The Tender Trap

“It would be wrong not to marry. Can’t you see? Even if you and I aren’t in love, even if we have our differences, we owe it to our child to get married. And we owe it to ourselves. After all, Decatur is a pretty old-fashioned Southern town, you know, and we both have reputations to uphold. Hell, you coach a girls’ softball team, don’t you? And I’m on the board of education.”

“I don’t like your type of man, Adam. Even if we both lose our reputations, it would be better than trying to live together. We’d wind up killing each other.”

“You didn’t dislike me the night you conceived my child. You gave a good impression of a woman who liked everything about me.” Adam laughed when he heard her gasp.

“That’s typical of your type, reminding me of what a fool I was. I was very emotional that evening. I’d just become a godmother. Joy named her baby after me, and I was all emotional and everything. Then the thunderstorm blew up... and... and I...I—”

“Acted like a woman. A real woman. Soft and vulnerable and loving.”

“I made the mistake of falling right into your big, strong arms. You were...were...irresistible, and for the first time, I gave in to my desires. And just look what happened!” Determined not to cry, Blythe clamped her teeth tightly together.

Adam reached out for her; she backed farther away from him. “You want me to take the blame?” he asked. “You want me to say it was my fault? All right, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have made love to you. I knew how emotional you were, how vulnerable. But dammit, Blythe, I didn’t know you’d never been with a man. I thought you’d had sex with all those idiots you dated.”

“Well, I hadn’t. And why I couldn’t resist you, I’ll never know.”

Adam grinned. “You couldn’t resist me, huh?”

She flung her purse at him. It bounced off his chest and hit the floor. Oh, damn! Why had she just admitted that she hadn’t been able to resist him that night? She was such a fool. “Ooo...hhh!”

“We should have an exciting marriage.” Reaching down, Adam picked up her purse and held it out to her. “We can fight all day and make love all night.”

Blythe grabbed her purse. “I am not going to marry you.”

“If you think I’m suggesting a love match, then stop worrying.” Adam realized he’d have to play things just right or Blythe would walk out of his office and out of his life, taking his child with her.

Blythe held her purse against her chest, her arms crisscrossed at her waist. “What are you suggesting?”

“I’m suggesting that we get married to give our baby legitimacy, to give her two parents, and to maintain our good reputations. We both have a lot to lose as unwed parents.” He watched Blythe as she considered what he’d said. She was weakening just a little. All he had to do was continue persuading her. “When we get married, we can have separate bedrooms, if that’s what you want.”

“What kind of marriage would that be?”

“A marriage in name only. For the sake of the baby. After she... or he...is born, we can get an amicable divorce and share joint custody of our child. That shouldn’t be any problem.”

“No, that shouldn’t be any problem,” she mumbled. “Would everybody know... I mean would we have to tell people that...”

“Nobody needs to know anything about our personal business. If you want to tell Joy, it would be all right with me.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t come here expecting you to propose marriage.” Liar! her conscience screamed at her. Deep down, in your heart of hearts, you came here to Adam hoping he’d find a way to make everything all right. First you break your own cardinal rule about not having sex, then you get yourself pregnant, and now you’re considering marrying the big jerk.

“Think about it. Talk to Joy.” Adam glanced down at his watch. “It’s ten-thirty. Take all day. I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight and we’ll discuss the situation and make plans.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt just to discuss the situation. Okay, pick me up around seven.” After all, what harm would it do just to consider his proposal?

Blythe walked away from him. Adam ran after her, halting her just as she opened the door. “Who’s your doctor?”

“Dr. Meyers. Why do you ask?”

“Thought I’d give him a call and—”

“And see if I’m really pregnant?” She raised her hand against him, wanting nothing more than to slap his face. How dare he think she would humiliate herself this way if she wasn’t really pregnant.

Adam grabbed her arm in midair. “To find out what I can do to make this pregnancy easier for you.”

“Oh.” Blythe jerked her arm away from Adam. “Dr. Meyers, in Decatur. I go back for a checkup in a month.”

Adam clasped her chin in his hand. “I’ll see you tonight. Until then, take care of yourself and my little girl.” He brushed a kiss across her lips.

