Tempting Fate (63 page)

Call it coincidence, but Jonah wanted to believe it was fate.  Fate that brought Maggie into his life.  Fate that made him able to give her baby the very gift she needed now.  His blood.

“I understand what you are saying, Dr. Haskell,” Jonah began, his jaw tight with pent-up emotion. 

Amanda didn't have his genes.  His blood wasn't the blood that had given her life.  But his love for her was stronger than anything he'd ever known.  He didn't care if anyone knew he wasn't Amanda's biological father.  He knew and it didn't matter. 

“I understand Amanda's biological father would share the same blood type as her.  But I also know for a fact I have type O blood.”

Dr. Haskell's eyebrows drew together in a dark line on his forehead.  He didn't say a word when he nodded his understanding.

“Now if you'll just direct me to where I need to go, I'd like to donate my blood...for my daughter.” 

* * *

Maggie woke up with a start, clutching her stomach.  The baby was born, safe in the nursery.  And Jonah.  Where was Jonah?  She vaguely recalled Jonah slipping in and out of her room last night.  He'd held her briefly, telling her she could sleep peacefully because everything would be okay.  That their baby was going to be healthy and safe.

The sleep along with the medication the doctor had prescribed to build up her blood had done her a world of good.  Now she could focus on the future.  She only wished she knew what that held for her and Jonah. 

Now that the baby was born, Jonah could fulfill his part of their arrangement.  There was no reason for the two of them to remain married, especially in light of the phone call she'd received from England from Aaron Wallace. 

Aaron had called to congratulate Maggie on the birth of the baby.  And to invite the family out to spend a few weeks next summer with him at his home in England now that his grandson finally came to his senses and decided to remain married.  When Maggie asked him to explain what he meant, Aaron was clearly distraught that Maggie knew nothing about Jonah's visit to England. 

She had to admit she was too when she finally learned the truth.  Jonah had never told her his grandfather had already signed Wiltshire over to him.  And more importantly, that she and Jonah didn't have to remain married any longer.  She could only guess that Jonah's reason for keeping it secret was to hold his end of their arrangement.  He would stay married to Maggie until the baby was born.  Beyond that, there was no longer a reason.

Maggie had known going in that marrying Jonah was the price she had to pay for giving her baby a name.  She just hadn't realized the cost to her heart.  It was a price she'd pay for the rest of her life.

She'd made a decision.  She and Jonah couldn't go on the way they had.  If there was no reason for them to stay married, then she would let him off the hook and move back to the tenement with her mother as soon as she and the baby could leave the hospital.  To move back into Jonah's house now would be suicide for her heart.  She didn't know if she could endure the pain of leaving him later.

The door to her room eased open and Jonah lightly stepped in.  He peered over at her, keeping the door ajar with his foot, and smiled when he saw her sitting up.  

“I'm glad you're awake.  I wasn't sure if you'd be up for company.”

He looked exhausted, like he hadn't had any sleep.  And she knew that in the last 48 hours he'd had little.

“Come on in.”

He opened the door wider, pulling the baby bassinet with him.

“Dr. Haskell said she's going to need to be watched for a few days just to make sure she didn't have a reaction to the transfusion.  But other than that he gave Amanda a clean bill of health.  I thought it was time to move her in here with the family.” 

Maggie's hand flew to her chest.  “Oh, I'm so glad you did.  I missed her.”

Once Jonah had positioned the bassinet next to the bed, Maggie started to get up, but Jonah held her back. 

“You stay there.  I'll hand her to you in a minute.  We need to finish filling out her birth certificate first.”

It was all she could do to keep her shock from showing in her expression.  He wouldn't even hold the baby before and now he was handling her up like it was second nature to him, cradling her in his arms with love and affection.  

“You look like an old pro,” she said softly, when he didn't immediately hand Amanda to her.  The baby looked impossibly lost in his arms and completely content. 

“I've been holding her most of the night.”

“You have?”

“Yes.  She was none too happy about the transfusion and was quite vocal about it.  The only thing that seemed to settle her was having her daddy hold her.”

Maggie's bottom lip trembled.  These darned hormones.  The nurse said she would have fantastic mood swings until her body chemistry settled.  She didn't want to read anything more into what Jonah was saying.  Calling himself her daddy, watching him gaze at Amanda as if he planned to be in their lives for more than just the year was the one thing she'd been dreaming of all these months.

“Thank you being there for us.  For donating your blood to her.”  How could she convey what it meant to her?  “You didn't have to do that.”

His face registered pure shock.  “That's where you're wrong.  I did have to do this.  And I'll keep doing this for as long as she needs me.  As long as you need me, Maggie.  No arguments.”

“Thank you, but that wasn't part of our agreement.”  She cleared her throat, trying to hold back the well of emotion that threatened her control.  “I know about Wiltshire, Jonah.  I know that your grandfather told you we don't have to stay married for you to inherit.”

“Hmm, he did a little more than congratulate you in his phone call, I see.”

“You knew about the phone call?”

Jonah nodded.  “Yes, I had Mary call him to let him know that Amanda was born.  I wanted him to come to America to meet the both of you.”

“Why didn't you tell me sooner about Wiltshire?”

“I didn't see any reason to.”

“But…there's no need for us to stay married anymore.”

“Oh, yes there is.”  His face was serious, she realized, filled with a range of emotions that both frightened her and gave her a slice of hope.

“I don't understand.”

“She's my daughter and you're my wife.  Whether we fulfill the agreement we made when we first got married or not that won't change.  Not to me.”

Her chest squeezed tight, afraid to give in to the hope that was welling up inside her.  “What are you saying?”

