Kitabı oku: «His Baby, Her Heart»

Chapter One

Six months later

On a chilly, bright March day, Alex sat in his attorney’s office, waiting for Dena Randolph. She was late—as usual. If Tamara hadn’t selected her half sister as their surrogate mother, Alex would have found someone more punctual.

Alex sipped stale coffee and tried to squelch his irritation. Had Dena shown up on time, the meeting would have concluded during his lunch hour. More than anything else, Alex wanted to go back to his office, bury himself in his work and forget how much he still missed Tamara.

Attorney Gary Kagan passed a sheaf of papers across his desk to Alex. “You can review the contract while we wait for Ms. Randolph.”

Alex skimmed the closely typed pages. He’d wanted a contract so Dena would understand her place in the scheme of things. Dena, interfering and bossy, had off-beat ideas about child-rearing.

And her kids…Alex grimaced. He loved his niece and nephew, but the four-year-olds always seemed to be sticky, dirty, lost or in trouble. They were hardly poster children for Dena’s parenting style.

Alex flipped through the pages. He saw everything he’d requested: the clauses stating what Dena had to do during the pregnancy, and what she couldn’t do after the baby was born—namely, have unsupervised contact with his child or control over it. Gary had taken several months to draft what looked like a complex document.

“What happens if she doesn’t sign it?” Alex asked.

Gary shrugged. “Both of you own the embryos, see? If she doesn’t sign it, you don’t cooperate. If you don’t cooperate, no baby, and Tamara’s dream dies right here.”

Alex frowned. “That’s rather blunt.”

“That’s life. Let me tell you—”

A loud pop interrupted Gary.

Alex’s body involuntarily jerked. “Hey, are there gangbangers around here?” he asked his attorney.

“Only at night.”

The chug of an overtaxed engine vibrated through the window. Alex cautiously scrambled over to the glass, then peeked through the pane.

Peering past a clipped hedge, he could see a battered yellow pickup, with fanciful vines and flowers painted on it in vivid rainbow colors. Dena’s Gardens was stenciled in purple on the door. Dena’s pickup backfired again as she reversed into a nearby parking space. Black smoke billowed from the muffler. Alex wondered if the pickup complied with California’s strict antismog laws. Probably not, knowing Dena.

He raised his brows. “Guess who.”

Gary joined Alex at the window. “She really ought to replace that old clunker pretty soon.”

“She’d better. I won’t have the mother of my child riding around in that piece of junk. It looks dangerous.”

The door of the truck squealed as Dena opened it. Hinges need oil or something, Alex thought. He kept some in the trunk of his car. He’d take care of that squeak before she left.

Alex watched Dena climb down from the cab of the truck. Her faded jeans had dirt ground into the knees. She wore heavy work boots. He winced.

Dena strode toward the building that housed the office of Alex’s attorney. The grind and clatter of her work boots on the pavement echoed her tripping heart.

She’d have this baby for her sister’s sake, but she wanted to avoid involvement with Alex Chandler. Unfortunately, the two goals were incompatible, thrusting her into a messy situation for at least nine months. More, actually, since after the baby’s birth, she couldn’t evade responsibility for the child and didn’t plan to try. She’d become an auntie, and in her mind, that implied a bond of love and trust that would tie everyone together…including Alex.

Dena sighed inwardly and wondered, for the umpteenth time, why her clever, talented sister had married Alex. Sure, he was good-looking, if you liked the icy, Nordic type. But Tamara, who’d been more beautiful than any Miss America, could have chosen anyone in the world for her mate.

Why Alex, the chilly Chandler? Lately he’d become even more remote, responding to phone calls curtly, if at all. Certain that he suffered over Tamara’s passing, Dena hadn’t pushed him out of his protective shell.

Dena yanked open the glass door of the brick-fronted building a little too hard. It whacked against a wall, but she ignored the bang in favor of her roiling thoughts.

What kind of a parent would Alex be? Unnerved, Dena stopped short in the middle of the carpeted lobby. She didn’t want her baby niece or nephew growing up into a Popsicle person like Alex.

She better make sure this kid had all the love every child deserved.

Dena straightened her shoulders, firmed her resolve and marched into Gary Kagan’s office. She forced a smile onto her face to disguise the determination in her heart.

