Doggedly, he forced himself to concentrate. Like an alcoholic counting days sober, Gavin was determined not to touch Cassidy again. Cold showers, working out in his home gym, battling Liam on the hotel’s racquetball court...whatever it took, he would deny himself pleasure in exchange for knowing he was not tempted to do something stupid. He couldn’t be sure, even now, that Cassidy was telling the truth. He wouldn’t be duped. Not again. No matter that her smile lit up the room and her laughter soothed his soul.
The situation would become untenable if Cassidy realized how much he wanted her physically. So the solution was simple. He had to keep his wits about him, and he had to be celibate as long as she was in Silver Glen.
The prospect was unappealing at best. But he would make it work. He had to. If he let her see his weakness, she would worm her way into his ordered, solitary life. And if her claims of paternity turned out to be a hoax, he’d be screwed. It was better this way.
* * *
Cassidy found the car keys on the kitchen table with a brief note from Gavin. Apparently he couldn’t even be bothered to stop by her room and drop them off. Perhaps he was afraid she would lure him into her bed like some femme fatale. Since she could count the number of times she’d had sex on one hand, his caution was ludicrous.
She dressed for her invitation to the lodge as carefully as she had the night before. Temperatures were supposed to hit the lower eighties by mid-afternoon—a heat wave for spring—so she donned a cheery sundress in poppy red and topped it with a crocheted ecru shrug. Canvas espadrilles and a straw market tote completed her ensemble.
Maeve Kavanagh met her in the hotel lobby. Gavin’s mother was an impressive woman. She didn’t try to dress below her age, but neither was her sense of style dowdy. Cassidy knew her hostess had been widowed many years ago. It was a marvel that some other discerning man hadn’t snapped her up.
“We’ll eat in my office,” Maeve said, taking Cassidy’s arm and steering her down a hallway that led to the back corner of the building.
Office was somewhat of a misnomer. Maeve’s quarters were lovely and bright. An antique rolltop desk occupied one wall, its paper-laden surface evidence of Maeve’s active role in running the lodge. But by far the largest portion of the room was given over to a feminine sitting area.
The furniture was upholstered in flowery English chintz. On a low table sat a silver coffee service. Above a gas-log fireplace, what looked to be a genuine Mary Cassatt hung proudly, its colors accenting the room’s decor.
Cassidy took a wingback chair at Maeve’s urging. The older woman chose a spot on the sofa just opposite her guest.
Maeve poured a cup of coffee and handed it across the table. “I forgot to ask if you are limiting caffeine. I can ring for something else.”
“It’s fine. I drink just enough coffee to be sociable. Otherwise, water is what keeps me going.”
Maeve filled her own cup and sat back. “You’re probably very wise. I grew up in a generation that mainlined this stuff. I try to keep it in check, but I’ll admit to being addicted. So tell me, Cassidy,” she said. “What are your addictions?”
Sex with your son seemed like an inappropriate rejoinder, so Cass reached for something more socially acceptable. “Well, I spend a great deal of time at our family’s casino. I’ve been learning the business in hopes of becoming my father’s second in command. If I have any spare time, I like to bicycle...and I get a kick out of organizing my friends’ closets. I guess that makes me sound hopelessly dull.”
“Not at all. Perhaps I’ll let you take a crack at mine.”
Cassidy let that one pass. Getting overly chummy with Gavin’s mother seemed like a surefire way to get under his skin. “I think Gavin was worried about me coming here today.”
Maeve eyed her over the rim of the cup. “Oh, really? How so?”
“He thanked me for not letting the cat out of the bag last night. I had to confess that you guessed that I’m pregnant.”
“That must have been awkward.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. What you and I talk about is really none of his business.”
“Are you sure about that? I think Gavin would disagree.”
“Men and women usually disagree. That’s what makes the battle of the sexes so much fun.”
“I don’t think I’m prepared to wage a war. All I want Gavin to do is trust me.”
