Ready-Made Bride

a pesky gnat, forcing him to acknowledge everything Megan could offer his son.

“What will happen to Andrew if we don’t get married?” she asked, her hands twisting anxiously at her waist. “Will Mrs. Henderson still give the Lindens temporary custody?”

Probably, he thought, unable to ignore the anger and bitterness the thought evoked. He moved to the living room window, braced a forearm on the casing and watched Andrew kick a soccer ball around on the front lawn. God, it would kill him to lose his son, the one person who made a difference in his life.

He sighed heavily. “Once you leave, I’ll handle Mrs. Henderson, so don’t worry about Andrew.”

“How can I not?” she said, her voice rising in anger. “Kane, what happened this afternoon was my fault.”

He glanced over his shoulder, giving her a halfhearted grin. “Like Mrs. Henderson said, I was a willing party.”

“If Andrew becomes torn in a custody battle as a result of what happened, I’ll never forgive myself.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Especially if we have the ability to spare him that kind of heartache.”

“Megan,” he said softly and with more patience than God gave a saint, “marriage won’t solve my problems with the Lindens.” No, there was too much old hurt and blame between them. If anything, marriage to another woman would give the Lindens another reason to resent him.

“Maybe not completely, but they won’t ever have any grounds to file for custody.”

True, he thought, knowing that would be one advantage to being married. Andrew would have all the maternal in fluence he currently lacked. Another advantage would be a warm, willing wife in his bed, and a shared passion Kane knew he’d never tire of. Desire stirred within him at the image of making love with Megan, of burying himself so deeply in her body that he forgot all the differences that separated them.

But in the light of dawn, reality had a nasty habit of putting everything into its proper perspective. Their differences were vast and very complicated. His guard would have to remain intact to protect his pride. He would have to keep his emotions withdrawn.

She was willing to sacrifice so much, and he had nothing substantial to offer her in exchange. His simple way of life couldn’t much compare to her life in Seattle.

That thought brought to mind an interesting question. “You have a life in Seattle. Why are you so willing to give it up for a small town like Linden? There’s nothing for you here.”

“Andrew is here,” she said simply.

He shook his head in amazement, baffled at how one little boy could mean so much to her that she’d relocate without a moment’s pause. “But your life is in Seattle.”

She gave a short laugh that held more sadness than humor. “My life consists of a shared apartment, a few friends and a career that can relocate as easily as I can.”

“I just don’t get it, Megan. There are plenty of beneficial reasons for me to marry you, especially where Andrew is concerned, but what’s in this for you?”

Her mood suddenly turned somber. “The chance to raise a child.”

He frowned, not understanding her logic. “You don’t need marriage for that.”

“No, not in this modern age of single parenting and artificial insemination,” she agreed wryly. “But I don’t want to be a single parent, and artificial insemination sounds like such a cold process. What I want, what I’ve wanted since I was a young girl, is a family, and that’s what you, Andrew and I can be.”

She made it sound so easy. Too easy. “How come you didn’t have a family with your ex-husband?”

“Because he didn’t want one.”

“That’s why you’re divorced?” he said, guessing.

“Yes. He decided his career in the legal field was more important than having a family, and having a family was too important to me to stay in a childless marriage.” Moving to the couch, she held his gaze steadily, sincerely. “I love the kind of warmth and closeness I share with Andrew, especially since I never had that as a child growing up in foster homes. I know this might sound silly to you, but after years of feeling so out of place, I’ve finally found a place where I feel like I belong.”

“In Linden?” His voice was incredulous.

A small smile touched her mouth. “I never did like the city, but that’s where I was raised and that’s where my ex-husband wanted to stay. It’s so clear and beautiful here, and such a different way of life. Slow. Unencumbered. Wholesome.”

“Try living here your whole life,” he said cynically.

Her expression turned soft and wistful. “I wish I had.”

Their gazes holding, something connected between them. If she’d grown up in Linden, would they have been friends? Or would she have kept her distance like most of the other women? Would he have married Cathy, or would he have fallen hard for Megan and her warm, accepting ways? He couldn’t help but think how different their lives might have turned out if they’d known one another…couldn’t stop the image of her round with his child, excited about the prospect of having a baby. His baby.

“Now that I’ve bared everything about myself,” Megan said, “you know why I wouldn’t hesitate to marry you, move out of state and be with Andrew. I love him very much, and you know I care for you.”

But was that enough? “I know you do, but-”

“It can be a marriage of convenience,” she suggested in a rush, as if sensing a rejection. “Andrew needs a maternal influence, and I can provide that I don’t mind cooking and cleaning and taking care of the house. I can set up a desk over in that corner and write my books here at home and still be here for Andrew on a daily basis.” She worried her bottom lip, her gaze bright with silent invocation. “Kane, I don’t have any motives other than just wanting to be with Andrew. And I don’t want him to be torn between you and the Lindens.”

He believed her, had seen her with Andrew and knew she’d never deliberately hurt him. She made the whole package sound so appealing, but something dark and deeply buried rebelled, reminding him of another woman’s promises… and her ultimate rejection.

Apprehension closed in on him, clouding his judgment. “I don’t know, Megan,” he said, staring at his hands, clasped between his spread thighs. “I never planned on marrying again.”

“I understand,” she said quietly, though there was enough optimism in her voice to make Kane realize that she didn’t understand his reluctance, or his fears. “But please think about my proposition…for Andrew’s sake.”

Megan watched the large, shadowy figure approach the house. She knew it was Kane finally returning from wherever he’d disappeared to after dinner. Her heart skipped a beat, and her fingers curled around the chain holding up the porch swing.

Had he come to a decision? For the rest of the afternoon and early evening she’d replayed their conversation in her mind. And with her realization that living in Linden and helping to raise Andrew was what she wanted came the acceptance that she was in love with Kane.

The emotion had crept up on her, slowly taking residence in her heart right next to the love she harbored for Andrew. Being in love with Kane was both a frightening and exciting experience, much like being on a nonstop roller coaster. A small smile touched her lips. No doubt life with Kane would be just that, a wild, reckless ride full of dips, turns and surprises.

He shuffled up the steps, and when the light swept over his face, she saw the day’s accumulation of weariness reflected in his eyes. He’d obviously struggled to come to a decision, and she silently prayed he’d realized how much they could offer one another.

He sat on the opposite end of the swing, his weight causing the wood to creak. “Where’s Andrew?” he asked, casting a quick glance through the screen door.

“Taking a bath.”

“Good.” His gaze met hers, dark and stormy with reluctant acquiescence. “Andrew is the most important thing in my life, and I don’t want to lose him, and I don’t want him to be torn between a custody battle between me and his grandparents.”

“I don’t, either,” she said softly.

He rubbed his palms down the denim encasing his thighs. “I’ve decided to accept your proposal.”

“I’m glad,” she said evenly, suppressing the impulse to throw her arms around his neck and express her gratitude with a kiss for the precious gift he was giving her.

He slanted her a wry look. “Yeah, well, before you sacrifice yourself at the altar, there’s a few things I want you