When Dena entered, Alex, already irritated due to her lateness, couldn’t behave cordially to her no matter how hard he tried. Her messy red mop, carelessly pinned at the top of her head in a knot, had started to fall down. Tendrils of her hair framed her face in a manner Alex knew some men might find sexy, sensual. But not Alex. Dena Randolph wasn’t his type. She’d never be his type. Ever.

“Alex, Mr. Kagan,” she greeted them, sounding a little breathless.

“Gary, please.” His attorney puffed out his thin chest.

She gave him a dazzling, Rita Hayworth smile. “Gary.”

Was it Alex’s imagination, or did she add a sultry slur to the name? He hoped not. The mother of his child would have no business running around with other men. Alex expected Dena to live a quiet, safe life while she carried his baby.

He cleared his throat. “Good afternoon, Dena.”

“Hiya.” She plopped into a plush green chair in front of Gary’s desk and picked up the contract. “So, is this the dastardly document?”

Gary laughed, and Dena winked at him. Alex didn’t like her come-hither look. Hopefully his child wouldn’t flirt. If the baby was a girl, he’d keep her at home until she was thirty.

“I hope you don’t find it dastardly.” Gary resumed his seat behind the desk.

“So it’s an amiable agreement instead.” She grinned.

“We think it’s quite reasonable.” Alex sat in a chair next to hers, then immediately regretted his action. She didn’t smell like a person who’d labored that morning, but like a woman. A very sensual woman, with a fresh, flowery scent.

He sat back in his chair, hoping to escape her fragrant aura. He didn’t want to enjoy Dena’s aroma, her aura, or her anything. She was his wife’s sister. Her half sister, but still…Dena? Attractive? No. Never.

Raising an eyebrow, she flipped through the pages. She didn’t appear to read it at all. “Is this the usual kind of contract for this situation?”

“There really isn’t a usual kind of contract for this. Surrogate motherhood isn’t that common. There aren’t many standard contracts. Believe me, I looked.” Gary fiddled with a pen. “I drafted one from scratch.”

“Termination of all parental rights,” Dena read aloud. “What’s that?”

“In essence, Alex will raise the child and be financially responsible for him or her.” Gary nodded at Alex.

Alex tensed. The clause meant much more than that. If Dena signed, she’d be giving up the baby.

“That goes without saying.” Dena sighed. “I’d love more kids, but I can’t afford them.”

Alex relaxed. “If this surrogacy is successful, perhaps you will be able to manage another child. Tamara left the twins a substantial sum of money.”

Dena’s lips tightened. “This has nothing to do with money. The baby was my sister’s dying wish.”

“So it was,” Alex said in a smooth tone of voice. He wanted to soothe Dena’s unsettled feelings.

“What’s this? No unsupervised contact with the baby?” Dena glared at him, eyes glittering like shards of green glass. “Are you kidding? This is my flesh and blood we’re talking about.”

He exchanged a glance with Gary. Dena wasn’t going to be a pushover.

Alex kept his voice calm. “How many aunts have unsupervised time with nieces and nephews?”

“Plenty. Tamara often took my kids to the zoo and to the park, remember? I wasn’t there to supervise. ” Sarcasm sharpened her voice.

Alex sighed. Dena was right. Tamara had adored Jack and Miri. The twins had been a big part of her desire for children of her own.

“Besides, you’ll want me to help with the baby.”

Alex tried not to look superior. “I doubt that.”

She lost the angry sparkle in her eyes. “So you think you know it all, huh, Alex?” She started to laugh.

“I’m sure I can raise my child without your assistance. You handle two, don’t you? Why can’t I take care of one?”

Her giggles continuing, she groped in her pocket and pulled out a tissue. “Oh, no problem. You’ll have no problem at all. I’m sure you can raise this kid all by yourself. After all, you did so well with the twins.” She dabbed at the tears of laughter leaking from the corners of her eyes, visibly trying to control her mirth.

Alex felt himself reddening.

Gary looked interested. “What about the twins?”

“One time when Alex and Tamara took my son and daughter to Land Park, Tamara took Miriam to Fairy Tale Town and Alex had responsibility for Jack. When Alex wasn’t paying attention—”

“He sneaked out of the men’s room. I was…indisposed. And it was just for a few seconds! It could have happened to anyone.”

