Shotgun Groom

If it was up to him, he would see to it that Beth got what she wanted most in life. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that his friend would make the best mamma any little kid ever had.

With that thought still on his mind, Jack pulled up in front of Beth’s house. He saw that her porch light was on, and it beckoned to him like a friendly greeting as he climbed out of his car with a sense of urgency. With a grin on his face and a swelling in his chest, he headed for her front door.

It had been two long weeks since he’d seen Beth last. It was a long time for him to have gone without his best pal in his life. A part of him needed her more than it needed nourishment.

Beth was in her living room when Jack drove up, and she watched his approach through the long window next to the door. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a navy pullover shirt. He looked great, just as he always did, and her heart began to pound erratically. It was always that way when she saw him coming from a distance. It was, she knew, the sensuous way his hips rolled forward when he walked that mesmerized her. Sometimes her heart seemed to roll right along with them. Sometimes her equilibrium did, too, although it was rare that she let herself recognize those particular feelings for what they really were. Usually she chose to ignore them altogether.

By the time Jack reached her porch, Beth had her hand on the knob and was pulling the front door open. He immediately waltzed inside with a grin on his face that for as long as she could remember had always had a way of melting her cares away, no matter how bad they had seemed before. Suddenly she was swept up into his arms and wrapped in one of his infamous bear hugs.

Bear hugs, Beth had come to realize a long time ago, were a safe way for them to express their feelings for each other. Bear hugs lacked... well... great passion. They were fun... friendly... acceptable.

“How’s my favorite girl?” Jack asked, squeezing her tight against him. “Mmm... You know, it isn’t until I get a whiff of your perfume that I know for sure that I’m home.”

Beth was so glad to see him that her laughter bubbled out when he squeezed her.

And then, for some silly reason, her stomach went spiraling down to the floor. She quickly decided it was because she was so excited to see him. Certainly it was nothing more than that He was her friend, for heaven’s sake.

Ignoring the sensation, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as she could. The light musky scent of his aftershave was as familiar to her as her own perfume and for a moment the combination of the two gave her a heady sensation.

His body was so hard... so solid.

His arms went around her waist.

Her stomach quivered.

Her world was back in town now, and everything was going to work out just as she had planned. She was sure of it.

“I cooked your favorite dinner,” she said, smiling up at him.

He grinned down at her with his wide, full lips. Lips that were perfect for grinning.

And for kissing, no doubt.

Not that she knew for sure. She was only imagining what his lips would feel like pressed against hers. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

“So what’s the occasion?” Jack asked. “Did I forget a holiday or something?”

“Nope,” Beth replied, pleased as pudding with herself for having planned such a great evening. Motherhood was practically in the bag for her. All she had to do now was to convince Jack of just how important his help was to her. She widened her grin. “No particular reason. I just felt like making this night kind of special. Actually,” she added, “I have a bottle of your favorite wine, too.”

“Oh...?” he said, giving her a rather odd look. His grin faltered somewhat. “Beth, you haven’t done it again, have you?”

She widened her eyes in response. “Done what?”

He narrowed his gaze. “You know what.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then you’re obviously forgetting the last time I came over to discover that you had cooked all my favorite foods for no particular reason. But we both know that in the end you did have a reason. You had volunteered my services as judge in that pie-tasting contest, remember? And do you remember what a catastrophe that turned out to be?”

Beth gave him a placative smile. “Now look, Jack, that women’s club was happy to have you as their judge...originally. In fact, for a time you had the entire membership charmed right down to their silverdyed roots. It wasn’t a catastrophe until you made it into one.”

“Me?” he said, incredulously, placing his fingertips at the center of his chest. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I simply picked a winner. Isn’t that what a judge in any contest is supposed to do? How was I supposed to know that all those little old ladies were going to suddenly turn on me when I announced the winner and it turned out to be the same woman who had won the contest the previous year?”

“Jack, all those women were well into their seventies—some, probably, in their eighties. Most of them were great-great-grandmothers. They weren’t exactly going to eat you alive.”

