Special Deliveries: Wanted: A Mother For His Baby: The Nanny Trap / The Baby Deal / Her Real Family Christmas

“Tell me more about the vineyard we’re going to,” Bella prompted, breaking the heavy silence. Blake had arrived back at the beach house just that morning and announced they would be visiting some friends. “How do you know the owner?”

“He and I went to college together. We were both business majors, but even back then he had a passion for wine. His father expected him to take over the family business. They haven’t spoken in five years.”

“Because he bought the winery?” Bella shook her head in dismay. “What sort of parent cuts ties with their child because they don’t do exactly what the parent expects?”

Incredulous, Blake glanced her way. “There are all kinds of reasons why parents turn their backs on their children.” He hadn’t meant to start this particular conversation with Bella when they were on their way to visit his friends, but he couldn’t let the topic go without commenting.

“Is that a shot at Victoria or at me?”

Thanks to this week’s revelations, Blake now understood that Vicky didn’t care if she was in Drew’s life. He was far more interested in why Bella had turned her back on him.

“Why did you walk away last fall?”

“Because he didn’t need me. He had you and Victoria.”

Her practical answer didn’t make him feel any better. “And now that Victoria and I are divorced?” Blake knew it was too early to push his agenda, but he was too irritated to be patient. “Have you changed your mind about being a part of his life?”

“Don’t you think that will confuse him when he’s old enough to understand how he was conceived?”

More excuses. Blake unclenched his teeth and relaxed his jaw. “I think he’ll be more confused when he finds out there’s a woman who carried him for nine months who isn’t in his life.”

“And what happens when you remarry?” Her tone took on an aggressive note. “Do you really think your new wife will appreciate me hanging around when she’s trying to develop a relationship with him?”

“That’s a poor excuse.”

“It’s not. It’s what happened.” Bella must have heard the slip because she rushed on. “What will happen. If it was me, I wouldn’t want another woman hanging around. Interfering.”

The explanation Bella gave didn’t sound like her rationale.

“Vicky asked you to stay away.” Suddenly it all made sense. “That’s why you took yourself out of the picture after Drew was born.”

“She was terribly insecure about becoming a mother. If she’d been able to carry Drew, she wouldn’t have felt so disengaged from the process.”

“There’s nothing wrong with Vicky that would keep her from getting pregnant,” Blake said, curious how much his ex-wife had told Bella. “She was afraid of the damage a pregnancy would do to her body.”

“But—” Bella sputtered to a stop. When Blake looked over, she was staring at him in horror. “How do you know that?”

“A year ago, I found out she lied to me about her infertility.”

Blake remembered finding his wife’s birth control pills. He’d been too focused on starting a family to see that his wife wasn’t ready—wasn’t interested—in having children. And instead of being honest with him, she’d lied and gone along with his desire for a family. In the end, she’d chosen her career over him.

But now that she’d discovered that becoming an actress was tougher than she’d thought, she wanted him back. Did she really think him such a fool? Nothing about her had changed. When the next opportunity presented itself, she would leave them once more.

Bella stared at him in shock. “Is that why you are so resistant to reconciling?”

“It’s part of the reason. A marriage based on lies doesn’t have much hope of lasting, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Absolutely.” She knitted her fingers together in her lap. “I don’t understand why she would do something like that.”

“Maybe at first she hoped I’d eventually give up my desire to become a father and then we could continue our active social schedule. She’d gotten her first taste of acting and wanted to do more. That would be impossible if she was pregnant.”

Blake had thought he’d gotten past his bitterness, but it rose in his gut like acid. “Perhaps you can understand now why I’m going to put Drew’s needs first the next time I marry.”

“I do. But Victoria is pretty determined to win you back.”

“I agree. And it’s even more complicated because my stepsister is encouraging her.” Blake took his gaze off the road long enough to gauge Bella’s readiness for his next words. She had no idea what was coming. “But I know when they see you and me together, both Jeanne and Vicky will realize I’ve determined to go forward with my life.”

“Me?” Her voice cracked with skepticism. “I’m sure there are dozens of women that would be a better choice.”

“Not better for Drew.” Blake decided it was time for the gloves to come off. “I’ve thought about you a lot these last nine months.”

“You thought about me?”

“I had a hard time with your refusal to be in Drew’s life.”

Bella’s lips parted. She appeared to be grappling with what to say. Blake waited her out, wondering if she was ready to give him a different explanation than she had nine months ago.

At last she said, “I did it because Victoria asked me to.”

That was a relief. It meant she wasn’t the coldhearted woman she’d led him to believe.

“I understand and appreciate what you tried to do, however misguided.” Blake took one of her hands in his and played with her fingers. “And that means there’s nothing standing in the way of you being in Drew’s life.” Or in mine.

Bella pulled her hand free and stared out the side window. “In his life as what, exactly?” Her low voice was almost impossible to hear over the music coming from the backseat.

It was too early for Blake to reveal his true intentions. “As his mother.”

Her huge sigh told him she’d been expecting his words. “But I’m not his mother.”

“You gave him life.”

“As part of a business arrangement.”

Her answer kicked him hard in the gut. He ignored the ache and kept all pain from his voice. “Don’t tell me that’s all it was.”

“What do you want me to say?” Heartache thrummed in her tone.

“All I want from you is the truth.”

“Then here it is. If I’d had any hint how hard it would be to give him up, I would never have agreed to be your surrogate.” She gathered a shaky breath. “Never in a million years would I have guessed how attached I would get to the child I was carrying.”

Accepting her explanation gave him some peace. “You gave no indication that you felt that way while you were pregnant.”

Her lips drooped at the corners. “I was supposed to be carrying a child that could never be mine. How would you have felt if I’d told you I never wanted to let Drew go?”

“Devastated.”

She gave a tight nod. “Every day that went by I fell more deeply in love,” Bella continued. “By the time I was in my final trimester, I was seriously considering breaking our contract and going back to Iowa with Drew.”