Read Online Meant to Be (RightMatch.com Trilogy) by Kathryn Shay - Free Book Online

show on modern families. Gorgeous father, darling baby, happiness all around. See it can work.
    Her first impulse was to run. To get out of this place and away from this man who’d tricked her more than she’d ever realized. But her feelings for him, which he’d intentionally manipulated, kept her seated. “What do you want from me, Cole?”
    “That’s simple. What I’ve always wanted. You, in my life.”
    “And you think I’m going to agree?” She gestured to the baby. “With her in your life, too?” Her tone came out cold, hard.
    Cole stood abruptly, making Ellie reach up her arms. “Up, Da Da.”
    Scooping the baby out of the harness to his chest as if to protect her—from Beth?—he said simply, “Be careful what you say about her, Beth. She’s part of all this, and words can’t be taken back.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s time for her morning nap. I’ll give you a break to think about everything,” he added and started across the room. He opened a door then looked over his shoulder. “I hope you won’t leave. I hope we can talk this out, but if you do, I’ll respect your wishes and won’t contact you again.” Then he disappeared into the bedroom.
    Beth stared after him, feeling like she just landed in Oz.
    o0o
    Cole’s mind swirled with a thousand thoughts as he sat in the rocker with Ellie cuddled up to his chest. Trying to calm his mind, he studied the nursery. The walls were a series of murals portraying the outdoors—the sky, puffy white clouds, green trees and grass, even a running brook throughout the whole room. The furniture was wood—a sleek oak crib, low dressers and a changing table, the likes of which he hadn’t even known existed two years ago.
    For a while, he took pleasure in the room, in Ellie, then his thoughts went back to Beth. He’d taken a lot of risks in his life. He’d conceived, created and worked on a microchip that made him enough money to be secure the rest of his life. He left a company that would have paid him a huge salary so he could stay home with Ellie. He’d convinced a frightened woman, who was seeing her dreams go down the tubes, to have his child. He’d taken that child into his home—worse—into his heart, so much so that if anything ever happened to her, he was certain he could never survive. So he shouldn’t be so thrown by telling Beth he had a daughter, whom in the long run, she’d have to help raise. True, he could have waited, let Beth fall more in love with him than she already was, but just because you’ve sinned once doesn’t mean you can keep sinning. His dad had taught him that.
    Ellie fell asleep but he rocked her still, thinking back on what he’d done in this whole sordid mess. He’d taken Rick Matheson’s advice to leave Beth alone to let her make her own way in life, but no man could ignore the rightness of seeing her that Sunday, having her that Sunday, despite his decision to operate on an integrity that had always been so important to him.
    He glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed. She’d have gathered her thoughts, collected herself and they could decide their fate. Feeling like a guitar string tuned so tightly it was about to break, he set Ellie in the crib, whispered, “You’re worth anything that happens, sweetheart,” and made his way to the living area.
    Relief swamped him that she was still here. She stood by the window, staring out at the street. He took a moment to appreciate the gentle curve of her back, her ass, the muscles in her legs. Her hair was loose and luscious around shoulders bared by the pretty top, and his heart ached knowing he might never touch her again. He said, softly, “Beth?”
    She didn’t turn right away but finally faced him. “She’s beautiful, Cole, and I can see how much you love her. I can see that you’re a good father.”
    “Thank you.” He jammed his hands in the pockets of his shorts. “Is there a but coming?”
    “No, no buts. It’s a fact. A nice