a temporary marriage—to me would be that distasteful.”
“I’ve been married before and I made a vow that I never would again. I don’t make vows lightly, Jodie. There’s a reason I’m against the institution of marriage.”
“Why? What happened to make you bitter?”
“Who said I’m bitter? There are other reasons to want to avoid the state of matrimony.”
She couldn’t think of any. “So, what happened between you two?”
“I don’t talk about that time in my life.”
“Oh, but it’s fine to grill me about my life?”
“Ask me whatever you want to know about my life right now and I’ll answer the questions. But I didn’t ask you about your past and I don’t want to discuss mine.”
“Just tell me this. Is there anything in your past that would damage my career if we were to marry and the information was leaked to the media?”
He thought for a moment. Took another bite of salad, chewed and swallowed. “No.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay then. What’s the problem? We liked each other well enough five weeks ago. I’m not that difficult to live with. As I mentioned, I won’t even be around all that much. Why, you’d hardly know I was here.”
“And this is supposed to make me feel better…why?”
“Because I’m not asking much from you in the way of compromise! I’m trying to be thoughtful.”
He pushed his half-eaten salad aside. “I’d like to be thoughtful before we stand in front of a minister.”
“A justice of the peace or even an Elvis impersonator at a wedding chapel would be fine with me, as long as the marriage is legal.”
“I’m not running away to Las Vegas or going to some county clerk’s office to get married.”
“Fine. Then we’ll do whatever you’d like. After all, you’re doing me—and the baby, of course—a favor by agreeing to marry me.”
“Okay, then answer this. What’s in it for me?”
Jodie immediately thought of twisted sheets and hot, damp bodies. Not that they’d talked about having a sex life after the ceremony. Pushing the image aside, she sighed. “The knowledge that you’re doing the right thing?”
“Maybe you don’t know me very well. Maybe I’m not the kind of guy who wants to do the right thing. Maybe I’m irresponsible and selfish.”
She didn’t think for a minute that was the case. Travis had been a generous and inventive lover—not the kind of man who thought only of himself. “I’m not buying that line. I think you’re a man who would acknowledge his child, who would try to help that child’s mother out of a difficult situation.”
“And you’re basing this on…?”
“Just what I know about you! You’re a nice guy, Travis Whitaker. I wouldn’t have gone to bed with you on our first date if you hadn’t been.” She pushed aside her salad bowl, surprised to note she’d eaten most of the healthy green stuff without ever thinking about it.
He looked amused as he calmly cut into his roasted chicken. “Okay, maybe I’m a fairly nice guy. At least most of the time. When I’m not dealing with a temperamental client or an incompetent contractor. Or a stubborn cow or a nosy friend. But that doesn’t mean I’m good marriage material. You can’t be sure I’d be a good father.”
“I think you’d try. And besides, if you don’t want to be a part of this baby’s life, you don’t have to be. I’m not trying to force you to take part in parenting if that’s not what you want. I have the money to hire a nanny, to pay for the best schools and to give this child a wonderful future. I’d like for you to be a part of his or her life, but it’s not necessary.”
“It’s necessary to me.”
“Then what’s the problem?” She felt like throwing up her hands in exasperation. They kept having circular arguments, with Travis revealing as little as possible about how he felt, but asking her to bare her soul.
“The problem is that you marched in here demanding that we get married on your terms. You didn’t even let me be happy about seeing you again before you were telling me your plans and expecting me to play this minimalist role of husband and father.” He pushed his plate aside and leaned closer. “Well, Jodie Marsh, maybe that’s not what I want. Did you ever think of that? Did you ever consider that I might have other plans?”
She sat back in her chair, feeling as if the floor had shifted beneath her. When they’d first met, she hadn’t considered Travis’s life much at all. She’d never asked him personal details, such as if he had someone back in Texas. Because he’d been so hot for her, she’d assumed he was unattached. “Oh, God. Do you already have a fiancée? A serious girlfriend?”
Travis laughed. “Relax and finish your dinner, Jodie. You’re eating for two now.”
“That’s an old wives’ tale. And you didn’t answer my question.” Still, she took a bite of tender chicken and followed it with some potato salad.
“No, I don’t have a fiancée or a serious girlfriend. What would be the point of getting engaged? I already told you I’d never planned to marry.”
“Then you never wanted children?”
A look of pain, maybe regret, passed over his face, but it was gone before she could wonder too much about his past. The one he didn’t want to discuss.
“I have friends with children. I have a sister who has a son. If I feel the urge to be around the little monsters, I have opportunities.”
“You think all children are monsters?” she asked.
“No, I was just joking. I’m actually quite good around them. I can even change diapers.”
“You have me beat, then, because I don’t have the foggiest idea how to care for a baby.” She took another forkful of food while she waited for him to chide her for being unprepared. “Although I do like children.”
“No brothers or sisters? No nieces or nephews?”
Once again he’d surprised her by not rubbing her nose in her inadequacies. “I have a younger sister, Chelsea, who is twenty-seven. My mother divorced when I was three and never remarried.”
Travis nodded. “I have nothing against children, but since I’d never planned to marry, I didn’t think the opportunity would arise. Also, I like my freedom. I take jobs I want, I travel quite often and I have my ranch to keep me from being bored. I don’t think I’d make a good candidate for a single dad, in the unlikely event I decided to adopt. Which I’ve never seriously considered.”
“Sometimes nature takes over and we become better parents than we could have imagined.”
“I’ve heard that. I’ve also seen parents who tried awfully hard and were terrible
