Fairytale Not Required (22 page)

To say his parents had been shocked by Harlan's revelation about Astrid's pregnancy was an understatement, but with Noah listening, they hadn't been able to corner Jason on it. Which was good. It gave him time to figure out how to handle it to best protect Astrid.

He slammed his palm on his steering wheel as he pulled up behind his parents' rental car. Shit. He'd wanted more time before exposing Astrid to his parents. How the hell was he going to deal with this?

Scowling, he climbed out of his car. He didn't bother to go to the main house. He just strode up to Astrid's door and thudded his fist on it. He didn't even know what he was going to say to her. He just needed to touch base and connect with her. He knew that simply being in her presence would settle him and help him figure out the best way to handle it.

She didn't answer the door.

He knocked again. "Astrid! It's Jason. I need to talk with you."

Again, no answer. Was she ignoring him, or not home?

Jason strode over to the window and peered inside. It was dark, without a single light on. Astrid wasn't there. For a split second, trepidation rocked through him, but then he saw the outlines of her furniture. She hadn't moved out. Swearing, he leaned his forehead against the window frame, shocked by the intensity of his reaction when he'd thought she might have left.

Shit. He was in over his head. Astrid was like a river, running freely. There was no way to grab onto her and hold her, and the notion of her slipping through his grasp sent panic racing through him.

Scowling, Jason turned away and pulled out his phone. He dialed Astrid's number as he headed across the grass toward his house.

Her phone went right into voicemail.

Tension ran through him as he jammed the phone in his pocket. Why would she have her phone off? What if something happened to her? Sweat broke out on his temple as he remembered that she lost her baby last time. What if something was wrong, and she couldn't call for help because her phone wasn't on?

Almost frantic, he slammed open his front door, then froze when he heard Astrid's voice coming from his living room. Shock rippled through him, then the most intense relief he'd ever felt.
She was safe.
He tore down the hall, desperate to see her, to know that she was really okay. His whole body shuddered with relief and need as her voice continued to roll through him.

When he reached the doorway to the living room, and saw her sitting on the couch, he actually had to grasp the doorframe for a second to keep his balance, his relief was so great. Astrid's hair was untamed and wild around her shoulders, and she looked truly breathtaking in her rainbow-colored skirt and sexy-as-hell top. Her eyes were a vivid brown, deep with passion and fire. Jesus. He'd forgotten the sheer depth of his response to her, and his whole body surged with adrenaline at the sight of her. Jesus. She was like an angel brought down to earth.

"So, Astrid, why don't you tell us a little about yourself." He heard the cold tone of his mother, and looked sharply around the rest of the room. He'd been so infatuated with Astrid that he hadn't noticed anything else.

His parents had taken control of the armchairs on either side of the fireplace. Belatedly, Jason noticed that Harlan was sitting beside Astrid. He saw now how stiffly Astrid was sitting, with her shoulders erect and tense. A plate of Ophelia's lasagna sat in her lap, along with some salad, but her meal was untouched. Her chin was up, and her body language was one of battle.

He could see Noah in the next room, playing Wii, having clearly been excused so the adults could have private time. The atmosphere in the room was intense, so sharp the air almost bit his lungs when he breathed.

Shit. His mother had gone after Astrid. Fierce protectiveness surged through Jason, and he strode into the room. Without even pausing to consider his actions, Jason headed right for Astrid and sat down beside her, shoving himself between Astrid and her brother. He threw his arm across the couch behind her shoulders and leaned toward her, using his body to show they were on the same team.

Astrid stiffened and threw him a confused look.

He ignored it and gave his attention fully to her. "Are you okay?" he asked softly. "My parents can be a real nightmare."

"I heard that," his mother said.

"I figured you could." Jason didn't look away from Astrid, his heart tightening when he saw the outrage blazing in her eyes. "You okay?"

"Sit somewhere else, Sarantos." Harlan's voice was low and threatening.

Fuck that. This was his home, and Astrid was under his protection. Jason shot Harlan a hard look. "You had your one free punch," he said quietly. "You don't get another, so back off."

