Chapter Ten
Redford saw how the look of surprise on Leslie’s face quickly turned to a frown. “What are you guys doing here?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and not moving from the doorway.
He could tell by the harshness in her voice that she wasn’t happy to see him. “I’m here to see Carmen,” Redford said.
Leslie’s eyes narrowed at him. “Why?”
It was Sloan who answered. “I told him about Carmen’s condition. I felt he had a right to know.”
Leslie turned sharp eyes on her husband. “And just how did you know about it?”
“I overheard your conversation. You thought I was still in the shower and your voice carried.”
She glared at him. “It was a private conversation, and you had no right to tell Redford anything.”
“I disagree. I had every right. That’s how Redford and I roll. You of all people know that. Need I remind you that if it hadn’t been for him telling me about that asshole Martin Longshire trying to take away your company, I would not have been able to help you keep it?”
Sloan’s reminder worked somewhat. Leslie dropped her arms to her side, and she took a step back to let them in. The moment Redford walked inside, he took note that the two-story townhouse had a spiral staircase off the living room. He liked the design of the modern furnishings and the bright colors of several large throw rugs on the polished wood floors. Several art pieces hung on the wall and bestowed a cheerful and sophisticated air to the room.
Redford thought the decor suited Carmen. He then wondered why he would think that when he didn’t know her that well. He was basing his assumption on what he did know. Whenever he saw her, she was prone to wear bright colors that blended well with her cocoa-colored skin. He would even say the colors also blended well with her cheerful disposition.
“In the kitchen, guys. We need to talk.”
From the curtness in Leslie’s voice, maybe the reminder of how he’d helped her hadn’t worked to the extent that Sloan and Redford had hoped. However, he would let Sloan handle his wife since his best friend didn’t seem the least bit bothered by her tone and glare.
They followed her through the dining room into a spacious kitchen that appeared just as modern as the rest of the house. Shiny stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. They all sat down at the table.
“So what do you want to talk to us about, sweetheart?” Sloan asked, leaning back in his chair and giving his wife a charming smile.
Her frown deepened and so did her glare. “I will deal with you later, Sloan. Right now, my issue is with Redford.”
She then gave Redford her full attention. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done enough. You’ve turned one of the most cheerful and optimistic people I know into someone who now believes she’s been living a lie all her life. That she doesn’t deserve her happily-ever-after. That she will never have a soulmate. You did that to her, Redford.”
Redford took offense to what she’d said. “How? By being me? I’ve never pretended to want anything from a woman other than sex, Leslie. I am a one-and-done guy, a womanizer to the third degree and a man who never intends to get married. You of all people know that.”
“You’re also a heartbreaker, Redford,” she retorted. “You broke Carmen’s heart.”
He frowned. “That’s not fair. I would never deliberately break someone’s heart because I know how it feels. I’ve been there myself. That’s the main reason I make sure any woman I sleep with knows the score. Carmen knew. There’s no way I’ll believe you didn’t warn her about me.”
Leslie lifted her chin. “I did warn her.”
“Then it’s not my fault or yours that she didn’t heed the warnings. She took it upon herself to believe anything different about me.” Redford rubbed his hands down his face. “But now there’s a bigger concern than what Carmen assumed. She’s having my baby, and I understand that she isn’t well. I want to be the one to take care of her and our baby.”
Leslie glared across the table at him. “There’s no way Carmen will let you do such a thing.”
“Why? Is she angry about that night?”
Leslie shook her head. “No. She knows it’s not your fault she assumed you had accepted her as your soulmate.”
Redford didn’t say anything for a minute, then he asked, “In that case, why wouldn’t she let me stay here and take care of her and our baby?”
“Mainly because she doesn’t think you want the baby. She heard it directly from you that you never wanted kids.”
Yes, he had told her that. “I might have felt like that before, but I don’t now.” He then shared with her the reason he’d never wanted children. From her expression, he knew Sloan had never told her about Candy, but he wasn’t surprised. He, Sloan and Tyler had a bond; what they shared was between them.
