“And in the meantime you’re planning on marrying Bella.”
“I am.” Blake led Jeanne to the couch and went to fetch a bottle of her favorite water. When he returned, she looked more troubled than angry. Handing her the bottle, he sat beside her on the sofa, his arm slung across the back, and waited for what was to come next.
Jeanne took a long sip of water and replaced the cap. “You don’t think she’s marrying you for your money?”
“Not in the least.”
“But you paid her to be Drew’s surrogate. You’re paying her to be his nanny. Aren’t you the least bit curious where all that money has gone?”
Blake’s irritation faded to weariness. “This isn’t any of your business, Jeanne.”
“I’m your sister and I love you. Of course it’s my business. What happened to all that money, Blake?”
“She sent it home,” he told her, realizing Jeanne wasn’t going to let up until she got answers. “To her parents, her brothers and sisters. Everything she can spare goes to help them out.”
“So she says.”
He shook his head. “It’s the truth. I made my own inquiries.”
“See,” Jeanne exclaimed as if Blake had made her point for her. “You didn’t trust her, either.”
“Not after she refused to have any contact with Drew.” Blake stared out the large windows at the far-off ocean. He liked the way the expansive view let his mind open to all sorts of possibilities. “But I’ve recently learned why that happened.”
“She told me Victoria told her to stay away.”
“Did she?” Blake shifted his attention back to Jeanne. “What else did she say?”
“That she loves you.”
“Damn.” He hadn’t expected her to feel that way about him. It was a precious burden he would carry the rest of his life.
“Do you love her?”
*
Bella froze at Jeanne’s question. When she’d pulled into the driveway, she’d seen the familiar car parked by the front door and realized Jeanne must have raced over here as soon as she’d left Bella in town to tell Blake what a mistake he was making.
“What I feel doesn’t matter,” he said, his tone impatient.
Bella’s heart constricted as it occurred to her that Blake had never spoken those three words. Deep down she’d feared being more emotionally invested in their relationship than Blake. It hurt to realize she’d been right.
“I loved Victoria,” he continued, “and look how that turned out for Drew. She abandoned him to pursue her career. Much like my mother left me to return to Paris.” A great deal of pain filled the silence that followed. No matter how perfect his life became, Blake would never fully get over his mother’s abandonment. It afflicted every aspect of his personal life. “What is important is that Drew will have a mother who will care for him and love him completely.”
Was that all Blake wanted from her? All the times they’d made love, the way he’d touched her with adoration as well as passion, was he only looking to cement her loyalty to him so she wouldn’t ever leave?
“But why Bella? She’s far from the most beautiful woman you’ve ever dated. Socially, she’ll be utterly out of her element.” Jeanne’s comments echoed Bella’s own worries. What would she talk to these people about? Her only contact with most of them was as a teacher. “There are a hundred women in Manhattan who would be a better choice for you and Drew.”
“She’s Drew’s mother,” Blake said firmly.
“Victoria is Drew’s mother.”
“She could have been, but she didn’t want the role.” And his tone said he didn’t want to discuss the matter further. “And there’s something else about the situation you don’t understand.”
Was Blake going to tell Jeanne about Victoria’s infidelity? He sounded frustrated enough with his stepsister to set her straight on all counts.
“Like what?” Jeanne demanded.
“Bella is Drew’s biological mother.”
The shock of hearing this from Blake made Bella sway.
“That’s impossible,” Jeanne exclaimed. “She was just acting as Victoria’s surrogate.”
“It’s true. I have billing statements from the fertility clinic as proof. Drew is not Victoria’s biological son. He’s Bella’s.”
Blake knew? How long? Why hadn’t he said something to her about it?
Fearing she might drop Drew, she set him on the ground. He immediately began to crawl forward.
Blake spotted Drew about the same moment the little boy pulled himself to his feet with a happy cry and began toddling toward the kitchen. As if in slow motion, Bella watched his head swing from Drew toward her. She met his gaze, saw the determination in his eyes and for a second couldn’t breathe.