Dena grinned. “Jack found his way to the Land Park zoo and tried to climb onto the chimps’ cage. All the zookeepers said he was very charming. Apparently he entertained a large crowd of people, giving the chimps screeching lessons.”

Alex glowered. “My child won’t be like that.” Especially if I keep you away.

“Of course not.” Dena’s tone was patronizing. “Your baby will be a perfect paragon of all the virtues under your wise guidance.”

Gary laughed. Alex glared at his attorney, who was supposed to be on his side.

“And what about breast-feeding?” Dena asked.

“Breast-feeding?” Alex had never in his life given any thought to the subject. Breast-feeding. He stared at Dena’s chest. He envisioned his baby sucking from one of her breasts, which were now snugly clad in a worn yellow T-shirt with the purple Dena’s Gardens logo on the front.

He’d never checked out Dena’s breasts, but they were high, round breasts, perky and, well, touchable. They’d fit nicely in his hands.

He didn’t want this fantasy. Adjusting his trousers, he pushed the image away, quick. Hot, he inserted a finger into his too-tight collar and tugged it away from his throat.

“I won’t breast-feed with an audience.” Dena folded her arms across her chest. “Makes me nervous. If I’m nervous, it affects the flow. You want your baby to breast-feed, right? That’s very important.”

“She’s right. Breast-feeding is very important.” Gary gawked at Dena, hunger clear in his eyes.

Alex drew in a breath, then let it out slowly, trying to slow his galloping pulse. “Okay, you’re right. Cross it out.”

“Thank you.” With an air of triumph, Dena plucked the pen from Gary’s fingers and scribbled out the offending clause. She dropped the pen back onto the desk.

Struggling to ignore Alex’s disturbing presence, Dena lowered her gaze to the contract. From the first day they’d met, he’d ruffled her nerves, with his disapproving attitude and disparaging comments. She resolved not to let him get to her.

But that would be hard, very hard. Alex was a handsome man, if a little cold. But his recent experiences had cracked his corporate-clone shell, letting an appealing vulnerability show through. His blue eyes held a new maturity—

Cut this out, Dena! He’s not for you!

Alex waited, anxious, as Dena continued to read. She rested her chin on her palm. The light caught her cheekbone, emphasizing its elegant curve. So like Tamara’s. He gulped.

Tamara had been a slight sylph of a woman, a petite blonde with dainty features and hair like moonbeams. Tall, voluptuous Dena had always struck Alex as a larger, rougher version of his refined wife.

Now he found himself seeing Dena in a new way. The shape of her face. The tilt of her shimmering green eyes. In fact—

“Alex, this is very interesting.” Dena raised a confused gaze from the contract. “You want to be my La-maze partner?”

“Of course. Who else?”

“Mom went with me for the twins.”

“Where was Steve?” Alex asked before he remembered Dena’s husband had left her when he discovered she was pregnant with twins. Alex would rather have bitten off his tongue than remind Dena of that dark period in her life. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m over it.” She shot him a breezy, careless smile. “I’m just surprised at you, that’s all.”

“Don’t be. Dena, this baby means a lot to me. I’ll be by your side every moment. You won’t have to worry about anything.”

“A supportive man. What a novel concept.” She picked up the pen and signed at the bottom of the last page. “Okay, we’re done. I’m gonna go eat. I have a short lunch break before I have to get to another job.”

“We would have been finished sooner if you’d arrived on time,” Alex said. “And you would have had enough time to read the whole contract.”

“I’ve read enough.” She stood, turned to the door and zipped out.

Alex looked at Gary, whose mouth was open.

The attorney closed his lips with an audible snap.

“What came over her?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Alex left the office to follow Dena, who was halfway to her truck. He couldn’t help noticing the way her worn jeans clasped her fit, firm bottom. Stop it, Alex!

He shoved her derriere out of his thoughts before he caught up with her in the parking lot. “What’s going on? I thought you were going to work over that contract with a fine-toothed comb.”

“So did I.” Dena unlocked the door of her truck.

