Baby In A Million

by Rebecca Winters

  In her mind, they still had to work out the details. She’d been sharing a bedroom at the hospital with him, but she wasn’t ready to make love. She had a demon to face first.

  Unfortunately she feared Cord entertained other ideas. There was a subtle difference in him as they spent time in the various showrooms—a palpable, sensual energy she felt radiate from him whenever he whispered something private in her ear or hugged her waist in a possessive grip.

  When they came to the area displaying her favorite items, he happened to be standing behind her and slid his hands around her stomach, drawing her back against him. He probably had no idea how erotic it felt to her, but she almost fainted from the sensation and slumped against him because her legs could scarcely support her weight.

  “Shall I tell the man to ship all of it?”

  His husky voice reduced her to a throbbing lump.

  “D-do you like the set as much as I do?” She finally managed to get the words out.

  Against the side of her neck where she’d sprayed a fresh lemon scent he murmured, “It was my choice years ago.”

  The ache in his voice gave her a deeper glimpse into his psyche and the pain he’d suffered because of his supposed inability to give them a baby. Not all men or women cared the same way about children, but she realized that this moment was as earthshaking to Cord as it was to her. Whatever the future held, he would never take his fatherhood for granted. As for his being a wonderful parent, Ashley could guarantee it.

  She would have liked to stay in his arms, but some other people had come to look at the furniture. Cord, too, seemed reluctant for the moment to end. “Next week we’ll buy the rest of the things we need,” he announced sotto voce, grasping her hand and drawing her toward the nearest counter where a salesclerk awaited them.

  While he took care of their transaction and gave the address for the delivery, Cord refused to break physical contact with her. It was almost as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let her go.

  True to his word, they stopped for a hamburger on the way back to the hospital. They talked about their child, what kind of parents they wanted to be. Their discussion covered the various philosophies of child-rearing and they ended up agreeing on everything.

  Ashley felt a new contentment she’d never known before. But it was a little like moving through twilight slumber, not quite awake, not quite asleep, that magical time when the whole world was enveloped in a rosy glow.

  Enjoy it now, her heart warned her. Life will be quite different after you leave the safety of the hospital and return to the scene of the crime.

  Those were Vince’s words and they haunted her. But the appellation was appropriate. A crime had been committed.

  As Sister Bernice had admonished, Ashley owed it to Cord, their marriage, their baby, to find out the truth once and for all. The nun had given Ashley a lot to think about.

  When she looked back on her life at the orphanage, the only truly ugly period that came to mind were the years when Marsha had tormented her. In fact it had been so bad, Ashley had blocked the memory from her mind, not recalling it until Sister Bernice had unearthed it.

  Before the advent of Marsha, Ashley hadn’t ever known any devious people, had never been around such a troubled person. With hindsight she could see how the older girl had manipulated every conceivable situation to hurt Ashley.

  Worse, Ashley had been so naive she’d completely underestimated Marsha’s ability to make real trouble, never dreaming anyone could be that disturbed. It appeared Ashley had made the same mistake with Sheila.

  Cord had sworn that his stepmother had fabricated everything. If so, then Ashley—already plagued by doubts because Cord had seemed so remote since their move back to Salt Lake—had played right into Sheila’s hands by running away eight months ago.

  That had been Ashley’s pattern at the orphanage, to flee from the pain, to hide from Marsha so that something awful wouldn’t happen again.

  “Ashley? We’re back.”

  She blinked, surprised to discover they’d pulled into a stall of the hospital parking terrace.

  “What are you thinking about that has put such a fierce expression on your face?” He’d asked the question half-mockingly, but she sensed some anxiety, as well.

  “I—I guess I’m a little nervous about being a good mother,” she prevaricated, though in truth she was as worried as any expectant woman about her ability to measure up to the awesome responsibility.

  Like always, his quick smile turned her heart over. “You were born for the job. Of that I have no doubts.” So saying, he brushed his lips against hers before levering himself from the car to come around and help her.

