.”
As his audience stared at him, openmouthed, the man speaking, from James’s security firm, extended his hand with a picture in it.
Even though Caroline no longer needed proof, she took the picture and stared at it. The woman in the church. It wasn’t her face that was familiar. It was the tobacco brown coatdress, its lapels outlined in black, that was familiar. The dress in the picture. But in this photo, the head above the dress wasn’t Caroline’s. It was that young lady’s.
“Who is she?”
“His secretary,” Don Knowles said, stepping forward. “I’m sorry we didn’t arrive before the wedding, but my flight was late.”
“Mary?” James questioned, staring at his right-hand man. “You took Mary to Las Vegas?”
“There’s more, Mr. Adkins,” Joe Perkins said quietly. “But I think I should tell you in private.”
James swiveled around to face Adrian again, his eyes narrowed, his jaw firm. The man stood frozen with fear on his pale face. James looked back at Perkins. “Okay. We’ll talk after the wedding.”
“There’s still going to be a wedding?” the minister asked.
This time James turned to look at his daughter. “Yes, there’s still going to be a wedding. I release you from your promise, Caroline. You can marry Max, as you wanted.”
“Thank you, Mr. Adkins,” Max acknowledged even as he moved toward Caroline.
“No!”
All eyes centered on her. At least her protest had stopped Max in his tracks. If he touched her, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to continue.
“No, what? Caroline, this is what you wanted,” James said.
“Yes, Caro, you said you wanted to marry Max,” Chelsea added.
“I’ve changed my mind. I can’t marry Max.”
Her words were almost as astonishing as the interruptions in the church. Perhaps even more so to Max. James stepped closer to his daughter.
“Caro, it’s okay. I want you to marry this man. He loves you. And since Adrian isn’t the father of your baby, Max must be. I want my grandchild born on the right side of the blanket, remember?” When she didn’t respond, he added, “And I want you to be happy.”
She swallowed back tears. “Thank you, Daddy, but I can’t marry Max.”
“I think Caroline and I need some privacy to settle things,” Max said quietly, sending a look to James, asking his cooperation.
“Yes, of course,” James agreed, and began urging the others back into the sanctuary. There was pause as they encountered the eager stares of the audience, waiting for the next event in this singularly unusual wedding. Then James stepped forward and asked their patience, assuring them matters would be resolved very soon.
Caroline knew he was right. Only there wouldn’t be a wedding. There couldn’t be a wedding.
As the door closed behind the last of them, Max stepped toward her, and she backed away.
“Caroline, what’s wrong? Why are you refusing to marry me?”
She looked at his beloved face and then turned away. It was too painful. How could she refuse when she loved him so much?
“Caroline?”
With her back to him, she said, “My memory returned.”
“What? When? What do you remember? I’m the father, aren’t I?”
She nodded her head.
The eager happiness she’d heard in his voice wasn’t there when he asked his next question. “So what else do you remember? What is it that makes you say you won’t marry me?”
Gathering her courage, she turned to face him. “I remember why I ran away.”
There was no acknowledgment in his eyes, no shame, no guilt. He still didn’t know what had gone wrong. But there was a question there. He wanted to know.
“I woke up and you weren’t there. I had pulled on your T-shirt and started downstairs when I realized you had company.”
“It was Jim, my foreman,” he agreed, still looking puzzled.
“Yes. He was reminding you of the need for more financing, for an influx of capital.”
Max frowned. “I remember. So? Are you refusing to marry me because you’re afraid I can’t support you?” His incredulity was irritating.
“I’m not the one who’s in the wrong here!” she snapped. “You’re the one who’s marrying me for my money. Or I should say my father’s money!”
“What?” Max exclaimed in a roar that was probably heard in the sanctuary, adding to the audience’s enjoyment. “You accuse me of marrying you for your money just because my foreman and I were discussing my company’s finances?”
The tears drew closer. She loved this man so much. “No, that’s not why. He—he said you should just get a loan from me because I was probably kin to James Adkins, and then you wouldn’t have any troubles.” She watched as memory came back to him. “And you agreed, saying that had been your plan all along.”
She turned away, unable to face the guilt that she knew would be on his face. He’d been her knight in shining armor, her one true love. Now that he knew she knew, he’d probably slink out the door, and she’d never see him again. Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Caroline Adkins!” Max exclaimed as he spun her around to face him. “I ought to wring your neck!”
She stared at him in shock.
“That was a joke! I didn’t know who you were!”
A sob broke from her before she said, “Of course you would say that.”
“I not only say it, I have proof,” he insisted, “And I can’t believe you ran away without even asking me about it. We’ve wasted two months we could’ve shared.”
“Max, I understand, but I can’t marry you. It’s okay, I forgive you.” She thought she was being magnanimous. He
didn’t seem to feel the same way.
“Wringing your neck is too nice! I’m going bury you in a nest of fire ants,” he threatened, and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms around her.
“Max!” she protested, “I’m not going to change my mind. The reason I was there, with you, was because I’d had an argument with my father. He said no one would ever marry me without wanting his money. I intended to prove him wrong.” More tears fell as she finished. “Instead, I proved him right.”
Max pressed her head against his shoulder. “Don’t cry, sweetheart, or you’ll have red eyes for our wedding. Listen to me, you crazy woman. I love you! I don’t care how much money your father has. It has nothing to do with us. I had made a loan at the bank the day before, and I have the papers dated to prove it. If you’d hung around a little longer, you would’ve heard me explain that to Jim.”
