A Will and a Wedding

A godly man, proud to be a follower of God, happy to share her work in the church and take his place as the head of their family-Jeff Haddon? A man who would share the same pain she felt when broken, unhappy children were brought to their home; a loving husband who would stand next to her and help in the healing process? Would marriage and children with Jeff give her that Christian family she’d planned for so long?

God, is this really from you?

Cassie heard a voice and turned to find Jeff’s long lean body directly behind her. He was speaking in a low tone that riveted her attention.

“We could both benefit, Cassie. Obviously that’s what Aunt Judith intended.”

She stared at him, transfixed by the dark conviction glinting from his stern face.

“But you’re not in love with me,” she objected, softly. “And I consider that a prerequisite to marriage.”

His gleaming dark head came up at that, his eyes boring into hers.

“No, I’m not,” he agreed dryly. “But then, neither, I think, are you in love with me.” He peered at her as if assessing her ability to understand what he was about to say. Cassie felt an anxious quiver spring up inside. “I’m thirty-five years old. I am fully capable of deciding what it is I want out of life. I want a son.”

Cassie marveled that his voice was so strong and steady. She felt like a quivering mass of jelly herself.

“I’ve been noticing your relationship with these children over the past few weeks,” he told her, his long stride adapting to match her shorter one. “You have the kind of rapport a child needs during its formative years. I think you would make a splendid mother.” His voice added reflectively, “and wife.”

He was serious, Cassie realized. Prince Jefferson actually expected her to agree to marry him and provide the heir to his kingdom.

“Is it so important, this successor for the Haddon family,” she demanded disparagingly, “that you would marry someone you don’t love, someone you barely know, just to continue the family line?”

“No,” he smiled at her sadly, tiny lines radiating around his sardonic mouth. “It’s not important at all, for that reason. But it is important for me to have my own child.” He straightened his shoulders then and grasped her elbow briskly as if getting down to business. “Think about it, Cassie. You would be able to do those things you’re always talking about for kids who need your help.” His voice lowered provocatively. “And you would be able to continue your writing without the kind of interruptions that any other place would afford.”

Cassie whirled to face him, amazed that he knew of her secret life as a children’s author. Then she realized that a man like Jefferson Haddon would have had her thoroughly investigated before considering the possibility of proposing.

The air went out of her suddenly.

“So it would be a business proposition,” she intoned softly, glaring up at him in the silence of the woods. “I get money and the run of the house to continue my work and you get your child. I do have some scruples, you know,” she told him, furious at his extended silence.

“I can’t just coldly and callously go to bed with you because you want a child. Lovemaking is a part of marriage and that’s a serious step that two people take because they want to commit themselves to the future together. If you think that I could treat such a commitment so lightly, then you really don’t know me at all.”

She wasn’t prepared for his strong arms as they wrapped around her. Jeff tugged her against his muscular frame, a tiny smile turning up the edges of his lips. His head tipped down, his mouth meeting hers in a kiss that rocked her to her boot-clad feet.

Cassie felt a longing stretch deep inside. It surprised her with its strength. As she felt his lips touch hers, Cassie curled her arms round Jeff’s strong neck and twined her fingers through his dark, immaculate hair.

She knew that time passed, that one kiss had become many. But each gentle touch of his lips created a need for more.

When he finally drew away from her, Cassie felt bereft. He pressed her head against his chest while they each drew deep calming breaths of crisp fall air.

His voice, when it rumbled against her cheek, was softly mocking as his hand stroked over her windblown hair.

“I don’t think anything that happened between us could be cold or calculated,” he told her, a smile of satisfaction curving his tight mouth.

Jeff tipped her chin up, forcing her turbulent gaze to meet his melting dark chocolate one.

“We both know there’s something smoldering between us,” he rasped. “And I think it’s only a matter of time until it bursts into flame.” He held her gaze steadily. “But I’ll guarantee you this. I’m not going to force or coerce you into anything. Whatever we do, it will be after a mutual decision.”

Cassie felt as if the ground were falling away and she wrapped her fingers around his arm.

How could this be happening to plain, ordinary Cassie Newton? She seldom dated. Goodness, she didn’t even know many men who weren’t involved with the children’s agency or her church.

“If you’d prefer, we can go the route of artificial insemination.” His mouth tipped up wryly. “Although, personally, I don’t think it would be nearly as, er, interesting.”

Cassie felt her cheeks burn with the implication behind his words. How could he say these things? It wasn’t, well, decent somehow.

“The direction of our relationship will depend on you, Cassie.”

She knew her mouth was open; that she was gaping at him like some starstruck teenager. She couldn’t help it. The world had tilted in a crazy angle and she couldn’t get her bearings.

“Come on. If we don’t walk, we’ll freeze.”

He tugged her along beside him then, continuing their walk as if nothing unusual had occurred. Except that he kept her hand enfolded in his.

Cassie let the whirl of emotions pirouette through her mind in fast forward. Marry him? She hardly knew him, although he had somehow become an intricate part of their lives over the past weeks.

And always, Jeff watched her with David. Dark head cocked to one side, he would listen intently as she spoke with the boy. Subject matter wasn’t important. Jeff seemed to focus more on the child’s acceptance of Cassie as the authority on the matter. At least marriage to Jefferson Haddon would ensure a home for David and Marie, she thought ruefully.

Nasty suspicions crowded into her confused brain and Cassie stopped dead in the pathway to cast a curious glance at the tall man beside her.

“What’s really behind this proposal?” she demanded, hands on her hips. “Why do you suddenly need me for your plan?”

He looked sheepish. And not a little embarrassed.

“The truth this time,” she ordered. “All of it”

“I do want a son,” he said firmly.

“And?”

“Well, the fact is that most of my funds are tied up in the family trust. Oh, I make a good living,” he offered quickly as she frowned. “My company is doing very well. But I want to expand and that takes a lot of capital. It’s a private company and I’d like to keep it that way.”

He studied her face as if deciding whether she understood what he was saying.

“You mean you don’t want to offer stock or something to raise money?” Cassie asked him doubtfully.

“Yes, and I don’t want to take on private investors unless I have to. Computers are a risky business right now. The markets are changing so rapidly and new advances occur daily. I’d rather not risk anyone else’s hard-earned money.”

Cassie sank onto the iron bench nearby, thinking about what he’d said.

“Judith once told me that your father has money. Maybe he could.”

“No!”

It was a vehement denial that brought two red circles to his cheeks. He flopped down beside her, hands shoved into his pockets. Cassie couldn’t see his face, he was turned away from her. But she could hear the cold hard tones and the anger under them.

“My father would never agree,” he told her. “He wants me in the family business and would be just as happy to see Bytes Incorporated go down the tubes.” He watched her speculatively for a moment. “If he knew about the son idea, he would have a fit. He’s had my wife picked out for twenty years now. He won’t take it lightly when he finds out I’ve married someone else.”