Page 62 of Vegas Baby

“There is never any guarantee marriage will work without work. Are you trying to tell me you don’t love her?”

“Yes, it’s exactly what I’m telling you,” he said.

“You look like him, and sometimes I can hear his voice in yours, but you’re not anything like my son. I should know. I’m his mother.”

“David has nothing to do with this, Grams. Raina and I are two adults who decided to do the right thing by our child. If it doesn’t work out, I will have a place in the child’s life and so will you.”

She cast him an appraising stare, as if she could see through the veil of fear he carried with him. While illogical, a small part of him was afraid he was more like David than he cared to admit.

“Looking at you two, I would never have guessed it was the case. I haven’t seen you this relaxed since, well since I don’t know when. She’s a good influence on you and even a blind man could see you like her.”

“I do like her and that’s a plus. We don’t have any expectations and the reason why we’re a good fit. Her parents never married and her dad…well, her dad is the owner of the Pioneers, a real d—difficult guy.”

She poured a cup of flour into another bowl and added eggs. “Raina is a billionaire? Are there any more surprises you have for me?”

“Her father is rich, she isn’t. Raina didn’t grow up around him, but she works for him. Part of the arranged marriage thing is getting to know each other’s families, to see if we have any skeletons in the closet we should run away from.”

“If she didn’t run from yours, I think you’re in the clear,” she said.

Raking his hand through his hair, he settled it on the back of his neck. “Yes, let’s hope. I have to admit; I really want this to work out. There are no illusions between us. It’s a contract with both sides aware of the risks and rewards.”

She rolled her eyes, pragmatic to a fault. “Marriage isn’t a contract. It’s two people working together towards a common goal.”

“Man, you sound like the sunrise yoga instructor in Nevada,” he said, taking the stirring stick she handed him along with the dough mixture. He began to fold the ingredients. “A contract is also two people working together for a common goal. Except it sets realistic boundaries two parties agree to comply with.”

Worried eyes met his. “Life isn’t a contract or a negotiation. What happens if you find someone you do love?”

He glanced away. Finding love wasn’t an option for him, at least not one he craved. “It hasn’t happened yet.”

“What if she finds someone she loves? Then what?”

He stirred the thickening dough with more force, uncomfortable about where this conversation was heading. Two things were spelled out in their marriage contract that would send them straight to divorce court, the fidelity clause, or if she lost the baby before the nine months were up. At this juncture, he wasn’t anticipating either one but the one constant in life was change. “We’ll cross the bridge when we come to it. Statistically, arranged marriages have a much greater chance of success because it’s based on mutual socio-economic factors. We both came from broken homes, work in the same field, and hang out in the same social circles.” Man, he sounded like a walking ad for some dating match site.

“You don’t have to convince me,” she said, oiling a pie pan.

No, he didn’t have to convince her or anyone that this was the best thing for him. Grams knew a lot but even as a kid, he’d spared her every dirty detail of David’s abuse both emotionally and physically. “It’s a moot point regardless. We married, and we want to try to make it work.”

Grams flashed a loving smile, one which always seemed to warm his heart. “And nobody wishes you more luck than me. She’s kind and funny, everything I want for you in a wife and if this makes you happy, then I’m happy.”

He kissed her forehead, more moved by her sincerity than he’d anticipated. This was an agreement between two willing partners. Respect and a mutual attraction were more than what most married people had, right? Or was he fooling himself into thinking that being in love didn’t matter. He’d always resisted the possibility; the alternative was painful. In the long run, what made a couple strong was committing to a common goal.

Love was fleeting but moral conduct stayed the long course. If it didn’t work out, then it wasn’t meant to be. No matter how he played it, she’d be a part of his life because of their child, a child he’d never abandon.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“How was the country? Did you get attacked by raccoons?” Trent asked over the phone.

Raina finished tossing the salad, her gaze moving to the clock on the back of the stove. Where was Howler? After they’d returned from Grams, he’d left for another business trip. Five lonely nights. “No, just by a couple of possums. How was Cabo? Meet any cute guys?”

Trent rarely stayed still for less than a few hours. In Raina’s opinion, he was trying to run away from a pervasive loneliness but who was she to give somebody else advice? Her life seemed to become more complicated every day. “Boy do I have a story to tell you. Some shit went down you won’t believe. What are you doing for dinner tonight?” Trent asked.

“I’m waiting for Howler to come home. He texted me an hour ago and said he was on his way. We’re having dinner in. I’d invite you over but he’s been gone for almost a week and —” she broke off, biting her lip, forcing herself to take a deep breath. Howler would be there soon enough, and she’d be able to share her news.

Twins.

She was having twins.

But the big question was, what would Howler’s reaction be?

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