The Switched Baby Scandal (A Scandals of San Sebastian Novel) (Entangled Bliss) (19 page)

He buckled Emily in her car seat as she babbled on, telling him all about the hospital and the nurses. Reece heard only half of it, because deep inside he was still contemplating. As they pulled out of the parking lot a multitude of thoughts crisscrossed his brain. What if he had lost them today? He never would have had the chance to tell Taylor what he had discovered. He loved her, he knew that now. And he wanted her in his life forever.

Chapter Seventeen

The next morning, bright and early as promised, he was at the hospital with Emily by his side, waiting for Taylor to be released. He helped her to the car, then ran around the other side to buckle Emily into the car seat. But the minute he took the off ramp from the freeway to his home Taylor’s face crumpled.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

Reece gripped the steering wheel tighter. “No, I’m not. We’re going to my house.”

Taylor glared at him, then glanced in the backseat. Reece saw in his rearview mirror that Emily had fallen asleep.

“We’re not staying at your house again. Please take us home.”

Reece slowed the car and pulled off onto the side of the road. “You’ve just had an accident and need to recover.”

She turned away from him, looking instead through the front window. “And I can do that best at my home.”

“Taylor, you don’t understand. I want you and Emily to come live with me. I love you. I want to marry you.”

She snapped her attention in his direction, her eyes narrowing. “No.”

Her response slapped him harder than she ever physically could. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

She turned in the seat, looking him straight in the eye. “Don’t you see? You’re just asking me because of the accident. You’re afraid of losing us just like you lost Alyssa and Rebecca. Fear isn’t a solid foundation for any marriage. You didn’t want to marry me before and you don’t now.”

“But you don’t understand—”

“I understand more than you think, Reece. You’re acting on gut instinct. You haven’t thought this through. If you had, you’d have a ring. You don’t have a ring, do you?”

Inwardly he cringed. Part of what she was saying was right on target. But more importantly part of it wasn’t. “Well, no…” he hedged.

“The problem is there’s someone else in your life besides me…and it’s Rebecca. Until you grow past her loss and live your life, there isn’t enough room for you to really love anyone completely. I thought I was doing the right thing to ask you for Emily’s sake. But I was wrong. The fact is that we’re going to be separate parents for now.”

All the air left his lungs, leaving him drowning in his misery.

“Taylor, please don’t do this to me.”

She reached out, touching his cheek. “When you ask me, I want it to be because it’s right and real, not because you’re running scared and I’m some life preserver in your sea of doubt. And not because you think I need saving, either.”

He slumped back into his seat and nodded. He understood what she was saying, but he was still concerned about her taking it easy while she recovered.

He pulled the car back onto the road and found a place to turn so he could head toward her house. The tension in the air was thick, and he needed the excuse of paying attention to his driving to calm him.

“Will you at least call your mother to come and help you out over the next week?”

“I’ll be fine. I’m not going—”

“You should at least call her about the accident.”

Taylor tried to cross her arms and winced, letting out a grunt of pain. “Why should I? It’ll just make her sick with worry.”

“Because if you don’t, sweetheart, then she’s going to have a lot of questions when I call her up and tell her you need her here.”

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. “You wouldn’t.”

Reece leveled his gaze at her. “Try me.”

She sighed heavily. “This is coercion you know.”

He turned his attention back to the road. “Yes, but at least I’ll know you’ve got some help since you won’t let me watch over you.”

“Fine, you have me at a disadvantage. But I warn you it won’t last.” She gave him a small, lopsided smile.

Early Easter morning, a week later, Taylor was awakened by Emily bouncing on her bed.

“Come on, Mommy! Get up, get up! It’s Easter!”

“I thought kids were only supposed to be like this on Christmas,” she mumbled.

“Hurry, we’ve got to go egg hunting at Daddy’s today.”

Taylor rolled her eyes. “Oh, so
that’s
what this is about. You can’t wait to find candy.”

Emily hopped off the bed and sped out of the room. She appeared minutes later, struggling with the zipper of a butter-yellow dress laden with lace.

“You couldn’t wait to wear the dress Grandma sent, could you?”

“She’s going to be at Daddy’s today, isn’t she?”

“For the twentieth time this week, yes.”

“Is she coming to our house first?”

“Yes.”

Taylor padded into the kitchen, Emily at her heels.

“Can we leave soon?”

“Not until Grandma gets here and I have a shower.”