“Yeah, well, you can stand here and say that. It wasn’t you they were aiming their dirty looks at. To this day, if I meet up with a couple of them in the supermarket, they won’t even speak to me.”

In spite of the serious discussion she had planned for later that night, Beth laughed at Jack’s recollection of that particular afternoon. Thank goodness, she had gone with him to help with the contest. Otherwise, he would have panicked for sure. As it was, he had vowed never to sit in judgment of another woman’s cooking for as long as he lived. “It wasn’t that bad, Jack.”

He placed his hands on his hips. “Look, I like little old ladies as much as anyone, but please tell me that you haven’t volunteered my services to them again.”

“No, Jack, I haven’t,” Beth said prudently, suffering from a moment of slight indignation. After all, she’d only volunteered his name to the Retired Women’s Business Club of Acadiana because he’d said he wanted to get more actively involved with the community. And regardless of what he thought now, he was a better citizen today because of it. “It’s nothing like that. Besides, it just so happens that the committee chairperson this year didn’t ask me to find a judge for the contest.”

That remark seemed to fly right past Jack as he gazed at her. “Okay,” he said, “if it isn’t another contest, then what is it?”

Surprised that he was on to her so easily—she had honestly thought she’d been doing such a great job at hiding her emotions—Beth paused momentarily to regroup. “Uh... It can wait until after we have dinner.”

Jack narrowed his eyes in concern. “I-don’t think so. You’ve made it sound too serious for that.”

Beth cleared her throat. “Look, it’s no big deal. Certainly it isn’t anything that you’re probably imagining,” she said, hoping to somehow stall him for as long as she could. She simply wasn’t ready to tell him about her idea. Besides, she had a wonderful evening planned for them. If she got lucky, by the end of it Jack would be willing to help her with her dilemma. But if she jumped the gun on everything and told him her plan now, there was no telling what might happen. The truth was, she liked to stick to a game plan. It made her life predictable... stable.

Beth glanced up and found Jack frowning at her. “Frankly, Beth,” he said, “I don’t know what to think. Are you sick or something?”

“No,” she said, giving her head a hardy shake.

“Are you in some kind of trouble?”

“No, of course not.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Jack said. Then he deepened his frown. “Look, whatever it is, it can’t be that bad. I’m here now, I can help.”

Suddenly tears sprang to Beth’s eyes. “Oh, Jack, I knew I could count on you,” she said.

Taking her by the shoulders, Jack looked deep into her eyes. “Of course, you can count on me,” he said, giving her a reassuring smile. “So stop worrying. Everything is going to be just fine.”

Somehow, Beth managed to give him the smile she knew he wanted from her. “As a matter of fact, it’s starting to look that way already,” she said, suddenly experiencing a wave of deep, unbridled emotion. Emotion that had suddenly taken a detour from its normal path and was now channeling its way through her heart. She loved this guy more than anyone else in the whole world. So why shouldn’t her feelings for him come straight from her heart? She pressed her body against his and for a brief moment reveled in the comforting thought that he was near. “And it’s all because of you, Jack.” Gazing up at him with wide, soulful eyes, she gave him the brightest smile she could possibly muster under the circumstances.

A silly-looking grin slipped up one side of his face. “See,” he said teasingly, landing a playful blow to the side of her jaw. “Your Knight in Shining Armor has arrived. He’s just packaged differently than you thought he would be.”

Beth was captivated by the thought. But she quickly reminded herself that she had strict rules of conduct against such things happening between them. For heaven’s sake, Jack couldn’t be her Knight in Shining Armor. He was her best friend.

With that in mind, she shoved aside her disturbing thoughts and forced herself to laugh out loud—which, needless to say, was as much for her benefit as it was for his. “Yeah, right,” she said, teasing him back.

Widening his grin, he glanced over his shoulder as though in search of something. “Well, I don’t see anyone else lined up for the job. I guess I’m all you’ve got—at least for the time being. You know the old saying,” he said laughingly. “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Beth was smiling at Jack’s silly attempt to make her laugh when suddenly she sobered, reminding herself of what she had planned. “Oh, Jack, this is no laughing matter. This is one time I’m in desperate need of your help.”

