The Right Bride - By Jennifer Ryan Page 0,25

two A.M. -feedings, diapers, and crying, not a problem. Emma would love to have a sibling.

He thought about what he should tell her and decided only the truth would do.

“So, darling, we need to make wedding arrangements. You look pleased about the baby. We’ll be married and the baby will arrive. We’ll be a family. It’ll be lovely.”

So will all that money.

The penthouse, making love with him every night, access to his accounts and the limo. She would never have to type another letter or answer another phone for her stupid boss. Instead of taking orders, she’d be the one giving them.

Married. A baby. Cameron thought about his life and the lives of his children. The baby deserved a father and a mother. Did it mean he had to marry the baby’s mother?

God, what a mess.

He’d wished every day of his life his father had been there. His mother said it was his father’s choice to remain anonymous. She’d never told him his name. She’d made his father a promise, and when and if he was ready, he’d make himself known.

Cameron spent a lot of his youth angry she refused to tell him, but in the end it didn’t matter. He had his mother, and knowing the name of his father wouldn’t make the man appear and want to be his dad. It took Cameron a long time to get to that realization. Still, deep down, when he unearthed the hurt and anger, he still wanted to know his father. He wanted to know why his father didn’t want him.

George had been in his life as far back as he could remember. Friends with his mother, he took an interest in him from the beginning. He made sure Cameron went to the best schools and received a full scholarship from George’s company, Knight Enterprises.

Deeply grateful to Knight for being there for him all these years, he had been the father he’d never had. He’d attended every ball game, birthday, and graduation.

Even though Knight had been there for him over the years, Cameron had always wished for his father instead.

He couldn’t do the same to his child. Deep down he had some old-fashioned ways. He’d even asked Caroline’s parents for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Caroline found his old-fashioned ideas sweet, charming even.

It all came down to one thing: he believed his child should have two full-time parents. Emma needed a mother and he wished Caroline had been there for the last five years. This was his chance to give her a mother and the new baby a real family. Shelly was far from the ideal candidate. He only hoped becoming a mother to their baby changed her.

No one was born with a manual, telling them how to be a parent. It was a learning process. He knew that better than anyone. He’d come home from the hospital with a baby and made his share of mistakes the first few weeks alone with her.

All he had left was hope. Hope things worked out, hope he wasn’t making the mistake of a lifetime, and hope he didn’t ruin Emma’s life and the life of his unborn baby in the process.

“We’ll be married in six weeks. I’ll make the arrangements. We’ll have a quiet ceremony at the penthouse. You can have your family and a few friends if you’d like, but I’d like to keep things small and intimate.”

“But darling, I thought we’d have a big fantastic wedding and invite your business associates and friends. We’ll have a beautiful ceremony and a big reception.” They’d receive a ton of gifts, and she’d have the wedding of the century. The San Francisco society pages would be filled with pictures of their wedding and people would clamor to get an invitation. Lavish and decadent, she pictured the whole affair in her mind, excitement zipping through her system, energizing every nerve.

“You’re pregnant, I don’t love you, you don’t love me, and a big wedding would take time to plan and set up. We’re having a baby. Not something I want to advertise and throw in people’s faces months from now when my pregnant fiancé waddles down the aisle. Six weeks, take it or leave it.

“Oh, I’ll have my lawyer draw up the prenup. Sign it, or we’ll call the whole thing off.”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I’m a wealthy man. I need to protect my assets and Emma’s inheritance. If this thing goes sour, you’ll be given a generous settlement.”

“Darling, can’t you try to have a better attitude?

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