LITMIR.BIZ

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in a chair and deposited two cloth grocery bags in the kitchen. Then he turned to face her. “Is there a problem?”

      She shifted from one foot to the other. Luc was wearing a suit and tie, and she felt like Daisy Duke facing off with Daddy Warbucks. “This union won’t last forever. After all the money you’re spending to help Deedee and me, you shouldn’t have to finance the next phase of my life, as well. I thought it might be prudent to have something to fall back on in the future.”

      He nudged a corner of her navy plaid futon/chair with the toe of his highly polished wing tip, giving the sad, misshapen piece a dismissive glance. “When that happens, I won’t cast off you and the child to live with cheap, secondhand furniture. I have a reputation to uphold in this town. Image is everything. You’re going to have to face the truth, Hattie. You’re marrying a rich man—whether you like it or not.”

      The mockery in his words and on his face was not veiled this time. He was lashing out at her for what she’d done in the past. Fair enough. Back then she had made a big deal about their stations in life. Luc’s money gave him power, and Hattie had been taught at her mother’s knee never to let a man have control.

      The man Hattie called “daddy” was really her stepfather. As a nineteen-year-old, her mother had been that most naive of clichés…the secretary who had an affair with her boss. When Hattie’s mom told her lover she was pregnant, he tossed her aside and never looked back.

      Hattie lifted her chin. “It was never about the money,” she insisted. “Or not only the money. Look at what your life has become, Luc. You’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. I’m a public school teacher. I clip coupons and drive a ten-year-old car. Even before I began helping with my mother’s finances, I lived a very simple lifestyle.”

      He curled a lip. “Is this where I cue the violins?”

      “Oh, forget it,” she huffed. “This is an old argument. What’s the point?”

      He shrugged. “What’s the point indeed?” He picked up the duffel bag. “Dinner will keep a few minutes. Do you mind if I change clothes? I came straight from the office.”

      “The baby is asleep in my room, but the bathroom’s all yours. I’ll set out the food.”

      She had rummaged in the bags only long enough to see that Luc’s largesse was nothing as common as pizza, when a loud knock sounded at the door. She glanced through the peephole and drew in a breath. Eddie. Good grief. Reluctantly, she opened the door.

      He reeked of alcohol and swayed slightly on his feet. “Where’s my baby girl? I want to see her.”

      She shushed him with a quick glance over her shoulder. “She’s in bed. Babies sleep at this hour of night. Why don’t you call me in the morning, and we’ll agree on a time for you to come by?”

      He stuck a foot in the doorway, effectively keeping her from closing him out. “Or why don’t I call the police and tell them you’ve kidnapped my kid?”

      It was an idle threat. They both knew it. Hattie had already consulted a lawyer, and a nurse at the hospital had heard Angela’s dying request. Nevertheless, Eddie’s bluster curled Hattie’s stomach. She didn’t want to be in the middle of a fight with Deedee as the prize.

      “Go away, Eddie,” she said forcefully, her voice low. “This isn’t a good time. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

      Without warning, he grabbed her shoulders and manhandled her backward into the apartment. “Like hell.” He shoved her so hard, she stumbled into the wall. Her head hit with a muffled thud, and she saw little yellow spots.

      He lunged for her again, but before his meaty fists could make contact, Luc exploded down the hallway, grabbed the intruder by the neck and put a chokehold on him. Eddie’s face turned an alarming shade of purple before Hattie could catch her breath.

      Luc was steely-eyed. “Call the cops.”

      “But I don’t want…”

      His expression gentled. “It’s the right thing to do. Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you to deal with this alone.”

      The response to the 911 call was gratifying. Just before the two uniformed officers arrived, Luc stuck his face nose to nose with Eddie’s. “If I ever see you near my fiancée again, I’ll tear you apart. Got it?”

      Eddie was drunk enough to be reckless. “Fiancée? Yeah, right. If she was telling my daddy the truth about you and her, then where’s the fancy diamond ring?”

      “I had to order it,” Luc responded smoothly. “It happens to be in my pocket even as we speak. But some jackass has ruined our romantic evening.”

      The conversation ended abruptly as Hattie opened the door to the police. They took Luc’s statement, handcuffed Eddie and were gone in under twenty minutes.

      In the sudden silence, Hattie dropped into a chair, her legs boneless and weak in the aftermath of adrenaline. Thank God the baby hadn’t been awakened by all the commotion.

      Luc crouched beside her, his eyes filled with concern. “Let me see your head.” He parted her hair gently, exclaiming when he saw the goose egg that had popped up.

      She moved restlessly. “I’m fine. Really. All I need is some Tylenol. And a good night’s sleep.”

      Luc cursed under his breath. “Don’t move.” After bringing her medicine and water with which to wash down the tablets, he created a makeshift ice bag with a dish towel and pressed it to the side of her head. “Hold this.” He lifted her in his arms and laid her gently on the ugly sofa. “Rest. I’ll fix us a couple of plates.”

      He was back in no time. The smells alone made Hattie want to whimper with longing. Her stomach growled loudly.

      He put a hand on her shoulder. “No need to get up yet. I’ll feed you.”

      “Don’t be ridiculous.” But when she tried to sit upright, her skull pounded.

      He eased her back down. “You don’t have to fight me over every damn thing. Open your mouth.” He fed her small manageable bites of chicken piccata and wild rice. While she chewed and swallowed, he dug into his own portion.

      Hattie muttered in frustration when one of her mouthfuls landed on the sofa cushion. “See what you made me do…”

      “Don’t worry,” he deadpanned. “A few stains could only help this monstrosity.”

      She eyed him, openmouthed, and then they both burst into laughter. Hattie felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. She told herself it was nothing more than delayed reaction. But in truth, it was Luc. When he forgot to be on his guard with her, she saw a glimpse of the young man she had loved so desperately.

      She wondered with no small measure of guilt if her long-ago defection had transformed the boy she once knew so well into the hard-edged, sardonic Luc. A million times over the years she had second-guessed her decision. It had been gratifying to establish a career and to stand on her own two feet. Her mother had been proud of Hattie’s independence and success in her chosen field.

      But at what cost?

      When the last of the food was consumed, the mood grew awkward. Luc gathered their empty plates. “Stay where you are. You have to deal with Deedee in the morning, so you might as well rest while you can.”

      She lay there quietly, wondering bleakly how her life had unraveled so quickly. Two months ago she’d been an ordinary single woman with a circle of friends, a good job and a pleasant social life. Now she was a substitute parent facing a custody battle and trying to combat a tsunami of feelings for the man who had once upon a time been her other half, her soul mate. Was it any wonder she felt overwhelmed?

      A trickle of water from melting ice slid down her cheek. She sat up and sucked in a breath when a hammer thudded inside her skull. The food she had eaten rolled unpleasantly in her stomach.

      Luc frowned as he

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