Countdown To Baby

Finding her voice, she asked quietly, “You really think I would be a good mother? The kind of mother you would want to raise your child?”

For the first time since he’d appeared on her pathway, he smiled. “I have no doubt that you will be a wonderful mother. You helped raised Eric, didn’t you? He certainly turned out okay.”

Geoff seemed to know every one of her weaknesses. A compliment about her little brother was guaranteed to work with her every time.

Maybe she should be worried that he seemed to know her so well after so short a time. But the truth was she felt strangely the same way about him. For some reason they understood each other. Had from the beginning. Their friendship was new, but it had gotten off to a wonderful start. And suddenly it didn’t seem like such a bad idea to be friends with her child’s father.

“I, um, suppose you want to think about this a bit longer. Before we actually commit to anything, I mean,” she said.

“I’ll be in town for about another month, and then I’ll have to take off on business again. I’m not sure when I’ll be back. So unless you want to wait until my next trip home—”

“I’m tired of waiting,” Cecilia said with feeling. “It feels like I’ve been waiting forever.”

Geoff stood and walked slowly toward her chair. “You realize, of course, that it sometimes takes a while to get results with this sort of thing.”

She rose to gaze up at him. “Yes, I’m aware of that.”

“I tend to be an overachiever when I’m working toward a goal. Single-minded, almost.”

“I’ve been accused of being the same,” she admitted, tilting her head back as he moved even closer, so that he towered over her.

He lifted a hand to her cheek, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. “Just so you’ll know, I’m willing to give this my best effort. As often as possible—as many times as it takes.”

Her smile felt a bit shaky. Uncharacteristically shy. “That’s very noble of you.”

His other hand rose so that he was cupping her face between his palms. He leaned so close to her that she could feel his breath ruffling her hair when he murmured, “I just wanted to reassure you that you’ve picked the right guy for the job.”

Before she could tell him that she had already reached that conclusion for herself, his mouth was on hers.

The heavy wooden door to Geoff’s condominium loomed in front of Cecilia later that evening. Because of the impressive security in the building, he knew she had arrived, but she hesitated before ringing the bell. It felt like her last chance to change her mind and make a dash for sanity, but when it came right down to it, she just didn’t want to go.

She had been perfectly willing for Geoff to simply stay at her place earlier. She would have prepared a meal for them—spaghetti, maybe, or a quick casserole—followed by…well, by the first step in their get-Cecilia-pregnant campaign. But Geoff had vetoed that plan, insisting, to her surprise, that he would cook for her, in

stead. At his place.

He had explained that he wanted this night to be special. Cecilia had wondered then, as she wondered now, if he had really been giving her time to rethink her decision. To change her mind, if she wanted. By having her come to his place, he was giving her the option to leave whenever she wanted.

She smoothed her hands down the sides of the mid-calf-length black knit skirt she had paired with a sleeveless top in a purple-and-black geometric print. Her freshly washed hair was pinned up into a neat roll, and she had applied her makeup very carefully. Quite a contrast to her disheveled and rather grubby appearance earlier, she decided in satisfaction.

He’d caught her off guard earlier, but this time she was prepared. No more stammering or blushing. Her intention now was to act like the mature, competent, confident woman her carefully groomed exterior proclaimed her to be. She was a woman with a plan, and she would not allow last-minute qualms to get in her way.

Squaring her shoulders and holding her chin high, she reached out to ring his bell with a proudly steady hand.

Geoff opened the door. One look at him standing there in a crisp white shirt and beautifully tailored dark slacks made her mouth go dry. And now her hands were trembling. So much for calm and composure, she thought with a silent sigh of exasperation.

He gave her a smile that made her heart race even faster. “You look beautiful.”

With an inward struggle for composure, she said, “Thank you.”

Stepping back, he motioned her inside. “Come in. Dinner’s almost ready.”

She looked around with discreet curiosity as she entered his home. She had never visited one of these exclusive condominiums before. From the spectacular mountain view to the obviously professionally decorated interior, the condo spoke of money and social status. It was a very different setting from her modest little middle-class house, but she still preferred her own home.

There was something rather cold and impersonal about Geoff’s condo. It felt like…well, like a hotel room, she decided, glancing at a vase full of neatly arranged, hothouse flowers.

Because etiquette demanded it, she said, “This is very nice.”

“Thanks. But to be honest, I’ve had very little to do with it. I’m not here enough to put much of myself into the place.”