Outside The Lines (Love Beyond Reason Book 2) (19 page)

She reached up and patted his shoulder.

Colleen wiped Maria’s belly and measured it with a tape.

“Why are you doing that?” he asked.

“We doctors get bored and need to feel important, especially this early in the pregnancy. Isn’t much to do except watch it grow.” His mom looked at him. “There’s a norm for everything. We track it all, note it in the chart. This measures the belly, the uterus actually. It helps us gauge how big the baby is.”

Mom put a gentle hand on Maria’s shoulder. “I run a natural practice here. I don’t do invasive. I can do an ultrasound if you have concerns but otherwise, I wait until much later in your pregnancy. And even then, unless there are other complications, I try to keep things simple. You two need to decide if this is okay with you.” Her glance went from Maria to him. “Pregnancy is the most natural thing in the world.”

His mom’s fingers ran through the length of hair on Maria’s shoulder, and he thought perhaps she surprised herself because she suddenly withdrew, and patted Maria’s shoulder.

“Now, if you have any questions or anything comes up, you call this number. Any time of day or night.” She handed Maria a business card and then opened the door to leave. “My answering service will get a hold of me.”

“Thank you.”

And then his mom was gone.

Maria took his hand. “Okay?”

“I guess. It wasn’t what I expected, especially after the full-court press she’s been giving me since last year.”

Maria was dressing—too bad, and she paused as her shirt came down over her head.

“I should be glad. She was professional and caring, leaving all emotional baggage at the door.” So why did he feel as if there was so much left unsaid?

“You’re like her,” Maria said absently as she pulled her boots back on.

“No way,” he answered abruptly, sharply even, her observation making the panic rise in him. “I would never be like her.”

“I mean, good at what she does, and like you said, a real professional.” Maria smiled and squeezed his arm. “For what it’s worth, maybe you need to go clear the air up with her. She’s only been trying for years. Don’t you want to know why she left?”

“She liked women, Maria. Why would she stay with my Dad?”

Maria went quiet, and he feared he offended her. “I’m sorry.”

She turned back to him with a frown on her face. “Divorce rarely means the kid will never get to see his mother again. There are usually holidays, weekends, summers.”

“She chose herself.”

“Why?” she asked with a scowl.

He could only shrug. He didn’t know.

Maybe that was partly his fault.

18

Maria finally made it to Henry’s coffee shop.

The exposed wood of the place reminded her of the other establishments in town. Not that it wasn’t nice, but she decided if she were to ever start a business—which she wouldn’t—her business would show off every flare of California Spanish design. The quaint, small-town, turn-of-the-century feel could be overdone, couldn’t it?

Maybe it was merely that the last time she’d seen David here, he’d been with Tammy. Maybe it was that he’d hardly said anything since they left his mom’s office—silent and brooding. No matter what caused it, Maria was cranky. And tired.

And uncertain…It was the uncertainty that drove the irritability, though.

She knew herself well enough to deduce that much.

David brought her tea to the table and set down a plate with a sandwich in front of her.

“I didn’t order anything.”

“I ordered for you,” he said calmly.

“I told you I couldn’t have lunch meat.”

“I asked them to microwave it.”

Oh.
Dang it
. She blew out a breath, and then her stomach rumbled.

“Thought you were hungry,” he said with a satisfied grin.

She scowled. “Maybe a little.”

“Besides, even if you’re not, Craig probably is.”

“What?”

“The baby.”

She stared at him for a long moment. “Uh uh. No.”

“It’s a nice a name.”

“It’s…eastern and boring.” What was she doing, bickering? Now that he’d been to a doctor’s appointment, he was just going to take over her entire life? Name their baby? Buy her lunch? He was taking care of her, and as much as she should be all melty and happy, it stuck in her craw.

She would never be a kept woman, not now and not ever. Especially by a man who was merely financially responsible for her. No matter how well he kissed. Her irritability couldn’t disguise the longing.

Picking up her tea a little too violently, she sloshed the liquid over the edge of the mug. Tea burned her hand, and she set the cup back down with a thud. “Dang it.”

David took her hand and dried the offending spill. She tried to pull away, but he didn’t let her go. “What’s with you?” His face was filled with concern, he watched her, made her feel vulnerable.

She’d wanted to break away from those binding strings of family, of being babied. His idea of an arrangement seemed perfect, in a way. But it had been weeks, and she was starting to think she might have been wrong. She shrugged. “Nothing. Just…pregnant.”

