Baby In A Million

“And you bought every word of it…” came the gravelly sound at last. “So— The moment I leave you alone, Sheila plans another encounter and in a few seconds destroys everything you and I have achieved for the last week at the clinic.”

The constricting bands around her chest made it difficult to breathe, yet she found the temerity to look straight into his eyes. “She said you made it up, that you didn’t have a smoking problem.”

His glazed over. “She really did a number on you, didn’t she.”

“She told me to call Greg if I wanted to know the truth. H-he said he’d never actually seen you smoke.”

An oppressive darkness seemed to engulf him. “Under the circumstances, I don’t understand why you left the safety of the orphanage, let alone why you’re sitting here with me.”

No person could fake the kind of desolation she heard in his voice. But at the same time, he wasn’t attempting to defend himself.

“Neither do I,” she blurted because of her pain. “But our child has the right to know his father, and I’m too close to my due date to want to do anything to jeopardize his health or mine. So I’m going to stay with you.

“I’ll even sleep in your bed and let you make love to me if that’s what you want. There’s so much infidelity in the world today, why should I expect anything different.” She made a sound between a laugh and a cry. “At least I know you’ll always be kind to me, and a loving father to our child. What is it they say? It’s better to take the hell you’re sure of. Besides—”

“Don’t say another word!” he cut her off savagely.

“Why not?” She kept it up as if he’d never spoken. “You wanted an explanation for why I’m still sitting here. I’m simply trying to tell you all my reasons, one of them being a promise I made to Sister Bernice.”

“What promise?” His complexion looked ashen.

“To find out for myself whose truth is the truth. A pretty formidable task.”

“Ashley—”

“I only have one more thing to say.” She ignored his tortured imprecation. “Because it will cost quite a bit to redecorate the house to accommodate two new babies, I guess I should deem myself fortunate that you’re such a wealthy man. However, I want to make one thing clear.

“It doesn’t matter to me where you and Sheila shop to outfit the nursery for the child that might be yours. Just remember that the furniture which is going to be delivered from Forsey’s tomorrow is for the baby you fathered with me!”

Fury turned his eyes an inky blue. “Do you really think I would expect you to live in the same house with Sheila after what she’s just said and done?”

Fire scorched Ashley’s cheeks. “After such an elaborate strategy to get me to come back to you, do you really believe I would walk out on our little menage a trois now? Not on your life, Cord Me Knight! If it’s going to go down, we’ll all go together.”

He sat there stone-faced. “No, Ashley. I can’t let you do it.”

“You don’t have a choice,” she lashed out. “Unless of course you know you’re guilty and have decided the risk of exposure might be too great after all.”

“I admit I’m worried,” he muttered darkly. “After what you’ve just told me, I’m convinced Sheila is emotionally disturbed. Possibly dangerous.”

Ashley let out another angry laugh. “That must be the stock excuse every man since Adam has thrown in a woman’s face when he has run out of reasons to explain her.

“Let’s face it, Cord— Sheila is nothing more than a grasping, self-serving female who has always had a thing for you. Maybe you’ve encouraged her. Maybe you haven’t.

“Whatever the true explanation, she’s willing to lie, cheat, distort, manipulate anything and anyone at hand to get what she wants, and she’s terribly good at it. I give her credit. I really do.

“But you don’t have to concern yourself about me. I’ve finally grown up. I confess it took me rather a long time. More than most, in fact. Chalk it up to my obscure beginnings.

“Needless to say, the blinders are off. I’m no longer the naive, insecure, pathetic little creature from the orphanage who can’t fight her own battles. I’m capable of lasting as long as Sheila, if not longer.” She took a deep breath. “May we go home now? I’m hungry, I’m tired and I need to put my feet up.”

The ten-minute ride to Cord’s family home was made in complete silence. Ashley realized she had been talking and acting totally out of character. Clearly Cord didn’t want to take her home, but for the moment his fears for her emotional and physical comfort had overcome his worries about Sheila and any threat she represented.

Though Ashley hadn’t planned to fling any of those words at Cord, evidently they had poured from her soul. In a way, they had laid the groundwork for the days ahead.

The only thing that could make Sheila angrier than to see Ashley walk through the front door of Cord’s home, would be to have to live around his wife who no longer felt intimidated by the other woman’s presence. Sheila wouldn’t know how to handle the new Ashley who was accepting of the status quo. Who even welcomed it.

Her mouth curved at the corners, a reaction Cord noted with an oblique glance.

That would be insupportable to Sheila.