Placing his hands on his hips, Jack came to an immediately standstill. “Okay, Beth,” he said, with a slow shake of his head. “I can’t take any more of this. I need to know what’s going on here. It’s time you level with me.”

Beth was trembling on the inside. Clearly it seemed her moment of truth had arrived. “I want a baby, Jack.”

Chapter Two

Suddenly Beth found herself at a loss. Now that her carefully laid plan for a perfect evening with Jack was lying in shambles at her feet, she didn’t know where to begin her story. She hated when something she had planned so meticulously went haywire. She felt stripped of her confidence, and her stomach was in knots.

After taking in some badly needed oxygen, she suddenly found herself wondering how she was ever going to explain in no uncertain terms to her very best friend in the whole wide world that she wanted him to compromise a small portion of his future for the sake of her own.

In that moment she wondered how she—or anyone—could even think of being so selfish.

But then, in almost the next second, the thought of never having her very own child shrouded over her like a cloud of doom, making her feel sick to her stomach and more than ready to do just about anything to have that one goal in her life come true.

Oh, God, wouldn’t it be all right if she asked Jack to do her just this one, big favor?

Besides, if he didn’t want to, all he had to do was say no. She would accept that. She would have to.

Taking a deep breath, Beth mentally prepared herself for the battle ahead. “Jack, you know, of course, how I’ve always said I wanted to have a child of my own.”

Keeping his hands placed on his hips, he gave her a hesitant grin. “Sure,” he said. “It’s been your dream in life since... well... since forever. Why?”

“I’m not getting any younger, and that dream still isn’t a reality. Therefore, I’ve decided to take matters into my own hands,” she continued, pausing briefly for a breath. “I’ve come up with this terrific plan—”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Oh, no. Not another one of your plans. I knew it. I bet it involves me, right?”

His abrupt manner stunned Beth and she looked him square in the face. Finally, in a voice held tight with emotion, she said, “Yes. You could say that.”

“I knew it,” he exclaimed. “I knew the moment I walked through your front door that you had me involved in something. What is it this time?” he asked. He seemed so proud of himself for having been one step ahead of her.

Beth couldn’t really blame him for being so skeptical of her motives. Over the years her ideas had gotten him involved in some pretty wild schemes. But convincing him to let her tag along with him and his date the night of their senior prom when her own date had come down at the last minute with a bad case of poison ivy paled enormously in comparison to what she now had in mind for them. So did the time ten years ago when she’d convinced him to let her go along with him and a couple of other guys on a whitewater rafting trip. She’d almost drowned them all—or so Jack had said at the time. All she’d done was accidentally knock one poor guy out of the boat, but they’d gotten him back inside right away. He had forgiven her ages ago. It was time that Jack did, too.

Still, she grimaced at the thought that he was on to her already. “This time is different, Jack, really it is.”

He had dropped his hands down to his sides, but he immediately brought them back up to his hips and gave her an impatient glance. “Okay, Beth, I’ll take the bait. What exactly does different mean?”

Anyone else would have probably been intimidated by his cocky manner, but not Beth. In fact, she found herself following his movements and thinking of what nice hands he had. His palms were wide, his fingers long and lean and, of course, his nails were trimmed neatly. Knowing Jack as she did, she had little doubt that they were the kind of hands that were strong, yet gentle when he made love to a woman. She had always secretly hoped that her Knight in Shining Armor would have hands like Jack.

She took a deep breath after swallowing the sudden lump in her throat. “I’ve decided I want to get pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” he replied, dumbfounded. A moment later, he smirked. “You’re kidding me right?”

“No, I’m not,” she replied.”

A stunned expression framed his face. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he rocked back on his heels. “Jeez, Beth, when did you decide all this?”

“A couple of weeks ago. Right after you left town on business.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when I called the other night?”

Without meeting his eyes, Beth shrugged. “You were still overseas in France. It just didn’t seem like the right time.”

