His Pregnancy Bargain (17 page)

‘Yes, but look what I got at the end of it,' Megan, who seemed to have miraculously forgotten the pushing and pain, gloated joyously.

‘Your wife actually had a very easy labour considering this was her first,' the midwife told him.

‘Easy!'
Luc exclaimed. ‘She was incredible,' he retorted indignantly.

The midwife smiled indulgently. ‘Of course she was.'

‘I couldn't have done it without you.'

Luc glanced down and saw Megan was looking at him. ‘Me!' he exclaimed. ‘I didn't do anything.' It had been the inability to help that had been the worst aspect of the entire experience.

Megan looked astonished. ‘You were incredible,' she retorted. ‘I definitely couldn't have done it without you,' she added firmly. ‘You kept me focused.'

‘Really?'

‘Absolutely,' she told him with complete conviction. ‘Look at her fingers, Luc, and she's got so much hair.' She tentatively touched the abundant silky dark hair that covered their daughter's tiny head. ‘I've never seen a baby with so much hair…
she's
so perfect.'

The tiny bundle opened her eyes.

‘She knows we're talking about her,' Luc said.

‘Do you think her eyes will stay blue?' Megan wanted to know.

‘Of course, she looks exactly like you.'

‘Oh, no, she looks like you…well, I hope she does anyway.'

‘Why on earth would you hope she looks like me?'

‘Because, Luc, you're very much prettier than I am.' She laughed when Luc looked deeply embarrassed by her observation.

‘Would Dad like to hold the baby while I help you to freshen up and put you in your own nightgown?'

Dad
looked shocked at the suggestion. ‘Thanks. I'm…actually…'

‘Go on, Luc,' Megan urged. ‘You might as well get used to it if you're going to be a hands-on dad. She won't break, you know.'

For a long time Luc just looked at the sleeping baby in his arms. When his eyes lifted Megan saw there was a gleam of moisture in those fantastic silvery depths.

‘I think we should get married.'

Megan froze.

‘You don't have to answer now…think about it.'

T
HERE
wasn't much time to think about anything. The first six weeks were the worst, Megan had read somewhere. That meant they were halfway through. She would never have believed that one small creature could demand so much attention. They hadn't had the time or energy to continue the conversation they had started just before the dash to the hospital.

Their personal life had gone on hold. Everything revolved around Rachel, as they had named their daughter. Megan and Luc were both suffering from sleep deprivation big time, although the mirrors told her it showed more on her face than his!

Megan hadn't actually been keen on the spa idea, but Luc had insisted she needed some time to herself and rather to her surprise she had actually enjoyed being pampered. Despite this she was glad that the pedicure was her last treatment; she wanted to go home.

‘I wish someone had treated me to a day at a spa after I had my baby.' The girl who was painting her toenails a pretty pearly shade sighed enviously. ‘How old is your baby?'

Megan's face softened. ‘She's three weeks now. This is the first time I've been away from her.' She glanced at the silent mobile phone—she had made Luc promise to ring if anything went wrong.

‘Three weeks and you have your waist back…you lucky thing. It was six months before I could get into my jeans.' She patted her midriff with a sigh. ‘I'm still a good ten pounds heavier than I was before I got pregnant.'

Megan smiled. She knew the girl was being kind—she
had lost some of her pregnancy weight but she still had a long way to go.

Driving back home, she decided it was time she gave Luc the answer he had been so patiently waiting for. She would marry him. Her heart beat faster in anticipation as she got closer to home.

 

Luc was in the library; so was the small, delicate-looking brunette. She was talking and Luc was listening. From where she was standing Megan could not see his expression, but the woman looked emotional. The tear stains on her cheeks suggested she had recently been crying.

‘I've been such a fool, Luc. Can you ever forgive me? It's not too late, is it?'

Megan felt as though she had walked into one of her own nightmares as Luc said, ‘Gracie, I wish—'

Megan was as startled as the couple standing there appeared to be by her shockingly loud, ‘No!'

‘Megan, you're home.'

‘Sorry, am I back too early?'

Luc's jaw tightened as he absorbed the hostility and pain shining in her eyes.

‘Don't be angry with her, Luc,' the other woman said quickly, laying a restraining hand on his arm. ‘Megan, I'm Grace,' she added.

‘I know who you are.'

‘Megan, this is—'

‘This must be very difficult for you,' his ex-wife interjected softly.

Megan's chin went up. ‘In what way difficult?'

‘You do know who I am?'

‘You're the woman that Luc used to be married to.' She ignored the other woman totally and turned to Luc. ‘Did you plan this, Luc?'

‘No, I swear—I know how this looks, but I didn't know she was coming.'

Megan exhaled and nodded. ‘Have you had a cup of tea, Grace? I'm sorry, I don't know your surname.'

The older woman was looking a little confused. ‘No, I'm afraid you don't understand—'

‘Oh, yes, I understand perfectly,' Megan contradicted with a smile.

