not my place to do that, but think of the repercussions.”
“I have, ever since it ended with Eric last year.”
“He wasn’t good enough for you.”
“Lord, you sound like my father. I loved him, Kat. I loved him more than any man. And I thought we wanted the same things till I thought I was pregnant and told him.” Angela sipped her coffee, then set the cup down, the year-old heartache of his betrayal bruising her all over again. “I don’t think I’ve ever been dumped quite that fast. Must have been a record.” Eric had been furious, blaming her, accusing her of trapping him, and he was gone before she knew if she was truly pregnant or not. It wasn’t like he hadn’t participated, and though it turned out to be a scare, the entire incident made her see how selfish he had been. He would have made a lousy father, anyway.
“He wasn’t good enough for you, and that proved it.”
“I know, but my heart didn’t listen for a long time.”
“Does Lucas know what happened?”
“Yes.” Her lips curved a bit. “He wanted to beat the daylights out of him. Instead he beat him at baseball.”
“What will Lucas say about artificial insemination?” Retrieving her coffee, Kat slid into the opposite chair.
“Lucas isn’t going to know.”
Kat’s eyes went wide. “Oh, you can’t be serious. He’s your best friend.”
“That’s only half of it.”
Kat leaned over the table, reaching for Angela’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Talk to me, sugah.”
Angela swore she was going to keep this to herself, but the secret felt like a shook bottle of champagne inside her just waiting for its cork to loosen. And she could trust Katherine. “I don’t want to tell him, and you must promise he won’t learn it from you.”
Kat crossed her heart. “Nothing shy of torture would get it out of me.”
Angela smiled. “My decision would not go over well with him. At all. He was abandoned, forced to live on the streets till the county picked him up and threw him in Anchorage House.” The day she’d first seen him came back with the same hard blow to her middle. The epitome of teenage tall, dark and mean as hell, she thought, wearing worn jeans and a tight T-shirt. His shoes were nearly soleless, and he was angry, so angry at the world. “He gets a little nuts when it comes to children. He doesn’t want a single one to have to live like he did.” Her smile was tender. “I guess that’s why he became a doctor. And if he sees one who’s been abused—” She shook her head. “He doesn’t even want any of his own, Kat. What does that tell you?”
“He’s scared he’ll do the same thing his parents did.” Kat filled it in.
“He wouldn’t, I know him. I know him better than he knows himself.” She sighed. “But there is no convincing him, either, and that has nothing to do with my decision. Luc has his life and I have mine. And while I don’t want him to be angry with me, this is something I want very badly. It’s my life, my choice. I’ve never been that career-minded or I would have used my psychology degree for something more than a love-advice radio show on a country and western station.” She paused to sip her coffee. “Don’t get me wrong. I love my work, and the celebrity status has its perks, but I would give it all up to fall in love with the right man and have babies.” When Katherine simply stared, she added, “Is that so antiquated that I’ve left you speechless?”
Katherine blinked and swallowed. “I know what you mean,” she said hoarsely.
Angela leaned over her coffee cup, meeting Kat’s gaze. “I want to be a mom. I want a child. I would rather have a husband who thinks I am the shiznit of all women and a marriage license to prove it, but that’s not a requirement. I am going to have my own family.”
“I guess coming from such a great pair like your parents, it’s only natural.”
She shrugged. “That might have something to do with it. Lord knows I love my brothers and sisters and their kids, but it’s not enough. I’m ready to love, Kat. I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?”
Both women looked up to find Lucas standing at the kitchen door.
Angela paled. “Ready for a vacation,” she lied, smiling and wondering how much he’d heard.
“Well, include me, Ange.” He stepped inside, brushing a kiss to Angela’s cheek, then winking at Katherine. “Hey, Kat. You look great.”
“Thank you, sugah, nice to hear it from such a handsome devil,” Katherine said, bringing her empty cup to the sink.
Angela craned her neck to look up at him, recognizing the tension in his features. “Wanna talk about it?”
“Nah. It’d just tick me off.” He sniffed the air with great exaggeration. “What’s cooking?”
She stood. “Ahh, so that’s why you stopped by. Begging for a meal, huh?”
He met her gaze. “I was hoping you’d take pity on me.”
“I feel so used.”
“You are about the best cook I know.”
She went to the stove, then glanced back. “Other than me and my mom, how many women have cooked for you?”
He thought about that. “None, actually.”
“Then I guess you’re stuck with my Dad’s daffodil chili, Ryder.” She stirred the chili, turning down the fire.
“I hope you brought some antacids,” Kat said.
“I know this doctor who’ll give me some.” He crossed to the stove, staring into the pot. “Feed me, woman, please.”
She elbowed him aside. “Watch it, buster.”
She said it with a smile so Lucas knew she wasn’t going to deck him. Not that she could. She was just a little thing, he thought, watching her move around the kitchen. He helped her set the table while Katherine put bread in the oven to toast, but the kitchen was too small for three adults to be moving around so much. Angela handed them both a soda and ordered them out onto the back deck.
Standing on the deck outside the kitchen, Lucas leaned his rear against the rail and looked at Katherine Davenport. He met her in college and knew her almost as long as he’d known Angela. Though she was only a couple years older than Angela, their sorority mother hen, he used to call her, she was every man’s idea of southern grace: beautiful, poised, her long red hair swept in a twist, her clothes teal-colored and tailored to perfection. There wasn’t an inch of her that wouldn’t drive a man crazy with want nor be put off a little by her austere polish. Luc would bet his salary that she knew exactly which fork to use at a banquet, but then, he’d also seen her skin a rabbit faster than Angela’s dad.
A widow now, Katherine owned Wife Incorporated, a company of temporary wives-for-hire out of Savannah. Her employees were nannies, housekeepers, help for a widower, wedding consultants,
