92 Pacific Boulevard

  “I don’t.” Her response was loud and immediate. “I can’t believe I ever cared for him. How could I have been so blind and…and so gullible?”

  Mack couldn’t answer that, although he didn’t want Mary Jo to change in any way. He’d fallen in love with her and he loved Noelle, too. David Rhodes had a hell of a fight on his hands if he thought he could walk away with Mary Jo’s baby—with the baby Mack considered his more than David’s.

  “Why do you think he has this sudden interest in Noelle?” Mack asked. All he could figure was that David saw some financial advantage in claiming Noelle.

  “I have no idea why he came,” Mary Jo cried. “I haven’t heard from him in all this time and then out of the blue he shows up demanding his parental rights. It doesn’t make sense.”

  “What about Ben?” Mack asked. “Has David been in touch with his father?”

  Mary Jo nodded slowly. “Apparently he went to his father a little while ago. I don’t know if he asked for money or not, but he has in the past. Ben assured me he wouldn’t give his son any child support money because there’s no guarantee David would use it for Noelle.”

  Mack frowned. “Is it possible that David assumes his father will give him money if Ben knows Noelle is living with him?”

  “I’m not sure.” Panic edged her voice. “Maybe.”

  “He didn’t seriously think you’d just hand Noelle over to him, did he?”

  “I don’t know,” she said again.

  “Did he say he was coming back?”

  “He said he was and that, when he did, he was bringing the authorities.”

  Mack nearly laughed out loud. “That’s a bold-faced lie.” He clenched his fists, wishing he’d been home when David had come to the house. Rhodes might be able to intimidate Mary Jo, but not Mack. He would gladly have taken him on.

  “I don’t care if he comes back or not, I can’t risk losing Noelle.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Mary Jo’s eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m moving back home. He’s never been there, and after everything I’ve said about my brothers, I doubt he’d show his face.”

  Mack wanted to argue. He’d gotten accustomed to having Mary Jo and Noelle so close, accustomed to sharing special moments with them. Everything had been going so well. He’d thought Mary Jo had begun to return his love, but obviously she wasn’t ready…

  “Is moving away what you really want?” he finally asked. If he voiced his objections too strenuously, she’d guess the strength of his feelings, and that might scare her off. He sensed she still wasn’t ready for a new relationship, other than being friends.

  “No!” She buried her face in her hands. “It’s the last thing I want, but my daughter’s future is at stake. Her well-being takes precedence over my personal desires.”

  “Can your brothers do anything I can’t do?” he asked, hoping she’d listen to reason.

  “No…I don’t suppose they could. But there are three of them and only one of you.”

  Mack couldn’t argue with her logic. As much as he would’ve liked to spend every minute of every day standing guard over her and Noelle, that would be impossible.

  “I left a message with Linc and asked him to contact me as soon as he could.”

  “I see.” Mack’s heart sank.

  “Leaving Cedar Cove isn’t what I want,” Mary Jo insisted again. “But I’m afraid, Mack.”

  The way her voice shook told him how upset she was. He offered reassurances but he wasn’t sure he’d convinced her. “David’s bluffing,” he said. “This is just another scheme of his.”

  “I want to believe that.” She gazed up at him, tears glittering on her lashes. “But I can’t be a hundred percent certain and neither can you.”

  “I could beat him up for you,” Mack said, half-humorously.

  Mary Jo punched his arm playfully.

  “Have you discussed any of this with Allan Harris?”

  “My legal situation is complicated, he says, because I’ve acknowledged David as the father and the DNA test confirmed it. Plus, he has parental rights and he claims he wants to exercise them. So…” She took a deep breath. “Allan tells me we’d be in for a protracted court battle.”

  Mack nodded grimly. This was what he’d feared.

  “Noelle’s going to miss you so much,” Mary Jo said tearfully.

  “And what about her mother?” Mack needed to know she’d miss him, too.