She stared at him, not returning the kiss, but not fighting the sweet intimacy either. “Tonight,” she murmured.

Adam watched Blythe exit the outer office where his secretary sat, staring back and forth from Blythe to him.

“I’m getting married, Sandra. That little redheaded spitfire is my future wife.”

“Congratulations, sir. I had no idea you were seriously involved with anyone.”

“Oh, I’m as seriously involved with Blythe Elliott as a man can be.”

“He asked you to marry him!” Kneeling on the floor in front of her daughter’s musical swing, Joy Simpson looked up at Blythe.

“I don’t know what I expected.” Blythe laid her purse on the work counter in the back room of her florist shop. “But it certainly wasn’t a marriage proposal.”

Joy wiped the drool from Melissa’s rosebud mouth, then stood and wound the swing. A lullaby tinkled sweetly from the music box. Melissa’s eyelids drooped.

“Well, I’ve always considered Adam an honorable man—”

“Ha! If he’d been honorable that night after Missy’s christening party, I wouldn’t be pregnant right now.”

Joy placed her hand on Blythe’s shoulder. “It takes two, you know. You were a willing participant in what happened that night.”

“Too willing!” Gritting her teeth together, Blythe huffed, then closed her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t marry Adam.” She rounded the corner of her work counter, removed her purse from the top and slid it onto a bottom shelf.

“I don’t think you should make such a hasty decision,” Joy said. “After all, you haven’t had time to think things through.”

“I don’t need any time to think about it. I’m not going to marry Adam. We’ve already made one stupid mistake. It would be ridiculous to make another one.”

“Why would marrying Adam be a stupid mistake?”

“How can you ask me that?” Picking up the stack of morning mail and a silver letter opener off her corner desk, Blythe ripped apart the first envelope. “You know how we feel about each other, how we’ve felt about each other ever since we met. He doesn’t approve of the type of woman I am and I certainly don’t approve of the type of man he is. In short, Adam Wyatt and I have nothing in common. We’d make each other miserable.”

“Well, I will admit you two always did seem to strike sparks off each other. Adam is one of the most old-fashioned guys I know and you’re certainly a modern woman. But y’all definitely have something in common now.”

“What?”

“A child you created together.”

“Oh, that.” Blythe sighed. “But I still can’t marry him. He’s already issuing me orders and we aren’t even engaged. I’ve spent my entire adult life steering clear of entanglements that could lead to marriage and slavery to some chest-beating Neanderthal. You understand why I can’t marry Adam, don’t you?”

“I understand your reasoning, and I agree that it’s usually a mistake to marry someone without love, but you are pregnant.”

“So?” Shrugging, Blythe opened another envelope, glanced at it and tossed it into the wastebasket. “Single women all across the country are having children alone. There’s no reason why I can’t do it. After all, I’m a mature woman of twenty-eight, the owner of a fairly successful business and my best friend will be at my side throughout the entire pregnancy. Right?”

“Yes, of course, but what about after the baby’s born?” Joy asked. “Craig and I share all the responsibilities of caring for Missy.”

“I can take care of a child without a husband.”

“Well, don’t forget that I’m only working here two days a week now. Who’s going to help you take care of the baby when you’re at work? You could bring her with you, I suppose, the way I do Missy right now, but doing that every day would be difficult. Could you afford good day care?”

“I’ll handle those problems when the time comes. And somehow I’ll figure out a solution.”

“You’re forgetting several important things.”

“What things?” Blythe asked.

“Remember where you live and who you are,” Joy said. “This isn’t New York or L.A. This is Decatur, Alabama. We’re living in the heart of the Bible Belt and upstanding citizens who patronize your florist shop don’t approve of unwed mothers.”

“I know.” Frowning, Blythe clicked her teeth and shook her head. “Adam has already pointed out that we have reputations to uphold and an innocent child’s future to consider.”

“Adam is the other important thing you’re forgetting. He’s going to want to be a part of the baby’s life. Just because you aren’t married to him, doesn’t eliminate his rights as the child’s father.”

“Just what are you advising me to do?” Blythe separated the bills from other business correspondence, wrapping a rubber band around each stack.