“Today was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he replied, weaving his fingers through hers so they were like…holding hands, in public, in town, in front of all these freaking people!

“Was holding hands part of the contract? I wouldn’t want you to be in breach. And what the hell do you mean?
The best thing that’s ever happened to me.
” She took a bite of the sandwich as her temper rose. He was the one who wanted to keep thing from getting messy. And why was she freaking out that he’d crossed a line, his own damn line.
Ugh
. “We heard the kid’s heartbeat. So what? That hasn’t changed anything.” But what if it had?

David looked around as if his image was in jeopardy, but then he spoke in a very serious tone that had her temper reining in and her heart turning over. “It changed everything.”

Did it? Did it make him love her? Or did it just make him…see the baby as more than a pawn? She sighed, sorry for being so out-of-sorts. “It was great, wasn’t it? And I know you’re still a little uncertain about your mom, but she’s been so wonderful.”

“Yeah. Well, it’s been a long road coming.” He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck. “She’s trying. Actually, she’s always tried. Now, I’m trying. Maybe she gets a second chance.”

Her face brightened. “You mean that? It’s good, David. Second chances, you know?”

David leaned forward and touched his finger to her nose. “You want the truth?”

She nodded.

“After she left, I stopped thinking about it.”

“That easy?”

He shook his head. “I was a stupid kid. I didn’t understand until later—her switching teams. My dad wouldn’t let her stick around. He was angry—of course. Pride—”

“It’s an awful thing.”

David fingered the hair that hung over her shoulder. She loved when he did that, so absentmindedly.

“There are worse things than pride.”

“No,” Maria said, shaking her head, feeling the slight tug of his hold on her. “It’s the root of selfishness. It’s one of the greatest of the seven sins—” She cut herself off and gasped, her gaze flew to his, but he was smirking, amused. “Oh, my. Sorry. Just old lessons coming back to haunt me.”

“Actually, you’re right. Pride kept my dad from showing any compassion, admitting any wrong in their relationship. A little humility could have gone a long way.”

“But she contacted you.” The sandwich sat untouched as Maria sipped her tea. David gently pushed the plate closer to her. She picked it up, turkey and swiss, one of her favorites.

“Not until I was eighteen.” He furrowed his brow and picked at his napkin. “Eighteen…”

“What are you thinking?”

When he looked at her, a cloud cleared from his eyes. “I don’t know. It’s just…interesting, I think.”

He shoved his chair back, stretched out his legs, and crossed his arms.

And she knew he was thinking about his dad. They were similar in many ways. Very business minded, responsible in that way. “You think your dad had something to do with her leaving.”

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?”

She laughed. “Well, in all honesty, the entire scenario seems fit for afternoon television. No offense, of course,” she added with a grimace. “In my world things are done on a very basic level. Even divorce.” Her stomach growled. “I’m sorry.” The hunger she’d been feeling had morphed after that first bite and she wolfed half of her sandwich.

David laughed, pulled her toward him over the small table to kiss her lips. “I like watching you eat.”

The words were seductive, meant to pull her out of grumpiness, and the gleam in his eye promised the physical release to match that seduction. She swallowed hard, shook off the pleasant feelings coursing through her, and ignored his teasing. “And, I’m glad things seem like they’re turning around for you.”

She’d never encountered a truly dysfunctional family. Her sheltered life hadn’t included that kind of exposure. Sad, but true. Or maybe not sad—life. She hadn’t chosen her life, at least not until last October when she’d fallen head over heels for this guy.

“Maybe.” He toyed with her fingers. And his touch sent an electric shock of need straight to her womb.
Damn it.
She finished her sandwich and picked up her tea. But the simple task of eating had been replaced by him, by that promise.

Wiping her lips, she set the napkin down and picked up her purse. “Ready?”

“Good idea,” he answered, standing behind her and helping her out of her chair. He took her elbow as she stood then turned to clean up their mess.

The bell over the door chimed.

And in walked Tammy.

“Oh, great,” Maria groaned. Just what she needed on what was becoming an incredibly cranky afternoon. She was tired, fed up, and just plain not in the mood to deal with the woman who would make David feel ashamed about who he was, who would dare put her hands on a man who didn’t belong to her. Her frown increased and pressure built behind her eyes.

She sighed as David tensed next to her, his fist tightened on the napkins in his hand.

He really did have a time of it in Florida. He wasn’t one to let those emotions get to him.