Maeve sobered. “That’s not going to be easy, Cassidy. He had a terrible incident with a female when he was in college. It left him not a misogynist, but a skeptic, I suppose.”
“What happened?”
“A woman accused him of rape.”
Cassidy’s heart sped up. “That’s preposterous. Gavin is an honorable, decent man. He would never force anyone.”
Maeve stared at her. “I wish his brothers and I had been so fiercely loyal. We believed him, of course. But the woman was so very convincing. There were odd moments when I wondered if Gavin saw doubt in our eyes, and it wounded him.”
“You were human.”
“Yes. But he was my boy. And I let him down. We all did. Gavin refused to be bailed out. When the woman’s lawyer demanded a huge settlement in exchange for dropping the whole thing, I finally realized Gavin was being set up.”
“How dreadful.”
“Turns out, she had never even slept with Gavin. She was a patient at a mental institution in the next town. One night she and a cohort, who posed as the lawyer, slipped away. Her partner convinced her that with the money they squeezed out of an outrageous claim against an innocent man, they could run away. Gavin spent five nights behind bars before her parents tracked her down and the truth came out.”
“I don’t know what to say. It’s so sick and cruel.”
“Well, that’s the point, I guess. She was sick. In order to find a mark at random, she spent time at the university and as luck would have it, she latched on to Gavin. It was after their first date that she made the accusation. He was blindsided.”
Cassidy reeled inwardly. No wonder he was so upset to find out that he hadn’t really rescued her from an attacker. And that she was a virgin. And that she had cajoled him into playing bride and groom with Robbie, the Elvis impersonator.
In his shoes, she might have been just as suspicious. Everything that had transpired between her and Gavin was innocent. But Cassidy was a stranger to him. And the crazy wonderful night they had shared could be construed as some kind of setup, particularly since she wound up pregnant. What a mess.
“I think I should probably go back to Vegas,” she said, heartsick and discouraged.
Maeve disagreed. “Give him time, my dear. You each need time...time to see if you could actually make a go of this.”
“I didn’t come here to get a husband. I only thought Gavin should know about the baby.”
“Nevertheless, something drew the two of you together when you met in Vegas. Don’t underestimate the value of powerful sexual attraction. Many good marriages have started with less.”
“I’m so confused.”
“That’s natural. I had seven babies, and every time I was pregnant, I felt as if I were wandering in a fog. Growing a human life is difficult. The process makes demands on your body, and it plays with your mind.”
“Were you sick?”
“For the first three months, yes. But after that things improved. To be honest, though, I had friends who struggled with nausea the whole time. So don’t be shocked if that’s the case.”
“Oh, goody. Something else to look forward to...in addition to heartburn and stretch marks and sleepless nights.”
Maeve chuckled, her expression wry. “No one ever said being a woman is easy. But I’m here for you, Cassidy. All you have to do is ask. I want my son to be happy, and I think you’re the woman to
make that happen.”
“How can you be so confident?”
“I saw the way he looked at you. Possessive. Worried. Gavin is halfway in love with you already.”
Eleven
Cassidy barely saw Gavin for two solid days. On the third day, she headed out the door right after lunch for her ultrasound. She had barely made it to the car, when Gavin came strolling out of the house dressed and ready to go.
She put a hand on the driver’s door. “What are you doing?”
“Going with you.” He took the keys from her hand and motioned her around the car. “Come on. We don’t want to be late.”
She stared at him, bemused. She’d put the information on a piece of paper and laid it on his dresser yesterday with no comment. She wasn’t even sure if he had seen the note. Yet here he was.
They didn’t talk on the way to the doctor’s office. Gavin was withdrawn, and Cassidy couldn’t think of any topic that wouldn’t lead to trouble. The visit to the specialist was a lesson in patience. First there were papers to fill out. Then they took her back for blood work and urinalysis. Finally, they returned her to the waiting area where Gavin sat and said that someone would be with her shortly.
