The Right Reason to Marry Read online

  “And yet you took forever to get around to telling him he was even going to be a dad. Karin, I really was starting to think you never would.”

  “Sten, okay.” She stroked the baby’s nearly bald head with one hand and pinched the bridge of her nose with the other because sometimes Sten gave her a headache—and because, yeah, he was right. “I messed that up, I admit it. But at least he knows now. He was there for his son’s birth. And now, thanks to you, he’s even living in the house next door.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  She heard the humor in her brother’s voice and couldn’t help but smile. “I think Liam plans to be the most involved dad that has ever existed in the whole of time. And I think it’s great, I really do. I am not getting in his way, I promise you. Liam will have every chance to be there for his kid.”

  “Good,” said her brother. “That’s how it should be. And now he’s got the cottage, it will be so much easier for him to help you out whenever you need him.”

  “By that you mean you won’t tell him that you’ve changed your mind and the cottage isn’t available after all?”

  “Way to go, little sister. I think you’re finally getting the picture.”

  * * *

  Karin did take her brother’s words to heart.

  She invited Liam over for dinner that night. He showed up right on time. When the baby cried, she let him do the comforting. A little later, for the first time, Liam changed his son’s diaper—a loaded one, too.

  Really, her baby’s dad was one of the good guys.

  And that was the problem. He was a good man and he wanted to do right and it would be oh, so easy to let herself believe that they could share more than a son.

  She would just have to keep holding the line against any suggestion that the two of them should get married. Eventually, he’d come to see that her saying no had been the best thing for everyone involved.

  Thursday after dinner, she asked her dad to watch the sleeping baby so that she could go over to the cottage and discuss DNA testing with Liam.

  He answered the door looking way too handsome in black jeans and a dark sweater with the sleeves pushed up those amazing forearms. Really, it wasn’t fair that he looked so good. She, on the other hand, wore the outfit she’d thrown on that morning—a stretched-out gray Henley-style tunic and yoga pants. She’d also run out of the house without bothering to check her hair or freshen her lip gloss.

  Had she actually been naked with this gorgeous specimen of a man on four separate and glorious occasions? It seemed so very long ago...

  And yet, it really had happened and she had the baby to prove it.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  “Where’s the baby?”

  “Sleeping. My dad’ll call if he needs me.”

  “Come on in.” He gave her that smile of his, the magic one that could make a girl’s panties combust, and led her to the sitting area.

  She took a chair and got down to it. “I came to talk DNA. There’s a lab right here in town. We can all three go together, you, me and the baby. Just name a date and time—or I can meet you there, if that works better for you.”

  “DNA?” He dropped to the sofa. “It’s not necessary. I know the baby’s mine. I don’t need a DNA test and I don’t care if we have one.”

  “I care, Liam.”

  His burnished brows drew together. “Don’t do that.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t give me that look, Karin. Like you disapprove of me.”

  Now, she felt awful. “I didn’t. I don’t.” She stuck her hands between her knees and leaned toward him across the coffee table. “Not at all. What I meant was, well, proof is so easy to get now. There’s no reason not to get it. All it takes is a cheek swab and you’ll never doubt that our little boy is yours.”

  He shook his head her. “I already have no doubts. I know you, Karin. You have absolute integrity. If there was a doubt, you would have told me so that day at Safeway.” He spoke with total conviction.

  Now, her cheeks felt too warm and her tummy all fluttery. “Thank you.” Her throat had clutched. She gulped to loosen it up. “That was a beautiful thing to say to me.”

  He leaned forward, too, so earnest and determined. “I don’t need a test, Karin.”

  “I hear you. But I do—and not because I have any doubt you’re the baby’s dad. It’s just, I want that, for you to have objective proof. Even though I accept your word that you don’t need it.”

  He dropped back against the cushions with a hard breath. “Sorry. I don’t get it. But if it’s what you want—”

  “It is. Please.”

  * * *

  The following Monday afternoon, together, they took the baby to a lab right there in town to have their cheeks swabbed. Liam, eager to use the new car seat he’d bought, did the driving.

  Later, back at the Cove, mindful of her resolution to treat Liam with kindness and consideration, Karin invited him to dinner again. “About six, if you can make it.”

  He accepted with a wide grin and showed up an hour early. She refused to let herself get annoyed about that. Instead, she reminded herself that the guy planned to stay at the cottage indefinitely and she’d better get used to having him around.

  Really, what was not to like about Liam? He was easygoing and also easy on the eyes. He even offered to help in the kitchen.

  “I’ve got this. But you can help the kids with cleanup after if you insist.”

  He had a beer with her dad and jumped to his feet when the baby cried. “I’ll get him.” He headed for the bedrooms and she didn’t stop him.

  When it was time to eat, he carried the blue bundle with him to the dinner table, where Coco fawned all over him and the baby in his big arms.

  Coco did have one complaint, though. “Liam. Mommy. Our baby needs a name. Nobody likes to be called just ‘the baby.’” Coco wrinkled up her little nose in disapproval.

