the purchase. I can’t tell you how many times Jonas told me that Fiona might run his brothers around with her Grand Plan, but he’d figured out the best way to avoid the whole thing altogether.”
“I can’t believe this,” Seton murmured. “I’m going to be an aunt.”
“Not if you give away my secret,” her sister said. “I’ll revoke aunt privileges.”
Seton frowned. “I think your pregnancy will be obvious when you come back to Diablo, Sabrina.”
“I don’t plan on coming back. Ever.”
“You have to tell him sometime.” Seton felt as if the tables had been turned between the older sister and the younger, and now she was in charge of the scolding. “It’s not fair to the baby not to know his father.”
“That comes later,” Sabrina said. “Trust me, I have a plan. After the baby is born, I’ll tell him.”
Seton frowned again. “Why after?”
“Because all the Callahans have managed to get married before their babies were born, as I recall, or very shortly thereafter. I don’t want Jonas suffering a similar attack of conscience.”
“That’s terrible,” Seton said. “What about the poor child?”
“The poor child will be fine. I’m sure that he or she will later appreciate that I didn’t try to tie Dad down.”
“I don’t know,” Seton murmured slowly, and Sabrina said, “Back to your question.”
“What question?”
“About Sam’s proposal.”
“Actually, the question that got us here was what would you say if Jonas offered you the same proposal. You said you’d accept!” Seton exclaimed with delight. “Therefore, it only makes sense for you to tell him.”
“The proposal under consideration,” Sabrina reminded her, “is ‘marry me, Seton, and it’ll be a name-only thing, just to satisfy the family requirements.’ I would take that deal. But I’m not being offered anything by Jonas.”
“But you might be!” Seton felt compelled to fight for her niece or nephew’s sake. After all, aunts were meant to be advocates, weren’t they? “If you’d tell him!”
“The difference is, your deal is that there’ll be no babies, no sex,” Sabrina pointed out. “I can assure you that Jonas and I could never strike that bargain. Obviously, we’ve already had sex, and if we got within a mile of each other, we probably would again. But you and Sam—”
“Never would,” Seton said, somewhat morosely. “He made that pretty clear.”
“Exactly. So you’re in a stronger position.”
“Why?” Seton flexed her feet and shoved them back into her pumps. Her head was spinning, and she was ready to head out into the already dark street of Diablo. “You’re having a baby. I want a baby, and won’t get one from Sam.”
“I’ll leave you to figure out those details,” Sabrina said.
Seton flipped off her office lights and locked the door, stuffing her keys into her briefcase as she walked down the hall, cell phone to her ear. “Don’t you want to wear the magic wedding gown? It’s yours, Sabrina, after all.”
“No, I don’t. It was Mom’s, Seton. It’s only magic because it was Mom’s. I had nothing to do with that. I’ve been thrilled for other women to wear it and know their true love. Me? I’m just happy I’m going to be a mother, to be honest.”
Seton headed out into the brisk night air and glanced up at the stars. “I miss you. I can’t bear that you won’t ever come back to Diablo. Why didn’t you tell me that when I was in D.C. with you?”
“Because I had a strong feeling there was someplace else you belonged. And I’ve really gotten into this animal activist stuff,” Sabrina said. “That undercover investigation we did with the circus really fired me up. There’s a whole lot I can do, Seton. Next week, I get to speak before a committee on animal abuse. I like it here in D.C. And it’ll be a great place to raise a child.”
“Sure,” Seton said, not convinced. “Thanks for the chat, sis.”
“No problem. Go get him, is my advice.”
“I don’t want—” Seton began, but Sabrina had already hung up. “I don’t want him,” she murmured, walking to her car, not noticing the figure leaning against the door.
“Working late?” Sam asked, and Seton gasped.
“Sam!” She tossed her cell into her briefcase, feeling a little guilty about talking about him. She hoped he hadn’t heard anything she’d said. “What are you doing?”
“Waiting on you. How about we discuss things over a drink at Banger’s?”
Seton looked at Sam, thinking about her sister’s pregnancy. She couldn’t have a drink with Sam. If she did, she might start talking and unload Sabrina’s secret. It weighed so heavily on her now. “I don’t think so.”
“C’mon,” Sam said, “you look like you could use a chardonnay.”
“I could,” Seton said, “but I think Aunt Corinne is waiting on me with tea and cookies.”
“Nah. She’s playing bingo. I just saw her at the Books’n’Bingo with the blue-haired crowd. That means,” Sam said, with his trademark Callahan smile, “that I’m all yours for the evening, doll.”
Chapter Three
“I owe you an apology for my behavior earlier,” Sam said. Seton rattled him more easily than anyone he could remember, and that included judges and fellow lawyers.
“No need to apologize. I shouldn’t have looked for your family records.”
“You were trying to help. I appreciate that. Like you said, anyone could have found the same information,” Sam stated, ignoring her reluctance to accompany him by placing a hand under her elbow and guiding her toward Banger’s. “However, I need a wife more than a P.I. now.”
Seton pulled her arm away from his grasp and gave him a stern look. “I absolutely refuse to discuss weddings, marriage or proposals of any kind.”
“Suit yourself, doll,” Sam said as he led her into Banger’s. “Let me take that suitcase from you. It looks so heavy for such a delicate lady.”
She snatched her briefcase away. “Don’t patronize me, you ape. Or you’ll be sipping chardonnay with someone else tonight.”
He grinned. “I like a woman with spirit. I’m sure that’s obvious.”
“Well, I don’t like you,” she returned as she slid into a booth. “So don’t push your luck.”
Sam grinned and told himself that if he took things real slow with Seton, maybe,