  Looking away, Mary Jo gave a slight shrug. “I didn’t think I could…” Her voice trailed off.

  “Didn’t think you could what?”

  Avoiding his glance, she whispered, “I didn’t think I could ever trust a man again, but I trust you.”

  Although Mack was grateful for that much, he wanted more. He wanted her love. Before he could formulate an appropriate response, the phone rang and a panicky feeling trapped the breath in his lungs.

  Mary Jo stood up to answer, but Mack stopped her, catching her hand. “Let me get it.”

  “Why?” she asked with a frown.

  “It might be David.”

  “Oh…” She seemed to collapse onto the sofa.

  Mack marched across the room and grabbed the receiver. “Wyse residence,” he said in his most official voice.

  “What are you doing at my sister’s place?” Linc demanded rudely. At least he wasn’t David.

  Mack answered that question with one of his own. “How quickly can you get here?”

  “Why? What’s happened?”

  “We need to talk. The three of us.” Mack wasn’t interested in relaying the details over the phone.

  “Give me two hours.”

  “Okay.”

  Noelle was wailing in the background; Mary Jo leaped to her feet and hurried into the baby’s room. Mack followed, standing in the doorway. He watched as she took the infant from her crib, then efficiently changed her diaper. Noelle turned her head and gazed at Mack while her mother dressed her. She cooed contentedly and waved her arms.

  “Who was on the phone?” Mary Jo asked. “My brother?”

  “Yeah, it was Linc. He’ll be here in a couple of hours. Probably around eight.”

  Mack grinned at the baby, utterly enchanted by her. He couldn’t stand the thought of not having her and Mary Jo in his life anymore. Yes, he could visit them in Seattle, but it wouldn’t be the same.

  “Why don’t I take you to an early dinner,” Mack suggested. “You could use a distraction for an hour or so.”

  Reluctantly she shook her head. “I couldn’t eat. Thanks, anyway.” She lifted Noelle into her arms and walked toward him. “You go ahead, if you want.” But even as she spoke, she reached for his hand.

  He was deeply gratified to know she didn’t mean what she’d said. She wanted him with her.

  “I’m not leaving you.” He meant more than she realized he was saying.

  “Thank you.” Mary Jo sounded both relieved and embarrassed.

  “I’ll stay here with you and we’ll wait for Linc.“

  Mary Jo sent him a grateful look. “Thank you,” she repeated.

  He held out his arms for Noelle, and Mary Jo handed him the baby who settled instantly in his embrace. He smiled down at her, tickling her chin with his index finger. Outwardly he remained calm, but he was thinking furiously, wondering exactly what he should say to Mary Jo—and how he should say it.

  “I should start packing,” she said.

  Mack raised one hand, stopping her. “Don’t.“

  “But—“

  “I have an idea that might work.“

  She blinked. “What kind of idea?“

  “An idea that’ll let you stay in Cedar Cove.“

  Her expression grew hopeful. “What?“

  Mack gathered his resolve. “You could marry me.“

  The color seemed to drain from her face, and for a few seconds he was afraid she might faint.

  “What do you think?” he asked, terrified that she’d reject him outright. His
heart felt as if it had shot into his throat and lodged there.

  “You don’t mean that.“

  “I do.“

  Mary Jo leaned against the wall. “That won’t solve anything,” she said.

  Mack disagreed. “The next time David comes around, he’ll be dealing with me, your husband. He’ll be speaking to both of us. Trust me, if he does try this trick again, it’ll be the last time.”

  “You don’t have to marry me to—“

  “It would give me the authority to tell him to stay away from my family.“

  “But—“

  “I’ll legally adopt Noelle.” He watched as her eyes flared with what he assumed was happiness. Then almost immediately her face fell.

  “David won’t let you adopt Noelle, especially if he’s planning to use her to manipulate his father for funds.“

  Mack shook his head. “He’ll surrender his rights if we pressure him for child support. We could probably prove without too much trouble that he’s an unfit father.” Mack suspected that as soon as David Rhodes realized he wouldn’t be able to use his daughter as leverage against Mary Jo and his father, he’d be willing to sign over all parental rights.