Shortly must have been a euphemism, because an hour elapsed from the time they arrived until the moment a harried nurse appeared to get Cassidy settled in an exam room. Gavin had insisted on going along for this leg of the journey, so Cassidy didn’t quibble, especially since he stayed out in the hall while she put on a gown.
There was no seating except the doctor’s rolling stool, so Gavin leaned against the wall, his hands shoved in his pockets. It was a good thing the nurse had already checked her blood pressure, because Cassidy’s heart rate was through the roof.
Fortunately, the doctor appeared after only ten minutes or so. She grimaced. “I’m Doctor Mensch. Sorry for your wait. We had an unexpected delivery, and my colleague who was supposed to be on call came down with a stomach virus. We’ve been scrambling to cover everything.” She glanced at the chart the nurse had started. “I see the date of your last period. Are you fairly regular?”
Cassidy shrugged, her cheeks turning red. “Actually, I know exactly when I got pregnant. It was just the one night.” She named the month and day.
The doctor’s eyebrows went up, but she didn’t ask for elaboration. “In that case, it looks like you’re not quite eleven weeks. Let’s do an ultrasound and see how things look.”
Cassidy had expected the blob of jelly on her abdomen, but the physician shook her head. “We’ll get more information from a transvaginal ultrasound. It won’t hurt at all.” The doctor glanced at Gavin. “Are you the father?”
Gavin opened his mouth, but Cassidy rushed into the breach. “No. He’s not. Just a friend.” Over the doctor’s bent head, Cassidy shot Gavin a stubborn look. He had refused to accept the truth. She didn’t want to hear any polite lies from him now.
Though his face darkened and his eyes flashed, Gavin remained silent. His expression, however, said there would be hell to pay later.
Cassidy squeaked when the instrument was inserted. It was cold. Her hands gripped the sides of the exam table.
The older woman noticed and smiled encouragingly. “This is rarely uncomfortable. Try to relax.”
Easy for her to say. It wasn’t every day Cassidy saw a tiny being who might turn out to have her hair or Gavin’s eyes. For some reason, the room fell silent. It wasn’t as if the doc needed to concentrate. Moving a wand inside a confined space wasn’t exactly rocket science.
Three sets of eyes locked on the computer screen. But Cassidy was torn. She kept an eye on Dr. Mensch, too, waiting to see a nod of approval.
When a tiny frown appeared between the doctor’s eyebrows, Cassidy’s heart clenched. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
The ob-gyn studied the screen. “Nothing at all. Everything looks good. And based on what you told me about the date of conception, we’re right on target.”
“But?” Cassidy had always had a knack for reading people, and there was something the doc wasn’t saying. “But what?”
Moving the wand and applying pressure here and there, the doctor finally zeroed in on one grainy image. “There. Look at that.”
To Cassidy, the readout might as well have been an M.C. Escher drawing. “I see blobs and spots. Help me out here. Does the kid have two noses? An extra set of hands? You’re scaring me.”
The doctor smiled, her expression mischievous. “In a manner of speaking. It’s twins, Cassidy. Two babies. Congratulations. You’re going to be doubly blessed.”
* * *
Gavin felt as if someone had punched him in the chest. It was hard enough trying to convince himself that he might have fathered one child. Now fate had anted up to two. He glanced at Cassidy. She was almost as pale as the white paper cover on the exam table.
He put a hand on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She looked up at him, panic in her eyes. “What am I going to do, Gavin?”
The doctor glanced from Cassidy to Gavin and back again. “Is there a problem?”
“No problem,” Gavin said. “She’s a little shell-shocked, obviously.” He swallowed hard, wondering how in the heck he had arrived at this juncture in his life. “We both are. But it will all work out.” He took Cass’s hand in his and squeezed it, trying to convey solidarity.
The doctor gave Cassidy a tissue and helped her sit up. “We’ll print out a set of photos for you to take home. I’ll want to see you back here in a month. Sooner if you have any problems. You’re young and very healthy. This should be a straightforward pregnancy.”
