the woman exactly what he thought of her.
He went after Melanie.
“Don’t say anything,” Melanie muttered without stopping.
“Melanie, honey, stop.”
“Damn that old bat.” On her front steps, Melanie burst into tears. “How could she say that to my baby!”
Jack swept his arms around her. “Shh.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head and Melaniesobbed. Juliana chimed in. “Come on.” He ushered his women into the house.
Once inside, Melanie sat on the sofa and cuddled the baby. Juliana continued to whimper.
“Melanie, hon, you’re scaring Juliana.”
“I know, I know. Help me, please.” She handed the child to him and went to wash her face. In the bathroom she sobbed with helpless anger, and when she came back, he’d put the baby in her crib.
Melanie went to go check on her, but Jack stopped her. “She’s fine.”
She scowled. “Let me go.”
“You’re upset and she knows it. Come on, relax a little.”
“I don’t want to relax. I want to stay mad.”
“Good, then let’s talk about this.” He urged her toward the sofa.
“We’ve done that.” She plopped into the cushions.
“Have I asked you to marry me again? Have I reminded you that we should do this for her and not us?”
Melanie felt battered by her own words and feelings. “No,” she admitted, “you haven’t.” She snatched up a pillow and plucked at the edges when she wanted to punch that old woman. “But nothing has really changed, has it? We’re not going to see marriage in the same way. You see names on paper and I see lifetimes.”
Jack felt her words sink into him like arrows. “What do you want, Melanie?” When she remained silent, he took the pillow and forced her to look at him. “What do you want?”
“I want a marriage like my parents have, where what they do, they do together. And not just for the kids, but for themselves, because they loved each other first.” She swallowed hard. “I want to be loved because I’m me, Jack, not because I’m Juliana’s mother.”
“But you are her mother, and that’s not going to change.”
A leaded feeling coated her heart just then. “And she’s the reason you’re still here.”
His features darkened. “Not true.”
“And how would I ever know that for certain?”
“You won’t. You just have to trust me.”
She scoffed and pulled free. Jack felt helpless, watching her close the door again and secret away the key just when he’d managed to find the lock.
“I think your being around is just making this harder on both of us, Jack.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
She looked up, still as glass. His gaze locked with hers for a moment, then he stood and headed to the door.
She rose and rounded the back of the couch. “Where are you going?”
At the door he stopped, his hand on the knob, his gaze clinging there. “I don’t know.” He looked at her, wanting a magic wand to make things perfect and realizing they never would be. “All I know right now is that I want you in my life like there will be no tomorrow. I care about you and I love my daughter. I’m sorry it’s not enough. I was just trying to make things right for our baby.”
“Jack.”
“I’ll see you later.” He stepped out and closed the door.
Melanie stared at the door, a knot working up her throat as she sank slowly into the nearest chair, stunned. What have I done? she thought. What now?
Outside the door Jack stopped, wanting badly to turn around and walk back inside. To take Melanie into his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t argue with him anymore. He left the porch and climbed into his car, driving toward his sister’s place. Every mile he put between him and Melanie didn’t help. But she did have a point. She was the mother of his child and nothing would change that. And Jack had to ask himself if that was all he wanted from Melanie. Their names on a license? What did it mean, in the long run, to marry her for the sake of a name? To keep old women like the
He went after Melanie.
“Don’t say anything,” Melanie muttered without stopping.
“Melanie, honey, stop.”
“Damn that old bat.” On her front steps, Melanie burst into tears. “How could she say that to my baby!”
Jack swept his arms around her. “Shh.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head and Melaniesobbed. Juliana chimed in. “Come on.” He ushered his women into the house.
Once inside, Melanie sat on the sofa and cuddled the baby. Juliana continued to whimper.
“Melanie, hon, you’re scaring Juliana.”
“I know, I know. Help me, please.” She handed the child to him and went to wash her face. In the bathroom she sobbed with helpless anger, and when she came back, he’d put the baby in her crib.
Melanie went to go check on her, but Jack stopped her. “She’s fine.”
She scowled. “Let me go.”
“You’re upset and she knows it. Come on, relax a little.”
“I don’t want to relax. I want to stay mad.”
“Good, then let’s talk about this.” He urged her toward the sofa.
“We’ve done that.” She plopped into the cushions.
“Have I asked you to marry me again? Have I reminded you that we should do this for her and not us?”
Melanie felt battered by her own words and feelings. “No,” she admitted, “you haven’t.” She snatched up a pillow and plucked at the edges when she wanted to punch that old woman. “But nothing has really changed, has it? We’re not going to see marriage in the same way. You see names on paper and I see lifetimes.”
Jack felt her words sink into him like arrows. “What do you want, Melanie?” When she remained silent, he took the pillow and forced her to look at him. “What do you want?”
“I want a marriage like my parents have, where what they do, they do together. And not just for the kids, but for themselves, because they loved each other first.” She swallowed hard. “I want to be loved because I’m me, Jack, not because I’m Juliana’s mother.”
“But you are her mother, and that’s not going to change.”
A leaded feeling coated her heart just then. “And she’s the reason you’re still here.”
His features darkened. “Not true.”
“And how would I ever know that for certain?”
“You won’t. You just have to trust me.”
She scoffed and pulled free. Jack felt helpless, watching her close the door again and secret away the key just when he’d managed to find the lock.
“I think your being around is just making this harder on both of us, Jack.”
“Maybe you’re right.”
She looked up, still as glass. His gaze locked with hers for a moment, then he stood and headed to the door.
She rose and rounded the back of the couch. “Where are you going?”
At the door he stopped, his hand on the knob, his gaze clinging there. “I don’t know.” He looked at her, wanting a magic wand to make things perfect and realizing they never would be. “All I know right now is that I want you in my life like there will be no tomorrow. I care about you and I love my daughter. I’m sorry it’s not enough. I was just trying to make things right for our baby.”
“Jack.”
“I’ll see you later.” He stepped out and closed the door.
Melanie stared at the door, a knot working up her throat as she sank slowly into the nearest chair, stunned. What have I done? she thought. What now?
Outside the door Jack stopped, wanting badly to turn around and walk back inside. To take Melanie into his arms and kiss her until she couldn’t argue with him anymore. He left the porch and climbed into his car, driving toward his sister’s place. Every mile he put between him and Melanie didn’t help. But she did have a point. She was the mother of his child and nothing would change that. And Jack had to ask himself if that was all he wanted from Melanie. Their names on a license? What did it mean, in the long run, to marry her for the sake of a name? To keep old women like the
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