difficulties of trying
to play mother to kids who weren’t your own. Traumatic for all parties concerned, I’m sure. On top of
everything else, a woman might resent the fact that she had been married more as a convenience than any
thing else.“
„Don’t you think,“ Flynn asked quietly, „that a woman could learn to love a man’s children even though
he might have had them by another woman?“
Heather felt her insides twist in painful tension. She should never have started this, she thought wildly. It
had been the shock and initial anger that had driven her this far. Neither was proving sufficiently strong to
keep her going. She’d set out tonight with the intention of forcing Flynn to be honest with her. She had
wanted to shake him out of his absolute certainty that he had only to beckon and she would eventually come
back into his arms. She had wanted to let him know she wouldn’t be married just because he happened to
need a mother for his child.
„It would depend,“ she heard herself say in answer to his question.
„Depend on what?“
Heather felt as if she were suddenly floundering. It was hard to imagine Flynn’s son. Would the boy
have his father’s tawny eyes or the eyes of a strange woman Heather had never even met? Would he have
his father’s temperament or his mother’s? „On whether she felt loved for herself, I suppose. If she had
some way of knowing her husband had married her for love, not because he just happened to need a
mother for his child, she might, eventually, be able to love both the child and the man.“
„Heather,“ Flynn began, his voice raw as he put his hand across the table to capture her fingers, „how
could a man caught in a situation such as you’re describing ever prove himself? Honey, please listen to me.
I didn’t realize you would feel like this. I guess I just assumed that…never mind. I have to explain
something to you.“
„It would be tricky, wouldn’t it?“ Heather said quietly.
He stared at her. „What would be tricky?“
„For the woman in question to figure out just why she had been married.“
„Damn it, Heather, will you stop talking about some mythical female dreamed up by your friends at
lunch? This is the real world and nothing’s perfect. I’m sorry I’m not the untarnished knight in shining
armor you’re apparently searching for, but that doesn’t mean that my reasons for asking you to marry me
aren’t legitimate. I want you. I know you’re not ready to believe this yet, but I also love you. I’m doing my
best to undo what I did eight months ago. Give me a chance, Heather.“
She forced a dazzling smile. „Well, at least we don’t have the added complications of fatherhood to
worry about, do we? I mean, things would be so much more difficult if you had kids.“
The tawny darkness of Flynn’s eyes was filled with a gleaming determination. His hand tightened
fiercely around hers. „Damn it, Heather, this isn’t the way I wanted to handle this. I don’t know how things
got so screwed up. I thought I had everything organized and in order. Now it all seems to be falling apart.“
„Flynn, I’m not sure I want to hear this.“
„Just hush and listen to me, Heather Devaney. Believe me, you’ve done more than enough talking to-
night. God knows, nothing has ever been easy with you.“
„Except getting me into bed eight months ago.“
Flynn ignored that and went on resolutely. „But I swear I didn’t realize it was going to get this compli-
cated. I want to tell you something important and I want your word you’re not going to have hysterics.“
„I never have hysterics. I don’t know any woman who’s ever had them. I think the idea of women hav-
ing hysterics is a male myth.“
„Then I want your word you won’t fly off the handle when I tell you about my – “
„Flynn Rammage! Good to see you again. When are we going to get together for drinks?“
Both Flynn and Heather turned
to play mother to kids who weren’t your own. Traumatic for all parties concerned, I’m sure. On top of
everything else, a woman might resent the fact that she had been married more as a convenience than any
thing else.“
„Don’t you think,“ Flynn asked quietly, „that a woman could learn to love a man’s children even though
he might have had them by another woman?“
Heather felt her insides twist in painful tension. She should never have started this, she thought wildly. It
had been the shock and initial anger that had driven her this far. Neither was proving sufficiently strong to
keep her going. She’d set out tonight with the intention of forcing Flynn to be honest with her. She had
wanted to shake him out of his absolute certainty that he had only to beckon and she would eventually come
back into his arms. She had wanted to let him know she wouldn’t be married just because he happened to
need a mother for his child.
„It would depend,“ she heard herself say in answer to his question.
„Depend on what?“
Heather felt as if she were suddenly floundering. It was hard to imagine Flynn’s son. Would the boy
have his father’s tawny eyes or the eyes of a strange woman Heather had never even met? Would he have
his father’s temperament or his mother’s? „On whether she felt loved for herself, I suppose. If she had
some way of knowing her husband had married her for love, not because he just happened to need a
mother for his child, she might, eventually, be able to love both the child and the man.“
„Heather,“ Flynn began, his voice raw as he put his hand across the table to capture her fingers, „how
could a man caught in a situation such as you’re describing ever prove himself? Honey, please listen to me.
I didn’t realize you would feel like this. I guess I just assumed that…never mind. I have to explain
something to you.“
„It would be tricky, wouldn’t it?“ Heather said quietly.
He stared at her. „What would be tricky?“
„For the woman in question to figure out just why she had been married.“
„Damn it, Heather, will you stop talking about some mythical female dreamed up by your friends at
lunch? This is the real world and nothing’s perfect. I’m sorry I’m not the untarnished knight in shining
armor you’re apparently searching for, but that doesn’t mean that my reasons for asking you to marry me
aren’t legitimate. I want you. I know you’re not ready to believe this yet, but I also love you. I’m doing my
best to undo what I did eight months ago. Give me a chance, Heather.“
She forced a dazzling smile. „Well, at least we don’t have the added complications of fatherhood to
worry about, do we? I mean, things would be so much more difficult if you had kids.“
The tawny darkness of Flynn’s eyes was filled with a gleaming determination. His hand tightened
fiercely around hers. „Damn it, Heather, this isn’t the way I wanted to handle this. I don’t know how things
got so screwed up. I thought I had everything organized and in order. Now it all seems to be falling apart.“
„Flynn, I’m not sure I want to hear this.“
„Just hush and listen to me, Heather Devaney. Believe me, you’ve done more than enough talking to-
night. God knows, nothing has ever been easy with you.“
„Except getting me into bed eight months ago.“
Flynn ignored that and went on resolutely. „But I swear I didn’t realize it was going to get this compli-
cated. I want to tell you something important and I want your word you’re not going to have hysterics.“
„I never have hysterics. I don’t know any woman who’s ever had them. I think the idea of women hav-
ing hysterics is a male myth.“
„Then I want your word you won’t fly off the handle when I tell you about my – “
„Flynn Rammage! Good to see you again. When are we going to get together for drinks?“
Both Flynn and Heather turned
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