  Whenever, wherever he touched her, he ignited new fires. It was a good thing the next few days were going to be lived in a controlled environment. With other people about—the hospital staff coming in and out of their room—they wouldn’t be truly alone.

  She feared that day, feared making love with him again.

  Once back in his bed, in his arms, Ashley would be lost in rapture, vulnerable, open to new hurts.

  She couldn’t go through that again. She refused.

  Returning home with Cord would be the ultimate experiment to see if their marriage could really work. It would test her mental and emotional fortitude in ways she didn’t even want to think about.

  Cord wouldn’t like it, but the issue of Sheila had to be put to rest one way or the other before Ashley could once more consider becoming his wife in the Biblical sense of the word.

  Before they left the hospital on Sunday, she would need to make that very clear to him. Otherwise she would have to go her own way, alone.

  “Hey you two,” Jerry called out as he passed them in the hall. “Where have you guys been?”

  Cord slowed down to talk to him. “At the doctor’s.”

  Jerry squinted. “Is everything all right?”

  “More than all right,” Cord answered with a satisfied sigh. “We’ve just found out we’re going to have a boy.”

  “Now that’s what I like to hear. Wait till I tell my wife! Tonight we’ll have to have a party.”

  “Sounds good to us, doesn’t it, darling?”

  Oh, Cord. You’re acting and sounding too happy. I’m afraid.

  Deep in her tortured thoughts, she was scarcely aware of the rest of their walk. It wasn’t until they passed the nursing station that she realized someone was talking to them.

  “Mr. McKnight?”

  Cord paused midstride, his hand still around Ashley’s waist keeping her close to him. “Yes?”

  “You have a visitor. She’s in the outpatient waiting room downstairs.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Ashley froze in place.

  Only three days’ absence and already Sheila is trying to make contact. Okay. This is it. Your first test. If you can’t handle it, then there’s no point to anything.

  “They told her that no one is allowed up here during the clinic, but she insisted it was an emergency and said she must talk to you in person.”

  Cord’s head jerked around, his eyes darkening to a glacial midnight blue as he stared at Ashley. “I know what you’re thinking,” he rapped out before she could say anything. “But I swear I have no idea how she traced me here.” His voice grated. “Dan’s the only one at the office privy to that information. As for the rest of the staff, they’re assuming I’m on a week’s vacation.”

  “I believe you,” she assured him. “Otherwise why bother to go through with the elaborate farce of getting me to attend this clinic with you.”

  Cord gauged the sincerity of her words, then grasped her hand. “As far as I’m concerned, she can go to hell. Let’s get back to our room.” His jaw had hardened so ferociously, she barely recognized him.

  “No, Cord.” She stood her ground. “Maybe she’s using this as an excuse to see you. Then again, it’s possible she has news you need to hear.”

  Obviously shocked by her reaction, his relentless
gaze searched hers. He didn’t quite trust this new side of her. She couldn’t blame him. The old Ashley would have stolen quietly away, her face eloquent with anguish. Another hurt to nurse. Another wall to keep them apart.

  “You don’t believe that. Neither do I,” he scathed. Ashley stood her ground. “Nevertheless, as long as she’s here, you’d better see her.”

  You may be surprised that she found out about the clinic, Cord, but you’re not really surprised that she would go to these lengths to see you. You’re only pretending to be because of me and the precariousness of our situation.

  That had always been their problem since living in Salt Lake. Because of Sheila, they’d tried to protect each other from getting hurt. They’d bent over backward to avoid causing pain, but in the process, their efforts had only made everything worse.

  She heard his harsh intake of breath. “The only way I would agree to see Sheila is with you at my side. But if it means upsetting you and the baby, I’m not prepared to take that risk.”