Leslie met his gaze for a long moment; her glare was gone. “I regret what that Candy woman did to you all those years ago, Redford, which led to you not wanting anything permanent in your life such as marriage and kids. But even if you shared that same reason with Carmen, you’re still going to have a hard time convincing her you feel differently about her pregnancy.”
“There’s no way I can leave without trying, Leslie.”
Her glare was back. “Then what? What happens if you convince Carmen you want the baby? What about her?” Leslie asked.
Redford released a deep sigh. He should have been expecting that question from Leslie since he’d been asked the same thing by Sloan on the flight here. He met her gaze and provided the same response he’d given Sloan. “I honestly can’t answer that. For me, it will be one day at a time with Carmen. I had planned to come here to see her again even before I found out she was pregnant.”
Leslie’s glare deepened. “Why? Did you expect her to sleep with you again after treating her like other women? And when did you begin sleeping with the same woman twice?”
“The reason I wanted to see Carmen again was to prove to myself that I could control the chemistry between us, that we wouldn’t sleep together again.”
He could tell from the look on Leslie’s face she was confused, so he tried to explain. “I was attracted to Carmen the first time I saw her at your wedding rehearsal. But I dismissed it as nothing more than an intense sexual attraction. Then after hearing about her outlandish claim that we would one day marry, I decided to keep my distance and that’s when I deliberately began avoiding her. I will now even admit I did so because deep down I knew she could do something no other woman had ever done.”
“What?” Leslie asked.
“Get under my skin. I knew the warning signs, yet two years later, I slept with her anyway.”
“And?”
In deference to Leslie’s delicate ears, he changed the terminology from what he’d told Sloan and said, “And I became bewitched. Since spending that night with Carmen, I haven’t been able to get her off my mind. Nor have I desired any other woman.”
Leslie blinked. “You’re kidding, right?”
There was no doubt in his mind why Leslie was surprised by what he’d said. She knew him, and she knew his mode of operation with women. “No, I’m not kidding. That’s the reason I wanted to call you for Carmen’s contact information.”
“I would not have given it to you.”
“Then I would have hired a PI. I did research and figured all I had to do to cure myself of her bewitchment was take her out on a nonsexual date where I could prove I had control over my mind and body.”
“And then Sloan told you she was pregnant.”
“Yes. And the moment he told me, Carmen became an exception because one of my rules was to never get a woman pregnant.”
“And now?”
He released a deep breath. “And now the most important thing is her well-being and that of our child. More than anything, I want to take care of both of them.”
Just like every morning upon waking, Carmen immediately felt nauseated. Quickly easing out of bed she went into the bathroom. Leslie had placed everything there within reach. The washcloths, her toothbrush and toothpaste, mouthwash, bottles of water that were kept on ice and a jar of her favorite candy—peppermints. She’d even placed a cushy mat in front of the commode for those times Carmen had to be on her knees over it.
One of the first things Leslie had done once she’d gotten Carmen home from the hospital and settled in her bedroom was wash and then braid Carmen’s hair. All her strands had been pulled back from her face and a huge single braid hung down her back.
“I’m going to have a lot to tell you one day, my little bun,” Carmen said a short while later as she dampened her face with a cool washcloth. After brushing her teeth and rinsing out her mouth, she decided to take a shower and change into a new gown while her stomach was somewhat settled.
She had insisted that Leslie not be at her beck and call. Carmen had accepted she was in this for the long haul. For as long as it took her body to adjust to her pregnancy. She would do whatever it took because, more than anything, she wanted her baby.
After her shower she felt refreshed. Just because she felt sick most of the time, she refused to look sick. When she’d come home from the hospital yesterday and glanced in the mirror, she had almost scared herself. Her hair had looked a mess and bags were forming beneath her eyes.
She was determined to be PWP, “pretty while pregnant,” to boost her morale. She was happy about her pregnancy even if Redford wouldn’t be. After her shower she walked out of the bathroom to find Leslie sitting in the chair her best friend had placed next to the bed, a tray of food on the nightstand.
“Aren’t you looking pretty and refreshed. How do you feel?” Leslie asked, smiling.
