Enraptured by Ginger Voight Page A

stand. “As soon as we get back, I’m going to offer her more money in alimony payments if she agrees to let Jonathan stay with us during the week and reduce her visitations down to the weekend.”
    “ You’re going to blackmail her for her own son?”
    “If I thought I could get away with it, I’d give her a cool billion and send her on her way. But she has too much invested to stay in the fight. She wants to punish me with Jonathan, especially now that I’ve married you. If you thought she hated you before, just wait. She’s going to do whatever she can to keep the thorn in our sides.”
    I thought about her open, unapologetic hostility towards me. As much as I truly wanted to believe that she cared for Jonathan deep, deep down, I feared Drew might actually be right, especially if she sent Derek packing. Last time I saw them together, at the New Year’s Eve party no less, they acted like two people madly in love, not on the verge of a breakup.
    But maybe that had been an act, like so much of what went on in Drew’s world.
    “ Phony as a three-dollar bill, that one ,” Sloane De Havilland had said. And I supposed she would know.
    He gathered me back into his arms. “Besides, Jonathan will want to be with us now anyway. He’s over the moon about the new baby. He texts me at least three times a day with suggestions for names.”
    I had to laugh. “Me, too.”
    He cuddled me closer. “This is how it was meant to be,” he murmured.
    I nodded and allowed him to hold me close, but inwardly I was conflicted about returning to Los Angeles. I wasn’t sure how big of a presence, if at all, Alex was going to pose in our lives when we returned. I still felt like I had cheated on him by giving myself to Drew.
    But Drew was my husband, and frankly he wouldn’t have been had Alex bothered to return even one of my phone calls in the weeks leading up to our impromptu New Year’s Eve wedding.
    No, Alex himself had said it was over and then disappeared halfway across the globe, leaving me no choice but to protect my child.
    My children.
    This was the path I had chosen. There was no turning back now. Real life was knocking. It was time to open the door and let it in.
    It was sunset by the time Harrison pulled the car into the gated driveway of my new home in Los Angeles. Jonathan was out the front door like a shot, flinging himself into my arms right as I stepped out of the car.
    “Did you have a good time?” he asked as he stared up at me with a new level of adoration. I wasn’t just his teacher anymore, or his friend. I was his stepmom, and he looked positively overjoyed about it.
    “I did,” I answered. “Missed you every second, though.”
    “Me, too,” he confided happily as he cuddled into my arm. “Come on. I have a big surprise to show you.”
    He dragged us both by the hands as he pulled us up the stairs. We came to a stop at the guest bedroom next to Jonathan’s. There was a huge yellow bow on the door, with a wide ribbon. He beamed as he threw open the door.
    Our eldest child had spent his spare time decorating a full nursery for his future brother or sister in a muted buttercup yellow, with tiny blue and pink teddy bears cheerfully populating the wallpaper that covered most of the room. In matching wicker rocking chairs sat enormous plush teddy bears in matching pink and blue.
    A round canopy crib in pristine white sat in front of the window overlooking the back yard, with yellow and white bedding to match the décor. There was a matching chest, changing table and even an old wooden toy chest, along with a wall to wall bookshelf filled already with dozens upon dozens of books.
    It was everything a child might need to grow into this room for many years to come.
    I was speechless. I held my hand to my heart as I looked around the magical room fit for a wee prince or princess.
    “I know you probably wanted to do it yourself, but I couldn’t wait,” Jonathan grinned.
    “It’s perfect,” I said as I