The Baby Favor

by Andrea Laurence

  The look on Scarlet’s face as she played with her niece was enough to make a man melt. Devotion, wonder, joy, amazement...all of those things and more were wrapped up in the wide smile that crossed her face. She was meant to be a mother. He’d always known that, he just hadn’t been sure how to make it happen before Luna came into their lives. He might never be able to provide that opportunity the old-fashioned way, but he’d brought a child into her life nonetheless.

  He hoped it was enough.

  The smile on his own face faded away as he realized what it had cost his family to make it a reality. It was hard to focus on the happiness, on this second chance they’d been given, when it was costing them both Rachel’s and Jay’s lives. That was a high price, and not how he ever would’ve wanted it to happen. And yet, here Luna was, in need of a home just as surely as Scarlet needed a child. It was kismet.

  Turning away from the window, he noticed his cell phone beeping at his hip. It needed charging. He opened the nearby drawer in search of a cable and immediately forgot all about his phone. Stashed away there was the finalized copy of their divorce agreement. Scarlet’s copy.

  At this point, there was no reason not to look it over. His copy was probably on hold with no one to sign for it at his new house. There weren’t many surprises. They’d gone back and forth after the mediation to get everything settled between them. When Rachel died, the paperwork had become something he’d hardly given a thought to. He supposed that in the back of his mind he knew his attorney was getting things drawn up and ready to sign, but his lawyer didn’t know anything about Luna and how much had changed in the last few weeks.

  It could change everything. Or nothing. Mason liked to think they were on the path to reconciliation, but he wasn’t naive enough to think that a baby could turn everything around. That oversimplified their situation. Yes, losing Evan had pushed them to the end, but they wouldn’t have gotten there if they’d been able to communicate better. If he’d been able to understand what Scarlet really needed, not just what he thought she needed.

  And maybe he was just presuming that what she wanted or needed was him. Yes, she’d warmed up to him during their time together, but he couldn’t be certain he was the sole cause for the smile that returned to her face. More than anything, Scarlet wanted a baby and she seemed really taken with Luna. When he’d drawn Scarlet into this situation, a part of him had hoped that she would fall for the baby and they could reconcile as a complete family at last. Finally being able to give her what she wanted made him feel like he was less of a failure in their marriage.

  What he didn’t anticipate was that he would feel like the third wheel in his own marriage. Scarlet seemed more devoted to the baby than she was to him. He had to wonder if it was really their marriage she wanted back, or the baby that would now come with the reconciliation package.

  Mason would be the first to admit that he was the one who walked away from the marriage. Scarlet was stubborn enough to stick it out no matter how miserable she was with him. But when he walked away, she didn’t try to stop him either. The air of tension in the house had become so thick that there was almost a feeling of relief when he told her he was moving out. That, more than anything, had convinced him he was making the right decision.

  Looking down at the paperwork now, he wasn’t so sure. Now that Scarlet was back in his bed, he had a taste of the family they’d hoped for. Scarlet might be cautious where the two of them were concerned, but that would change with time. Or it should, but he’d have to stand his ground. That was perhaps the hardest part.

  It wasn’t that Mason was afraid to work hard. He’d work harder than anyone to achieve what he wanted. But he was also realistic and knew when he was banging his head against a brick wall. If he wasn’t going to be successful, it didn’t seem like a good use of his time. He’d rather stop and change course than go down with the ship. From the outside, he supposed that might look like quitting when things got tough.

  He didn’t want to quit on Scarlet. Not again. But did he dare to put his whole heart into this reconciliation when he wasn’t certain what the future would hold for them?

  Mason was about to stuff the papers back into the drawer when he noticed a handwritten note from her attorney. He knew he shouldn’t read it, but when he caught a glimpse of Luna’s name in the loopy script, he couldn’t stop himself.

  Scarlet—here’s the draft we agreed to with Mason’s attorneys. My advice is to hold off on moving forward with the divorce for now. If the situation changes, we want to make sure that the custody and support arrangements for Luna are included. Hope the adoption attorney I recommended was helpful.

  He read the note three times before he stuffed it back in with the other pages. He wasn’t entirely sure what the note meant. Did she plan to drag out the divorce long enough that she could take custody from him? Or did the lawyer mean that in the event they decided to divorce anyway, they should include something to address the situation with Luna? He didn’t feel like Scarlet was working him, but he could be wrong.

  Either way, it didn’t sound good, and it didn’t sound like the words of an attorney who didn’t think the divorce was right around the corner. They were discussing adoption attorneys. Was that Scarlet’s idea or just her attorney pushing her to cover her bases in a worst-case scenario?

  Mason sighed as an ache of worry started to pool in his gut. That was why you never read anyone else’s mail. You learned things you didn’t really want or need to know. He shoved the kitchen drawer closed and tried to pretend he’d never read that note.