  Those words went a long way to assuage Ashley’s fears. It was his method of demonstrating new resolve on his part to dispel any suspicion. Because he was trying so hard, it prompted her to say, “When you think about it, what difference does it make whether we talk to her now, or four days from now?”

  There was no response. His powerful body didn’t move an inch. Only his eyes spoke to her. They were asking the question he hadn’t voiced. Both she and Cord were painfully aware of their tenuous new beginning. Neither one wanted to make a wrong move. Right now he was trying to do everything right. So was she.

  Did she trust him? If so, she needed to proceed the way she intended to go or she’d never be whole again. What was it Sister Bernice had said? “You have a duty to your husband to put your old fears to rest once and for all.”

  “Let’s go down right now and find out what she wants.”

  By the deafening silence, she realized that once again she’d surprised him. The Ashley he knew would never have suggested such a plan, let alone had the courage to carry it through.

  “Please, Cord—you want me to trust you, so why not deal with her together and present a united front.”

  She could sense the battle going on inside him. “You’re sure?” Anxiety, fear, admiration—all those emotions and more she read in his eyes.

  “Actually I think I’m glad she came. If I have to see her again for the first time in months, I would just as soon it be here at the hospital with you at my side. I mean, what can she say or do in front of us that she hasn’t already tried?”

  His chest heaved. “If you really want to do this, then promise me you’ll follow my lead. Whatever she thinks she has to say can be accomplished in sixty seconds or less.”

  Since Ashley had no desire to be in Sheila’s company any longer than necessary, it was an easy promise to make.

  “Shall we go?”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and they retraced their footsteps. At the double doors leading to the elevator he pulled her close. “One more thing before we leave the floor,” he whispered.

  The second she lifted her head in query, his mouth descended. He gave her a long, urgent kiss. When he finally relinquished his hold of her, she was out of breath. The blood pounded in her ears. “Now I’m ready.”

  The barely controlled ardor of his embrace left her so speechless and dull-witted, she was scarcely cognizant of their trip downstairs to the outpatient lounge.

  Perhaps the one thing that helped her press forward without hesitation was the knowledge that Sheila would be expecting one person to appear in the waiting room. Cord.

  Ashley’s presence, a very pregnant Ashley, nestled tightly against her husband, would come as a tremendous shock.

  To have that kind of advantage helped Ashley hold on to her determination. Cord must have sensed her confidence because en route he kissed the side of her neck several times.

  Sheila wasn’t difficult to spot. Even though Cord’s stepmother was sitting with a lot of people in the crowded room, it didn’t surprise Ashley that her presence dominated the scene. No matter how many attractive women there might be in a given setting, Cord’s stepmother drew attention.

  The first time Ashley met her, the tall, willowy blonde reminded her of Veronica Lake, a sultry movie star of the 1940 classic films whose trademark was the fall of wavy hair cascading down one side of her face.

  Between her long, slender legs and the alluring way she carried herself, she was the personification of femininity. For Cord’s delectation, she’d taken great pains with her appearance. The stunning champagne silk dress looked new, as did the strappy high-heels and strand of matched pearls. She looked polished, sophisticated, rich and mysterious.

  For a brief moment, the old feelings of inadequacy swept through Ashley. She could never hope to compete, especially in her pregnant state. But three days of therapy plus the fact that she was carrying Cord’s child had gone a long way to bolstering her self-confidence.

  Additional warmth spread through her body when Cord’s arm slid down her back to squeeze her waist.

  “Sheila? You wanted to see me? If so, I suggest we step out into the hall where we won’t be overheard.” Cord’s stepmother raised her golden head from the magazine she’d been reading. The second she saw them together, a stillness crept over her and she rose to her feet with pure feminine grace, unlike Ashley whose movements were slower and more clumsy.

  When they reached the empty corridor Ashley felt Sheila’s cool gray gaze stray from Cord to her, assessing her with one sweep of her long lashes, not giving any of her thoughts away. Marsha had possessed that same unnerving ability.