  “He’s a newborn,” said Ben. “He doesn’t know how to talk and he doesn’t understand words. That means he has no idea what we’re calling him.”

  Coco tossed her curly head. “Well, I care what we call him and I’m his big sister.” She smiled sweetly and actually fluttered her eyelashes. “I will be happy to choose a name for him. How about Brecken? There’s a boy named Brecken in my class. He talks without raising his hand and chews with his mouth open, but I still like his name. Or how about Kael or Ridge?”

  Karin met Liam’s gaze across the dinner table as he glanced up from the baby in his arms. His eyes gleamed with humor. The moment tugged at her heartstrings, somehow. She was reminded of the past, of their long history together.

  When Karin and Liam were Coco’s age, he’d had a big crush on their second-grade teacher, Miss Wu. One morning, he brought Miss Wu a handful of wilted wildflowers he must have picked on the way to school. At recess, a couple of the other boys had razzed him. They’d called him a kiss-ass. Liam had just laughed and walked away.

  Karin, flanked by Prim and Naomi, had watched the exchange. She and her friends waited, wide-eyed, for the two bullies to follow him, taunt him some more, maybe even throw a punch or two.

  Didn’t happen. The boys just stared after him, looking baffled. Liam simply had that way about him, always had. A born charmer, so easy and comfortable in his own skin. Bullies never knew what to make of him.

  Really, the only time Karin had seen the man at a loss was recently, in the first few days after he found out about the baby.

  Across the table, Liam tipped his head to the side, watching her. He offered, “My dad’s name was George. Maybe George for a middle name?”

  Coco piped up with, “I like Brecken better.”

  Otto stepped in. “Excellent suggestion, sweetheart. But I think your mom and Liam will be making this decision.”

  Coco released a
gusty sigh. “Well, o-kay. I don’t need to be the decider, I guess. Just as long as my baby brother gets a name.”

  Otto reached over and patted her shoulder as Karin asked Liam, “What do you think of Riley? Riley George Bravo?”

  He bent to the baby and whispered something. Then, still leaning close, he turned his head as though listening for a reply. He straightened in his chair with a nod. “He likes it. Riley George, it is.”

  * * *

  Tuesday around nine, after everyone had left the Cove but Karin and Riley, two of Liam’s sisters knocked on her door. Harper and Hailey had come to fix up the baby’s room over at the cottage.

  Hailey said, “But we wanted to stop by, say hi to you and meet Riley first.”

  Karin invited them in and made them coffee. They took turns holding the baby and filling Karin in on their mutual dream, which involved hosting children’s parties and producing community events at an old theater downtown. Both blue-eyed blondes, the sisters were less than a year apart in age. They’d gone off to OU together, majored in theater arts together and graduated together the year before. Now, they both lived in town.

  “My new nephew is the cutest guy ever,” declared Hailey when it was her turn to hold Riley.

  Harper agreed. “He is adorable—and Liam is so happy. All he talks about is the baby.”

  Hailey asked, “Can you blame him? I mean, look at this little guy.” She grinned at Karin. “Liam likes you a lot, too.”

  Karin wasn’t sure how to respond to that—mostly because she was constantly reminding herself not to like Liam too much. “He’s a really good guy.” She tried not to wince at how lame that sounded.

  Harper said, “Okay, maybe this is out of bounds...”

  “But we’re just gonna ask,” Hailey picked up where her sister left off. “If you don’t like the question, tell us to mind our own damn business.”

  “We won’t be offended.”

  “Fair enough.” Karin sipped her tea. She had a pretty good idea where this was going.

  Harper scooted closer to the table and wrapped her hands around her coffee mug. “So...what’s the story with you and Liam? We didn’t even know you guys were a thing.”

  “Well, we weren’t a thing, not really.” Karin turned her teacup in a slow circle as she tried to decide how much to say.

  “Riley here would beg to differ.” Hailey bent close and nuzzled his fat cheek. “There must have been something.”

  Karin confessed, “You’re right. There was.” It really had been terrific, her long-held secret fantasy come true—a few hot, stolen nights with the guy she’d crushed on so hard back in high school.

  Harper reached over and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t be sad.”

  Hailey looked concerned. “We didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You haven’t. No way. It just, um, happened, between Liam and me. It started last December, on a girls’ night out...”

  She’d almost canceled on Naomi and Prim that night. Ben had come down with something and was running a low fever. She’d decided to stay home. But her dad and Sten had ganged up on her. She deserved a break, they said. Ben would be fine, they promised her. And she would only be a phone call away.

  So she’d gone. “Believe me, with two kids and the Boatworks to run, I hadn’t been getting a lot of nights out. My girls and I met up at Beach Street Brews. Liam just happened to be there that night, too, with some of his trucker buddies. He and I started talking. It was so easy between us. I couldn’t get over that—then again, we’ve known each other all our lives, so why wouldn’t we be comfortable with each other, right?” She met Harper’s eyes and they shared a smile. “It was a great night. And so were the other nights we got together. But he wasn’t looking for a relationship and neither was I. It was just for now and just for fun. And then, well, surprise, surprise. Riley came along.”