Her little lip pushed out into a pout. “What am I going to do?”

Taylor reached out and drew her little girl close for a hug. “How about breakfast?”

Emily’s mouth lifted in a lopsided grin. “Oky day.”

“What?”

“Oky day. Daddy taught it to me.”

“What else has Daddy been teaching you lately?”

“Hopscotch.”

Emily’s response caught her off guard. “Daddy plays hopscotch?”

Emily nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, he’s really good at it.”

Taylor burst out laughing at the thought of him hopping from square to square. She poured her daughter a bowl of cereal and headed for the shower.

Her mother arrived before she could dry her hair. She stood behind Taylor holding a conversation with her in the mirror.

“So have you two worked things out?”

“Sort of.”

Edith harrumphed.

Taylor applied some blush. “We’re on good terms and it’s okay.”

“And he knows about the baby?”

Taylor bit her lip.

Her mother threw up her hands. “Good grief, you mean you haven’t told him yet? Taylor Louise, you’re impossible.”

Taylor clicked the lid of the compact closed. “I’m still not showing too much.”

“How could you, wearing that kind of outfit?”

Taylor looked down at her bulky sweater and flowing skirt and then back at her mother’s reflection.

“What’s wrong with this?”

“Nothing if you’re fifty pounds overweight and trying to cover it up. You don’t have anything to hide. Well, at least I thought you didn’t.”

Taylor tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I was planning on telling him today, Mother.”

Edith waggled a warning finger at her. “If you don’t…”

“What? The big-bad-secret fairy is going to come and bite me in the”— Taylor spied a little face in the reflection beside her mother— “in the behind?”

Edith looked down at her granddaughter and smoothed her dark hair with a tender touch, before grinning at her daughter. “Something like that.”

An hour later she drove up to Reece’s with her mother and daughter in tow. Taylor rolled her window down to punch in the gate code. Outside the air smelled green and sweet, and daffodils and tulips marched in heady profusion along the driveway.

As they passed through the gate, she noticed the oversized pastel eggs hanging from the naked trees in the yard. Reece had gone out of his way to celebrate the holiday, taking Emily for most afternoons the last week to decorate.

They crowded together at the front door and rang the bell. For a moment, things felt awkward. It was like she was waiting for entrance into her own home. Reece opened the familiar oak door.

“Come in, come in!” He hugged each of them in turn and took their coats.

Emily grasped her grandmother’s hand. “Come see what we’ve got.” She pulled Edith into the kitchen and Reece and Taylor followed.

Edith gasped when they entered the kitchen. “Reece, this is marvelous! Taylor, you really outdid yourself on this.”

Taylor beamed. “I do good work when I’m inspired.” She slid an assessing look over at Reece. He winked at her.

Emily yanked open the refrigerator and pulled out two clear plastic corsage boxes neatly tied with pale blue satin ribbon.

Edith clasped her hands together. “What a wonderful surprise.” She took the box from Emily and kissed her grandchild on the cheek.

Emily held out the second box to her mother.

Taylor’s eyes started to prickle with heat. It was so sweet. Taking the box from her hand, she cupped Emily’s face in her palm. “Thank you, Emy.” She bent at the knees and gave her daughter a big hug.

“Happy Easter, Mommy.”

Taylor could feel Reece standing beside her. Her skin hummed with the vibration he alone created for her.

He cleared his throat. “May I?”

Taylor stood up and handed him the box.

With a gentle touch, he took the delicate orchid out. His hand lingering as he swept her hair back, then pinned the corsage to her sweater. “You look beautiful,” he murmured huskily into her ear.

They both looked over to see Edith pinning her own corsage in a no-nonsense fashion. “There now, I believe we have a little girl very eager for her egg hunt.”

All of them focused their attention on Emily who stood, basket ready, hand on the doorknob to the patio. “Can we go now?” she pleaded.

They all laughed. “Go on, Emily. I saw the bunny out there very busy this morning.”

Emily opened the door and zipped outside. Edith followed. Taylor’s hand sparked with sensation as Reece slipped his hand over hers. Together they walked to the patio where a table set for brunch awaited them.

For a half hour Emily darted about the yard, snatching colored eggs from birdbaths, bushes, and grassy nooks, while the adults enjoyed their conversation, pastries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. She lugged the full basket back, groaning dramatically as she hefted it onto the patio table.