Maria might have felt unworthy, frumpy, short and fat. In her current state of mind, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Especially with Tammy all dressed in her weekday best, yet the look on Tammy’s face was pure ugly mean.

And Maria was prettier than that on her ugliest day.

She almost felt bad for the woman, but not really. That was merely her Catholic urging her to be a good person…and forgive. And darn it, this woman had painted a freaking A on her husband’s chest, so she could just take a flying leap as far as Maria was concerned.

The tall, beautiful, blonde—B—was just going to have to learn to deal.

From behind, David took Maria’s elbow and moved her toward the door.

Tammy intercepted them, tilting her head and looking down her nose. She looked straight at Maria. “You won’t last,” she said, hatred dripping from her words. “Don’t you know? A woman never stays with a March. You’ll leave—they always do—and you’ll get nothing. Not the money. Not the summer house on the coast—”

There was a summer house on the coast? Fun! She couldn’t wait.

“—or the ski lodge in Aspen. Nothing. And David will come back to me, because I ask nothing of him except a good hard fuck at night.” Her gaze fell to Maria’s waist.
Oh, no
. Maria, stepped up as blood pumped through her veins.

“And we’re leaving.” David’s grip tightened and pulled Maria away from Tammy. She fought him a little, but he placed himself between her and Tammy. “Your baby is no more David’s than it is the Queen of Sheba’s—”

Maria saw red as she worked to get around her husband—damn it, hers “David. Let me by.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” he answered her and then turned to the other woman. “Shut up, Tammy. You don’t want to do this.” David broke Tammy’s grip on Maria’s arm and firmly set her aside as he walked toward the door, Maria in tow.

“Everyone will see!” Tammy spoke too loudly, her face mottled in anger. The few other customers had stopped their conversations and were watching the events play out. “Your baby is a spic bastard.” The last words were drawn out and hissed through clenched teeth.

Maria froze and her heart pounded in her ears. She turned back, a rage unlike she’d ever felt in all her life pumped through her, and her hands fisted.
Oh, mal presentimiento
. Temper like her father’s, one she rarely saw, pumped through her veins.

But
he
stepped in her way.
He
took Tammy, gripping both her arms, his fingers white on her black, leather jacket. He pulled her so close it was like an embrace. Then he turned his face away from Maria and whispered in Tammy’s ear.

The words were too quiet to hear, but they were biting—short and staccato. Muscles tensed and bulged under his long-sleeve t-shirt and the vein in his neck pulsed.

He was working to control himself, his hands flexed and relaxed and flexed again, his words rose and fell, until finally he let her go and stepped back.

Tammy’s face paled even as she raised her chin in defiance. She turned on her heel, blonde hair flying, and strode to the ordering counter.

David came for Maria, took her hand. His face was schooled, blank, not a smidge of emotion to be seen. But his hand was warm and his touch was as familiar as breathing.

She wanted to run back in there and, and pull the woman’s hair. “Ugh! Let me go back—”

“No.”

“No?” She repeated, disbelieving and wound up. She was done taking any more crap from anyone. Even David. She swung around, but he gently lifted her and brought her back to his side as he opened the door to the cold winter day.

The cold shocked her into compliance.

“
Punta
!” she muttered, even as a lump formed in her throat. “You should have let me at her, David. I can take care of myself.”

He pulled her under his arm. Given the circumstance, though, it felt more like a show, an embrace for everyone else to see…and it made her feel cold inside, because no matter what, some people would still think she was a whore, some people would always think the worst of her and the baby.

“Don’t let it get to you.”

She wanted people to like her. Who didn’t?

Her stomach hurt a little at the thought and it twisted up the sandwich she’d just eaten.

“Hey.” He held her shoulders and stood facing her. “Come on. She’ll get over it and find someone else to torture. Soon Tammy will be a distant, unpleasant memory, headed back to her place on the coast.”

But Tammy had been around a lot longer than Maria, as a friend, as the one people wondered about. She was a known entity. And Maria wasn’t as certain they would be rid of her so easily. “What’s that quote about a woman scorned?”

David scowled. “That’s not how it happened. I asked her to marry me. She said no.”

“What?” Maria jerked away from his side. “You what?”

He looked around uncertainly. “Um, I asked her to marry me.”

“When? Before you came out to California, made me fall in love with you? Or after you were done with me and ready to finally settle down with
the right girl.
”

He winced. “I plead the fifth.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, this is not the time to clam up.” She started backing toward their vehicle. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She’d given up everything to come find him and been willing to try something new…