  Mary Jo seemed to consider his proposal. “It’s…very nice of you to offer.“

  She was going to reject him. Mack held himself rigid, bracing for her next words.

  She must have sensed his disappointment because she quickly added, “I need time to think about this.“

  Mack checked his watch. “You have an hour and twenty-five minutes.” He didn’t mean to make this sound like an ultimatum, but there was a practical reason for the time limit.

  She obviously understood what it was. “Before Linc arrives?“

  Mack nodded. “I’d like to explain all this to him, so he’s comfortable with me as his brother-in-law.“

  “And if I say no?“

  Mack expelled his breath. He didn’t want to contemplate that possibility. He’d deal with it if he had to and would volunteer his protection and friendship regardless, but…

  “I’m hoping you will agree to marry me,” he said.

  She turned away from him and her shoulders rose, then fell. “First my brothers and now you! Why do all of you feel you know what’s best for me and Noelle?”

  Mack closed his eyes and recognized that he’d gone about this wrong, but he wasn’t sure how to rectify his blunder. “You’re right,” he said in a low voice. “I don’t know what’s best for you. The problem is, I don’t think I could bear to live without you and Noelle.”

  She turned back to look at him, her face tense. She met his gaze, her eyes dark and speculative. Finally she nodded. She’d reached a decision. “Okay. But I want to wait six months and…and this is important. I won’t sleep with you.”

  “Ever?” he gasped.

  “Not while we’re engaged.”

  “But you’ll stay in Cedar Cove?”

  She nodded again.

  That lightened his mood. Still, there was this six-month engagement she was insisting on. “Why wait that long?” he asked.

  “It’ll give both of us enough time to decide if a marriage will work. At the end of six months, we can reevaluate. If there’s no physical contact between us, it would be easier for either one of us to break off the engagement and walk away.”

  Mack’s mouth went dry. He didn’t know how to respond.

  “Take it or leave it.”

  “Ah…”

  “Should I assume our arrangement’s off or do we wait six months?”

  “Okay, okay, if that’s how you want it.”

  Mary Jo relaxed and held out her hand for him to shake. “Then we agree?”

  “I guess.”

  “Becoming engaged is serious, Mack. ‘I guess’ is not a sufficient answer.”

  He swallowed tightly. It was either accept her terms or risk losing her and Noelle. The baby gurgled and smiled up at him. “Okay, we’ll do this your way,” he muttered and they shook hands.

  “So we’re engaged,” Mary Jo said.

  Engaged. To the woman he loved. But it seemed more like a business deal—and not a very advantageous one, either.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Are you sure you want to go through with this?” Linc felt obliged to ask. He and Lori Bellamy stood in front of the Kitsap County Courthouse nearly three weeks after their initial meeting. Their hands were tightly clasped. Linc wore his best suit. Fact was, he only had the one suit—and he might be wearing it a second time this year at Mary Jo’s wedding. Her engagement to Mack McAfee wasn’t a complete surprise, and it did give him a certain measure of reassurance.

  Lori was so beautiful in her pink dress it was an effort not to stare. She responded with a delicate nod. “I’m ready if you are.”

  “Did you tell your parents?”

  “No.” Her eyes connected with his. “Did you tell your brothers? And your sister?”

  Linc shook his head. He didn’t feel it was necessary for his brothers to know just yet.

  “You have the license?”

  Linc patted his suit pocket. “Right here.”

  “We’ll need witnesses.”

  Linc had forgotten all about that. “Someone from the judge’s office can stand up for us.“

  Lori swallowed hard and looked away. “I didn’t tell anyone because I knew if I did, everyone would try to talk me out of it.” She blushed slightly, her right hand clutching the small bouquet he’d bought her. “I want to marry you.“

  “Me, too.” Linc wanted a wife, an “old-fashioned” woman who shared his values and wanted to make their family her career, at least while their children were young. Although he didn’t know Lori well, what he did know suited him just fine. They’d had a number of intense conversations, mostly on the phone.

