Uncovering Her Nine Month Secret

Alejandro was already handing over money at the café. I saw him pick up two coffees from the counter. No time.

My shoulders fell. “Thanks anyway. You’d better go.”

“Good luck, miss....”

Defeated, I looked out across the green park, deep emerald beneath the lowering gray London sky. I suddenly wondered what the weather was like in Spain. Warm. Sunny. Blue skies. With the chance of a hot, seductive Spaniard demanding that I share his bed.

No! I couldn’t let myself think about it! Just sharing custody of Miguel would be bad enough. I would never, ever be Alejandro’s lover! And certainly not his wife!

“Here.” Alejandro handed me a white paper cup that warmed my hands. The coffee smelled like heaven. I took a sip, then sighed with appreciation as I felt the heat melt me from the inside. It was sweet, and creamy.

“You remembered how I liked it,” I said in surprise.

He took a sip of his own black coffee, and gave a wicked grin. “That’s how all women like it.”

“That’s not true!”

He shrugged. “It’s mostly true. Cream and sugar will calm a woman down every time.”

I glared at him. “You are such a—”

“A heartless bastard?” He paused, then tilted his head. “Do you still think I’ll be such a disaster as a father?”

He sounded wistful, even—hurt? No. Impossible. A man like Alejandro had no heart to injure. But still, guilt rose in me, making my cheeks burn. “Maybe you’re not completely evil.” I looked down at the cup. “You did get my coffee right. Even though you’re completely wrong with your stereotype about women liking cream and sugar.”

“Obviously,” he agreed. He tilted his head. “Your arms must be getting tired from holding Miguel all this time.”

“A bit,” I admitted sheepishly. “He’s starting to get too heavy to carry like this for long.”

Finishing off his coffee, he threw the empty cup in the trash and reached out. “Give him to me.”

I hesitated, then handed him over. I watched anxiously, but Alejandro was careful, holding him, even turning Miguel around so he could see the world around him. Alejandro caught my look. “How am I doing?”

“Not bad,” I said grudgingly.

“Would you care to walk?” He lifted a dark eyebrow. “Since he needed a walk so badly that you almost jumped out of a moving car. This taking babies on walks must be a serious business. Or else you had some other reason for coming here that you don’t want me to know about.”

I looked at him sharply. Did he know something? Or was he just fishing?

He gave me a bland smile.

I shrugged. “It was what you said. Pure panic at your marriage proposal.” I took a sip of coffee. “Kind of like how you reacted last year when I told you I loved you. Instant disappearance.” For a moment, we stared at each other. Then I turned away. “Yes. Let’s walk.”

The rain had eased up, and though gray skies were hovering, eager children of all ages, speaking many different languages, were now playing everywhere as we strolled past the pirate ship.

“So what is your answer?” he said casually, as if he’d been asking me out for a movie.