The Baby Bargain

Chapter 17: Alison

"Alison are you sure about this?" asked Ellie.

"No." Alison stared at herself in the mirror. She wore a white dress that hugged her hips with a scooped neckline to accentuate the little cleavage she had. Her hair was pulled up in a neat chignon with a few tendrils draping around her face. Her mother had insisted on a hat with a small veil, but she wasn't putting that on until she had to.

"Then don't do this." Ellie took her hand. "Marriage is forever."

"Where's my mom?"

"She went to get your hat and veil."

Alison glanced at the door to make sure her mom wasn't standing there. The woman had some superpower that allowed her to catch someone doing something they weren't supposed to be doing. As a kid Alison had wondered if her room had been bugged. Researching that had been her first foray into technology. "Not this marriage. It should only last about a year." Her stomach fluttered. "One year and I'll be co-owner of my own business, a very successful one, and Angel Face will be mine, or part mine."

"And you'll have a child"—Ellie squeezed her hand—"with a man you don't...What do you feel for Harker?"

"It doesn't matter what I feel for him." She pulled her hand away. Ellie was supposed to be on her side, but all her friend had done the entire week since Alison had told her about her pending marriage and the contract was to try and talk her out of it. "I've always wanted a child someday."

"And you'll have one with someone you love."

"Oh, please. I'm not lucky like you." She'd never admit it, but she'd always been a bit envious of her friend. Ellie had never spent more than a few days without a man in her life. Whereas Alison's experience had been the opposite.

"I wouldn't call myself lucky." Ellie's eyes brightened. "Until Adrian I had the worst luck."

"At least you had hope of getting married and having a family. I never had that. I had one eighteen-month relationship in college that ended when we graduated. After that, I've had nothing but short term...flings. A month or two but nothing that lasted long enough for me to even dream of a family." She swallowed. The truth was hard to accept but lying to herself was worse. "Harker is offering me that and financial security."

"But you don't love him."

"So. I'll love our baby." She'd finally have someone to pour all her love into and that child wouldn't care if she talked too much or said inappropriate things. It'd love her because she'd show it nothing but love from the day it was born.

"Oh honey, please don't do this. You'll find someone. Your perfect man is out there. You just need to stop working so much and—"

"Enough Ellie, I'm doing this." Her eyes teared up. "I want you to be on my side but if you can't it's fine." It wasn't at all. "Please don't try and talk me out of it."

"Of course, I'm on your side." Ellie hugged her. "I've always got your back." She smiled but it was forced. "If anyone can make this work it's you. You're the strongest most wonderful person I know."

"I have no intention of even trying to make this work. I don't know why you won't believe that. I'm going to marry him, get pregnant, have the baby and then we'll get an amicable divorce."

"I hope you're right, but I've lived with a lot of men and it's never that simple. You're a kind and loving person. You find a way to love and care for everyone you meet. If you truly don't mean for this to last then please, protect your heart."

"From Harker?" Alison laughed. "That's not a problem. I like the man. I respect him but I'll never fall for him." She wrinkled her nose. "I can't even imagine having sex with him."

"Why not? He's gorgeous."

"You think so?" She shrugged. "I did think he was attractive when I first saw him but now"—she made a face—"he's just grumpy Gus Barker to me."

"I can't believe you don't see how sexy he is." Ellie sighed. "With that domineering attitude and the gray at his temples. I swear if the man hadn't had the hots for you, I would've made a play for him on New Year's Eve."

"Instead of Adrian? Right." Ellie's boyfriend Adrian was the most attractive man Alison had ever seen outside of the movies.

"Okay, not once Adrian arrived but before then, yeah."

"Maybe we should ask Harker if you can be my surrogate." Alison grinned. "You can sleep with him."

"I don't think Adrian would agree to that, plus how would you two mingle your brilliant genes and create this super child?"

"Little details. We can work those out later." She laughed.

"I think those are more than little details but even if we could, I'd have to decline. You can have that sexy man all to yourself."

Alison grimaced. "I guess I'll just close my eyes and hope he's fast. I'm sure he will be. Most men only last a few minutes."

"Not in my experience and I have to warn you, Harker is alpha male all the way. I doubt sex is going to be quick"—Ellie's eyes softened—"but when a man knows what he's doing it's better than wonderful."

A knock sounded on the door. Ellie walked across the room.

"Oh, please. It's my wedding day. Let me have my dreams of quick sex and a fast pregnancy so I can get this all over..."

Ellie opened the door. "Harker. What are you doing here?" She glanced at Alison and stepped in the doorway, partially closing the door behind her. "You're not supposed to see the bride until your wedding day."

"It is my wedding day and her mother got lost. I was directing her to the room."

Alison wanted to run and hide. He had to have heard her, didn't he? She moved closer to the door to listen.

"Then where is Mrs. Robinson?" asked Ellie.

"Annie, the caterer, stopped to ask her a quick question. She's over there." He tipped his head to the right. "I thought I'd give Alison a heads-up. She's said many times how her mother has the worst timing. I didn't want her to overhear something about our wedding that she shouldn't."

Alison bit her lip, shifting closer. Harker didn't sound upset. Did that mean he hadn't heard her?

"That was nice of you," said Ellie. "Thank you."

"I'll see you both in the living room in a few minutes."

Ellie stepped into the room, closing the door and leaning against it.

"Do you think he heard me?" Alison started to pace. "I couldn't tell from his voice. Did he seem upset? Damn it. I didn't want to hurt his feelings. If he heard me, I'm going to have to apologize, and he doesn't make that easy."

"He may not have heard you. The doors are thick."

"But he has excellent hearing, and you opened that door while I was saying I wanted to get this over with."

"If he did hear you, say you meant the wedding. That's normal."

"Yeah. I guess, I can say that. You don't think he heard the sex and pregnancy bit?"

"No." Ellie shook her head, but Alison knew her friend well enough to see the lie in her eyes.