The Texan's Convenient Marriage

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Though he considered it morbid to think about his own death, that’s exactly what he’d been doing for the better part of a year. He supposed it was a sign that he was getting old, for him to be having such thoughts—although he didn’t consider forty-two all that old. But death was a fact of life, the same as living, and he was aware, especially with an estate the size of his, that he should have a will in place, no matter what his age or state of health. Having one drawn one up was easy enough. All he had to do was call his lawyer. What kept him from making the call was his lack of an heir. Most men named their wives or kids as their beneficiaries, or a combination of the two. But Mack didn’t have a wife or children…at least, none that were living.

He’d lost his wife and son in a senseless car wreck twelve years before and had never remarried. For the first couple of years following their deaths, he’d found it hard enough to breathe, much less think about marrying again. But even after the pain of losing them had dulled somewhat, he still hadn’t been able to work up the enthusiasm to ask a woman out on a date.

When asked, he claimed it was because he’d never met one that caught his eye. But the truth was, he’d never looked. Losing his wife and son had changed him, stripping him of the desire to develop attachments with anyone, especially a woman. As a result, he’d reached the ripe old age of forty-two with no family, other than his half brother, to name in a will.

He scowled at the reminder of Ty. Hell, if he left his estate to his half brother, everything Mack and Mack’s father before him had worked and struggled to build would be lost in less than a year’s time. Ty had the business acumen of a jackass and the attention span of a two-year-old. He looked at everything in terms of what he could turn it for and the fun it would buy him when he did.

No, he wouldn’t leave his estate to Ty.

Mack focused his gaze on the baby again, wondering if the child could be the answer to his problem. He could adopt him, he told himself. Raise the boy as his own, ingrain in him the morals and integrity that the child would never learn if left up to Ty.

Ty didn’t care about the kid, Mack told himself. If he did, he’d be here right now, instead of playing an adult version of hide and seek. If he’d felt any sense of responsibility at all, Ty would’ve been the one holding Addy’s hand while the baby was born, not Mack. And it would’ve been Ty, not Mack, who the doctor had passed the scissors to and allowed to cut the umbilical cord, signifying the baby’s official entry into the world.

The way Mack looked at it, his willingness to adopt the baby was the perfect solution to everyone’s problems. The child would have a father, Ty would be off the hook, and Mack would have an heir.

There was only one problem…the baby’s mother.

In spite of the bond Mack and Addy had forged during the last fourteen-plus hours, he doubted she would embrace the idea if he were to suggest him adopting her baby. In fact, she’d probably think he’d lost his mind.

“Mack?”

He jumped at the sound of Addy’s voice and glanced up to find her peering at him curiously.

“Is something wrong?” she asked in concern.

Fearing she would somehow read his thoughts and know what he’d been thinking, he dropped his gaze and tucked the blanket more snugly at the baby’s chin. “No. He looked like he was going to start fussing, and I thought if I held him awhile, it would give you the chance to sleep a little longer.”

Her smile tender, she eased herself to a sitting position and held out her arms. “Here. Give him to me. I’ll bet he’s hungry.”

Rising, Mack carried the baby to the bed and settled the infant in her arms.

As if sensing his nearness to his milk supply, the baby twisted his head toward her breast, his mouth open like a baby’s birds.

Addy placed a finger against the infant’s lips and laughed when he began to suck. “See?” she said, and began to rearrange her nightgown. “He is hungry.”

She stopped and glanced up at Mack, her cheeks stained a deep rose, as if she’d just realized the intimacy of what she was preparing to do.

He immediately took a step back. “I’ll wait outside,” he said, and turned for the door.

“No! Wait.”

He glanced over his shoulder, surprised by the panic in her voice.

Dropping her gaze, she fluttered a hand. “Just turn your back until I get him situated.”

Mack did as instructed and waited until he heard her signal of “ready” before turning around. Finding her and the baby modestly covered by the blue blanket, he reached behind him to drag his chair closer to the bed.

“Its amazing how a baby instinctively knows how to nurse,” he said softly, awed by the sight.

Her gaze on the infant, she smiled. “Yes, it is.”

Moments passed in silence, both absorbed by the baby’s movements.

“Mack?”

His attention focused on the nursing infant, he mumbled a distracted, “Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

He angled his head to peer at her in puzzlement. “For what?”

“For all the mean things I said to you while I was in labor.”

He waved away the apology. “I knew you didn’t mean any of that stuff. That was the pain talking.”

“Just the same, I’m sorry. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

He choked out a laugh. “Heck, I had the easy part. You were the one who was doing all the work.”

She looked down at the baby and smiled. “And look what I got for my trouble. A beautiful, healthy baby. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

“He’s a keeper, all right.”

The door opened and Marjorie sailed in, trailing a balloon bouquet in her wake. Without so much as a how-do-you-do to Mack or Addy, she headed straight for the bed, her gaze on the baby.

“Oh, let me see that little tiger,” she said eagerly, as she tethered the streamers of the balloon bouquet at the head of the bed.

Addy deftly separated the baby from her breast, rearranged her nightgown, then folded back the blanket, for Marjorie to see. “Isn’t he beautiful?”

“Gorgeous,” Marjorie agreed, then tipped her face up to Addy’s. “Have you named him yet?”

Addy shook her head. “No. I had a girl’s name picked out, but I hadn’t settled on one for a boy.”

“I thought you were going to use your father’s name?” Marjorie said.

“Only his first name.” She shrugged. “I haven’t been able to come up with anything that sounds right with Antonio.”

Marjorie pursed her lips thoughtfully, then swung her gaze to Mack. “What’s your full name?”

Caught off-guard, Mack blinked, then stammered, “Uh, Jonathan Michael McGruder.”

“What about Antonio Michael Rocci?” Marjorie suggested to Addy.

Frowning, Addy shook her head. “I want to use Antonio as his middle name.”

“Then name him Jonathan Antonio Rocci. You could call him Johnny.”

“Jonathan Antonio Rocci,” Addy repeated, as if testing the sound of the name, then nodded. “It’s a mouthful, but I like it.” She glanced at Mack, her expression hopeful. “Would you mind if I gave my baby your name?”

Mind? Mack thought. Hell, he was hoping he could persuade her to give the baby his last name, as well. “I’d be honored.”

The pager in Marjorie’s pocket beeped and she pulled it out to check the display. “Those imbeciles,” she muttered crossly. “You’d think they could run the ER for ten minutes without me.” She slid the pager back into her pocket and offered Addy an apologetic smile. “Sorry, hon, but I’ve got to scoot. I’ll try to come back later, when I’m on my dinner break.”

“Call first,” Addy warned. “I’m hoping I can persuade Dr. Wharton to release me.”

Marjorie wagged a finger at her nose. “You listen to me, young lady. You’ve just had a baby. You have no business going home to an empty house. You stay right here where the nursing staff can take care of you and the baby.”

Addy jutted her chin. “I can take care of myself.”

“But—”

“No, Marjorie,” she said, cutting her friend off. “I’m going home.”

With a huff of disgust, Marjorie turned to leave. “You try talking some sense into that thick head of hers,” she said to Mack. “She won’t listen to me.”

Mack had remained quiet during the exchange, absorbing the conversation and considering how he could use the situation to his own advantage. He knew the idea to adopt the baby was a crazy one and liable to send Addy into an apoplectic fit. But the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced it was the best solution to all their problems, both his and Addy’s.