  Ashley knew the other woman couldn’t believe her eyes. It was a singularly triumphant moment for Ashley, yet she had to give Sheila full marks for covering up her shock so totally. Her sangfroid was amazing, if not daunting. Like Marsha, Sheila was a past master at mind games and manipulation, making her a dangerous adversary.

  You’re grown-up now, Ashley. More than equal to the task. You don't need to be afraid of Sheila anymore. “Well, you two. This is a surprise.”

  Cord’s arm tightened around Ashley. “That’s what happens when you show up uninvited. However, the only question of significance is what you did to get Dan to reveal my whereabouts.”

  His words would have withered Ashley on the spot, but Sheila was a different animal and appeared unfazed by the retort.

  “He called a special meeting today to tender his resignation. He gave no explanation, then he walked out.” Ashley felt Cord’s body harden. Dan Locke had been with the company forty-plus years, serving in every capacity until he’d worked his way up to vice president in charge of operations. This had to come as a tremendous blow to Cord.

  “He wouldn’t have done that unless he was provoked beyond reason,” her husband’s voice rasped.

  “I knew this would be upsetting to you. In an effort to get him to reconsider, I called his wife. She refused to tell me anything. She said you were the only person she would talk to, but that you were participating in the Great Salt Lake Smokeout Clinic and were unavailable.”

  Ashley couldn’t help but wonder what unscrupulous tactics Sheila had used to get Dan’s sweet wife to reveal Cord’s whereabouts. It must have been a devastating moment for Emily Locke.

  “Since by fair means or foul you found out where I was, it was your duty as an officer in the company to have phoned me immediately and left that message with the clerk at the nursing station,” Cord bit out, visibly upset by the news of Dan. “For several reasons, your coming to the hospital was unconscionable.” He continued to chastise her without scruple. “Let’s go, Ashley.” He raised his arm to her shoulders.

  “There’s something else,” Sheila added without a qualm.

  Ashley knew it.

  Cord hugged her tighter. “Nothing could be more important than the tragic news about the best man in the entire company. As you can see, my wife is expecting our son very soon and it’s
past our bedtime.”

  “Your son, Cord?”

  For once Sheila couldn’t hide her shock. It shouldn’t have delighted Ashley so much.

  “That’s right. A man should be so lucky as to experience one miracle in his lifetime. This week I’ve been afforded two.” As he said the words, he turned his head to gaze down at Ashley. “My wife has come back to me and my cup runneth over,” he murmured before kissing her full on the mouth in front of Sheila.

  Ashley’s heart streamed into his, blotting out the ache and the hurt. She gave herself up fully to his kiss, permeated by a joy she didn’t know how she was going to contain.

  “I couldn’t be happier with your news. When can I expect you two home?”

  With a reluctance Ashley could sense, Cord finally lifted his head. “Sunday night,” he murmured thickly before ushering them both from the lounge.

  The fact that Cord didn’t mention Dan’s name until they’d reached their room upstairs testified to the measure of entrancement that held them both.

  For Ashley, something magical had happened downstairs just now. The weight of distrust and suspicion seemed to have evaporated the moment Cord proclaimed his happiness in front of Sheila.

  “Darling?” He grasped her hands and kissed them. “All I want to do is concentrate on you, on us, but—”

  “I know—” she broke in, standing on tiptoe to brush his lips. “Dan needs you. While you talk to him, I’ll go watch a movie with the others.”

  His hands tightened in her hair, his eyes blazing with a new light. “I’ll join you as soon as I can,” he promised, giving her another drugging kiss that left them both trembling before she left the room.

  The film was halfway over when Cord eventually found his seat next to Ashley at the back of the auditorium. Reaching for her hand, he gripped it tightly.

  “Did you get hold of him?” she whispered.

  “Yes.”

  Alarmed by his clipped tone, she looked at him in the near darkness. “It’s bad, isn’t it?”