LITMIR.BIZ

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the right person to be his wife. I did the right thing by breaking it off. You know I did.”

      He let go of her and sat back, brooding, surly. “Then how do you explain this?” He waved a hand. “You damn sure appear to be enjoying the fancy house and the hired help.”

      “Don’t be hateful.”

      “Not hateful, honey. Just stating the facts.”

      “This is all temporary.”

      “Does Luc know that?”

      “Of course he does. When enough time has passed to make our marriage appear to be the real thing, we’ll separate quietly. And I’ll raise Deedee on my own.”

      “And what happens when my softhearted baby brother falls in love with the little girl sleeping upstairs? Will you tear his heart out again by taking her away?”

      Hattie closed her eyes, regret raking her with sharp claws. “That won’t happen,” she said weakly.

      “How do you know?” Leo asked quietly. “And how do you know he won’t fall in love with you again?”

      She laughed without amusement. “I can assure you that is not a possibility. Luc’s helping me because he’s a good man. But he’s made it very clear that this is strictly business.”

      “And you believe him?”

      “Why would he lie?”

      “To protect himself perhaps?”

      “From what?”

      “The correct answer is from whom. You, Hattie. A man never forgets his first love. Why else would he turn his entire life upside down in a matter of days?”

      “I think he’s hoping for some payback, if you want to know the truth. I know I hurt him. I’m not stupid. This is his chance to be in control. To make me fall in line, not in love.”

      “How so?”

      “He made it very clear that he has no feelings for me anymore.”

      Leo shook his head. “You don’t know anything at all about men, sweetheart. If that’s what he said, he’s kidding himself. He sounds like a man who knows his own limits and is covering his ass.”

      * * *

      Hattie mulled over Leo’s words, torn between embarrassment and hope.

      She was on the bed playing with Deedee when the master of the house came home. It surprised her that he sought her out. They had barely spoken a dozen words in the last week.

      He looked tired. Not for the first time, she pondered the unfairness of what she had asked him to do. But what choice did she have? On her own, Eddie’s family would have eaten her alive. And Luc had jumped at the opportunity to throw his weight around. So why did she feel guilty?

      He sat down on the corner of the bed and grinned at Deedee. She wriggled her way across the mattress toward him in a sort of commando crawl. He scooped her up and held her toward the ceiling. “Hey, kiddo. What mischief have you been up to today?”

      Deedee squealed with laughter, her round cheeks pink with exertion. Luc nuzzled her tummy and lowered her to blow raspberries against her belly button.

      Hattie watched them, her heart warmed by the budding connection man and infant shared. “She really likes you.”

      Luc glanced at Hattie. “The feeling is mutual.”

      His obvious enjoyment of something as simple as playing with a baby brought Leo’s words rushing back. In all the time Hattie had thought about what would happen when the marriage ended, she had never considered the toll on Luc and her niece. Deedee would still be young. She wouldn’t even remember Luc after a few months. But would Luc grieve?

      Damn Leo for planting doubts.

      Luc let the baby loose to roam the mattress again. Hattie had surrounded the edge with pillows, so Deedee couldn’t go far. When the child latched on to one of her favorite toys, Luc finally spoke directly to Hattie. “How was your day?”

      The prosaic question surprised her somehow. She leaned back on her elbows. “They delivered the nursery furniture early this morning. Deedee has already napped twice in the new bed and pronounced it quite satisfactory.”

      “Good.” Long awkward silence. “Are you ready for the weekend? Do you need anything?”

      She sat up. “I’m pretty much packed. Ana has been helping me.”

      “And the dress?”

      “I finally found what I wanted yesterday. I hope it will be appropriate.”

      “I’m sure it’s fine.”

      Hattie sighed inwardly. Next thing you know, they’d be discussing the weather. She grabbed Deedee’s ankle and pulled her toward the center of the bed. “Leo came by today.”

      That got Luc’s attention. His eyes narrowed. “What did he want?”

      “Well, apparently you neglected to mention that you were marrying me…or that I came with a baby. He wasn’t happy.”

      Luc shrugged, his expression dangerous. “I don’t make decisions based on Leo’s likes and dislikes. If he doesn’t want to come to the wedding, Sherman can do the honors.”

      “Don’t be so pigheaded. Leo loves you.”

      “Leo believes his fourteen-month head start gives him the obligation to run my life.”

      “I think you should call him.”

      Luc’s face went blank, wiped clean of all emotion. “I’ll see him soon enough.”

      “Fine. Be an arrogant jerk. See if I care.”

      Luc stood up, gazing down at Hattie with an odd expression. “Sherman and Ana have the night off.”

      “I know. Did you want me to fix you something for dinner?”

      “I thought we could take the baby on a picnic.”

      “It’s kind of late.”

      “It won’t hurt her to stay up just this once. Will it?”

      “I guess not. I’ll need to change, though.”

      He eyed her snug yellow T-shirt and khaki shorts. “You’re fine. Let’s go. I’m starving.”

      Luc had a garage full of expensive cars for every occasion. They took one of the more sedate sedans, a sporty Cadillac, and Luc moved the car seat. On the way, he dialed his favorite Chinese restaurant for takeout. Ten minutes later a helpful employee ran three bags out to the curb. The young man smiled hugely when Luc handed over a hundred and told the kid to keep the change.

      Hattie wasn’t prepared for their destination. Atlanta had many lovely spots for al fresco dining, but Piedmont Park brought back too many memories. Had Luc chosen the location on purpose?

      As Hattie freed Deedee from her seat, Luc gathered the food, a blanket from the trunk, a bottle of chilled wine and a corkscrew he’d added before they left the house. It was a perfect spring evening. The park was crowded, but after a few minutes’ walk, they found a quiet spot away from Frisbees and footballs.

      Deedee had eaten earlier, so Hattie buckled her into a small, portable seat with a tray and fed her Cheerios while Luc opened containers. The smells made Hattie’s stomach growl.

      She snagged an egg roll. “This looks heavenly. I’m probably going to make a pig of myself.”

      Luc ran his gaze from her long legs all the way up past her waist to her modest breasts. “A few extra pounds wouldn’t do you any harm.”

      The intimacy in his voice caught her off guard. What kind of game was he playing?

      They ate leisurely, rarely speaking,

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