Page 19 of Cinderella's Secret Baby

“My marriage to Eden was supposed to demonstrate that I wasn’t like my father. That I’m a steady man who is a paragon of family values.”

She sat back. “Do you hear how cold that sounds? Weren’t you marrying because you love each other?”

“We like each other. Past tense on her part, I imagine.” His mouth curled with self-deprecation. “But our marriage made sense in concrete ways. You’re judging me again.” His eyes narrowed. “There were sound business reasons, and we were both ready to start a family. Arranged marriage is not forced marriage. You feel a lot more comfortable merging fortunes if it will go to children you make together.”

“It’s none of my business.” She tried to sound as though she meant it. Believed it. “I just wouldn’t sign up for a loveless marriage myself. That’s all.”

“No?” His tone had the precision of a scalpel. “Because it’s an effective way to address needs that go beyond romantic delusions.”

“Excuse me,” she huffed. “If you weren’t in love with Eden, that’s fine. In fact, I’m glad.” A little too glad. “It means you won’t blame me for your broken heart, but love isn’t a delusion.”

“That kind isn’t,” he said, waving at the blanket.

Peyton had fallen asleep, so Amelia anchored the blanket with her chin and wrangled to cover herself while trying not to wake her daughter.

“But what did you tell me last year?” Hunter challenged lightly. “That you had recently broken up after a long relationship. You thought you loved him, but you were wrong. Delusion.”

“That was a very specific case.” Of a man who had led her on because he was trying to get her into bed. When she had asked him to wait, he had cheated on her. She didn’t like revisiting her naivete, and she didn’t appreciate having her words thrown back in her face.

She loosely wrapped the blanket around Peyton and adjusted the infant’s position on her bent arm.

“I’ll take her so you can eat.” He rose, and Amelia was too bemused to protest as Hunter picked her up. He was careful not to wake her, and he made sure the blanket was smooth, not bunched beneath her.

He looked surprisingly confident, as though he had been settling Peyton in the crook of his arm since the day she was born. There was even a ruefulness in his gaze as he sat and looked at his daughter in a way that made Amelia’s heart swoop.

She picked up her chopsticks and shoved a bite in her mouth, but couldn’t swallow past the lump in her throat. In her heart of hearts, she had wanted him to look at Peyton that way, but witnessing it was too much to bear. It sparked a panicked sense of threat in her, forcing her to face that theywouldshare custody. She already begrudged him the time she would miss with her daughter.

“What is your vision of marriage? Fall in love with the guy from the hardware store and hope it works out?”

“What’s wrong with wanting to fall for a decent guy with a decent job? My mom worked at the sewing store and fell for the guy from the salt mine. They...” She shrugged, growing teary again because it had seemed like a very simple, common dream that should be attainable by anyone, but it had eventually turned to ash. Now it seemed further beyond her reach than ever. “They were very happy, and I always thought I would have what they had. The house wasn’t fancy and our cars were always used and practical. There were tough times when interest rates went up and Dad was laid off, but it was a very loving home. My brother was my best friend, and he made me boxed mac and cheese when Mom had to work late. Dad taught me to ride a bike and built us a tree house.”

“That’s what you want for Peyton?”

“Now who’s judging?” She lifted her chin, but after a moment, her spine softened and she found herself drawing patterns in a smear of soy sauce with the tips of her chopsticks. “It was what I wanted when I was growing up. I wanted to be a teacher so I could have summers off with my kids. Mom would take them on weekends so I could go on date nights with my husband. She would make cookies and Uncle Jasper would take them fishing with Dad.”

Don’t. Cry.

She sat up straight and took a big gulp of cold water.

“I can still have pieces of that,” she reminded herself. “Maybe I’ll still fall for the hardware guy. Maybe he’ll already have a child of his own. Hopefully Peyton will be as close to his kids as I was to Jasper. It’s not a lost dream, just a different one, but I’m not ready to think about it, so I don’t.”

“I don’t want that.”

“Yes, I know. I saw what you want.” God, Eden was so beautiful. Everything about that wedding had been first class. They would have had their whole lifetime planned, from skiing in Europe to going on African safaris over spring break. Their children would have gone to all the top schools, starting in preschool all the way to the best university. Then they would marry another elite like they were and the legacy would continue.

“No.” His features grew craggy with tension. “I don’t want her to have a stepfather. I want her to haveme.”

She opened her mouth, made herself pause and grasp at her patience, but there really was a limit to how much of her life she would let him dictate.

“I can see why stepparents would be a sore spot for you. I get it. I do. Plus, you’re only starting to bond with her so you don’t want me dating anyone and messing with that. I’m not planning to. If I did, I would wait ages before introducing them to her and I swear I would let you meet them first, so quit feeling threatened.”

“No. Amelia.” His smile was so patronizing she wanted to roll her eyes. “I want her to have both of us. In the same house. We can give her as many brothers and sisters as you want.”

“I—” She scratched her brow, genuinely lost because he couldn’t be suggesting what she thought he was suggesting. “What?”

“I want us to marry.”

“No,” she said reflexively.

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