Rags to Riches Baby

by Andrea Laurence

  Lucy stood quietly listening to his words. They seemed painfully sincere, making her heart ache in her chest for him. But he wasn’t the only one who was scared. She was scared of trusting him again too soon and having her heart trampled on. “Thank you,” she said. “I know it wasn’t easy for you to say all of that.”

  “I’ll admit when I’m wrong, Lucy, and I have been in the wrong since the day we met. I wish we could start all over again, but I can’t change what I’ve done. Can you forgive me, Lucy?” he pressed with hopeful eyes gazing into hers.

  She could feel the pain and regret in every word he spoke. She’d never heard a sincerer apology. “I do forgive you for the things you said and did.” She sensed that wasn’t quite enough for him, but she wasn’t betraying her heart too quickly.

  Oliver reached out and wrapped his fingers around her hand. “Thank you. I’m so happy to hear you say that because to be honest, I’m head over heels in love with you and I thought I might never get the chance to tell you.” He stopped, looking at her with an obvious question on his mind. “Do you think you might be able to love me someday?”

  The warmth of his skin against hers made it hard for her to focus on his words. She could feel her body start to betray her. It longed to lean in and press against the hard muscle of his chest. She wanted to breathe in the warm scent of his cologne at his throat and feel his arms wrapped around her. She fought the urge, knowing this conversation was too important. It needed to happen and it couldn’t if she started rubbing against him like a contented kitten.

  She forced herself to look up at him. His eyes were pleading with her. But she had to tell the truth about how she felt.

  “No,” she said.

  * * *

  Oliver did his best not to react. He knew there was a risk in coming here—that she couldn’t forgive him for how he’d treated her. He’d told himself that no matter what her answer, he would accept it, even supporting his child without being in its mother’s life if that’s the way Lucy wanted it. And sadly, it appeared that was how she wanted it.

  “Okay,” he said, dropping her hand even though it was the last thing he wanted to do.

  “I can’t love you someday, Oliver. That would mean I didn’t love you now. And I do.” She placed a gentle hand against his cheek and smiled warmly. “Even when I was angry and hurt, I still loved you. Of course I do.”

  Relief washed over him all at once and he scooped her up into his arms for a huge hug. “Oh, thank goodness!” he breathed into her ear. “I haven’t blown it.” Pushing back to put some distance between them again, he looked her in the eyes. “So you’re telling me I haven’t ruined everything for us? For our new family?”

  A sheen of tears appeared in Lucy’s dark brown eyes. “We’re going to be a family?” she asked.

  “If you’ll have me.” Oliver scooped her hands into his and dropped down onto his knee. He’d practiced this speech twenty times since his father had given him that ring, and in the moment, with adrenaline pumping through his veins, he couldn’t remember a word of it. All he could do was speak from his heart and hope that it was romantic and wonderful enough for her to accept him.

  “Lucy, I have spent the last few years of my life living under a cloud of pessimism. I never believed that a woman would love me just for who I am. I saw what happened to my father and let it color my outlook of the world. A part of me had given up on the kind of love others seemed to find. And then I met you. And you challenged me at every step. You made me question everything and I’m so thankful that you did. It forced me to realize that I was hiding from my life. And it forced me to realize that I am very much in love with you.

  “Unfortunately,” he continued with a sheepish grin, “I didn’t know how much I loved you until I’d nearly ruined everything for us. It was there, alone and miserable in my apartment, that I decided that I was willing to do anything to make it up to you, if I even could. First, I had my lawyer withdraw the protest because I wanted you to know that I believed you. Aunt Alice wanted you to have that money, and I want you to have it, too, whether or not you wanted me in your life again. There’s no strings attached.”

  “You really, truly believe me? You have no reservations at all about the will or the baby?”

  He’d failed to answer this question properly the first time because he was plagued with doubts even as she lay in his arms. Now, he was confident in his decision. “You don’t have a malicious bone in your body, Lucy. I can’t believe I ever thought otherwise. And if I did, I wouldn’t have taken this to the jeweler to be cleaned and sized just for you.”

  Oliver reached into his pocket and pulled out the jewelry box his father had brought him a few days before. He opened the lid to show her the ring inside. “This ring belonged to my mother,” he said as she gasped audibly. “My father gave it to me in the hopes that I would stop moping around my place and start living my life with you in it. And not just you, but with our child, too.”

  Lucy looked at the ring expectantly, but she didn’t say anything. At first, he thought that maybe she was just dazzled by the sight of it, but Oliver quickly realized that he was so nervous, he forgot to ask the critical question.

  “Lucille Campbell, will you please do me the honor of being my wife, accepting all the love I have to give and standing by my side for the rest of our lives?”

  At that, Lucy smiled through her tears. “Yes,” she said. “There’s nothing more I want than to be your lover and partner in life.”

  Oliver’s hands were shaking as he pulled the ring from its velvet bed and slipped it onto her finger. “It’s a little large on you right now, but the jeweler suggested sizing up so you could wear it well into your second and third trimesters.”