“The day before?” she asked, looking at him, hope in her gaze.
“Don’t you remember? You wanted to go on another picnic and I had to cut it short? That was my appointment with the bank.”
“And you have papers dated that day?”
“Sure do. I can even go home and get them, but that means the wedding will last a little longer than planned.”
He brought his lips to hers in a kiss that shook her to her very toes. Max loved her.
“It’s your call, Caroline. What are we going to do now?” he asked huskily.
She raised her hand to caress his cheek and then draw his lips to hers again. When she finally, reluctantly, pulled away, she whispered, “I think we should get married. After all, we have to think about our baby.”
Max didn’t hesitate. He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the sanctuary, to everyone’s surprise. Setting her down in front of the pastor, he said, “We’d like to be married, please.”
And they were.
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER Caroline wasn’t feeling quite as exuberant. Her body was heavy and her patience frazzled. Twins. He’d warned her. But somehow, when the doctor had confirmed Max’s prediction four months ago, she hadn’t realized just how big she would get.
“I’m the size of the Goodyear blimp,” she muttered as she tried to find a comfortable position on the sofa. Not that Max seemed to notice. His loving care was the only thing that was getting her through these last days.
The doctor had said the babies might come early. She wanted them healthy. But she also wanted—ah! Caroline held her breath, stunned by the pain she’d just felt. What was that? Surely it couldn’t be—
She grabbed the phone and called her doctor. His orders were succinct and firm. She pressed the speed dial for Max’s beeper. The phone rang only seconds after she hung up.
“Caroline?”
“It’s time, Max.”
He didn’t even answer, just hung up the phone. In spite of the anxiety she was feeling, Caroline chuckled. The only person more worried than she about the birth was Max. He’d hovered over her so much, even she had protested.
Chelsea had assured her birth wasn’t so bad. At least, that’s what she’d said last week. Immediately after giving birth to her pretty baby girl, whom she’d named Amelia Lynn, she hadn’t been quite as sure.
Another pain struck her about six minutes later, and Caroline was glad she’d called the doctor. The sound of the front door slamming told her Max had arrived.
“Sweetheart! Where are you?” he demanded even as he ran to the back of the house.
“In here,” she said, pushing herself up from the sofa. “Get the suitcase from upstairs, please.”
He raced up the stairs and back down before she was able to stand, arriving at her side to pull her up. Before she could take a step, he carefully lifted her into his arms and headed to the front door.
“Remember when you carried me into the church?” she whispered, giggling.
“How could I forget it with so many people watching us? By that time, I don’t know what they expected.”
He got her into the front seat of his truck and then kissed her quickly before shutting the door and hurrying to his side. “Put on your seat belt,” he warned as he started the motor. “I don’t intend for my babies to be born in a truck. I’d never hear the end of it from your father.”
Caroline laughed again. Her father and Max had developed a fine relationship, as long as James didn’t try to tell Max how to run his business. Her father finally had the son he’d so desperately wanted. One just as stubborn as him.
“Did you call your parents?” he asked.
“Not yet.”
Max picked up the phone in his truck and pressed a button. “Miss McVey? Tell James it’s time. We’ll meet them at the hospital.”
“Where it all began,” Caroline murmured, and closed her eyes.
“BOYS! TWIN BOYS! Can you believe it?” James patted Max on the back.
“How’s Caroline?” Amelia asked anxiously.
“Pretty tired, but happy.”
Chelsea and Roddy rushed into the waiting room, their baby daughter in Roddy’s arms. He’d blossomed as a father, amusing everyone with his newfound authority.
“She had twin boys!” James exclaimed, a beaming smile on his face.
“Is Caroline all right?” Chelsea asked.
“She’s fine.”
“Well, congratulations. Of course, I think girls are sweeter, but I’m sure your boys will be just fine.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more, Chelsea. Girls are definitely sweeter.” He winked at Roddy. “At least I hope so,” Max added, a big grin on his face. “I’m going back inside with Caroline. The babies will be taken up to the nursery if you want to see them.”
“Are they big enough?” Amelia asked.
Max smiled. Caroline had thought they were too big. “They both weigh more than five pounds, so they’ll be able to go home with us when it’s time.”
When he stepped back into the comparative quiet of the delivery room, Caroline lay with her eyes closed. He bent over to kiss her cheek.
“Hi,” she murmured sleepily. “Did you tell them?”
“Yeah. Your dad’s jumping for joy.”
She opened one eye. “And you?”
“Thrilled to pieces,” he assured her with a grin. “But I think you should know Chelsea and I agree that girls are sweeter.”
She studied him, a puzzled look on her face. “You’re not happy we had boys?”
“Of course I am. I just don’t want Chelsea to feel superior to us. Next time, we’ll have a girl.”
“Next time?”
He grinned at the note of exasperation in her voice. She’d been terrific in the delivery room and as much as he wanted a little girl, he wasn’t sure he’d want her to go through labor again. “We’ll discuss it later,” he whispered before kissing her.
Caroline slid her arms around his neck. Maybe they’d have a little girl. After a while. Max could convince her to do almost anything.
And next time, she thought, she’d need no convincing about who’s the daddy.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7012-5
WHO’S THE DADDY?
Copyright © 1995 by Judy Christenberry
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**Children of Texas
‡Dallas Duets
†The Lazy L Ranch
Who's the Daddy Page 19
