Brought Together by Baby by MARGARET MCDONAGH Page A

binding to safeguard his rights to his child and Julia had agreed, however reluctantly, to a marriage in name only.
    He couldn’t blame people for thinking the marriage had been genuine and he was grief-stricken. And how could he explain the truth without sounding callous? Julia had given him a son. The least he could do was to preserve her memory in the eyes of her family, friends and the community. For Max’s sake as well as her own.
    He’d given Julia the security, home and money she’d wanted, in return for full responsibility for the baby. They’d lived under the same roof, and in the beginning they’d rubbed along fairly well—if not as friends, then at least with polite tolerance. But the atmosphere had become tense and increasingly hostile as the months went by.
    Julia had hated being pregnant. Gus took another drink and opened the kitchen door, welcoming what fresh air there was in the hot summer evening. As a doctor, he’d understood aswell as any man could that pregnancy wrought huge changes to a woman—physically and emotionally. Some women breezed through the nine months with few problems, enjoying the whole experience, while others had spells of illness, morning sickness and general bad moods and discomfort. Julia had experienced the worst of everything. He’d tried to make allowances and be patient, but Julia had been difficult to be around. Nothing had suited her and she’d complained constantly. He’d stuck it out…for the baby.
    His heart missed a beat as he thought of his beautiful son. How could he regret anything when Max was the result? His childhood had left its mark, and he’d sympathised with Julia when she’d spoken of becoming estranged from her father because of Holly. She hadn’t divulged details of the rift, but he’d understood Julia’s feeling alone without her family. Now Julia was gone and he was left with Max and the fearful responsibility of learning how to be a father.
    Tomorrow he would bring Max home. Part of him was relieved Holly would be around, yet he couldn’t help but be wary of her motives. If she was putting on an act he’d soon know: she couldn’t keep it up indefinitely when living under the same roof.
    Unable to avoid her, Gus headed for the stairs, curious to see the nursery. He halted in the doorway, captivated by the sight that greeted him. Holly was balanced on the stepladder, hanging colourful curtains, the material gently fluttering in the welcome breeze through the open windows.
    She’d changed out of her dark funeral outfit and was dressed in cut-off faded denim shorts that left her legs bare to mid-thigh. Perfect legs…beautifully shaped and silky smooth. Arousal slammed into him. His gaze roved up the teasing swell of her bottom, outlined by the stone-washed fabric of her shorts. As she stretched to reach the furthest hooks onthe curtain rail, the hem of her T-shirt rode up, exposing a tantalising strip of pale gold skin across her lower back.
    The lavender-coloured top framed her curves, and as she moved he could see the outline of firm, exquisitely shaped breasts. She wasn’t wearing a bra. He forced his reluctant gaze to continue upwards. Her wavy blonde hair was tied in a haphazard ponytail, a few strands escaping to feather her neck and make-up-free face. As he watched her concentrating on her task, her pink tongue-tip peeped out of the corner of her mouth. She looked ridiculously young and innocent and tempting.
    Angry, ashamed and confused by his instinctive attraction, Gus ducked back into the hallway and leaned against the landing wall before Holly saw him, taking a moment to regain control before making his presence known. How could he still feel like this about Holly? It was a warning he’d do well to heed if he was to maintain his guard. He didn’t want to be fooled and hurt again.
    Hearing the stepladder being folded, Gus sucked in a steadying breath and returned to the nursery. Holly was humming along with the music on the radio