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Authors: Alison Bliss
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made her feel guiltier. Damn it.
They headed down the hallway toward the checkout counter and waited for an old woman behind the desk to pull up Bailey’s file on her computer. “How much can you afford to pay today?”
Bailey practically cringed as she pulled out her checkbook.
“All of it,” Nash said, quickly fishing his wallet from his back pocket and sliding the receptionist a credit card.
“Um, sir. Since Ms. Hobbs doesn’t have medical coverage and her income is low enough, we won’t charge her for the full amount.”
“Ms. Hobbs isn’t responsible for the bill. I am. Just tell me what I owe and I’ll pay for it in full.”
“Well, the entire bill is over three hundred dollars.”
Nash gave the old woman a quick nod. “That’s fine.”
She smiled and took his card without so much as glancing at Bailey, who stood there with her mouth open and arms crossed. Nash signed the receipt and then steered her toward the parking lot before she could argue with him.
This was exactly what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to be a financial burden on a complete stranger…or to put her trust in another man. As she waited for Nash to unlock the passenger door, she said, “I’ll pay you back.”
“Like hell you will.” He opened the door and lifted her into the seat. “That’s my baby you’re carrying. I’m capable of paying for the care you and our child receive.”
She shook her head so hard she made herself dizzy. “Nash, I can’t accept—”
“Look, if you want to argue about this, we will. But I’m warning you…you’ll lose. I’m a lawyer. I do this shit for a living.” Without another word, he closed the door on her protests and strolled around to the driver’s side.
They headed for Bailey’s apartment. Nash was exceptionally quiet, and although she could tell he was carefully mulling something over in his head, he said nothing. Once inside, Bailey sat down on the couch, hoping they could talk and she could try to reason with him once more.
Granted, he was a lawyer who probably made a lot more money than she did and could financially support a child. But that’s also exactly what scared her. Nash was used to getting his way. If co-parenting didn’t work out, would he try to gain sole custody of the baby because he had the better means to care for a child? And if so, would she ever see her son or daughter again?
Having grown up without her mother in her own life, Bailey couldn’t risk it. She hated to think Nash would be so cruel, but if her past had showed her anything, it was that she wasn’t a good judge of character when it came to men. “Nash, what I said earlier about you giving up your rights… Please think about it. You can’t possibly want to be a part-time father to this child. It’d never work.”
Nash knelt down in front of her. His eyes trained on her stomach, then his warm hand quickly followed. Bailey tensed and put her hand on top of his as his gaze flickered back to hers. “Marry me, then.”
She jerked her hand back, as if his words had somehow scalded her. “W-what did you say?”
“You heard me. I want you to marry me.”
To him, he probably thought he was stepping up, acting like a man, and taking responsibility for his actions. But to her, it was more like a rude awakening littered with strange emotions that no doubt flickered across her face one by one. Shock. Fear. Intrigue. Distrust.
“Listen, I’m not going to water it down for you. It’s a crapshoot, I know. But I want to help you—”
“No.”
“Just think about it for a while. You don’t have to answer right now.”
“I gave you an answer. I said no.”
“Damn it, Bailey. Why not?”
She shook her head, not believing he even needed to ask. “Are you kidding me? Nash, you’re a nice guy, and I always thought the man who took my virginity would be the man I grew old with, but this situation isn’t anything like I’d pictured.”
“So plans change.”
“But people
They headed down the hallway toward the checkout counter and waited for an old woman behind the desk to pull up Bailey’s file on her computer. “How much can you afford to pay today?”
Bailey practically cringed as she pulled out her checkbook.
“All of it,” Nash said, quickly fishing his wallet from his back pocket and sliding the receptionist a credit card.
“Um, sir. Since Ms. Hobbs doesn’t have medical coverage and her income is low enough, we won’t charge her for the full amount.”
“Ms. Hobbs isn’t responsible for the bill. I am. Just tell me what I owe and I’ll pay for it in full.”
“Well, the entire bill is over three hundred dollars.”
Nash gave the old woman a quick nod. “That’s fine.”
She smiled and took his card without so much as glancing at Bailey, who stood there with her mouth open and arms crossed. Nash signed the receipt and then steered her toward the parking lot before she could argue with him.
This was exactly what she didn’t want. She didn’t want to be a financial burden on a complete stranger…or to put her trust in another man. As she waited for Nash to unlock the passenger door, she said, “I’ll pay you back.”
“Like hell you will.” He opened the door and lifted her into the seat. “That’s my baby you’re carrying. I’m capable of paying for the care you and our child receive.”
She shook her head so hard she made herself dizzy. “Nash, I can’t accept—”
“Look, if you want to argue about this, we will. But I’m warning you…you’ll lose. I’m a lawyer. I do this shit for a living.” Without another word, he closed the door on her protests and strolled around to the driver’s side.
They headed for Bailey’s apartment. Nash was exceptionally quiet, and although she could tell he was carefully mulling something over in his head, he said nothing. Once inside, Bailey sat down on the couch, hoping they could talk and she could try to reason with him once more.
Granted, he was a lawyer who probably made a lot more money than she did and could financially support a child. But that’s also exactly what scared her. Nash was used to getting his way. If co-parenting didn’t work out, would he try to gain sole custody of the baby because he had the better means to care for a child? And if so, would she ever see her son or daughter again?
Having grown up without her mother in her own life, Bailey couldn’t risk it. She hated to think Nash would be so cruel, but if her past had showed her anything, it was that she wasn’t a good judge of character when it came to men. “Nash, what I said earlier about you giving up your rights… Please think about it. You can’t possibly want to be a part-time father to this child. It’d never work.”
Nash knelt down in front of her. His eyes trained on her stomach, then his warm hand quickly followed. Bailey tensed and put her hand on top of his as his gaze flickered back to hers. “Marry me, then.”
She jerked her hand back, as if his words had somehow scalded her. “W-what did you say?”
“You heard me. I want you to marry me.”
To him, he probably thought he was stepping up, acting like a man, and taking responsibility for his actions. But to her, it was more like a rude awakening littered with strange emotions that no doubt flickered across her face one by one. Shock. Fear. Intrigue. Distrust.
“Listen, I’m not going to water it down for you. It’s a crapshoot, I know. But I want to help you—”
“No.”
“Just think about it for a while. You don’t have to answer right now.”
“I gave you an answer. I said no.”
“Damn it, Bailey. Why not?”
She shook her head, not believing he even needed to ask. “Are you kidding me? Nash, you’re a nice guy, and I always thought the man who took my virginity would be the man I grew old with, but this situation isn’t anything like I’d pictured.”
“So plans change.”
“But people
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