He ran his fingers through his hair. “This is rather sudden, don’t you think? For heaven’s sake, you’re not even married.”

“I know,” Beth replied. “But I plan to remedy that. The fact is, Jack, whether or not you like my idea, I’ve already made up my mind to go through with it. I can’t just sit back anymore and wait for Fate to take its course. I have to take charge of my life now, before it’s too late.”

“Okay,” he said. “I can understand if you’re feeling that way about your life. We all do at times. But some things in life just naturally take time.”

“There’s nothing natural about not having my dreams come true. And as far as time is concerned, I’m quickly running out of it, even as we speak. I know I’ve already told you this before, but if I follow in my mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps, there’s a good chance that I’m going to go through menopause at a young age. All I may have left are two—possibly, three—good years. I can’t just allow those years to roll past me without even making an attempt to do something about it.”

Jack stepped back and regarded her intently. “Look,” he said, “I wish as much as you do that the guy of your dreams had shown up by now. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t. Who knows, he might be just around the next corner.

Beth gave him a dispassionate glare. “Come on, Jack, you know as well as I do that it’s unlikely he’ll ever show up in my life. And even if he were to show eventually, it would probably be too late by then for me to have my own child. I simply won’t let that happen. That’s where you come into my plan, Jack.”

Jack took a step back. “Me?” he said, as though surprised. A moment later, an enlightened gleam settled in his eyes. “Oh, I get it,” he said. “You need me to help you find a reputable sperm bank.” He shook his head affirmatively. “Well, don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll take care of that part. If you’re that determined to go through with this, it’s the least I can do to help you out.”

Beth swallowed the lump in her throat. “Jack, I’m not exactly planning to use a sperm bank.”

It took him a moment, but after giving her an astounded-looking grin, he finally said, “I don’t understand, Beth. Just how are you planning to get pregnant?”

Her heart began pounding with anticipation. “The good old-fashioned way.”

Jack’s grin widened. “What are you saying exactly?”

“I’m saying that I plan on getting pregnant by sleeping with a guy. Of course, he and I will have to get married first.”

“What?” Jack said, pulling his shoulders back.

Before he could say anything more, Beth hurriedly cut in. “And then as soon as the job is done,” she answered, “he and I will get a divorce. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?”

“Sounds crazy, you mean,” Jack exclaimed in his next breath. “Beth, have you lost your mind?”

Beth licked her lips. She had known this wasn’t going to be easy. “I know it sounds crazy. Karen already told me as much. But, frankly, it makes perfectly good sense to me.”

“Well, Karen’s right,” he said. “You can’t do something like this.”

“And why not?”

“Because...well...because it isn’t like you.”

“You know something,” she exclaimed, placing her hands on her hips, “maybe I’m tired of being like me. Maybe I want to be different. Maybe I want to be someone who is willing to take a chance in order to get what she wants in life.”

Stepping forward, Jack took her by the shoulders. “Look, honey, I think it’s great that you feel that way. But do you have to take such a big, flying leap the first time out of the nest?”

Beth’s bottom lip began to tremble. “I don’t expect you to understand,” she said as tears sprang to her eyes. In truth, she had been expecting him to understand, and she couldn’t even begin to acknowledge how disappointed she was that he obviously didn’t.

“Hey, come on now,” he said, pulling her against him. He was so solid...so dependable...so much what she needed right then in all aspects of the word. Why couldn’t he see that? Especially since he already knew all there ever was to know about her.

Hugging her tight, Jack looked down at her and said, “What’s with all the tears? Look, I’m sorry if I said something to upset you. I’m just a little shook up by all of this, okay? It’s not every day that you tell me you want to get married and get pregnant, all practically in the same breath. Give me a moment for it all to sink in.”

Beth nestled her body against his, savoring the warmth, the security of being as close to him as possible. He was her security blanket. Her shoulder to cry on. He knew her like no one else did. Finally, in spite of her desire to stay snuggled against him, she sucked up her tears and stepped back so she could gaze directly into his face.

“Jack, I’m really going to need your help with this one. I can’t do it alone.”