  “If anyone knew I’d agreed to marry a man I’d seen a total of four times, they’d think I was mentally unbalanced.” She looked up at him. “Can I ask you something before we go inside?“

  “Of course.“

  “Linc…” She turned away from him.

  “Yes?“

  “Do you love me?“

  Linc had been afraid she might ask this, and he wished he knew what she wanted to hear, what she expected him to say. As tempting as it was to lie, he didn’t feel that would be a good start to their marriage.

  “No,” he said, then immediately qualified his answer. “I don’t love you yet, but I like you more every time we talk.“

  “We talk a lot, don’t we?“

  Every day, which pleased him. They needed to lay the groundwork for their relationship, set everything in place and work out any disagreements before they said their vows. As a result of their lengthy conversations, he’d made concessions and so had she. He felt that marrying this woman was the right decision, despite their short acquaintance.

  “I put in an offer on a commercial property off Harbor Street—the one we talked about.”

  Lori suddenly averted her eyes. “My father owns that piece of land. I didn’t know until recently.”

  That shouldn’t complicate the situation as far as Linc could see. “I offered a fair price,” he said.

  As soon as they were married, Linc intended to move to Cedar Cove and set up his own car repair business. He’d move in with Lori until they found a place of their own. Lori said she wouldn’t be comfortable in Seattle; she preferred to live in a small town. She worked at a dress shop in nearby Silverdale and would continue to do so until they had their first child. Linc believed he could make a success of his new business. He planned to become a silent partner in Three Wyse Men, the family repair shop, leaving its day-to-day operation to Mel and Ned.

  “I’m not changing my mind about our marriage,” Lori assured him again.

  “Me, neither.” Linc squeezed her hand. Together they walked up the steps to the courthouse.

  The ceremony itself was shockingly brief. It hardly seemed legal that they could be practically strangers one minute and married
the next.

  Linc hadn’t expected the emotion that overcame him when the judge pronounced them husband and wife. In that instant, he experienced a rush of tenderness for Lori that nearly brought tears to his eyes. He was baffled by it, and a little embarrassed, too.

  He realized with astonishment that if he hadn’t stopped to help her that night, none of this would be happening. It would’ve been an ordinary Friday afternoon.

  Lori didn’t say anything, either, and he wondered if she’d felt the emotions he had. If so, she didn’t mention it. In fact, neither of them had anything to say until they were seated in Linc’s truck.

  Lori smiled at him. “Hello, husband,” she murmured.

  Linc returned her smile. “Hello, wife.”

  Wife. What a powerful word that was. A word that said companion, friend, partner…lover.

  As he started the engine, he asked, “Is there anyplace you’d like to go first?” It was a few minutes before five.

  “Maybe we should have an early dinner.“

  “Sure.” Linc hid his disappointment. He’d hoped she’d suggest they go straight to her place. He’d brought his suitcase and wanted to unpack, settle in before…He’d been looking forward to sleeping with Lori. So far, their physical relationship consisted of a few less-than-chaste kisses. Her response to their tentative lovemaking had led him to believe they’d definitely be sexually compatible.

  “I’d like to introduce you to my sister before we do that,” Linc said, trying to take his mind off their wedding night.

  “You mean now or…after?”

  “Now.”

  “Okay.” Lori slid a bit closer and placed her hand on his arm.

  Linc enjoyed having her touch him even in the most casual way. When she’d asked if he loved her, before the wedding, he’d been as honest as he knew how to be in his response. Now he asked himself if the tenderness he felt, this joyful expectation, could be love. He hoped so. He wanted to love Lori. He was excited about having children with her. She’d be a good mother and he intended to be a good father.