Astrid's eyes widened, and her gaze dropped to his jaw. "Harlan did that?"

"Yeah."

She looked past Jason at her brother, and he saw the flash of surprise in her eyes. Surprise that someone had defended her? Outrage rocked Jason, and he swore. How could she have been taught that no one would stand up for her? She deserved so much more.

"Jason," Henrietta said with overstated warmth. "You're just in time for dinner." She loaded up a plate from the casserole dish that was on a tray in the middle of his coffee table. "I was just asking Astrid about her parents. I was curious to know what they do."

Jason set the plate down on the coffee table, not interested in eating. He remembered all too well how they'd grilled Kate for her pedigree, and he wouldn't let them do it to Astrid. He had to set the standard that this was different. That it would not be allowed. "It doesn't matter what they do—"

"No, it's okay, Jason." Astrid touched his arm to halt his protest, and electricity leapt between them at the touch. Jason put his hand over hers to keep her touching him, but she pulled her hand away and turned toward his parents. "I don't know what my father does. My mother divorced him before I was born, and I never met him."

Henrietta's eyes widened, and Jason swore at the hint of vulnerability in Astrid's voice. "So, who raised you, then?"

"Mom, let it go." Jason's voice was sharp. He could tell they were treading on dangerous ground for Astrid. "Why don't you ask Astrid about her jewelry-making business? She does incredible designs. Really amazing stuff."

"No." Astrid stood up, walking to the end of the table. "I want to answer this." Defiance flared in her eyes, courage so strong it made his heart stop. "By the time I turned seventeen, my mother had been married eight times. Harlan and I have different fathers, and we weren't even raised together. The longest I lived in any house was six months, because my mother moved us all around to try to find the next man she was going to marry and get some money off of."

Jason's heart tightened as he watched Astrid talk. There was so much hurt in her eyes, but her shoulders were back, daring his mother to judge her. "There were times we lived in our car for weeks and weeks. I never graduated from high school because I never stayed in a school long enough to finish an academic year. We had no money, except for what my mother stole from her boyfriends before we would skip town. She never had a job that I knew of."

Henrietta's eyes were hard, her face unreadable. "So, where is she now?"

Real pain flashed across Astrid's face, so intense Jason's own heart ached for her. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to her in several years. We had a falling out."

Son of a bitch. Jason was shocked by her revelations, by the childhood Astrid had survived. She had no home. No roots. No foundation.

"Have
you
been married?" Henrietta asked, but there was a strange softness to her voice, that caught Jason's attention. Did his mother actually feel sympathy for Astrid?

"No." Astrid's answer was simple, but Jason heard the wealth of emotion beneath that one word. There was so much she wasn't sharing.

Henrietta leaned forward, watching Astrid intently. "Are you really pregnant with my son's child?"

Harlan growled and moved to stand up, but Jason was faster. Much faster.

"Enough." Jason vaulted to his feet and strode over to Astrid, stepping in front of her. He didn't care if Astrid wanted to keep it going. There were lines he could not allow his mother to cross. "Mom, you're stepping over the line—"

"I am not." Henrietta didn't bother to stand up. She just gazed calmly at Jason, her face the epitome of self-confidence. "You're my son. Any child of yours is my grandchild. It's my right to be involved."

It was exactly the same attitude as when she'd come after Kate. From the first meeting, Henrietta had judged Kate as inadequate. She'd spent the rest of his marriage trying to eat away at his belief in his wife and his marriage. "Let it go, Mom," he said, his voice edged like flint. "Now." He took Astrid's arm. "Come on. Let's leave. I'll walk you home."

"No." Astrid pushed past him, pulling out of his grasp. "Let me answer." She surveyed the room, her small hands clenched in fists as she looked at his father and mother. Mack had stayed silent the whole time, but he was leaning forward in his chair, listening intently.

