No Safe Secret by Fern Michaels

have,” Molly encouraged. “Children are often challenging, and not everyone is suited to parenting.” The second the words came out of her mouth, she wished she could take them back.
    â€œBut then, there are those of us who are born to become parents,” Tanner added none too kindly as he shot her a look that she called “the death look.”
    It was Tanner’s idea of a challenge. She would go with it. He wouldn’t dare show his true colors in front of their dinner guests. He should have told her that the subject of children was taboo where Dr. and Mrs. Waters were concerned.
    â€œYes, and children don’t have to be flesh and blood in order to love them as your own.” Molly had no clue why she said this since it was certainly not her experience. Maybe it was the truth for some, but it had stopped being true for her a very long time ago. A mental challenge to Tanner? Maybe. She held his gaze across the table’s long expanse.
    â€œSome would disagree,” he said, continuing to focus his sharp blue eyes on her.
    Backpedaling, Molly said, “I’m sure every situation is different.”
    â€œKudos to those who can manage stepchildren or adopted kids. I’d be the first to say it’s a mistake. Blood really is thicker than water,” Dr. Waters added. “My father never let me forget this. Always told me to keep the bloodline going, didn’t want an imposter tarnishing the family legacy.”
    Molly agreed to a certain point, but now wasn’t the time to make her opinion known. Desperate to change the topic of conversation, she stood. “I’m going to serve dessert. Would anyone care for coffee, too?” Scanning the group gathered around the table, she gave a phony smile, and, not waiting for a reply, she headed to the kitchen.
    Sally was putting plates in the dishwasher. “You finished with dinner already?” she questioned.
    â€œDon’t I wish. No, I’m going to serve coffee, and that red velvet cake I bought at Gloria’s. Tanner won’t like that since it’s not homemade.”
    Damn! Why had she added that? Sally had enough to deal with in her own personal life. Molly knew she suspected that her and Tanner’s relationship was far from ideal, but it was very likely comments like this one that had led Sally to that conclusion, or so Molly assumed. Not that she’d ever mentioned her marital issues to Sally or spoke of them to anyone else. She didn’t have to. Molly could read Sally like an open book. Sally was in a bad marriage, too. And as the old saying went, “It takes one to know one.”
    â€œIt’s homemade. Just not in your kitchen,” Sally said.
    She grinned. “I guess you’re right. Gloria would tell me the same, I suppose. But . . . ,” she didn’t finish the thought out loud. Tanner wouldn’t see it that way . She removed a stack of dessert plates from the cabinet and placed them on a serving tray, along with forks and spoons for the coffee. “You’ll follow me with the coffee?” she asked Sally.
    â€œRight behind you, Miss Molly.”
    She nodded, then hoisted the tray, using the palm of her left hand to carry the bulk of the weight, and her right hand to keep it steady. Old habits, she thought, as she plastered on a smile for her guests.
    â€œI see my magnificent Molly has decided to tempt us with one of her homemade confections,” Tanner said when he saw her placing the large tray on the sideboard.
    She hated it when he referred to her as his “magnificent Molly”!
    Bastard , she wanted to shout, but as usual, she refrained. “Sorry, sweetie pie,” she used this term of endearment, knowing how he hated it, “but I didn’t bake this. I purchased this at Gloria’s earlier. I’m sure it’s much better than any dessert I could make.” Also, she wanted to add that, given his last-minute dinner demand, he