“Agree to a marriage in name only until after the baby’s born. Then get a divorce. Let Adam give the child his name and you two work out child support payments and visitation rights. If you and Adam can learn to get along, it will be the best possible gift the two of you could give your child.”

“That’s exactly the solution Adam suggested. But maybe we could work things out without getting married. If we get married, he’s going to want me to change, and I know I’ll want him to change. Each of us will try to make the other become what we want in a mate. Besides, I don’t know if it’s possible for Adam and me to get along.”

Joy smiled. “I think you and Adam have already proved that you can get along. At least for one night.”

“Joy!”

“And what’s wrong with people changing a little? I know that Adam tends to be a bit old-fashioned, but with some effort on your part, I’ll bet you can modernize his thinking.”

“I seriously doubt that.” Blythe picked up the two stacks of correspondence, handed one to Joy and carried the other toward the small office space at the back of the store.

Flipping through the mail, Joy followed Blythe. “If you’ve already made up your mind, I don’t understand why you agreed to have dinner with him.”

“I couldn’t think straight after he said he wanted to marry me. He took me off guard. I didn’t expect him to take the blame for what happened. It just never occurred to me that he really would want to be involved with the baby.”

Shaking her head, Joy sighted. “You really don’t know Adam at all, do you? Because he’s big, good-looking, very masculine and a real take-charge kind of guy he’s always reminded you of your stepfather. You never gave him a chance. Surely the night the two of you made love, you realized that Adam’s not like Raymond.”

Blythe tossed the stack of bills atop the desk beside the adding machine and computer printer. “I don’t think he’s just like Raymond. I know Adam would never verbally abuse his wife or dominate her so completely that she couldn’t think for herself, but—”

“But what?”

“But Adam and I are total opposites. He’d probably expect me to cook dinner every night and do his laundry and things like that. Marriage would be a mistake for us.”

“Are you sure?” Joy asked.

“I’m sure. There’s no way I’ll ever agree to marry Adam.”

“Blythe is pregnant, and you’re the father?” Craig Simpson’s eyes widened, his lips twitched and he coughed a couple of times trying to keep from laughing.

“What the hell’s so funny?” Adam paced around his office like a caged tiger. “I got a woman pregnant. And not just any woman, but Blythe Elliott.” Rolling his eyes heavenward, Adam shook his head. “The one woman on earth who hates my guts!”

“She must not have hated you the night y’all made love,” Craig said.

“I don’t know how she felt about me that night.” Adam raked his fingers through his thick, silver-streaked black hair. “I’ve gone over that night a thousand times in my mind. Even before Blythe’s revelation today, I’ve thought about what happened, trying to figure out why we wound up making love. One minute we were arguing, like we always do, then the next minute, a summer storm came up. She’d been crying a lot that day. I wanted to comfort her, and—”

“And the comforting got out of hand?”

“Something like that. It was as if we’d both become two different people, and we wanted each other so much we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

“Opposites attract. Just look at Joy and me.”

“Yeah, well, you and Joy were attracted to each other and liked each from the moment y’all met, and you two fell deeply in love. It wasn’t that way for Blythe and me.” Adam continued pacing back and forth from the wide expanse of windows behind his desk to the closed door that led to his secretary’s outer office.

“You and Blythe were attracted to each other from the very beginning, but instead of admitting it, you both fought it. That could be the reason y’all argue every time you’re around each other.”

“Blythe is not my type. I prefer women who like for a man to be a man. I want a woman who isn’t on the defensive all the time. A woman whose career isn’t more important to her than her marriage.” Adam slumped down in the chair behind his desk. “And I’m not her type, either. I remind her too much of her stepfather, whom she apparently despised.”

“So marriage is out of the question, huh?” Leaning his head back against the soft leather of the chair, Craig stretched out his legs in front of him.

“Not necessarily,” Adam said. “I think Blythe and I should marry. For the child’s sake. And to maintain our respectability. We both have business reputations to consider and we’re involved in community affairs. It would be a marriage in name only and we’ll divorce after the baby’s born. Then we’ll share custody.”

“Has Blythe agreed to all that?”