“There’s still more out there, sunshine. I think you missed a few,” Reece teased as Emily popped open three eggs and downed the candy.

Emily licked her lips. “I’m going to get them, but I need help.” She leaned into Taylor’s leg and gave her an imploring look. “Mommy, will you please help me?”

Taylor set down her glass and got out of the chair to follow Emily back out into the yard.

“Make sure you find them all,” Edith called from her seat on the patio. Taylor turned and smiled at her.

They looked high and low and found only a handful of the colored spheres as Taylor let Emily search. But when they passed the same blue egg four times, Taylor couldn’t resist the urge to point it out to Emily. “I think there’s one over there, sweetie.”

“Where?”

“Near the bottom of the bushes.”

Emily peeked down there. She grasped the egg and shook it. “I don’t think this one has anything in it.”

Taylor grinned. “Why is that?”

“It doesn’t rattle. All the ones with candy in them rattle. Open it, Mommy. Let’s see what’s inside.”

Taylor laughed, infected with her daughter’s excitement. She gave the egg a twist and popped off the narrow end. A scarlet strip of satin spilled out of the egg, revealing a glittering diamond ring underneath.

For a moment she couldn’t breathe. She shivered, the hairs on her arms lifting as she sensed Reece’s presence behind her. He slid his hands around her waist and turned her gently to face him, and then he took her hands and bent down on one knee in the soft green grass.

She looked down into his face. His velvety-brown eyes touched her like a caress.

“Taylor, I love you. And as good as it is to be parents with you, I want something more with you. I want a future and I want memories. I want to be with you always. Will you marry me?”

Taylor gasped and put a shaking hand up to her mouth. This was all wrong, but it was also so right. Inside she felt splintered in two. She should have told him about the baby. Now she had no choice. She couldn’t marry him without him knowing.

“I can’t.”

Reece’s grasp on her hands slipped a little as he stood.

“Don’t you love me?”

She wanted to cry, but she nodded.

“Then what’s the problem? We love each other; we have a wonderful daughter…”

“You don’t understand.”

He tilted his head to one side, his eyes searching hers.

“Is there someone else?”

She nibbled her lip.

“You could say that,” Edith called loudly from the patio.

His face fell. Reece quirked a brow, asking her what Edith meant without saying a word.

“I’m, I’m pregnant with your baby,” she stammered, then swallowed, preparing herself for the pain that would hit when he pushed her away.

Reece frowned, his gaze traveling instantly to her stomach. “How?”

Taylor glanced down at Emily, who was wedged in between them, then locked her eyes with his once more. She bit at her lip, choosing her words carefully. “The usual way.”

His eyes widened his hand slowly reached out. “Really? You’re sure?”

She nodded.

His face transformed, a small, tentative smile spreading out and growing until his whole face lit up. Reece let out a loud peal of laughter and grabbed her tight. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing!”

“I was so afraid to tell you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I didn’t want you to feel trapped or obligated to marry me.”

He caressed her cheek with the pad of his thumb, then reached down and picked up Emily, who was wedged in between them.

Reece wrapped an arm around her waist as Emily locked her arms around their necks. “I’ve never wanted anything more. Thank you for giving me a family again—for making me whole again. Thank you…for everything. I love you, Taylor, and I always will.” He kissed her soundly. And for the first time Taylor felt her family—and her life—was complete.

About the Author

The progeny of a slightly mad NASA scientist and a tea-drinking bibliophile who turned the family dining room into a library, Theresa Meyers learned early the value of a questioning mind, lots of books, and a good china teapot. But it wasn’t until third grade that Theresa overcame her dyslexia enough to learn to read, going on to make words her life’s work. With a degree in Mass Communications, she became first a journalist, then a public relations officer in both the corporate and agency realm. But by far the most challenging has been using her writing skills to pen contemporary, paranormal, and steampunk romance novels in the turret office of her Seattle-area Victorian home. She’s spent nearly a quarter of a century with the boy who took her to the prom, drinks tea with milk and sugar, is an adamant fan of the television show
Supernatural
, and has an indecent love of hats. When she’s not writing, reading, sewing, canning, or running herd on the small menagerie of farm animals on her minifarm, she’s often online at
www.twitter.com/Theresa_Meyers
or at
www.theresameyers.com
.
If you’re more the pen and paper type, you can always write to her at P.O. Box 25, Port Orchard, WA 98366.