G.I. BABY (18 page)

He sat up straighter and cradled the baby gently in his powerful arms. The contrast was fascinating. He was well-built and strong but capable of such gentleness.

“I can’t believe he came out of me the natural way.”

His eyes rested on her again. This time, their gentleness were for her, she knew. She felt it in every pore of her skin as he bathed her with appreciation. “I’m sorry. I saw how you suffered…I’ll never forget it, Andi.”

She shrugged. “I guess I’ve done my part in the continuation of the human race. Can’t say it was fun, but it was all worth it.”

He smiled. “Thank you.” He lifted the baby higher on his chest until his little cheek was almost touching his face. “For Richard.”

She smiled back. “You’re welcome.”

They spent the next minutes staring at their child, marveling at his little perfection.

They were interrupted by the arrival of her aunt and uncle.

——*****——

“We have to talk about where Andi
and the baby will stay.”

The happy chatter in the room was wiped out by Craig’s soft but authoritative voice.

Andi braced herself. She just knew he would bring this up sooner, and in front of everyone, too!

“We’ll go with what’s best for both of them,” her aunt said, glancing at her husband. Reno nodded in agreement.

“Good. They’ll live with me from now on, of course.” Craig was addressing Frida and Reno.

“Now, wait a minute…” Andi protested.

Craig transferred his gaze to her. “I want the best for my kid. What’s your best?”

That was a deliberate dig at her economic status and he knew he had her there. Anger rose again inside her at his domineering behavior. He was already making decisions for her and her baby and this was a prelude to more of the same shit, she just knew.

“Don’t imply that only you can give him the best.”

“I’m not implying. I’m stating facts. I have a huge place that can accommodate a big family. It’s up there in the sky but I can remedy that. I’ll buy a house on the ground in a few months.”

She ground her teeth. What can she possibly say to that? “We’re not a family,” she said bluntly, uncaring of their audience.

“We are. I’m the father, you’re the mother and that’s our kid. A complete family unit.”

“You’re being utterly selfish about this!”

“Am I?”

“Yes!”

He shrugged. “Nevertheless, that’s the soundest plan. You have nothing to offer to the table financially at the moment.”

“I do—“

“Yeah? You mean the money I gave you? Save it.”

God, I hate him. I really do.

“Craig is right, Andi,” her Aunt Frida intruded gently. “The little one will be more comfortable in his place. Our house is small and old and we need to add another room for the nursery.”

“He can stay with me in my room…” she still tried to argue but she knew it would be just lame and she would sound unreasonable, given the situation. That Craig was right was beside the point. She was still angry that he was setting her up into cohabiting with him against her will. However, her pride would have to take a backseat for her son’s sake. For now.

“I have a nursery being outfitted at my place as we speak. It will be ready when you and the baby check out of here. I’ll hire a nanny”

“I can take care of my child,” she snapped at him.

“Better.” There was a satisfied glint in his eyes.

She was cornered.

“Then that’s settled!” her Aunt Frida chimed in gleefully. “We’ll visit you there as often as we can,
hija
, don’t worry. We’re still under contract to clean Craig’s place.”

That made the bastard grin. “Good point, Frida. Just send someone else to clean our place from now on. Andi will be busy with the baby.”

‘Our’ place. That would have sounded nice if he didn’t railroad her into this. But what can she do? He was rich and she had practically nada to her name except the money he paid her for that one week of “companionship”. That cannot feed a baby for long.

Their eyes clashed heatedly across the room, his, smug, hers, defiant.

“Do you have any questions, Andi?” he asked, challenging her.

She dropped her eyes to her lap. “None.”

——*****——

Andi met Bella Stimson that afternoon.

So, this was THE Bella. That woman in the picture. Craig’s older sister.

The woman arrived like a ray of sunshine with her bright blue eyes and flowing blond hair. She looked like she visited a beauty salon everyday— glamorous, oozing wealth and class in her simple clothes and elegant bearing. She would have resented the woman— obviously one of those pampered Miami socialites— if she was not one of the nicest persons she’d ever met. Bella came with her adorably gorgeous twin daughters who immediately doted on Richard like he was their little brother.

She wanted to shake her head at the pretty picture they made. They were cooing and giggling around her son who was wide awake, his blue eyes moving around their sockets as if he can already see.

Craig was watching over them like the head of the family, strong and capable of protecting them with his brute strength and influence. In that respect, she was glad he was the father of her child. Richard will have a good future with a father like that. He can fault Craig with a lot of things but fatherhood was not one of them.
 

What about me? What does the future hold for me?

She felt ashamed to acknowledge that needy voice in her head, but the facts remained clear.
 

He epitomized everything she had been avoiding in men. Too worldly. Too rich. Yes, she had high ambitions but she was realistic enough not to aim beyond her capabilities. Craig was way out of her league. Too experienced she couldn’t possibly keep up with him in the long run.
 

Worst of all, he was a soldier. Too dangerous to her well-being. She will not become like her mother who spent her entire life pining for the soldiers who promised to love and marry her. But they all broke their promises. They all broke her mother.

No. She won’t be broken like that, by a soldier who had too many ports and bases to call his own. Too many women to call him their own.