Luc, who had been poised to intervene, leaned back against the wall, his arms folded across his chest.

‘I still love Luc.'

‘I don't think so,' Megan said, still smiling. ‘A woman who loves a man doesn't walk out on him when he needs her most.' Her glance flickered briefly in the direction of the tall, silent figure whose eyes hadn't left her face for a second since she'd begun to speak. She stopped smiling. ‘A woman who loves a man doesn't kick him when he's down.'

‘It wasn't that way at all,' Luc's ex-wife protested flushing to the roots of her hair. ‘I never stopped loving him. He never stopped loving me!' she declared in a voice that throbbed with emotion.

The brunette looked so beautiful and sounded so convincing that for a moment Megan's resolve faltered. This was the woman whose very existence had threatened her but now she almost felt sorry for her.

‘He doesn't love you anymore.' She tempered her announcement by adding gently, ‘I'm sure he'll always have a special fondness for you, but what you and Luc had ended a long time ago.' Her eyes turned towards the tall, silent presence and almost imperceptibly he nodded. Megan exhaled. ‘You can't turn to him every time something goes wrong in your life.'

‘You have no idea what you're talking about. Luc loves me.' Her voice rose to a shrill crescendo as she added, ‘He always has and he always will. He's only with you because of the baby.'

‘Rachel.' Luc's voice made both women turn to look at him. ‘Our daughter's name is Rachel.'

Grace gave an uninterested shrug. ‘Oh, it's a girl, is it?'

‘Did she sleep?' Megan asked.

‘She was fine—at least she was when I wheeled her pram around the garden. Every time I stopped she woke up.'

‘This is all very interesting,' began Grace, who had listened to this interchange with a bemused expression, ‘but—'

Luc's ex was obviously a woman who didn't enjoy being ignored. ‘The fact is, Grace, Luc and I are going to be married, not because of Rachel, but because we love one another.' The eyes she turned to the tall man who was walking towards her sparkled with unshed tears.

Luc crossed the room to her in two impetuous strides. ‘You're sure, Megan?' His anxious eyes scanned her face. Whatever he saw in the shimmering blue depths made the tension drain from his body.

‘Totally,' she tried to say, but he was already kissing her.

Grace stood rooted to the spot as a passionate embrace was exchanged.

‘Right, well, let me be the first to congratulate you both.' She gave a brittle laugh. ‘Luc always wanted a family. I just hope this domestic scene doesn't turn out to be a case of the grass is always greener.'

The formal leave-taking was predictably awkward, but when Grace had driven away in her bright red Porsche Megan came down with a case of delayed guilt.

‘I wasn't very nice to her.'

‘Yeah, I noticed that,' her husband-to-be murmured.

‘But she did come here to steal you,' she added in her own defence. ‘And I couldn't let her do that, could I?'

Luc framed her face in his hands. ‘You were totally magnificent!' he declared. ‘You blew me away. When you walked in I thought you'd think…'

‘I did for a split second,' she admitted.

‘What changed your mind?'

‘I just knew that even though you've never said you love me that you do. You show your love a hundred times a day,
Luc.' He was showing it now with his eyes as he looked into her face.

‘I know I've never said it, Megan,' Luc responded in a suspiciously thickened voice. ‘I said it once before and I didn't mean it…I thought I did. With you it was different, but I was afraid that if I gave what I felt for you a name I would jinx it. But…'

Tears welling in her yes, Megan pressed a finger to his lips. ‘You don't have to say it for me, Luc.'

‘But I do for me. I didn't know what real love felt like,' he interjected. ‘I do now, Megan. I love you with all my heart. My life would be empty without you in it.'

She ran a hand lovingly down the strong curve of his cheek and he turned his head and kissed her palm. Megan's tummy muscles quivered receptively. ‘And mine without you,' she told him simply.

Unable to resist the temptation of her lips any longer, Luc sealed his mouth to hers. ‘You know,' he teased as they drew apart breathing hard, ‘I think I fell in love with your mouth about five seconds before I fell in love with the rest of you. Or maybe it was your voice…did I ever mention it flows…?'

‘You did and you knew exactly what you were doing to me,' she accused.

Luc laughed.

‘Talking of voices…?'

They both stopped and listened to the fretful murmurs emerging from the baby alarm Luc carried in his pocket. They both knew that if ignored those hungry baby sounds could and would get a lot louder.

‘Sorry,' Megan said ruefully.

‘Not to worry—we'll steal a moment or two to seal our engagement with a bit more than a kiss. But for now…'

Emerging from the long, lingering kiss with a smile on her face, Megan pulled his dark head towards her and whis
pered in his ear. ‘It's going to take a lot more than a moment or even two.'

‘Sounds good to me,' Luc murmured, as, hand in hand, they went to attend to the demands of their new daughter.