  Harper nodded. “It happens.”

  “Wedding bells, maybe?” Hailey asked, looking hopeful.

  “No,” Karin said gently. “He’s an amazing guy and I like him a lot, always have.” Maybe too much, but his sisters didn’t need to know that. “We’re not in love, though.” It caused an ache in her heart to say it. But sometimes the truth hurt. She finished softly, “We just want the same thing and that’s to do the best we can for Riley.”

  They left it at that. The sisters stayed for another half hour or so. Before they left for the cottage, Karin gave Hailey the blue teddy bear Liam had brought over that day Riley was born. “I want him to have it for the new room.”

  * * *

  That Friday, the DNA results came through.

  It was official. Liam was Riley’s biological father.

  That evening, Karin took Riley over to the cottage to talk to Liam about a parenting plan.

  “Hey.” He gave her his killer smile. “Come on in.”

  In the kitchen, he offered her something to drink. “I’m guessing no alcohol, with the nursing and all, but I’ve got juice and I picked up some of that raspberry tea you like.”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  He let his gaze trail down to the baby, who was attached to the front of her as usual, lately. Karin kind of loved watching his face when he saw his son. His mouth got so soft and his eyes a little dreamy. It was too damn cute by half. “Mind if I hold him?”

  She eased Riley out of the sling and handed him over. The baby blinked up at his father and then yawned.

  Liam bent his head close and nuzzled Riley’s button nose. “Lookin’ good, RG.” He glanced up and caught her watching him. “What?” But then, before she could answer, he gestured her forward. “First things first. Let me show you his room.”

  She followed him down the hall to the bedroom next to the master suite. It was all ready for Riley. “Wow. That was fast.”

  He looked up from whispering to the baby. “Yeah. I got right on it. Lots of online shopping with overnight shipping. I gave Keely a credit card and she ordered most of the blankets and baby clothes, all the baby supplies and a diaper bag. I picked out the furniture myself.”

  “It looks great.” Open shelves over the changing table were stacked with everything a baby might need. The walls were dark blue.

  “I love the teddy bears and the tree,” she said of the wall mural behind the crib. One bear floated midway up the wall on a couple of heart-shaped pale blue balloons. Three others climbed the tree.

  “Harper did that, the mural and the detail stuff. Hailey painted the walls blue. Then the two of them put the furniture where they thought it should go.” He gazed at her steadily. “They mentioned you had them over for coffee.”

  “Yeah. It was great to see them. We had a nice little chat.” About you and me and why we’re not getting married. But you don’t need to know that, so please don’t ask.

  He didn’t. He was all about the baby as he circled the room, whispering things in Riley’s ear, stopping by the easy chair next to the window and glancing up at Karin. “RG and me, we need to try out this chair.”

  “Go for it.” She leaned in the doorway and folded her arms across her middle.

  He sat down. “Check this out.” He leaned back and the easy chair became a recliner. “Pretty sweet, huh?”

  “Perfect.” And it was. He was. Totally devoted to his surprise son. It brought her joy to see them together—joy and a bittersweet ache in her chest that Bud had never really been able or willing or whatever to show that kind of steady, doting love to Ben. At least with Coco, Bud had been more affectionate—when he was around.

  “What?” Liam was watching her.

  She waved the question away with a shrug.

  He glanced down at the baby again. For a few minutes, they were quiet. Liam held Riley as Karin leaned in the doorway enjoying the sight of them, the feeling of peace that seemed to fill the blue room.

  “He�
�s sound asleep,” Liam whispered as he rose. “I want to put him in his crib.” It was all fixed up, with cute blue-and-white bedding, including soft bumpers to cushion and protect a newborn. The blue teddy bear was propped in a corner.

  “Good idea,” she whispered back.

  He put the baby down and tucked the blanket around him, bending closer for another kiss.

  Rising to his height again, he came to her. She pulled away from the doorway to face him.

  And then he was taking her by the upper arms, his big hands so warm and gentle. He caught her gaze and held it, that beautiful smile flirting with the corners of his full mouth.

  She just knew he would kiss her and that she would let him.

  But he didn’t. “Come on,” he said. “You know you want that raspberry tea. I haven’t taken the baby monitor out of the box yet, but I think we’ll hear him if we just leave the door open.”

  * * *

  Liam had one of those electric kettles. It heated the water in no time.

  As she waited for the tea to steep, he pulled a Boundary Bay IPA from the fridge and popped the cap. “So, what’s up?” His strong throat rippled as he took a long drink.

  “I thought we should kind of get moving on our parenting plan.”

  With a slow smile, he shook his head. “Always with the plans.”

  They stood facing each other on the same side of the counter. She had a strong urge to whirl around, dart over to the table and pull out a chair, put some distance between them. If he came and sat down, too, the table would serve as a barrier to keep her from giving in to the longing inside her.

  She felt he was always asking a certain question—he asked it with his eyes and his body language, with his very attentiveness. It was partly will you marry me? But it was more, too. He was asking for kisses. And slow, sweet caresses. He was asking for more nights like the ones last winter.