Marriage by Contract Part 2. Sandra Steffen

didn’t move, but inside, his thoughts were surging in every direction. He knew firsthand how devastating a diagnosis of endometriosis can be. He’d broken the news to a number of his patients over the years. Suddenly, he wished he could have been there for her, to hold her hand, or offer her his understanding, because he had a feeling her ex-husband hadn’t been concerned about her needs.

      Beth stared up at Tony. He’d been quiet for a long time, obviously absorbing the information. He brushed a strand of hair off her face, his fingertips moving to her cheekbone as if he’d been wanting to touch her all day. She stared up at him, afraid of what he might do. Afraid of what he might not do.

      Calling on her last vestige of courage, she said, “I’m thirty-five years old. Adopting Christopher could very well be my only chance at motherhood. I don’t blame you for having doubts, but this arrangement doesn’t have to be permanent. I’ll sign a prenuptial agreement, and I’ll give you a divorce anytime you want. Of course, I won’t blame you if you’ve changed your mind completely.”

      Tony let his fingers glide through the wisps of hair in front of Beth’s ear, trail down the smooth column of her neck and brush the delicate ridge of her collarbone. He could hear her breath catch in her throat, could see the slight quiver in her proud chin. He couldn’t name all the emotions crashing through him, but he knew damn well a woman like her shouldn’t have to beg.

      Moving closer, he said, “Are you having second thoughts, Beth?”

      If the situation hadn’t been so serious, he would have smiled at her double take.

      “Do you mean…?”

      He nodded.

      “But I thought…”

      He shrugged.

      “Then, you’re not…?”

      He shook his head.

      Beth had never much cared for sounding like an idiot. But she couldn’t help it. She could hardly believe her eyes or her ears. Tony hadn’t changed his mind about marrying her. Or if he had, he’d changed it back again. He still intended to marry her. What kind of a man would do that, knowing what he knew? Just who was Tony Petrocelli?

      The shadow of a five o’clock beard gave him a rugged look, but it was the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth that sent her thoughts into a tailspin all over again. His eyes darkened with amusement and a kind of fire she’d never seen before. He wanted her. He was making no effort to disguise it, or hide it, or deny it.

      He wanted her. It was that simple.

      An unwelcome tension settled over her, because there had been nothing simple about the look that had crossed his face when she’d first told him about her inability to have children. Doing everything in her power to hold on to her composure for a few more minutes, she squared her shoulders and took a backward step. Tony only followed. She took another, and so did he. Holding up her hand in a halting motion, she said, “Tony, we have to talk about this.”

      “Are you having second thoughts, Beth?” he asked again.

      His voice was too low, too husky, too Italian for her peace of mind. “No, but…”

      “Good, because I’d hate for my mother to have to try to explain things to Father Carlos, wouldn’t you?”

      Actually, Beth would have liked to hear Elena trying to explain things to Father Carlos. When the other woman was finished, perhaps she could explain what went on in the deepest recesses of her only son’s mind.

      Holding her ground, Beth said, “I don’t want you to look back ten years from now and view this as your biggest mistake. I love Christopher, and I know I can be a good mother. I wouldn’t even consider this if I didn’t believe you’d be a good father, too. I just don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret.”

      “Give me an update here, Beth. Are you trying to convince me to marry you? Or to not marry you?”

      She wouldn’t have been surprised to see a smile lurking around the edges of his mouth. The fact that there wasn’t made his questions even more pointed, and her answer more important. “I want you to do this for the right reasons.”

      He reached for her hand, easily drawing her closer. “I know what I’m doing,” he said, his lips brushing hers.

      In that moment before he kissed her, everything felt right, and oh, so true. She and Tony were going to be married. And they were going to adopt Christopher. It was as if everything she’d ever done, every heartache she’d ever experienced and endured, had led her to this point in time. It was almost as if it was all meant to be.

      * * *

      “Annie!”

      The glance over her shoulder was a reflex action, as was her slide into an alley at the first glimpse of the police car on the next block. Annie knew without looking that whoever had called out hadn’t been talking to her. How could they be? She didn’t know a soul in Grand Springs except for Todd, and he’d left town months ago. And no one knew her. And really, she had no reason to fear a police officer. She’d done nothing wrong. Unless she counted running away from home more than a year ago when she was sixteen. The memory of the way her mother’s latest boyfriend had looked at her made her skin crawl even now. Running away had been necessary, and quite possibly the first smart thing she’d ever done. But it wouldn’t be the last. She had someone else to think about now. She had her baby. Her son.

      She hadn’t intended to leave the hospital without a word shortly after Christopher’s birth, but she’d panicked. She’d had a lot of time to think since then. A lot of time to plan. She hadn’t seen Christopher in almost two weeks. She didn’t have a car, and hitchhiking was risky. She didn’t want to take any more risks than she had to. For once in her life, Annie Moore was going to do things right. That meant she had to take her time, she had to plan, and she had to prepare.

      Air brakes hissed as a semi stopped at the corner, the diesel fumes mingling with the greasy smells coming from the fast food restaurants on the corner behind her. Her stomach rumbled with hunger, but a glance at her watch told her that visiting hours were under way at the hospital. The halls would be congested with people, which meant that it would be easier for her to blend in. And it would be easier for her to see her baby without anyone noticing her presence. The last time she’d been to the hospital, the nurse on duty kept watching her, suspicion written all over her face. Annie didn’t understand it. It wasn’t as if there was a law against making sure her own baby was all right. She ached to hold him, but knew she’d have to wait a little while longer. For now, she would have to be content just to see him through the glass.

      “Oh, Christopher,” she whispered. “I’m coming.”

      Ignoring the emptiness in the pit of her stomach, she tucked her hair underneath a baseball cap and stepped out of the alley.

      * * *

      “How do I look?” Beth asked, gliding her hands over the pale blue fabric of her dress.

      “You look beautiful, and very nervous, which serves you right for allowing the groom to see you before the wedding. Have I taught you nothing about omens and bad luck?”

      The soft jingle-jangle of Jenna’s bracelets was comforting, even if her words were clipped and her black eyes were flashing imperiously. Beth tucked her lower lip between her teeth and did her best to hide her smile from her best friend. “I’m not superstitious, remember?”

      Jenna Maria Brigante swung around, the hem of her dark green skirt flouncing just above her ankles. Planting her hands on her hips, she sputtered in Romany. Beth crossed her arms and waited for Jenna to finish her tirade. Although she didn’t understand the words themselves, their meaning was universal.

      They were in a small room at the top of the stairs in Vince and Elena Petrocelli’s house, waiting for the music to begin downstairs. Chairs were set up in the living room; white bows and fresh-cut flowers had been placed on end tables and shelves in every room on the first floor. Father Carlos had arrived a