“Hey,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “You know you can always count on me. I’m your best friend, remember? Don’t we always help each other?”

She nodded.

“Then what can I do to help you?” he asked point blank, suddenly cutting right through all the bull and getting to the heart of the matter.

Beth licked her lips again. “Well, Jack,” she said, “it’s really quite simple. I need you to marry me. I need to get pregnant.”

His grin broadened momentarily, then wilted away in two seconds flat. In a grave tone of voice, he said, “You’re joking, right?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m not. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you all along. I need you to father my baby.”

Jack gaped at her.

“Look,” she continued in a hurry, “before you give me your answer, let me just say one thing. There’s no one else I feel I can trust with this. No matter what, I know I’ll be safe with you, Jack.”

“You can’t be serious about this,” he said.

“Oh, but I am,” she replied.

“In that case, let me just say one thing. If you think I’m the guy for the job, you’ve lost your mind.”

“I know I’m asking a lot—”

Taking a step back from her, Jack gave her a thawing glance. “You can say that again.”

“Even though we’re the best of friends, I really have some nerve putting you on the spot like this.”

“You bet.”

“You’re right, you know,” she said haughtily. “I should simply ask someone else, regardless of the consequences.”

“Now wait a minute,” he said, coming up straight. “I didn’t say for you to do that.” He ran his fingers through his hair, then paused for a long moment. “Jeez, Beth, do you have any idea what you’re asking me to do?”

“Yes, I think so,” she replied evenly. But her heart was pounding like mad. “Look, it’s only for a temporary period of time.”

Jack shook his head. “B-but I don’t understand. What about all our years together as friends? You’ve always said—”

“I know what I’ve always said. And I haven’t changed my mind about that,” she replied, placing her hands flat against his chest and feeling the beating of his heart beneath her touch. “All I want is for us to get married and stay married only for as long as it takes to get me pregnant.”

Once again, Jack stood, gaping at her. “In other words, Beth, because it now suits your purpose, it’s okay for us to have sex together. Frankly, after all you’ve said over the years against such a thing ever happening between us, I’m floored that you would even consider doing it now—under any circumstances.”

Suddenly Beth’s eyes filled with tears, and she realized in that moment that deep down inside she had been hoping all along that Jack wouldn’t offer any resistance to her plan. That he would simply say yes right away and that would be the end of it. As it was, she didn’t know if she had the stamina to continue trying to talk him into something as serious as fathering her child when he obviously didn’t want any part of it.

She turned from him and plucked a tissue from a box on a nearby table, but she didn’t have to use it after all. Miraculously she regained her composure.

By now, Jack had come up behind her and had placed his hands on her shoulders. “Beth, let me make sure I’m getting this straight before I say any more. You want me—I mean us to have sex together for the sole purpose of getting you pregnant, right?”

Recognizing her last chance in convincing him to her way of thinking, Beth whirled to face him. “Oh, Jack, yes, that’s exactly what I mean. And as soon as I get pregnant, I promise, we’ll get a divorce and then everything can go back to normal. I’ll have my baby, and you’ll have your freedom again.”

Jack frowned. “Look, Beth, even if I were to agree to this crazy idea of yours—which I haven’t done yet, you understand—then why go ahead with a sham marriage and an inevitable divorce? Why not keep it simple? Why not just crawl in the sack together and get the job done? Other couples do it that way?”

Beth gaped at him as if he should have already known the answer. Obviously he didn’t know her as well as she thought. She drew in a deep breath and said, “Just because others do it that way doesn’t make it right for me. Look, I’m not passing judgment on anyone else, but I can’t just have an illegitimate child. It’s not me.”

“No, I guess you’re right,” he agreed. “But don’t you see? It’s not me, either. I happen to like being a bachelor. I don’t want the responsibility of a wife and kid.”

Beth felt a sudden pressure building within her. “I know that,” she said quickly, “but that’s what makes my plan so fantastic. I’ll be the parent of this child, not you. You’ll be...well, you’ll be to him what you’ve always been to me. You’ll be his best friend.”