you raped him, is it?”
Charli laughed through her tears. “Hardly. He’s built like a brick outhouse.”
“Tell him, Charli, he has the right to know.”
“I will tell him.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
Judy sighed. “What a bloody mess. What can I do to help?”
Charli shook her head. “This is my problem and I’ll work it out.”
Chapter Eight
Do not cause offense toward her family.
Charli climbed out of the bath, wrapped herself in a large towel, and headed for her bedroom. An early night and a good book was the order of the day. She dried herself off, slipped on her Bugs Bunny pjs and slid her feet into slippers shaped like a carrot. Another gift from Judy.
She headed for the kitchen to make herself a hot chocolate when the doorbell rang. “Damn, who could it be at this hour?” She shuffled her way to the door, and through her peephole stared at the creature from hell on her doorstep. He looked bedraggled as if he hadn’t slept for a week. She refused to feel sympathy for him. “What do you want?” she called through the letter slot.
“We need to talk. I intend to wait here until you let me in.”
Charli chewed her bottom lip.
“Let me in, Honey.” He banged the door with his fist. “I mean it. I won’t budge from your doorstep.”
“Okay, okay, don’t break down the door,” she said as she opened it and allowed him entrance.
There was dark fire in his eyes and a fine chill threaded through her. He was as mad as a maniac with a meat axe.
“When were you going to tell me? Next week, next month, next bloody year? I’ve got a share in this baby too. He’s my child.”
She held up her hands. “Now don’t go off half-cocked.” She turned and shuffled back into the kitchen. “I’m making hot chocolate, want one?”
He almost fell into a chair, elbow on the table, holding his forehead with one hand. “I had to hear about the baby from my receptionist.”
Damn Judy. She should have known she’d blab. Maybe on another level she had known that Judy would tell Will and maybe this was what she’d wanted her to do. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in me or the baby.”
He raised his stricken face. “Don’t be so bloody stupid.”
She sat opposite him, contrite. “I’m sorry, Will, I should have been the one to tell you.”
He grinned. Her heart melted. “The main thing is I know now. The next thing is what to do about the situation?”
She shrugged.
“You’re financially strapped?” he said.
She straightened in her chair. “I have enough money to last a year.”
“I’ve thought this over carefully, Honey. I want to be involved in my child’s birth and his life. Therefore, I’m involved with yours.”
She began to splutter. He held up one hand. “You have two choices. Listen well to me, Honey, because it is what it is and nothing you can say or do will alter it. Are you with me so far?”
She nodded.
“Good, good. First choice. I support you financially until after the baby is born and until you find suitable employment. I can help you there also. I will, of course, always support my child both emotionally and financially. That’s a given.”
“And the second choice is?”
“Marry me.”
She choked, coughed, blinked her eyes and said, “That idea is intolerable. This is going from bad to worse. The answer is an unequivocal no.”
“Hear me out. Being a single mum is no picnic. You’ll get no respite. You’ll be on demand 24/7.”
“I can handle that. I’ll do anything for my — our child.”
“I’m sure you will.” He reached out to touch the top of her hand. “But there is only my mother and me, and she is, well, outmoded in her outlook on love and marriage. She wouldn’t understand you having my baby and me not marrying you. Me not standing up to my responsibilities.”
“You could explain that we don’t love each other.”
“Hell, Honey, that’s so lame, and not a reasonable excuse, not in my mother’s eyes. She’d say, we
Charli laughed through her tears. “Hardly. He’s built like a brick outhouse.”
“Tell him, Charli, he has the right to know.”
“I will tell him.”
“When?”
“Soon.”
Judy sighed. “What a bloody mess. What can I do to help?”
Charli shook her head. “This is my problem and I’ll work it out.”
Chapter Eight
Do not cause offense toward her family.
Charli climbed out of the bath, wrapped herself in a large towel, and headed for her bedroom. An early night and a good book was the order of the day. She dried herself off, slipped on her Bugs Bunny pjs and slid her feet into slippers shaped like a carrot. Another gift from Judy.
She headed for the kitchen to make herself a hot chocolate when the doorbell rang. “Damn, who could it be at this hour?” She shuffled her way to the door, and through her peephole stared at the creature from hell on her doorstep. He looked bedraggled as if he hadn’t slept for a week. She refused to feel sympathy for him. “What do you want?” she called through the letter slot.
“We need to talk. I intend to wait here until you let me in.”
Charli chewed her bottom lip.
“Let me in, Honey.” He banged the door with his fist. “I mean it. I won’t budge from your doorstep.”
“Okay, okay, don’t break down the door,” she said as she opened it and allowed him entrance.
There was dark fire in his eyes and a fine chill threaded through her. He was as mad as a maniac with a meat axe.
“When were you going to tell me? Next week, next month, next bloody year? I’ve got a share in this baby too. He’s my child.”
She held up her hands. “Now don’t go off half-cocked.” She turned and shuffled back into the kitchen. “I’m making hot chocolate, want one?”
He almost fell into a chair, elbow on the table, holding his forehead with one hand. “I had to hear about the baby from my receptionist.”
Damn Judy. She should have known she’d blab. Maybe on another level she had known that Judy would tell Will and maybe this was what she’d wanted her to do. “I didn’t think you’d be interested in me or the baby.”
He raised his stricken face. “Don’t be so bloody stupid.”
She sat opposite him, contrite. “I’m sorry, Will, I should have been the one to tell you.”
He grinned. Her heart melted. “The main thing is I know now. The next thing is what to do about the situation?”
She shrugged.
“You’re financially strapped?” he said.
She straightened in her chair. “I have enough money to last a year.”
“I’ve thought this over carefully, Honey. I want to be involved in my child’s birth and his life. Therefore, I’m involved with yours.”
She began to splutter. He held up one hand. “You have two choices. Listen well to me, Honey, because it is what it is and nothing you can say or do will alter it. Are you with me so far?”
She nodded.
“Good, good. First choice. I support you financially until after the baby is born and until you find suitable employment. I can help you there also. I will, of course, always support my child both emotionally and financially. That’s a given.”
“And the second choice is?”
“Marry me.”
She choked, coughed, blinked her eyes and said, “That idea is intolerable. This is going from bad to worse. The answer is an unequivocal no.”
“Hear me out. Being a single mum is no picnic. You’ll get no respite. You’ll be on demand 24/7.”
“I can handle that. I’ll do anything for my — our child.”
“I’m sure you will.” He reached out to touch the top of her hand. “But there is only my mother and me, and she is, well, outmoded in her outlook on love and marriage. She wouldn’t understand you having my baby and me not marrying you. Me not standing up to my responsibilities.”
“You could explain that we don’t love each other.”
“Hell, Honey, that’s so lame, and not a reasonable excuse, not in my mother’s eyes. She’d say, we
Similar Books
