Cinderella Story Part 2

But halfway through her entrée, she found herself covertly studying Alex Bennett. Why did his grandfather feel the need to resort to trickery to get his grandson down the aisle? She told herself that his life was none of her business. Still, her curiosity was too strong to control. “In a way, I can understand your grandfather’s concern about you getting married and producing children. If you don’t, what good is your wealth? You’ll be comfortable during your lifetime, but why worry about increasing it? You won’t have anyone you care about to leave it to.”

Alex paused with a bite of dessert halfway to his mouth. “Oh, I fully intend to have heirs.”

The thought that he looked like a very healthy specimen for mating crossed her mind. In the next instant, she was visualizing him in the nude and a heat kindled within her. Quickly she lowered her gaze to her plate. Having lascivious thoughts wasn’t like her. She recalled that he’d had a similar effect on her before. After Tom had died, she’d thought that she’d never be attracted to another man. Obviously her hormones were becoming active again. Bad timing. Wrong man, she chided herself. “Your grandfather will be relieved.”

“Maybe.”

Nina looked at him questioningly.

“He probably won’t approve of my method. In spite of both his and my father’s failures at marriage, he still believes in the old-fashioned family concept.”

“And you don’t?”

“It revolves around love, and that is a very iffy emotion where a man and a woman are concerned. A couple meets. If the chemistry is right, primal urges are aroused. They call it romantic love, but it’s nothing more than a primitive hormonal attraction. After a while, the passion dies down. If the couple is actually well suited to each other and they meet each other’s needs, they may have learned to care for each other enough to overlook their mate’s faults. In which case you have a successful marriage. Or they might stay together because of financial reasons, religious reasons or their children. In which case you have two unhappy people caught in a trap of their own making. Marriage is a shot in the dark, a crapshoot, a wager on a long shot. I’m not willing to take that chance.”

“That’s a very dour outlook on love and marriage.”

“But realistic.”

She shrugged, uncertain of what to say. As cynical as his description of marriage was, there was a lot of truth in it. “So if you don’t believe in love and marriage, how do you plan to get your heirs?”

“I’ll hire a wife for a period of time. She’ll produce my heirs, then leave me to raise them. I’ll see that she’s well-compensated for her time.”

He planned to purchase his children! Nina tried to hide her shock. “An interesting solution,” she said levelly.

He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t approve.”

“In spite of the risks, I still think children need two loving parents.”

“Your children seem to be doing quite well with only you,” he countered.

“It’s not easy to be both a mother and father to them.” She frowned at him. “Besides, what makes you think you can find a woman who’ll be willing to bear a child and then walk away?”

He gave her a dry look. “And what makes you think that would be so hard? Not all mothers are as nurturing as you. There’s that preemie back in the hospital at Grand Springs, if you need an example of the other side of the coin.”

“Maybe the mother realized she couldn’t take care of him or was scared by the prospect of being a single mother,” she argued. “It might have been difficult for her to leave her child. You can’t know for certain.”

He shook his head at her naiveté. “Do you always give people the benefit of the doubt?”

“I try.”

“You’re an innocent.”

“And you’re a cynic.”

He shrugged. “So I’ve been told.”

That he thought he could buy whatever he wanted caused a bitter taste in her mouth. Making it worse, she was forced to acknowledge that she was added proof that he could. Her reasons had been selfless. She’d done it for Tommy’s sake. Still, she’d allowed him to buy her cooperation. “I should be getting back to Tommy,” she said stiffly.

The disapproval he read in her eyes irritated him. “I’m not an ogre. I don’t use or coerce people against their will. I hire them for a job, and I give them a fair price for their time.”

“I know,” she conceded. “I’m angry with myself for proving that you’re right…that people can be bought.” Without giving him a chance to respond, she rose, picked up her tray and headed to the door.

* * *

By midafternoon the next day, Nina was totally drained. She hadn’t left the hospital since Tommy’s arrival there. During the night, she’d slept restlessly, woken several times by unfamiliar noises. Today she’d used all of her energy to reassure Tommy as he was being put through a battery of tests.

Now he was sleeping. The day nurse, Claudia, like Bernadette, was young. In her early twenties, Nina guessed. She had brown hair and eyes and a lively personality. She’d even managed to get Tommy to laugh a couple of times.

Nina heard the door open and saw the feminine appreciation on Claudia’s face. Without even looking, she knew that Alex had arrived. He’d called several times during the morning to check on her and Tommy, but she hadn’t expected him to actually stop by the hospital.

“I’ve come to take Mrs. Lindstrom home,” he informed Claudia.

Nina remained firmly seated. “I can’t leave. If Tommy wakes up, he’ll expect me to be here.”

Alex had approached her chair. Now he leaned forward, his hands on the arms. “Claudia will reassure him. That’s her job. You need to take some time for yourself. Freshen up. Shower. Change clothes.”

“I suppose I should before I begin to smell rank,” Nina admitted reluctantly.

“And you need to say hello to your other children so they won’t think they’ve been forgotten,” he added.

The nagging worry about Elizabeth and Pete that had persisted at the back of her mind all morning came to the forefront. Helen had sworn that all was going well; still, Nina wanted to see for herself. “You’re right.” She turned to Claudia. “If he wakes and wants me, you will call the house immediately?”

“Immediately,” the nurse promised. “Now, you run along and don’t worry.”

Nina nodded and left the room with Alex.

“I spoke to the doctor,” he said as they continued down the hall. “He’s made a preliminary examination of the tests. This afternoon, he’ll take another, closer look. For now, he’s scheduled the surgery for seven tomorrow morning.”

Nina’s legs threatened to weaken. “How long will it last?”

“Eight to sixteen hours, maybe more if there are complications.” Alex saw her pale and slipped his arm around her waist. “He needs to proceed slowly so that he doesn’t do any damage.”

All she could do was nod her understanding.

During the ride back to his grandfather’s estate, Alex asked her about the tests that had been conducted on Tommy. From a couple of comments he let slip, she was fairly certain he’d already covered all this material with the doctor and that he was merely making conversation to keep her from dwelling on what tomorrow would bring. But she didn’t care about his motives. Talking helped, and by the time they reached the mansion, she felt in control once again.

Elizabeth and Pete came running to greet her as she entered. Kneeling on the floor, she hugged them tightly.

“Alex says that Tommy can’t come home for a while, but that he’s going to be just fine,” Elizabeth said as her mother released her. Her intonation made this a question.

“He does have to stay at the hospital for a while, but he is going to be just fine,” she replied, determined to only think positive thoughts.

“You look exhausted,” Helen commented worriedly as Nina straightened and rose. Giving her daughter-in-law a hug, she asked in hushed tones, “How is Tommy, really?”

“He’s doing well,” Nina assured her. “Alex has hired private nurses to watch him around the clock. He couldn’t have better care.”

Helen smiled gratefully at Alex. “Thank you.”