“Nothing I've ever learned in life prepared me for how I feel about you.  I foolishly thought that I could waltz into your life, play the hero, and waltz right back out when the year was through just because of this stupid agreement.”

The baby stirred and Jonah gently lifted her to his shoulder.  He kissed her on the forehead then eased himself down to the edge of the bed next to Maggie, wrapping his free arm around her.

“You see, I can't breathe when you're near.  In fact, I can't think about anything at all but you when you're not with me.  Being this close to you, knowing what I have right here in my arms makes me feel like the luckiest man alive.”

She couldn't help it, her bottom lip trembled uncontrollably and tears flowed down her cheek. 

“The nurse said you'd have postpartum for a few days.”

“That's not why I'm crying,” she sobbed.

“Happy tears?”

Maggie's breath caught in her throat.  “I love you.”

She noticed the brimming of tears in his eyes and the depth of emotion that caused them.  “I love you, too, Maggie.  More than anything.”

She reached up and ran her fingers along his strong jaw line before kissing him.  She let her lips linger on his as if to make sure he was real, that all the feelings that were whirling around them really did exist.  When they parted, she nestled her head on his other shoulder and stared across his chest at her baby.  No, their baby.

“I've been alone most of my life, Maggie.  I don't know how to be a family.  Lord knows I haven't a clue about how to be a father, since I didn't have much of an example when I was a child.  I used to think my family home was what I wanted, that it was my anchor to my family.  But the only thing I really want is here in my arms right now.  And I promise you, I'll do my best by you and Amanda.”

“What are you going to do about Wiltshire?”

“It will become a home to children who need one.  Cam and my grandfather were right.  Love hasn't lived in that house in a very long time.  I aim to give it a much needed dose of life.”

She snuggled up close and buried her face against his shoulder, not trusting her voice to utter the words of love she felt deep inside.  Jonah's arms felt so right holding her.

“She's so beautiful and content in your arms,” Maggie murmured.

“I know,” Jonah whispered, kissing Maggie on the forehead.  “I've fallen in love for the second time.”

  Maggie pulled back enough to look up at his face.  “Oh, really?  And when was the first time?”

“The moment I walked into the
Coffee Drop
and looked at you.  I want us to get married, Maggie.  I want us to be a family.  Will you marry me?”

She chuckled, feeling giddy with excitement and love for this incredible man.  “We're already married, in case you've forgotten.”

He shrugged slightly.  “I know, but I want to do it right this time, complete with church wedding and a reception with dried out baked stuffed chicken.  The whole shebang, just for Rhonda.  Maybe she'll even like me then.”

Maggie couldn't help but laugh, recalling how loudly her mother had complained when they'd married at City Hall.

“I want to do it right this time and give you all the things I should have given you then.”

“I think we did it perfect the first time.”

Jonah kissed her deeply, with all the emotion they felt flowing thick between them. 

“How long did the doctor say we had to wait?” he murmured against her lips.

“Too long,” she answered, her lips pressed firmly against his.  “But for now, this will do.”

THE END

Dear Reader:

Thank you for reading my Fate with a Helping Hand series!  I hope you enjoyed the stories.  If you did, please help other people find this book by writing a review on Amazon.  If you want to find out about new releases, please visit me at
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Thank you,

Lisa Mondello

Look for these books as part of my
TEXAS HEARTS
Series:

Texas Hearts Series:

Her Heart for the Asking – Book 1

Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle’s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.
Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy’s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.

Excerpt:

"We've got a couple of hours ahead of us.  I'm going to get something cold to drink for the ride," Beau said, ambling toward the building.  Turning back, he asked, "You want something?"

Yeah, I want you to go away.  I want to forget the way you broke my heart all those years ago.
  But she knew that was futile.  She'd been a fool to think she'd gotten over him.  If eight years and countless dates with very eligible men hadn't exorcised the memory of Beau Gentry from her heart and soul, nothing would.

Mandy glanced at him, defeat sitting just beneath the surface of her composure, and shook her head.

How could he act so normal?  How could he be asking her something as simple as whether she wanted a soda when the last time they'd seen each other had been such a sham?

And how dare he be so handsome after a two hour ride in a hot pickup truck?
  His white tee-shirt stretched taut across his muscled shoulders.  She knew first hand just how strong those arms were when they were wrapped around her in a warm embrace.  After years of breaking every wild bronc on the circuit, they were sure to be even stronger. 

There wasn't an ounce of body fat on the man.  His jeans weren't a tight fit, even baggy in a few places where she longed to lazily roam her hand over and on a few occasions long ago had.  But on Beau, there was nothing sloppy about it.  Just high voltage sex appeal that had her rampant heart doing an acrobatic dance right there on the blazing tarmac.

And he was nonchalantly asking if she wanted a soda.

The door closed behind him as he stepped into the building and Mandy watched through the tinted window while he wandered over to the soda machine in the corner and made his selection.  He stood there, his weight shifted lazily to one hip in a never-do-care way.

She tore her gaze away from her torture.  Beau Gentry might look like a dream come true from the cover of Modern Cowboy, but she was an utter disaster after her long flight. 

Suddenly aware she was still wearing yesterday's silk suit, she ran her hands down her skirt in a futile attempt to smooth out the wrinkles.  Giving up, she rummaged through her purse for a barrette and a comb.  Anything to pull together hair that had become unruly from neglect, heat and the wind.  Settling on a hairband and her fingers as a comb, she wrestled her normally-wavy-gone-curly-in-the-heat dusty blonde hair into a pony tail.  She hated that it made her look sixteen again.  But there wasn't much she could do until she could get back to the ranch and unpack her things.