A Convenient Proposal(7)

I wouldn’t dread going home, if she came with me….



ARDEN RETURNED to the living room to find her stranger passed out again, on the couch this time. There would be sand everywhere, but vacuum cleaners existed for just that reason. In the morning they’d clean up the mess, have some breakfast, then she’d point him toward the pier and send him on his way. No sense in recalling the craziness they’d talked about. He’d already forgotten.

And she would, in time. She and Igor were quite satisfied with their routine here on Chaos Key, just the two of them. Water and sun and sand, an occasional trip to the mainland and, always, the sound of the waves on the shore—the only music she wanted now, the last music she would know. The last sound of any kind.

Bringing up a baby would only complicate her life. A child needed experiences, people and places Arden had determined to avoid. She could have one or the other. Not both.

Let that dream go. She settled into her bed with Igor curled up against the backs of her knees, a little more tensely than usual. You chose this path. Now honor it.

A strangled snore reached her from the living room, and Arden sighed. Letting go would have been much easier only a day ago. Even an hour ago.

Last year, that would be. Before she’d met Griff Campbell.



HE WAS STILL ASLEEP, with the pillow over his head and the rest of him covered by the blanket, when she got up at seven. He’d roused at some point, because the coffee mug she’d given him had been emptied and set in the sink. Would a single cup be sufficient to ward off the headache he’d earned?

Arden made a fresh pot, gave Igor his breakfast and took her own mug out to the porch, where she usually spent her mornings. No doubt the smell of coffee would awaken her guest soon enough.

When an hour had passed and the growling in her stomach had begun to make Igor nervous, she went back to the kitchen for breakfast. She finished off her bowl of yogurt with nuts and honey, and Griff still hadn’t stirred. Igor now sat beside the porch door, anxious for their daily walk on the beach.

Arden hesitated, then stepped outside and let the screened door slap shut behind her. This was one reason she didn’t want a man in her life, let alone a husband. A woman in a relationship had to cater to his demands, his expectations and his schedule. His plans and his goals would take over, while what she wanted and needed drifted away like a leaf on the ocean. Arden had never met a male of the species who didn’t think of himself first.

Walking the beach under a bright blue sky and throwing a piece of driftwood for Igor to retrieve, she saw no reason to revoke her decision. The only thing she wanted from anyone these days, especially men, was distance—even a man as seductive and engaging as Griff. Or maybe especially one as seductive and engaging as Griff.

But would there really be a drawback to doing him the favor he asked? To judge by his attitude, he still had feelings for his ex-fiancée, which would surely minimize any complications. Arden didn’t doubt she could keep her own emotions under control—between them, her father and her ex-fiancé had demonstrated the utter faithlessness of men. Not only were they too much trouble, they couldn’t be trusted any farther than you could throw them.

But a baby…ah, a baby would give her a reason to live. A child—boy or girl, it didn’t matter—would be all she could ask as a replacement for the loss of her hopes and dreams. A year ago, her belly had just started to become rounded when her entire world came crashing down. No more music, no marriage, no connection with her mother. And no baby.

Now Griff offered her a second chance. And though she could afford artificial insemination, she preferred the old-fashioned method of procreation, especially with Griff Campbell as the official candidate—a man who, to her surprise, she liked and desired. If she agreed to his proposal, he could keep his pride intact and she would get the family she’d always wanted.

What do I have to lose?

The answer struck her like a slap in the face. By connecting so intimately with Griff Campbell, she would give away the independence she’d waited so long to enjoy. The solitude she valued. The anonymity required to cope with her new life.

“Good morning!”

She turned at the call to see him sauntering over the sand in her direction. He had a lazy way of walking, with a little bit of a slouch to his lean body, completely at odds with the energy she could see in his bright blue eyes. Though he wore the same clothes as last night, he looked neat and presentable. And far too appealing to resist.

“Good morning,” he said again. “Sorry to be such a lazybones. That couch of yours is way too comfortable.”