“Thanks. My little bun is still kicking my butt as usual. I stayed over the commode longer than usual this morning, but I feel better now,” she said, sitting on the side of the bed.
Leslie placed a tray of food in Carmen’s lap. After she had eaten a piece of cinnamon toast and a boiled egg, Leslie handed her the prenatal vitamins and medication the doctor had prescribed, along with a huge glass of water.
Carmen watched Leslie walk over to the window and look out. She’d known her best friend long enough to know when something was bothering her. Before she could ask what was wrong, Leslie turned and said, “There is something I need to talk to you about, Carmen.”
Carmen heard the strain in Leslie’s voice. “Okay, but I already have an idea what it’s about.”
Leslie came back over to sit in the chair. “You do?”
“Yes, and I owe you an apology.”
Leslie lifted a brow. “What for?”
“I asked something of you that I should not have.”
“And what was that?”
“I asked you not to tell Sloan why you’re here with me. I had no right to do that. He’s your husband and you lied to him for me. Now I feel responsible for your deceit. Married couples shouldn’t keep secrets.”
Leslie leaned across the bed and captured Carmen’s hand in hers. “I didn’t consider it keeping a secret, Carmen. I considered it keeping my word to my best friend. Besides, it doesn’t matter now because Sloan knows the real reason I’m here. That’s what I want to talk to you about. He overheard our conversation when I thought he was in the shower.”
“Well, you were talking loud that night,” Carmen said, smiling. “If you want to tell me that he’ll tell Redford, that’s fine. I know how Redford feels about kids, so he won’t contact me. When my sickness passes, I will contact him and assure him I don’t expect anything from him. In fact, I don’t plan for his name to be on my child’s birth certificate.”
Surprise shown on Leslie’s features. “Why?”
“Because as long as I don’t recognize Redford as my baby’s father, he doesn’t have to worry about having legal obligations. The last thing I want is for him to assume me or my child will stake claim to his wealth. I am giving him an out.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and I’ve made up my mind about it, Leslie. I want this baby, and Redford doesn’t. So my decision to omit his name from my little bun’s birth certificate makes perfect sense to me.”
“And what if Redford has changed his mind about being a father?”
Carmen rolled her eyes. “Why do you keep suggesting such a thing when we both know he won’t? I know what he told me.”
“People can change their minds about things, Carmen.”
“Yes, but I doubt he will.”
“But what if he does?”
Carmen rolled her eyes again. “In that case, he’ll have a hard time convincing me, Leslie. Even then I’ll think his reason for changing his mind is suspect.”
“Suspect how?”
She shrugged. “Like there’s an ulterior motive. Namely, that he feels obligated, and that’s the last thing I want or will accept. I have a good job and can take care of my baby on my own. And once I tell my family about my pregnancy, they will be overjoyed and will give my baby all the love my little bun will ever need.”
Leslie didn’t say anything for a while. Then, “Sloan did tell Redford, Carmen, so be prepared.”
“Prepared for what? Redford doesn’t want to be a father and I accept that.”
“Okay,” Leslie said, standing and taking the tray now that she’d finished eating.
Carmen knew by the way Leslie said “okay” that she didn’t necessarily agree. When Leslie didn’t add anything else, Carmen knew that meant Leslie was putting off the subject of Redford for later. Honestly, she preferred that his name didn’t come up at all.
“Get some rest, Carmen. I’ll be back later,” Leslie said, taking the tray away.
“Okay.”
An hour later, Carmen was coming out of the bathroom after dealing with another bout of morning sickness when there was a knock on her bedroom door. She wondered why Leslie was knocking. “Come on in, Leslie.”
She had made it to the bed and was sitting on the side of it when a husky male voice pounded through her ears. It was a voice she recognized immediately. “It’s not Leslie, Carmen.”
She jerked her head around to stare into a pair of dark, penetrating eyes. She was too shocked to do anything but stare back. Then somehow, she found her voice to ask, “Redford, what are you doing here?”
Crossing the room to stand in front of her, Redford said, “Good morning, Carmen. What’s this I hear about you not putting my name on our baby’s birth certificate?”