  “It’s perfect,” she said as she admired it on her hand. “I’m honored to wear the ring your mother once wore. I know she was important to you.”

  He clutched her hands in his as he stood up. With his eyes pinned on hers, he leaned in and planted a kiss on the ridge of her knuckles—one hand, then the other—before seeking out her lips. When his mouth pressed to hers, it was like a promise was made between them. The engagement was official—sealed with a kiss.

  He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Oliver didn’t want to let go. Not after almost losing her for good. She felt so right here, how could he ever have said or done something to drive her away? He was a fool once, but never again. She would be his—and he, hers—forever.

  When their lips finally parted, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I want us to be a real family. Like my parents had. These last few days thinking about you raising our child without me... I couldn’t bear the thought of it despite what I said that night at the restaurant. I was upset and confused about the news. It may not have been planned, but this child will always know that he or she was wanted. I’ll do everything in my power to see to that. But most of all I want to make you happy, Lucy. Anything you want, we can make it happen.”

  “I don’t know what I could possibly ask for, Oliver. Today alone, you’ve proposed with your mother’s engagement ring and given me a half a billion dollar estate. It seems greedy to ask for anything else.”

  “Harper told me that you were trying to go back to school. You never mentioned it to me before.”

  “Yes,” Lucy hesitated. “That was my plan, but...”

  “No buts. If you want to go back to Yale, you absolutely should do it.”

  “It’s so far away, Oliver. From you and your job. I don’t want to be alone in Connecticut while you’re here running your computer company.”

  Oliver just shrugged off her concerns. “If you want to be in Manhattan every night, I’ll have you flown to class and back on Orion’s private jet each day. If you want to stay there during the week, we’ll buy a nice place and I’ll come spend every weekend I can with you until you graduate.”

  “I don’t know,”
Lucy said. “That seems like it would make things far more complicated than they need to be. If I was moving up there by myself as I’d planned originally, that’s one thing, but I’m not leaving you behind. Maybe I can look at some of the local programs. I’m sure Columbia or NYU has something that will allow me to stay in the city. And when the babies—er, baby—comes,” she stuttered, “we’ll all be together. That’s the most important thing.”

  Oliver grinned. Of course, he preferred having her as close as possible, but that was completely up to her. “Are you sure? Like I said, whatever makes you happy, Lucy.”

  “Being with you makes me happy.” Leaning in, she rested her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment. “After everything that has happened, I may even defer school for another year or two. I’m not sure I can manage a wedding, a pregnancy and caring for an infant on top of the senior-level classes I need to graduate. The art will always be there when I’m ready. I want to focus on remembering every moment of these early months with you.”

  “If that’s what you want.” Oliver smiled. They certainly did have a lot coming up in their lives over the next year. “And don’t forget, we have to decide where we want to live. We have two amazing Manhattan apartments to choose from.”

  “I want to move to your place,” Lucy said without hesitation. “For one thing, I couldn’t ask you to leave your beautiful garden. And for another, Alice’s place is stunning, but way too formal and stuffy for children running around all wild.”

  Oliver smiled at her decision. “Children, huh? Are we already planning on having more than one?”

  A curious expression came across Lucy’s face. She wrinkled her nose and bit at her lip. “There’s something I need to tell you,” Lucy admitted.

  “Yes? Anything, love.”

  “The doctor says we’re having twins.”

  Twins? The room began to spin and close in on him.

  Oliver was about to experience a lot of new firsts. His first time in love, his first time to be engaged, his first children were on the way... And this was the first time he’d ever fainted.

  He was out cold before he hit the floor.

  Epilogue

  Lucy eyeballed the three paint swatches on the walls of what would soon be the twins’ nursery. Three months later, they were both growing and thriving, pressing Lucy’s belly out to a larger bulge than she anticipated this far along. She and Oliver had decided not to find out the sex of the twins, so she was comparing different shades of gray paints for the neutral design they had planned.

  With her hands planted on her hips, she frowned at the wall and continued to after Oliver came up behind her. “The one in the middle,” he said without hesitation. “And Emma is on the phone for you.”

  Emma’s baby girl, Georgette, had been born right after Lucy announced her pregnancy. Little Georgie, named after her maternal grandfather, George Dempsey, had occupied most of Emma’s time the last three months. Lucy accepted the phone from Oliver, curious as to what prompted the call from her friend.

  “Hey, Emma,” Lucy said. “I’m trying to pick out a color for the nursery. What’s going on with you?”

  “It’s not me I’m calling about, it’s Violet.”

  Lucy didn’t like the way her friend said that. “What’s wrong? Are she and the baby okay?” Violet was due any day now.

  “They’re both fine. She delivered a healthy baby boy this morning.”

  “That’s wonderful!” Lucy gushed. “I’m glad you called, I hadn’t heard anything yet. Stupid Beau. He was supposed to let us know when she went into labor.”

  “Yeah, well...” Emma said. “There’s a reason he didn’t call.”

  The feeling of anxiety returned to Lucy’s stomach. “What’s that?”

  “It turns out the baby isn’t his.”

  Lucy’s jaw dropped. “What? How do they know that? Did he demand a paternity test so soon after she delivered?”

