Page 62 of A Family Kind of Guy (Forever Family 1)

“No,” Bliss admitted as she slid to t

he ground. While the rest of the world had careened into the future in a mad rush of fax machines, telecommunications, computers and cellular phones, out here the land was the same as it had been for centuries. Fewer wild creatures roamed the hills, and Native Americans no longer claimed this part of the world, but the geography itself seemed unmarred by civilization.

He poured coffee into the cup, handed it to her, then took his from the lid of the thermos. They sat in silence, steam rising from their drinks as they let the dark mantle of the night surround them.

“So tell me about Dee Dee,” she said when the silence became uncomfortable and she found herself sliding glances at his profile. Damn, he was sexy. Crooked nose, high cheekbones, hard jaw, dark beard shadow and heavy eyebrows over intense eyes gave his face character while his body was lean and muscular, rawhide tough and strong.

“A great kid. Despite her parents.”

“You must’ve done something right.”

“I don’t know what.”

She sipped from her cup and the hot brew burned a path down her throat. Dear Lord, what was she doing here, alone with Mason beneath the stars, as a summer breeze played over the land?

He turned to face her and her heart kicked into a faster, more potent cadence. “So—so what happened between you and Terri?”

“Not much. That was the problem.”

“Oh.”

“Your old man convinced me that I should leave and marry her, that she was pregnant with my kid.”

“Wasn’t she?”

“Apparently not.” His words were bitter and harsh.

“But Dee Dee—”

“Wasn’t the baby. That one, I suspect, never existed.”

“What?” Bliss was stunned.

“Oh, Terri claims she miscarried, and before I knew what hit me, she was pregnant again. I think she lied about the first pregnancy because she and I…well, we weren’t together much and then you came along. All of a sudden she turned up pregnant and then you nearly were killed in the accident. Your dad offered me money—more money than I’d ever had before—to disappear and do the ‘right thing’ by Terri, so I did. Then she ‘loses’ the baby. Before I can figure out if I should divorce her, she’s pregnant again.”

“With Dee Dee.”

“Yep.” He took a long swallow from the thermos lid. “And that pregnancy was one of the best things that ever happened to me.” He lifted a shoulder. “But no matter how much you love your kid, if there’re no feelings between you and the mother, then the marriage is doomed.”

Bliss felt empty inside. All the years of envy and jealousy and misunderstanding were such a waste, such a horrid, painful waste. “If only I’d known,” she said with a sigh. “No wonder there’s so much bad blood between you and Dad.”

“He never thought I was good enough for you,” Mason said. “I was a poor kid who had to look out for his younger sister, a screwup who had no business being involved with his daughter, ‘the princess.’ The accident only proved him right.”

“It didn’t.”

“In his mind, Bliss.” He took another gulp of his coffee and tossed the dregs into the grass.

“Well, not in mine.”

“Is that so?”

“Mmm.” She caught the gleam in his eyes and her pulse jumped.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t regret getting involved with me.

“Okay,” she teased, smiling. “I won’t.”

One side of his mouth lifted, revealing an off-center slash of white. “You’re a maddening woman, Bliss Cawthorne.”

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