“Hold on to your knickers, luv.” Katie stood and took a few steps down the gray stone path. “I just got married.”
“WHAT?!”
Katie winced. “And I hate it when you yell in my ear.”
“Explain yourself right now!” Bianca plowed ahead with questions. “Who did you marry?Whydid you get married, and why didn’t you tell me you were dating in the first place? You swore you’d stay single forever.”
Katie waited patiently for Bianca to take a breath. They knew each other so well that she couldn’t lie to her best friend or hide things from her. She wished the other girl didn’t live on the opposite coast. It would have been wonderful to have Bianca close so they could have lunch and talk in person every day.
“My boss made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“You married your boss?” Bianca squeaked. “Now I know you’ve lost your mind. Didn’t you say he was as exciting as a lukewarm bowl of soup?”
“I was wrong.” Katie’s lips curved. “There is a lot more to Chase Grayson than a pretty face.”
“Start over. What was the offer you couldn’t refuse?”
“Well, you know how much I regret not having Phillip’s baby. Chase is giving me a second chance.”
“Are you saying... you married him for a baby?” Bianca’s voice turned concerned and urgent. “But... I love you, and you know that. I don’t want to see you get hurt. That’s the only reason I am throwing up a red flag here. If you want a child, wait until you find the right guy. Fall in love and give your child two parents that love each other.”
A wave of sadness washed over Katie. She absently plucked a petal off a white rose. When she realized she’d damaged a flower without thinking, a flower that didn’t belong to her, she almost started to weep. Not for the flower, but for the mess her life had become before marrying Chase. Her heart was broken, empty, and beyond repair. She missed Phillip, ached for him in a way no one else could understand, not even her best friend.
“How many soulmates do you think we get, luv?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know, and neither do you.”
“I already found the great love of my life, and I lost him. It would be greedy to ask the universe for another.” She sniffed as she held back tears. “Anyway, you don’t have to worry about my child growing up with parents that can’t stand the sight of each other. Chase promised to give me the parental rights. He doesn’t want the baby. This child will be all mine.”
“Doesn’t want...? What did you get yourself into? You don’t have to go along with this insanity. Just say the word and I will send the private jet for you.”
Did she want to leave Chase? An image of his handsome face filled her mind, and he smiled at her. Warmth glowed in those molten chocolate eyes. She didn’t love him, but she didn’t want to leave him either. She wanted to have his child. They would make a beautiful baby together, a baby she would love forever.
“It’s too late,” she said.
Bianca gasped. “You’re pregnant.”
Katie let the assumption go unchallenged. It didn’t matter. She was all in when it came to her new husband. Nothing and no one could change her mind, not even the best friend who was like a sister to her. She was going to have a baby with Chase Grayson and that was that.
♥♥♥
Katie woke bright and early the next morning. A smile curved her lips as she stretched out her arms and arched her back beneath the light blanket. Yesterday’s memories returned. She bolted upright and took a look around the unfamiliar bedroom. Panic set her heart to racing. Her gaze went to the other side of the bed and found the covers in place. Where had Chase slept last night?
So far, he had allowed her to have her own bed, her own space. She hoped he continued to be respectful of her feelings. The last thing she wanted was to share a bed with her new husband. Sharing a bed was far too intimate. It meant they were married, really married, and that just wasn’t the case.
Quickly, she slipped into the fuzzy blue robe hanging on the bathroom door. The sleeves were too long and covered her hands, and it smelled like Chase’s cologne. Nice. She went in search of her new husband, pushing the long sleeves up her arms while descending the stairs.
The house seemed empty at first glance. She was beginning to wonder if he’d gone to town for something when voices reached her ears. Someone was in the kitchen with Chase. She started to go back upstairs to get dressed, but the sound of a woman’s voice piqued her curiosity. She tiptoed closer and peeked around the corner.
Chase was sitting at the table, and a lovely blonde woman bent over his shoulder to pour him a cup of coffee. The most disturbing thing was the way the woman touched him. Her hand rested on his shoulder, curved slightly, and then it came up to caress the back of his neck as she set the pot down.
Katie clenched her fists, heart palpitating.The nerve of that woman! She started to go back upstairs to put some clothes on, but an opposing idea was too good to ignore. She breezed into the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. Her hand went to her chest, and she feigned surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t know we had company. Why didn’t you wake me?”
The woman gaped at her. “You never bring your girlfriends here, Chase.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.” Katie fixed her gaze on the woman’s face so she wouldn’t miss her expression as she delivered the news. “I’m his wife.”
And that tidbit of information wiped the smile clean off the blonde.