  He tried to tell himself that those papers had been in the works for quite some time. She could’ve discussed this with her attorney long before they got back together. He knew that at this point, he didn’t think he wanted to sign and neither did Scarlet, despite what that paperwork might imply. A lot had changed in the last two weeks. It was too early to decide either way. He wouldn’t mention the divorce again until he knew for certain. Then they could either tear it up together or sign together and make a plan to move forward.

  Until he knew where he stood, however, Mason was going to tread very carefully. He wanted things to work out with Scarlet, but if they didn’t, he needed to be mentally prepared for that. The last time, he spent three days in a bourbon-fueled stupor. He couldn’t lose it like that with Luna in his life now. He had to be responsible, do the adult thing. And that meant keeping his heart secured until he knew it was safe.

  If safe was even an option.

  * * *

  After Luna went down for the night, Scarlet opted for a bubble bath upstairs. It had been a long time since she’d indulged in something so luxurious, but she needed it. Keeping up with her career and a one-year-old was enough to bring on a Calgon moment. She needed to unwind and relax if she was going to make it through the next week. The trip to San Francisco loomed heavy ahead of her.

  As she turned off the water and sank, naked, into the bubbles, she felt her tight muscles instantly start to unwind. Her hair was still on the top of her head from the pool, so she was able to lean back onto the bath pillow and close her eyes.

  Scarlet was anxious about the San Francisco opening. She really hadn’t had the time to think about it with everything else going on, but she was worried. She wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe it was just the idea of being away from her family that bothered her.

  Her family?

  That was the first time a thought like that had crossed her mind. While it was easy to think of Mason as her husband—technically, he still was—thinking of the whole household as her family was a big step. She’d developed a sense of attachment to them as a whole. Even Carroll. But especially Luna. She had very quickly become Scarlet’s baby girl.

  Going to San Francisco meant leaving them all behind. Luna and Carroll would fare fine without her, but she still disliked the idea of going. At least right now when everything was s
o fragile. Especially with Mason.

  Of course, she could always ask him to come with her to the gallery opening. The more she soaked, the more she realized that she wanted that. April had planted the bug in her ear when she picked up that painting and now she couldn’t imagine going through such a big night without him. But would he go? She’d never asked him to come with her to these things before because it seemed like such an imposition, and that was when their marriage was okay. They seemed to be in such a delicate place at the moment, especially with Jay clinging to the edge of death a few miles up the road. She wasn’t sure if Mason would want to go all the way to San Francisco under the circumstances.

  But they both said they were going to try harder this time. Communicate better instead of making presumptions. This was important to her, so she was going to ask. It was possible he wouldn’t be able to attend, but she should at least give him that option.

  When she got done in the tub, she drained the water and wrapped herself in a fluffy white towel. She was going to head downstairs to talk to him, but when she went into their bedroom, she found him sitting up in bed with a mountain of pillows behind him. He was wearing his favorite pair of striped cotton pajama pants and faded Pepperdine T-shirt from his college days. He had a pair of reading glasses perched low on his nose to see while he was working on his laptop, looking over the top of them to watch a baseball game on the television. The sound was muted so he didn’t disturb Scarlet’s bath.

  “Hey,” she said as she approached the bed.

  “Hey.” Mason shut the laptop and set it on the comforter beside him. He admired her messy, damp hair and nearly inadequate towel over the tops of his glasses with a small smile curling his lips.

  “What’s with the glasses?” she asked. He’d never worn glasses in the nine years they were together. It seemed strange for something to change about him without her knowing about it. They hadn’t been apart that long, but it was apparently long enough.

  Mason slipped the black framed glasses off and put them on top of the laptop. “Yeah, those. My optometrist said I needed to start wearing them when I’m on the computer. Eyestrain.”

  “Put them back on,” Scarlet said.

  He complied, modeling the new look for her. They were square black frames that mimicked the lines of his jaw nicely. “What do you think? Can I pull off the sexy nerdy look?”

  Scarlet smiled. She actually really liked the glasses on him, even if they did give off a bit of the geeky hipster vibe that clashed with the tanned surfer boy she was used to. “You look...”

  “Smarter?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe. It’s a different look for you. But I like them. How long have you been wearing them?”

  “About a month. Since I’ve never worn glasses before, I keep forgetting to put them on. Now that you know, you can nag me about wearing them.”

  “I’ll add that to the list of other things I nag you about, like wearing sunblock and putting the recycling on the curb.”

  “Very good.” Mason slipped the glasses back off and set them aside. “Did you enjoy your bath? You weren’t in there for very long.”

  “I’m not good at sitting still, even when I try to. I thought of something and I got out to talk to you about it. My opening is Saturday. I was wondering if...” Scarlet hesitated. She didn’t know why she was so nervous to ask. Perhaps because Mason hadn’t been to any of her other openings. This was a big one, though. Her biggest. And she wanted him to be there with her. Somehow it felt like she was asking a boy to prom instead of asking her husband to support a work event.

  “If what?” he asked.

  She walked around to his side of the bed and leaned her shoulder against the wall. “If you wanted to come with me.”

  Mason’s brow raised curiously. “Really?”