“Not yet, but I’m sure she will. After all, it’s a good deal for her. I’ll give our child my name as well as my love and financial support for the rest of his or her life. And I’ll be there throughout the pregnancy to take care of Biythe.”

“Blythe isn’t the type who’d accept a man’s offer to take care of her.” Craig laughed. “She’s very independent. Joy told me that once Blythe got away from her stepfather and mother, she refused to take anything from them. And Raymond Harold wasn’t a poor man. Blythe worked her way through college and has been totally self-supporting since she was eighteen.”

“Hey, it’s not as if I’m offering to keep her up for the rest of her life. I’ll have you draw up the papers. We’ll spell everything out in black and white so there won’t be any misunderstandings.”

“Sounds romantic to me.” Craig stared up at the coiling, missing Adam’s menacing glare.

“There’s nothing romantic about my relationship with Blythe and you know it. I got her pregnant so I intend to take care of the situation.”

“As I recall, you once told me that after what Lynn did to you, you had no desire to ever remarry.”

“Yeah, you’re right, but I also had no intention of getting a woman pregnant.”

“What if Blythe refuses your generous offer?” Craig asked. “She may decide that she can get along just fine without you and your money.”

“Oh, she’s going to marry me. And she’s going to agree to all the conditions. The divorce after the child is born. The generous child support. And joint custody. I’m not going to give her any choice.” Adam crossed his arms over his chest.

“It sounds like you don’t know Blythe Elliott very well if you think you can bulldoze right over her,” Craig said. “She’s not the type to take orders, especially from a man.”

“I’m not just any man. I’m the father of her baby. I have certain legal rights, don’t I?”

“I suggest you don’t mention anything about your legal rights to Blythe when you take her out to dinner this evening. Threatening her would be like waving a red flag in front of an angry bull.”

“I have no intention of making any threats as long as Blythe is willing to be reasonable, and I think she will be. After all, it’ll be in her best interest to marry me.”

“I’m not sure Blythe will see it that way.”

Leaning over and placing his hands, palms flat, atop his desk, Adam stared at Craig. “Make no mistake about it, Blythe is going to marry me. Neither of us planned on becoming parents, on having to share a child. I’m sure I’d be at the bottom of her list for possible father candidates, and I can’t see Blythe as a mother. She’s not nurturing and maternal the way Joy is.”

“Just take my advice, old buddy. Tread lightly where Blythe is concerned. If you push too hard, she’ll dig in her heels and fight you to the bitter end.”

“I’ll be my most charming self tonight, and I’ll make the mother of my unborn child an offer she can’t refuse.” Shoving back his chair, Adam stood, shot out his hand and grinned at Craig. “You’re going to be my best man. Let’s shake on it. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what date Blythe and I decide on tonight.”

Three

Blythe knew the minute she took a bite of the orange roughy that she was going to be sick. She’d been foolish to order the fish blackened, but it was one of her favorites. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to the idea of this terrible nausea hitting her at odd times of the day and night.

“Excuse me.” Shoving her chair away from the table, she stood quickly and made a mad dash through the dimly lit restaurant, only to stop short, realizing she had no idea were the ladies’ room was located.

Grabbing a startled waiter by the arm, Blythe felt a sour, burning taste rise in her throat. “Bathroom,” she gasped, almost afraid to open her mouth.

“Around the corner, to the right,” the wide-eyed young man replied.

Adam caught up with her just as she swung open the door marked Ladies. When he clasped her shoulder in his big hand, she jerked away from him.

“What the devil’s the matter?” he asked.

She didn’t have time for explanations. If she didn’t make it to a sink or commode within a couple of seconds, she would be barfing all over Adam’s sleek Italian loafers. She ran inside the rest room, siamming the door in his face.

Adam pounded on the door. “Blythe, are you all right?”

What the hell had happened? They had been eating a delicious meal and actually sharing a pleasant conversation about music. They’d discovered they both shared a love for good jazz. Then all of a sudden, Blythe’s face had turned a rather odd shade of greenish white and she’d run from the table as if she were being chased by demons.

“Blythe!”

“May I help you, sir?” a waiter asked.

“Not unless you can find a lady willing to go inside there to see what’s wrong with my date.”

