The Right Reason To Marry

He leaned in. “I also want you to know I’m here for you, Karin. Whatever you need, I’ll make sure that you get it.”

She nodded at him, an indulgent sort of nod, like he was her seven-year-old daughter, or something. He felt a flare of annoyance, that she so easily categorized him as someone she didn’t have to take too seriously.

The annoyance quickly faded as he realized he missed her—missed the real Karin, the woman who kissed him like she couldn’t get enough of the taste of him, the one who was always ready with some wiseass remark.

He wanted the real Karin back.

He also wanted her to learn to count on him, to trust him, though he’d never been the sort of guy who was willing to work to gain a woman’s trust.

But he’d never been almost a father before, either.

Somehow, impending fatherhood changed everything. She was the mother of his child and he wanted her, wanted to be with her, to take care of her.

One way or another, he would get what he wanted.

Karin wasn’t sure she liked the way Liam was looking at her. It was a thoughtful kind of look, a measuring look. It was also intimate, somehow.

He was a beautiful man, all golden and deep-chested, with hard arms and proud shoulders. It would be so good, to have those arms around her, to rest against that strong chest. Looking at him now, in the gray light of this chilly fall morning, she couldn’t help wishing...

No.

Never mind.

Bad idea.

She and Liam weren’t a couple and they never would be.

“So,” she said to break the lengthening silence between them, “What’s with the bag of books?”

“Research.” He granted her a proud smile. “You know, first-time fatherhood, pregnancy, labor and delivery. All that. I’ve got a lot to catch up on and I’ve been doing my homework. I stayed up late trying to get a handle on all the stuff I need to know.”

He was too sweet. He really was.

She’d been awake half the night, too, feeling bad about everything. And now she sat across from him waiting for him to get thoroughly pissed off at her—that she’d gotten pregnant in the first place when he used a condom every time. That she didn’t bust to the baby when she broke it off with him and then, for all those months and months, that she’d never once reached out to let him know he was going to be a dad. He probably wondered if she ever would have told him.

And frankly, if he hadn’t spotted her at the supermarket yesterday, she had no idea when she would have pulled up her big-girl panties and gotten in touch with the guy.

They stared at each other across the endless expanse of Sten’s coffee table. Liam looked like he had a million things to tell her—tender things. Kind things. Helpful things.

The man truly wasn’t angry. Not yet, anyway. He was sweet and sincere and he just seemed to want to be there for her and for the baby, to do the right thing.

His kindness reminded her sharply of how much she’d liked him when they met up again last year. In addition to his general charm and hotness, Liam Bravo, high school heartbreaker, had grown up to be a good man.

And right now, that just made her want to cry.

He said, “I was thinking...”

“Yeah?”

“Looking back on that night in March when you broke it off, I knew there was something weighing on your mind. I should have tried harder to get you to open to me.”

She couldn’t believe he’d just said that. “Liam. You were great. Don’t you dare blame yourself.”

“Look, I just need to know what you need.”

“I’m good, I promise. Everything’s pretty much ready. We’re just waiting for the baby to come.”

He frowned in a thoughtful sort of way. “Have you been going to childbirth classes?”

“I took the classes, yes. Like I said, I’m ready.”

“A labor coach?” he asked and then clarified, “Do you have one?”

“I have two, as a matter of fact—Naomi and Prim.” Naomi Khan Smith and Primrose Hart Danvers had been her best friends since kindergarten. Both women were married now. Naomi had two boys.

“Prim and Naomi. Makes sense.” He’d grown up with her BFFs, same as she had. “And even though I get that you’re all set and Prim and Naomi will take good care of you, I want to be there, when the baby comes.”

She tried not to picture him standing beside her while she sweated and groaned with her legs spread apart. If he wanted to be there, he had the right. “Yes. That’s fine. Great.”

“So you’ll call me, when you go into labor?”

“I will, absolutely.”

Liam had a million more things to discuss with the soon-to-be mother of his child. But sitting here across from her in Sten Larson’s too-quiet great room, he couldn’t seem to remember a single one of them.

She just looked so brave and uncomfortable—and alone. Beyond being smart and good-looking and self-reliant, there was something that hurt his heart about Karin Killigan, something walled-off and sad.

“What else?” she asked. He knew she was trying not to sound impatient, but it was obvious to him that she couldn’t wait for him to leave.

And why stay? She didn’t really want him here, there was nothing he could do for her at the moment—and he hated the feeling that he contributed to her sadness.

“Nothing else—not right now, anyway,” he heard himself say.

She stood, a surprisingly agile move given the size of her belly. “Well, all right then. Come by anytime. I mean that. Or call. Whatever.”

“Thanks.” He grabbed his bag of books and followed her down to the lower floor.

Her little girl stuck her curly head into the foyer as Karin was showing him out the door. “Bye, Liam Bravo.”

“Bye, Coco.”

“Can I call you just Liam?”

When he glanced at the silent woman beside him, she shrugged. “Up to you.”

He gave Coco a smile. “Just Liam works for me.”

“Okay! Bye, Liam. You can come and see me anytime.” Coco waved as Karin ushered him out the door.