  “Yes. I know I’ve never asked you to come to any before, and I wasn’t sure if you had time to go up to San Francisco with me this trip. This event is a lot bigger than some of the others. I’m more nervous about this one. I think April said the mayor RSVP’d. I understand if you—”

  “Of course I will,” he interrupted.

  Scarlet had been on the verge of accepting his excuses as to why he couldn’t make it when she realized he’d actually said yes. “You will?”

  He nodded. “I realize I haven’t made it to the others, but I thought that was what you wanted, since you never asked me to go. Those openings are so stressful for you and I know what it’s like opening one of my new stores. Everything comes together at the very last moment. I figured that I would just be a distraction for you on your big nights.”

  Scarlet could only shake her head. He wouldn’t be a distraction. He would be her saving grace. Just the touch of his hand would keep her ship sailing smoothly on the rough seas. “I always just thought you were too busy. I didn’t want to bother you with my work when you already had plenty to worry about, running your own company.”

  Mason peeled back the blankets and stood up, closing the gap between them and putting his hands reassuringly on her upper arms. His skin was warm against hers, sending a shiver through her body even in the comfortable evening air. “I know I work too much, but don’t ever think I won’t take time out for what’s important. My career isn’t any more important than yours is. You’ve done amazing things and I couldn’t be prouder of how far you’ve come as an artist since you first walked into my little shop to sell your paintings. All you have to do is ask me and I’m there.”

  Scarlet looked up into his sea-blue eyes and knew he meant what he said. Maybe she was wrong about all of this. She’d worried that their physical draw was nothing more than a comfortable distraction from their grief of losing Rachel and soon Jay. That it was easier to fall into bed and forget about reality than to think about the future and what it might mean for them.

  Especially when she could sense there was still a distance between them.

  It was hard to put her finger on, but she could feel it. There was a part of him that wasn’t fully committed to this reunion. Perhaps she could more easily pick up on it because she was doing the same thing. She was scared to take his words at face value, trust him with her heart and get crushed again. Maybe both of them were too nervous to think this second chance was truly a second chance.

  Then again, those weren’t the words of a man just looking for a distraction or a mother for the child he’d inherited. He meant it when he said he would make time for her. That he was proud of her. So maybe she was imagining things. Or perhaps the distance was natural after everything they’d been through and the gap between them would close in time. If they put in the effort.

  “I would like you to come. It’s black tie. April really went all out for this one. I’m so nervous I’m going to screw this opportunity up.”

  “I don’t know why you’d be nervous, Scarlet. You’re an amazing artist. San Francisco is lucky to have one of your galleries and all those people coming to the opening know it. Everyone is going to want a Scarlet Spencer original hanging above their mantel.” Mason stopped and, with a frown, turned to their own bedroom fireplace. “You know, we don’t even have a Scarlet Spencer hanging above our mantel. We just have some dumb old flat-screen television.”

  Scarlet smiled. “Thank you for agreeing to come with me.” She leaned into him, snaking her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. “I’ll see what I can do about the fireplace art,” she added with a chuckle.

  “You do that,” he said with a low laugh that rumbled against her cheek. “And while you do that...” Mason began just as she felt her bath towel slip to the floor. “Oops.” He grinned.

  Scarlet didn’t resist. Instead, she pressed her damp skin against him, letting her hard, chilled nipples dig into his shirt. She hadn’t thought about having some alone time with Mason while they were on the trip, but the idea certainly intrigued her
now. A nice hotel room. No baby. No nanny. No household to deal with. It sounded perfect.

  Her worries about her opening faded as Mason tipped her backward over his arm and brought her uptilted breast to his mouth. He drew hard on the dark pink flesh, nipping just enough with his teeth to make her gasp and suck a ragged breath into her lungs.

  “Shh...” Mason whispered as he brought a finger to his lips and then dragged it lazily between her breasts. “We don’t want to wake Luna. But this weekend, you can make all the noise you want. No one will be around to hear you scream my name until you’re hoarse.”

  “And what exactly do you have in store for me that will make me scream like that?”

  Mason stood her up and flashed and evil grin. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Nine

  This was Scarlet’s biggest and fanciest gallery opening yet. They had a prime location at Fisherman’s Wharf near one of her murals. It would draw in plenty of tourist foot traffic along with fans who were deliberately coming to the gallery itself, and she’d need every one to support the rent in such a pricey area of town. She felt like she should’ve been focused on every detail of the event, from which painting hung where to what hors d’oeuvres were being passed by the waiters, but she found her mind was elsewhere tonight. She knew April could handle it. That was what she paid her for. She was the management, Scarlet was the talent.

  “Did we leave Carroll with the pediatrician’s phone number in case Luna gets sick again? She was still a little sniffly when we left.”

  Mason came up behind her as she stood in front of the mirror, putting on her earrings. His black Armani tuxedo fit him like a glove, highlighting his broad shoulders and narrow waist from years paddling out on his surfboard. It had been a long time since she’d seen him dressed up like this. He wore suits almost every day, but he only pulled this tux out for special occasions. Like their wedding day.