“Wait right there.” Alex trotted to his car, opened the trunk and removed his tool kit. Finding some solvent in a spray can, he returned to Dena, who now sat inside her pickup.

“Turn your head.” Alex sprayed the hinges. He wanted the mother of his child in perfect health before the embryo was implanted, so he used his free hand as a screen to keep the vapor away from Dena’s nostrils.

He accidentally touched her cheek with his palm. Startled, he jerked away. “Sorry,” he mumbled, shaken. Though she worked outside, her skin wasn’t roughened by the sky and wind. Instead, she felt satin smooth, petal soft.

Again, he inhaled her scent. He ignored it.

Dena lurched back into the seat, her full lips pale and set. “Did I get some in your eyes? I tried not to.” He capped the oil container.

“It’s okay.” But she still looked teary.

“So why did you sign the contract?”

Dena squirmed in her seat. “B-because I trust you.”

He stared at her for several seconds before he remembered to smile. Dena Randolph had complimented him. Must be a historic occasion. As far as he knew, she’d never said anything nice about him. He was aware she called him Android Accountant Alex, the Corporate Clone. “Are you feeling all right?”

She gave a shaky laugh. “Not really. I’m hungry. I need to eat before my next job, and you probably want to go back to work.”

“Yeah, well, yeah.” He was completely tongue-tied. Alex hadn’t known that contact with Dena Randolph could cause loss of his voice and his sanity.

As she drove away, he stood in the parking lot watching the retreating tailgate of her truck. He remained motionless long after it had disappeared from view.

He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand either her bitterness or her surprise at his conduct. A supportive man. What a novel concept. Her sour attitude didn’t make sense. Tamara had described a happy childhood. Neither of his mother-in-law’s husbands had left, they’d died. Dena hadn’t come from a broken home.

If she’d truly gotten over Steve’s desertion, why the cynicism?

Scratch a cynic and there’s an idealist whose heart’s been broken. Where had Alex heard that before?

Today, Dena had revealed depths he hadn’t known existed. What strange new relationship would he and Dena forge?

Alex shook his head to clear his mind of all stray thoughts. None of this mattered. Only the baby mattered, but he knew that Dena’s emotions would affect his unborn child’s development.

His task was clear. He’d protect Dena and keep her happy, despite his mixed feelings about the woman.

And she was absolutely not going to get to him. Alex sucked in a deep breath, remembering the sweep of Dena’s red hair over her flushed cheeks, her voluptuous breasts pressing against her T-shirt, and her backside in those tight, faded jeans. He couldn’t repress his groan.

He had lustful thoughts about his dead wife’s sister. What was wrong with him?

Clutching the steering wheel, Dena turned out of the parking lot and onto Alhambra Boulevard. He’d gotten to her. Android Alex had managed to slip under her skin and make her cry.

Like a chigger.

Dena remembered Steve’s reaction when they’d learned she was pregnant. He’d been…startled, then accepting. But he’d chafed under the changes she made in their lives. She socialized less and slept more. She quit making caffeinated coffee in the mornings and didn’t serve wine or beer. She’d asked him to smoke his cigarettes outside.

He’d rebelled against the idea of assisting her with the birth, chuckling that he never could stand the sight of blood. So going with her to Lamaze was out.

When he’d seen on the ultrasound screen two hearts beating in her womb, he’d fallen silent. She’d been excited and assumed that his reaction meant that he was too stunned with joy to speak.

Less than a month later, her husband—the man with whom she’d made a lifelong commitment—was gone, after cheating on her with every willing woman in the neighborhood. A geologist, Steve had dumped his boring government job to chase his dreams of wealth in the Saudi Arabian oil fields.

He’d discarded his family the way a snake sheds its skin. He hadn’t contested the divorce. Occasionally he sent support checks. He wrote or phoned the twins even more rarely.

Steve Randolph had never met his children.

Dena stopped at a light and rested her forehead on the steering wheel. Waves of anger swept through her, leaving her shaky. Try as she might, she couldn’t suppress the rage that always engulfed her when she thought about Steve. This doesn’t help, she told herself. She’d never move forward with her life if she couldn’t find peace in her own soul with Steve and his betrayals.

She threw Steve out of her mind. He was the past. He didn’t matter anymore.