"Yes, I am pregnant. But it is my child, not yours." Her words were fierce and strong, directed right at Henrietta. "You will
never
interfere in its life, and I will defend it against every threat with my entire soul. You may judge me as inferior because of my mother, but you know what? Your opinion doesn't have anything to do with the truth."

Pride swelled through Jason, and he grinned at Astrid.
You go, sweetheart.
Hell, she didn't need him to protect her. She had it handled all by herself.

A small grin played at the corner of Mack's mouth, and Henrietta sat up. "Are you threatening to keep me away from my grandchild?" She sounded shocked and a little incredulous.

Astrid's eyes blazed. "I'll do it if I have to."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Henrietta rose to her feet, and Jason saw the fury in his mother's eyes. Shit! This was completely spiraling.

"Astrid." Harlan stood up. "I think it's time to go."

"Yes, I agree." She lifted her chin, and turned away as Jason caught her hand.

He was startled to feel how cold her fingers were and how badly her hand was trembling. "Astrid," he said quietly. "I—"

"You will not keep my grandchild from me," Henrietta snapped. "And—"

"Mom!" Jason spun toward her, anger flaring deep inside him as Harlan hustled Astrid out the door. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Henrietta's eyes flashed. "What are you doing, Jason? Can't you see that she's like Kate? She has no sense of family or how to be a parent. She was practically raised on the streets! You're a family man, Jason. You can't be with another woman who can't understand how to be a family."

"She's not like Kate," he snapped. "Kate was cold and cared only about her career. Astrid is the most emotionally alive and vulnerable woman I've ever met. Her heart is so full of hope and pain that it makes my soul hurt just to feel it."

"There's no love in Astrid," Henrietta interrupted. "Can't you see how aloof she is? She's not looking for a marriage or a family. She's planning to raise that child on her own. Can't you tell that? She didn't even once look at you for support when you came in." His mom's voice softened. "Jason, you don't need another cold, independent woman. It'll break you. You need someone who is so full of warmth and love, who will fill your home and your life with real love."

Her accusation burned through Jason, and he fisted his hands to keep his emotions in check. "For your information," he said, his voice steely with the effort of staying calm. "Astrid's had a fucking brutal life, and she has no reason to trust me or anyone else. Yeah, to you she may seem aloof at times, but she's simply protecting herself. She has the capacity to love deeply. I know she does."

"Do you?" His mom looked at him, and suddenly Jason didn't see the hostile woman trying to destroy his hope at a future. He saw an old, tired soul who wanted the best for her son. Some of his anger faded. "Jason, you made the same claim about Kate, and you were wrong. You and the boys suffered for it. Don't make the same mistake again. Can she really love? Or are you going down the same path you went down before?"

Jason swore. "Astrid's got a beautiful soul—"

"She might," Henrietta said. "But is it too damaged?"

"Jason." Mack finally spoke, his low voice rich with calmness and wisdom. "Before you go running off after this woman that you barely know, I want you to ask yourself something."

Jason ground his jaw but nodded. "What is it?'

"Is Astrid really all these things you're claiming, or are you just so desperate for another chance at a family and a child that you've convinced yourself that she's the right one because she's carrying your baby?"

Jason met his father's gaze. "Astrid asked me the same thing."

"Then she's a smart woman." Mack sighed. "You had the wife and kids once, and it didn't end well. Just think about it, is all I'm saying. The fact she's pregnant doesn't make her the right woman for you..." He looked over at the television room. "Or for Noah."

"What kind of a mother could she possibly be having been raised the way she was?" Henrietta asked gently. "Where would she have learned how to be a good mother? Or have acquired the kind of family values you want?"

Jason closed his eyes, his parents' words sinking in. They were absolutely correct that he'd believed in Kate. He'd been egregiously wrong, and Lucas had died for it. How badly did he want another chance? Badly enough to see hope where there wasn't any? Or badly enough to help the right woman find her way to love? Which was it?

His gut said the latter, that this incredible woman who'd sashayed into his life was the answer to everything he wanted.

But his gut had been wrong before. Dead wrong. Dead times two. Two graves, including that of an innocent child.

I'm impressed.