When the doctor exited, Gavin exhaled. “Well, that was a surprise.”
“Uh-huh.” Cassidy sat on the end of the table, her hands twisting in her lap. She stared at a spot on the far wall, her gaze unfocused. His bet was that she was in shock.
He put an arm around her shoulders. “We need to go, Cass. They’ll need the exam room.”
When she looked up at him, her pupils were dilated. “I don’t feel like I’m having twins. How can it be possible?”
“Put your clothes on. We’ll discuss it in the car. I’ll buy you a milk shake and we can drive over to Asheville and look at nursery furniture. They have one of those baby superstores. I went there once with Dylan when he wanted to surprise Mia with a toy box for Cora.”
Cassidy was silent as she handed over her co-pay and then let him lead her out to the parking lot. She winced at the bright sunshine. When she donned sunglasses, he could no longer read her emotions.
They picked up shakes at a drive-through window, vanilla for Cass and black cherry for him. Out on the interstate, he chose an XM station that played classical music. Cassidy still hadn’t uttered more than a dozen words since the doctor gave them the news.
He drove carefully, suddenly conscious as never before that he was carrying not one but three lives in his hands. As they reached the outskirts of the city, he finally asked the question that had bothered him since Cassidy arrived on his doorstep. “Cass?”
“Hmm?” She sounded sleepy.
“Is there someone you should call about today’s news?”
“You mean my father?”
“No. I was thinking of any other guy who might be a daddy to your twins. Shouldn’t you give someone a heads-up?”
Slowly, she removed her sunglasses and turned sideways to face him. “No,” she said flatly. “You’re it. Get used to the idea.”
Her militant attitude didn’t bother him. For the first time, he wanted to believe her without reservation. But his old biases held him back.
At the baby store, they wandered the furniture aisles. Cassidy’s eyes brightened when she spotted a traditional Jenny Lind crib and changing table in solid cherry. Unlike most of the mass-produced items, this was ha
ndmade by a local North Carolina craftsman.
When she flipped the tag to look at the price, she blanched. “I can’t afford this. Especially times two. We’ll have to try a thrift store.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Her dad owned an enormous, popular casino.
Cassidy shrugged, her expression resigned. “I’m unemployed, remember? And my father canceled my credit cards. I’ll need to watch my spending.”
He pulled the paper tags for the various items. “I’ll buy the baby furniture and put the delivery on hold until you know where you’ll be living.”
She grabbed his wrist. “Why would you do that? According to you, it’s not your responsibility.”
The words had teeth. Guilt pinched, but he wasn’t quite ready to cave. He wanted to believe Cass, but this was too big a decision to make lightly. If he wrapped his head and his heart around those two little beings growing inside her and they turned out not to be his, he wouldn’t be worth a damn. “Let’s just say I can afford it. What good is having money if you can’t make life easier for your friends?”
“Who said you and I are friends?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Don’t press your luck, Cass.”
“Well, in that case...” With a scowl, she started tossing stuff in the shopping cart. Crib sheets, wall hangings, burp cloths, pacifiers, a high-tech baby monitor.
The stubborn tilt to her chin said she was waiting for him to stop her. But he wanted to see how far she would go. In ten minutes, the cart was almost too heavy to push. When a precariously balanced box of diapers began to slide off, Gavin caught it and put it underneath.
“You done now?” he asked.
Cass pushed a stray curl from her forehead. She was flushed, her forehead damp with perspiration. “I’ll pay you back,” she said, her stormy gaze daring him to disagree.
He eyed the trove of baby paraphernalia. “You may have to work the streets of Vegas, after all, to cover this.”
“That’s not funny.”
When he saw tears in her eyes, he suddenly remembered everything he had ever read about expectant moms and hormones. Poor Cassidy. Her whole life had been turned upside down. And this was only the beginning.
Twins on the Way Page 11