  “No,” Emma replied. “They didn’t need one. Beau and Violet are both dark haired, dark skinned and dark eyed. Mediterranean lineage through and through.”

  “And the baby?”

  “The baby is a fair-skinned, blue-eyed redhead.”

  A redhead? Violet had never once mentioned anything about a dating a ginger. She’d been on again, off again with Beau for the last few years, but even then, Violet hadn’t dated anyone else. At least that Lucy knew about. “Then who is the father?”

  “That’s just it. No one knows. Not even Violet. Apparently she conceived the baby just before her car accident. When she hit her head and got amnesia, she lost the whole week, including any memories of being with someone else. She doesn’t remember who her baby’s father is!”

  * * * * *

  If you liked this story, pick up these other

  MILLIONAIRES OF MANHATTAN books

  from Andrea Laurence!

  WHAT LIES BENEATH

  MORE THAN HE EXPECTED

  HIS LOVER’S LITTLE SECRET

  THE CEO’S UNEXPECTED CHILD

  LITTLE SECRETS: SECRETLY PREGNANT

  And don’t miss reader favorite

  A BEAUTY UNCOVERED

  Available now from Harlequin Desire!

  ***

  If you’re on Twitter, tell us what you think of Harlequin Desire! #harlequindesire

  Keep reading for an excerpt from HIS TEMPTATION, HER SECRET by Barbara Dunlop.

  His Temptation, Her Secret

  by Barbara Dunlop

  One

  As the bride and groom whirled into the first dance at the sumptuously decorated Beacon Hill Crystal Club, TJ Bauer struggled to block memories of his own wedding. It had been more than two years since Lauren had died, and there were days when he was at relative peace with her loss. But there were also days like this when the ache was so acute that his chest balled into a painful knot of loneliness.

  “Doing okay?” Caleb Watford approached, handing TJ a glass of single malt, one ice cube, just the way TJ liked it.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Liar.”

  TJ had no intention of getting into it, so he nodded to the dance floor instead. “Matt’s one lucky man.”

  Caleb watched TJ’s expression closely, as if he was debating whether or not to let the topic drop. “I’ll agree to that.”

  “It was touch and go there for a while.” TJ forced his mind away from the memory of Lauren, reliving his good friend Matt Emerson’s frantic, ring-less marriage proposal to Tasha, her packed suitcases at her feet. “I thought she was going to say no.”

  Caleb cracked a grin. “It all turned out in the end.”

  TJ found his own smile for Matt’s good fortune. He was genuinely happy that his friend had found love. Tasha was smart, beautiful and completely down-to-earth. She was exactly what Matt needed in his life.

  Caleb clapped a hand on TJ’s shoulder. “You’ll be next.”

  “Not.” The cloud moved back over TJ’s emotions.

  “You need to keep an open mind.”

  “Would you replace Jules?”

  The question brought silence.

  TJ took a swallow of his drink. “That’s what I thought.”

  “It’s easy to say never when she’s right here in front of me.”

  Both men shifted their gazes to Caleb’s wife, Jules. She was radiant following the birth of her twin girls three months ago. Right now, she laughed at something her brother-in-law Noah said.

  “It’s hard to get past the never part,” TJ said, struggling to put his feelings into words. He liked facts, not emotions. Emotions always tripped him up. “It’s not that I’m not trying. I am. But it always cycles back to Lauren.”

  “I get it,” Caleb said. “At least I think I get it. I know I can’t possibly understand.”

  “If I could flip a switch...” T
J let the sentence drop.

  Intellectually, he knew Lauren wasn’t coming back. He even knew she’d want him to move on. But she was his true love, his one and only. He couldn’t imagine anyone taking her place.

  “Give it some more time,” Caleb said.

  “It’s not like I have a choice,” TJ responded, hearing the irony in his own tone. Time would march along no matter what he did or didn’t do.

  The strains of the song wound down to an end, and Matt and Tasha moved toward them, all smiles. Her graceful tulle skirt floated over the polished floor. TJ never thought he’d see the tomboyish marine mechanic in full bridal attire. When she wore a dress instead of coveralls, she was quite stunningly beautiful.

  “Come and dance with the bride,” she said to him, a tinkling laugh in her tone as she linked her arm with his.

  “It would be an honor.” As the best man, he put a smile on his face and set down his drink, determined to keep his melancholy thoughts to himself.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked as they swung onto the dance floor.

  Other couples joined them, and the dance floor filled as the music swelled.

  “Everything is great,” he said.

  “I saw your expression when you were talking to Caleb.”

  “Where did you learn to dance like this?” TJ appreciated her concern, but this was her day. She didn’t need to be worrying about him.

  “What’s going on, TJ?”

  “Nothing. Well, one thing. I’m a little jealous of Matt.”

  “Now, that’s a big fat lie.”

  He drew back slightly. “Look at yourself, Tasha. Every guy here is jealous of Matt.”

  She shook her head and laughed.

  “Except for Caleb,” TJ felt honor-bound to add. “And the other married guys... Well, some of them, anyway.”