“Is the young lady sick, sir?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I need someone to go in there and find out what’s going on.”

“Well, sir, I’ll see what I can do.” The waiter walked away.

“Blythe? For the love of Mike, woman, will you answer me!” Adam yelled.

He waited for what seemed like an eternity before an attractive brunette brusbed past him and opened the ladies’ room door.

“Ma’am.” Adam was too worried about Blythe to give a thought to appearing foolish to a stranger.

“Yes.” Turning, she smiled, her brown eyes surveying Adam from head to toe.

Any other time he would have been flattered by the woman’s blatant appraisal and obvious interest, but right this minute, his only thoughts were of Blythe’s well-being.

“My date seems to have taken ill. She’s in there, and I have no way of knowing whether or not she needs my help.”

The woman laughed. “Oh, I see. Tell me what your date looks like and I’ll check on her for you.”

“She’s a petite redhead. About five-two. And she’s wearing a black-and-white halter dress.”

“I’ll check on her.”

“Thanks.”

Adam waited a little longer, sweat popping out on his forehead and upper lip. Was it normal for pregnant women to act so strangely? he wondered. Of course, he’d heard about morning sickness, but it wasn’t morning now. It was after eight in the evening.

The brown-eyed stranger cracked open the rest room door, peeped out and motioned for Adam.

“Is she all right?” he asked.

“She’s been throwing up. She’s awfully sick. I took her a damp paper towel, but I swear she looks like she’s going to faint any minute now.”

Without considering the possible consequences of his actions, Adam shoved the bathroom door completely open and brushed past the brunette. The door to the middle stall stood open. Blythe leaned over the commode, retching.

Grabbing the wet paper towel out of her hand, Adam wiped her face with it. “Morning sickness in the evening? Dammit, Blythe, do you have to do everything backward?”

Gulping for air, she slapped at the arm Adam had draped around her shoulder. “Leave me alone.”

“I’m taking you home and we’re calling Dr. Meyers.”

“I’ll be all right. The nausea is better. I don’t think I’ll throw up again.”

“Come on, then.” Adam lifted Blythe in his arms. “You scared the devil out of me rushing off the way you did.”

“For goodness’ sakes, put me down.” The words came out in a whisper. Blythe noticed the tall, willowy brunette smiling at them as they passed her on their way out of the ladies’ room. “Have you lost your mind!”

Two waiters and the restaurant manager stood in the corridor.

“Is something wrong, Mr. Wyatt?” the manager asked. “How may we be of assistance?”

“Charge dinner to my credit card, and make sure there’s a nice tip included,” Adam said. “I’m afraid Ms. Elliott is experiencing a little upset stomach. I’m taking her home.”

“Oh, dear me. Surely there was nothing wrong with her meal,” the manager said.

“Not at all” The manager and both waiters followed Adam through the restaurant and out the front door. “My future wife and I are going to have a baby and she’s just suffering a little morning sickness at the wrong time of day.”

“Oh!” All three men said in unison.

While waiting for the parking valet to bring around Adam’s bright red Lotus, Adam held Blythe in his arms, refusing to put her on her feet despite her squirming and murmured threats.

The fresh air felt wonderful on Blythe’s face. She took a deep breath. Dammit, this being pregnant wasn’t much fun.

“Why did you do that?” she asked, wishing he’d put her down, infuriated at the idea that they were making spectacles of themselves in public.

“Do what?” he asked innocently.

“Tell the whole world that we’re having a baby. Together.”

“We are having a baby,” he said. “Together.”

“I know we are, but you didn’t have to announce it to the whole world, did you?”

“Are you ashamed that you’re carrying my child?”

“Yes! No! I’m not ashamed of anything. I’m just embarrassed that you proclaimed loud and clear that I’m pregnant, and then carried me out of the restaurant with dozens of people watching. What about our reputations that you were so damn worried about?”

“The fact is you are pregnant, and everyone is going to know in a few months.” When the valet parked the car and opened the passenger door, Adam placed Blythe in the seat. “Besides, we didn’t want Mr. Dennison to think his delicious food had made you sick, did we? And I did tell them that you were my future wife.”

Closing the door, Adam went around and slipped behind the wheel.