Would he? Once again she wondered how much of their daughter’s life he would be present for. “There are a lot of things to discuss before she’s born,” Katie said.
He looked stunned. “Like what?”
“Well, for starters, I would never send her to a boarding school.”
“Neither would I.”
“Good.” She forced a smile while stroking his chest with her fingers and wishing he wasn’t wearing a shirt. “We should talk about how we want to raise her, the important stuff. Will we go to church? Which denomination? Will we live out here or in the city once she is school age? How much influence will your family have on her? Do we give her an allowance? What if she wants a dog? Do we—”
He pushed her off his lap and jumped up as if remembering the house was on fire, and she realized she’d spooked him. She had gone one step too far. He was just so easy to talk to that she forgot about his unfortunate upbringing. Chase probably hadn’t thought further than bringing the baby home from the hospital. It was possible he still planned to leave her to raise their child alone.
She frantically searched for something to say to distract him, something about work. That would do it. But by the time she came up with a good distraction, he was gone. She sank back in the couch and rested her head against the cushioned top. A sigh parted her lips. It wasn’t just about his life, his freedom. They had a little girl to think about, and Katie just wished she knew what his plans were so she could make her own.
Did he want them?
Or did he want them to disappear?
♥♥♥
Feeling like a coward, Chase locked himself in his den and leaned back against the door. The way Katie talked about how they would raise their daughter together stirred up a hornet’s nest of emotion. Not long ago if someone had told him that he would be daydreaming about having a family and longing for it, he would have thought they were insane. When she talked about their future, he could picture it—and he desperately wanted it.
He couldn’t deny it anymore, at least not to himself. Life had thrown him a proverbial curve ball. He was in love with his beautiful wife, and that posed a new and bigger problem. Katie was still in love with Phillip. As much as he wanted to be with her, he did not want to be her second choice.
Instead of going to his desk, he stood at the window the way his father used to and stared at the lake. Pristine blue water rippled under a slight breeze. He could see them taking their daughter out in a boat for an afternoon of fun. There were so many things he could teach his little girl... but he couldn’t teach her about love. How could he be a good father when he hadn’t been raised by one? He didn’t know the first thing about being a loving dad.
Growing up with squabbling parents that didn’t seem to have an ounce of love for each other or for him had done a great deal of damage to his psyche. He knew that, but maybe having parents who were passionate about each other without being in love would work out okay.
Or would his daughter suffer?
Chapter Sixteen
Excitement coursed through her veins early afternoon six weeks later when the delivery truck arrived. She’d ordered a bunch of stuff for the nursery from a San Francisco company that delivered. Unfortunately, Chase was at his office in the city and couldn’t help her decorate. She stood next to the delivery truck while three men unloaded her purchases and carried them upstairs to the room she’d chosen for the nursery.
Fully assembled, the crib looked prettier in-person than it had online. She’d paid extra to have them put it together before delivering it. She didn’t think Chase would be interested in doing it himself, and she wasn’t good with stuff like that. Two men carried it inside while the third crawled into the front to get her the invoice, and that’s when Helen came jogging up the long driveway with a covered basket dangling from one hand.
“Hey there, neighbor,” Helen called out. “Brought you some muffins.”
Katie forced a smile. “How kind of you. Chase isn’t here.”
“I know.” Helen handed her the basket. “Don’t worry. They’re sugar free. I noticed you put on weight.”
“I’m pregnant,” Katie said even though it was obvious now. Not even someone as dim and self-involved as Helen could miss that fact.
A smug smile curved Helen’s mouth. “Yeah. I figured. Chase married you because you were knocked up. That makes sense.”
Katie curled her fingers, forming a fist, and she prayed for patience so she wouldn’t punch the woman. “For your information, this baby was planned.”
“Byyou. I doubt very much Chase agreed to this since the last thing he wanted was a child.”
“How do you know what Chase wants?”
“I’ve known him for years, and he made it abundantly clear that he would never marry or have children. The last thing he wanted was a kid. The second to the last was a wife. He may have married you, but it won’t last. He’ll divorce you the second that brat is born.”
Katie pushed the basket back into Helen’s hands with barely restrained force. “Take it and get off my property. Now.”
“Fine. Hide your head in the sand, but I’ll have the last laugh when he sends you packing. He’s just like his father, you know. Business first. He’s not a family man.”
“You knew Chase’s father?”