Committed to the Baby: Claiming King's Baby / The Doctor's Secret Baby

“You all right, honey?”

Mrs. Carey’s concerned voice brought Maggie out of her thoughts to focus on what was happening. She shot a look at Bella in time to see a quick flash of pain dart over her features. “Bella?”

“I’m okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “It’s just that my back’s been bothering me all day. Probably just spasms from carrying around all this extra weight.”

“A backache?” Maggie asked.

“All day?” Mrs. Carey added.

Bella grimaced, then said, “I probably just need another cookie.”

“Um,” Maggie started, “just when exactly are you due, Bella?”

“Oh, not for two weeks yet.” She groaned a little as she pushed herself forward to reach for the plate on the table in front of her.

Maggie and Mrs. Carey exchanged a long, knowing look.

* * *

“You’re crazy, you know that, right?” Jesse took a long pull of his beer and stretched his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankle.

Justice shot a look at his younger brother in time to see him shaking his head in disgust. The sun was hot, the breeze was cool and the patio was empty except for him and Jesse.

Maggie, Bella and Mrs. Carey were all in the house cooing over Jonas and talking about Bella’s due-any-minute baby. He scowled to himself and took a drink of his own beer. Justice and Maggie had already legally separated by the time Bella and Jesse got together, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way Maggie and Bella had instantly bonded. They were like two old friends already, and their chatter had eventually chased Jesse and Justice out to the patio for some quiet.

At least, that had been the plan.

“Crazy? Me?” Justice laughed shortly. “I’m not the one hauling my extremely pregnant wife around when she should be at home.”

“Bella gets antsy sitting around the house. Besides, we’re only forty minutes from the hospital—and you’re changing the subject.”

“Damn straight. Take the hint.”

Jesse grinned, completely unfazed by Justice’s snarl. “Why should I?”

“Because it’s none of your business.”

“When’s that ever stopped a King?”

True, Justice thought. Never had a King been born who knew enough to keep his nose out of his brother’s business.

“Look,” Jesse said, “Jeff called, told me he’d hired Maggie, so I thought I’d bring Bella over to meet her sister-in-law. Nobody told me you had a son.”

“I don’t.”

Laughing shortly, Jesse said, “You’re so busy being a tight ass you don’t even see it, do you?”

“I’m not talking about this with you, Jesse.”

“Fine. Then I’ll talk. You listen.”

A cloud scudded across the sun, tossing the patio into shadow and dropping the temperature suddenly. Justice frowned at his brother, but Jesse paid no attention. He sat up, braced his forearms on his thighs and held his beer bottle between his palms. “I thought your leg was hurt, not your eyes.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, you dumb jerk, that Jonas looks just like you and you’d have to be blind not to see it.”

“Black hair and blue eyes doesn’t make him mine.”

“It’s more than that and you know it. The shape of his face. His nose. His hands. Damn it, Justice, he’s a carbon copy of you.”

“He can’t be.”

“Why the hell not?” Jesse’s voice dropped and his gaze narrowed. “Why can’t he be your son?”

Irritated beyond measure, pushed beyond endurance, Justice awkwardly got out of his chair and grabbed for his hated cane. Then he walked a few uneasy steps away from Jesse, stared out at the rose garden and told his brother what he’d never told another living soul before.

“Because I can’t have kids.”

“Says who?”

Justice choked out a laugh. Figured Jesse wouldn’t react with any kind of tact. Just accept what his brother said and let it go. “A doctor. Right after the accident that killed Mom and Dad and laid me up for weeks.”

“You never said anything.”

He laughed again, a sound that was harsh and miserable even to his own ears. “Would you have?”

“No,” Jesse said, standing up to walk to his side. “I guess not. But, Justice, doctors make mistakes.”

He took a drink of his beer, letting the frothy cold liquid coat his insides and put out the fires of humiliation and regret burning within. “Not about that.”

“God, you’re an idiot.”

“I’m getting awful tired of people calling me names,” Justice muttered.

“You deserve it. How do you know that doctor wasn’t wrong?” Jesse stepped out in front of him, forcing Justice to meet his gaze. “Did you ever get a second opinion?”

“You think I liked getting that news? Why would I go to someone else to hear the same damn thing again?”

Shaking his head wildly as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard, Jesse blinked at his brother and said, “I don’t know, to make sure the guy was right? Justice, you get a second opinion from vets on your cattle! Why wouldn’t you do that for yourself?”