She deserved better than that.

“Oh Andi, he looks just like Craig when he was a baby!” Bella gushed.

She smiled. Indeed, even now, there was no denying Richard was his father’s son. She couldn’t see any single facial feature her baby had gotten from her. He was all Craig.

Bella sat close to her on the bed. “I took the liberty of furnishing a room at Craig’s place as a nursery. When he gave me the news the other day, I was too excited I went on a shopping spree right away. I’m sorry but I hope you’ll like the stuff I bought for Richard. Next time though, we’ll go shopping together. That would be so much fun.There are still a lot of stuff the baby needs. I miss shopping for an infant. My girls grew up way too fast!”

“You have beautiful children,” she said gazing at the girls who were identical and the miniature versions of their mother.

“Thank you! And now I have a gorgeous nephew I can dote on! Wait till Gordon— that’s my husband— sees him. He couldn’t come with us today because of an emergency at the vineyard but you will meet him soon. Oh, he will adore Richard!”

The woman was a chatterbox but her eyes were warm and sincere. Who can possibly resist such effervescent charm? Bella was bubbly and bouncy, the polar opposite of Craig who was mysterious and brooding. But she was discovering a side to his character in Bella’s presence. A new side of him.
 

This was the soft side of him—
 
his sister and nieces, and also now, his son.

She liked this side of him.
 

CHAPTER
12

AS MUCH AS SHE REFUSED TO FEEL IT,
Andi felt the usual excitement as she entered Craig’s apartment again after almost a year. She hadn’t realized she’d missed this place. It was her sanctuary, the place she always looked forward to go to every month. She had fond memories here on her own, weaving her dreams while sitting in the balcony gazing at the ocean. Her memories became more vivid after that one week of sexual exploration she’d shared with Craig. They were making random flashbacks as her eyes scanned the vast living room. They’d used up every furniture in there, every space available. Craig was very physical, lifting her like she weighed nothing and positioning her however he’d pleased.
 

Flowers, lots of flower everywhere. Did this mean he didn’t hate flowers anymore?

She glanced at Craig who was carrying Richard in a baby basket.

He gave her a big smile. “Welcome back.”

So, he went through all this trouble just to welcome her. Nice. Very nice.

Don’t be too impressed,
the voice of self-preservation reminded her.
 

“Thanks,” she simply said.

Bella’s twins ran into the apartment screaming happily.

Bella came in shortly with her Aunt Frida and Greta, carrying all her stuff from the hospital.

“I ordered lunch. It should be here by now,” Bella announced. “C’mon guys, let’s go to the nursery!”

Bella lead the way to one of the three huge bedrooms in the apartment.

The nursery had an aviation theme. Of course. It was gorgeous. Vintage, miniature airplanes hung from the ceiling. The wallpaper was a monochrome of blue and green with black and brown accents. Framed prints of modern fighter planes adorned the walls and the furniture were all finished in white lacquer. It was a mother’s dream nursery for her baby boy.

Bella was looking at her expectantly.

Andi’s eyes turned misty, overwhelmed. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Bella.”
 

The woman sighed in relief. “Thank god you liked it! I was so worried.”

“I couldn’t have thought of this…” She couldn’t have afforded it, too.
 

“Of course, Craig picked the theme. I just chose all the furnishings, the bed sheets and the curtains. The design contractors we hired finished it in a day.”

She glanced at Craig who had put Richard on the bed. He was rapt in attention at his sleeping son. He glanced up and caught her watching him. He winked at her.

Her cheeks flamed but she couldn’t help smiling shyly.

For once, she ignored the warnings in her head. This was just so sweet of him and Bella.

“Guys, lunch is here!” Frida called out from outside the door.

——*****——

Finally, they were left alone.
 

The entire apartment was quiet again.
 

Andi was sitting on a chair beside the airplane-inspired crib her baby boy was sleeping in. He would wake up in a few hours to feed again. By now, she was already familiar with her baby’s body clock. That meant she’d be awake several times at night to nurse him.

She’d be sleeping in the nursery. She told Craig she cannot sleep away from Richard just yet despite the CCTV camera in the room to monitor the baby 24/7. He agreed to her wish, saying he’d actually feel better too, if one of them was in the room to watch over the baby.

Greta had helped her put her things in the walk-in-closet. The nursery was so beautiful she could stay in here for days without going out. Bella had such exquisite taste, expensive but understated, a quality most people born in wealth and privilege naturally possessed. Something she lacked. Her choices tended to lean on the cheap and serviceable.

There was a soft knock at the door. It opened. Craig peeped inside. “Hey, may I come in?”

“Sure.”

He had changed into comfortable clothes, a pair of black track pants and a sleeveless, gray top. He’d showered too.
 

“Still asleep?” he inquired of his son.

“Yeah. But he’ll wake up in an hour.”

He checked the wall clock and agreed. “Yup.”

She was amused. Craig was a hands-on dad. He made it a point to know how to take care of his son. If he were not drop-dead-gorgeous and irresistibly charming when he wanted to, the nurses at the hospital would have been exasperated by his endless question about babies.