plan disintegrated the second she opened the door. Time seemed to stop as her crystalline blue-green eyes widened in shock, as one hand came to rest on her basketball-shaped stomach and the other smoothed her chin-length, strawberry-blond hair.
She looked different than he remembered. The contours of her oval-shaped face were softer, rounder. There were now freckles scattered along her nose, cheeks and forehead. Purplish smudges covered the fragile area beneath her eyes. He fleetingly wondered if she was getting enough sleep or if there was cause for concern. And the square-necked, summery dress she wore—a long, flowing concoction of brown and cream—highlighted not only the impressive swell of her stomach, but her decidedly fuller breasts.
The lithe, petite woman he’d spent the weekend with close to eight months ago was gone, replaced by a swollen, puffed-up version of that same woman. But somehow, and damn if he could explain it, she was radiant. And beautiful in such a refreshing, real way that it stole Seth’s ability to think, to reason, to behave in an expected manner.
A rush of contradictory emotions took control, overriding all else. How could he be disillusioned and angry by her behavior, yet still want to protect her. Care for her, even?
Unable to comprehend how such opposing factors could exist at the same time, his carefully thought-out plan fell to the wayside. Instead, he’d reacted with the instinctive, primal urge of a caveman, his only objective to claim what was his.
No. Nothing had gone as planned, but somehow, he’d managed to succeed. He glanced at Rebecca’s fingers, which were still wrapped securely around the jewelry box, and the tight, frantic pressure in his chest evaporated. The pumped-up caveman inside went back into hiding.
Seth’s sanity returned.
“This is logical, Rebecca.” He attempted a smile. Unfortunately, his lips refused to budge from the severe, straight line he’d imposed on them earlier. He settled for nodding toward the house. “So if you’ll go get your things, we can be off.”
Those gorgeous green-blue eyes of hers narrowed into slits, giving him the impression of a cat about to pounce. That didn’t bode well. Tilting her head downward, she looked at the ring he’d purchased that morning. A simple solitaire that had seemed the perfect choice.
“If it doesn’t fit, we can have it resized,” he offered. “Or if you’d like to exchange it for another ring, that’s fine with me. Whatever you want.”
She pried the ring out of its box with the tip of her pinkie finger, wrinkled her nose as if the diamond had a rank odor and then tossed the ring into the prickly, thorny rosebushes that framed her front porch. The box quickly followed the same path.
With that, she turned on her heel and escaped into the house, leaving him alone with her sister and mother. Both of whom looked ready to kill first and ask questions later.
Tossing a wary glance toward Allison and Jocelyn, he said, “That… ah… didn’t go nearly as well as I’d hoped.”
“Brilliant deduction, Sherlock,” Jocelyn said, not bothering to hide her sarcasm. “Did you really think she’d run off and marry you because you told her to?”
“Jocelyn, don’t,” Allison said quietly. “Go inside and take care of your sister. Keep the baby shower going, and it would probably be best if we kept this quiet for the moment.”
“My guess is it’s too late for that, but I’ll do what I can.” Jocelyn touched her mother’s shoulder lightly. “What are you doing? Rebecca wouldn’t want you talking to him.”
“I’m going to help this young man find his ring.” Allison patted her daughter’s hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be along shortly.”
Jocelyn let out a sigh before trailing in Rebecca’s footsteps. Seth peered in after her, hoping to catch sight of Rebecca. No such luck.
He considered following her. Surely, given enough time, he could convince Rebecca to talk with him. Except Allison had said they were in the midst of a baby shower. Baby showers meant female guests. Females who were family members and friends of Rebecca, and therefore, would likely view him as the enemy.
And hell, he’d rather drop down into a pit of poisonous snakes than take his chances with a houseful of protective females.
“I wouldn’t go in there,” Allison said, as if she’d read his thoughts. “Those women have been forced to sit in a crowded room playing far too many baby shower games without a drop of alcohol to dull their senses. They’re high on sugar, low on patience and will view you as the perfect outlet for all of their pent-up energy.”
Yeah, poisonous snakes sounded considerably safer. Friendlier, too.
Giving Allison what he hoped was an irresistible grin, he said, “Perhaps you could bring Rebecca to me?”
His smile apparently missed the mark, because after bestowing him with what could only be described as a pitying glance, Allison stepped outside and closed the door firmly behind her. “How well do you know my daughter, Mr….?”
“Foster,” he filled in, working hard not to snap. “But please, call me Seth. And seeing as your daughter tried to keep me from being a part of my child’s life, not as well as I thought.”
“I have two thoughts on that, one of which I won’t share because it isn’t my place.” Allison moved around him to sit on the top porch step. “The other, however, concerns me.”
“And that would be what?” Could he have screwed this up more? Doubtful. As angry as he was with Rebecca, he was equally so with himself. Losing control was unacceptable.
Allison gestured for him to join her. Once he had, she asked, “Are you a good man?”
A blunt question. Even in his current state, he could appreciate that. “A bad man who desired your approval would assure you that he was good and decent. A good man, having nothing to hide, would do the same. So, no matter how I answer, you’ll remain unsure.”
“True, but that’s the case with anything I might ask.” Allison folded her hands on her lap. “For the moment, I’ll trust your answer. Are you a good man?”
“I don’t think people can be so easily defined.”
“It’s a simple question.”
“Not really, but I’ll play along.” The need to do something coiled tightly in Seth’s muscles. This conversation might prove important, but sitting here when Rebecca was hiding made it impossible to concentrate. “I love my family, respect my elders. I’ve never cheated on a woman and I can’t imagine ever doing so. I don’t kick puppies, kittens or any other small, furry animal. But I’m not a saint. I’m not perfect.”
“I see.” A faint smile appeared on Allison’s lips. “What about your mother?”
“As far as I know, she isn’t in the habit of kicking small, furry animals, either.”
Allison laughed softly. “That’s a relief. I’d hate to think of my grandchild’s other grandmother being cruel to small animals.”
That brought Seth up short. He hadn’t considered what the existence of this child would mean to his family. He hadn’t told his parents
