demands. But if you give the baby your name on his or her birth certificate and agree to pay support, you can make all this go away."
His dad would have someone to carry on the family name, but no part in that someone's life. That wouldn't set well with him or Mom.
Support payments. Derek hadn't hesitated to agree to marry her and raise the child. But if he backed out—not that he was going to—he could live with the baby bearing his name, but was he willing to pay support for someone else's kid until he or she graduated from college? And wouldn't the child wonder why his father never visited him? Derek buried his face in his hands. He might have to create a relationship with him so he didn't scar his psyche, but Derek would feel like a phoney visiting Angel's kid and pretending. It was a no-win situation.
Eyes stinging, Derek looked up at his partner. "There's something else, Larry. I'm not the baby's father."
Larry came up off his chair and threw up his hands. "Then you're the biggest damned fool I ever met."
"I'm a gallant fool. I'm saving a woman's life."
"And sacrificing your own. Why? Why are you doing this? And what about that little gal you have the hots for?"
"I hadn't counted on someone coming along like her. It was an immediate attraction and she's someone I could get serious with. Of all the stinking times for me to meet someone."
Larry sat down again, sighing loudly. "How much time do you have left anyway?"
"Less than three weeks. The wedding is July 1."
"You can't marry her, pal. You made a mistake by proposing but you don't have to sacrifice your life for one little error."
A knock on the doorframe meant Jeanette wanted to talk to one of them.
"Yes?" Larry called.
She stuck her head in the office. "Your 9:30 appointment is here."
"Give me a minute," Larry said, and Jeanette left. "Derek, please reconsider. I think too much of you to let you mess up this way."
"Thanks, buddy. I'll give it some thought."
* * *
Erin felt like she was somewhere between ecstatic and disconsolate. She and Derek had enjoyed a wild, sizzling, exhilarating time together, but he'd said he could turn out to be a one-night stand. Why? He must have some involvement he wasn't telling her about, but what?
She'd spent the day at work, feeling distracted. Fortunately, Lea and Margo were in and out of the office, too involved with jobs to notice. Angel called once and sounded morose but didn't explain, and Erin had so many problems of her own that she'd written her cousin off as a 'worry about later' case. Not that she actually said anything of the sort, but she didn't inquire and with a touch of guilt cut the conversation short.
By 5:00, she'd taken care of all the appointments, paid bills and done a multitude of other necessary tasks, so she'd left promptly even though Lea and Margo were still out. They had keys and could get back into Wives-R-Us if they hadn't chosen to go directly home from their work assignments, which they sometimes did.
Erin had just fitted her key in the front door lock when she heard the purr of a Jag out front on the circular drive. She knew cars pretty well from her years with Joseph, but even if she hadn't been able to recognise a Jag's engine, her instincts screamed, 'It's Derek'.
She turned around to see him bounding up the steps, his lean form and long legs poetry in motion. A lock of hair swayed in the air, settling on his forehead as he reached the porch and came to a halt.
"Hi, sweet stuff," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Welcome home."
She laughed. "Your timing is excellent. How do you account for that?"
"Luck," he said, and kissed her on the nose. "Dumb, wonderful luck."
Erin motioned for him to follow her inside, and once he closed the door behind him, he folded her close. "I've missed you," he said.
"So, does that mean we're having a two-night stand?" she asked, smiling up at him.
He settled his lips over hers and delved with his
His dad would have someone to carry on the family name, but no part in that someone's life. That wouldn't set well with him or Mom.
Support payments. Derek hadn't hesitated to agree to marry her and raise the child. But if he backed out—not that he was going to—he could live with the baby bearing his name, but was he willing to pay support for someone else's kid until he or she graduated from college? And wouldn't the child wonder why his father never visited him? Derek buried his face in his hands. He might have to create a relationship with him so he didn't scar his psyche, but Derek would feel like a phoney visiting Angel's kid and pretending. It was a no-win situation.
Eyes stinging, Derek looked up at his partner. "There's something else, Larry. I'm not the baby's father."
Larry came up off his chair and threw up his hands. "Then you're the biggest damned fool I ever met."
"I'm a gallant fool. I'm saving a woman's life."
"And sacrificing your own. Why? Why are you doing this? And what about that little gal you have the hots for?"
"I hadn't counted on someone coming along like her. It was an immediate attraction and she's someone I could get serious with. Of all the stinking times for me to meet someone."
Larry sat down again, sighing loudly. "How much time do you have left anyway?"
"Less than three weeks. The wedding is July 1."
"You can't marry her, pal. You made a mistake by proposing but you don't have to sacrifice your life for one little error."
A knock on the doorframe meant Jeanette wanted to talk to one of them.
"Yes?" Larry called.
She stuck her head in the office. "Your 9:30 appointment is here."
"Give me a minute," Larry said, and Jeanette left. "Derek, please reconsider. I think too much of you to let you mess up this way."
"Thanks, buddy. I'll give it some thought."
* * *
Erin felt like she was somewhere between ecstatic and disconsolate. She and Derek had enjoyed a wild, sizzling, exhilarating time together, but he'd said he could turn out to be a one-night stand. Why? He must have some involvement he wasn't telling her about, but what?
She'd spent the day at work, feeling distracted. Fortunately, Lea and Margo were in and out of the office, too involved with jobs to notice. Angel called once and sounded morose but didn't explain, and Erin had so many problems of her own that she'd written her cousin off as a 'worry about later' case. Not that she actually said anything of the sort, but she didn't inquire and with a touch of guilt cut the conversation short.
By 5:00, she'd taken care of all the appointments, paid bills and done a multitude of other necessary tasks, so she'd left promptly even though Lea and Margo were still out. They had keys and could get back into Wives-R-Us if they hadn't chosen to go directly home from their work assignments, which they sometimes did.
Erin had just fitted her key in the front door lock when she heard the purr of a Jag out front on the circular drive. She knew cars pretty well from her years with Joseph, but even if she hadn't been able to recognise a Jag's engine, her instincts screamed, 'It's Derek'.
She turned around to see him bounding up the steps, his lean form and long legs poetry in motion. A lock of hair swayed in the air, settling on his forehead as he reached the porch and came to a halt.
"Hi, sweet stuff," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Welcome home."
She laughed. "Your timing is excellent. How do you account for that?"
"Luck," he said, and kissed her on the nose. "Dumb, wonderful luck."
Erin motioned for him to follow her inside, and once he closed the door behind him, he folded her close. "I've missed you," he said.
"So, does that mean we're having a two-night stand?" she asked, smiling up at him.
He settled his lips over hers and delved with his
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