Susan Mallery - Under Her Skin

Lexi remembered Izzy had been the one to find out about Garth’s mother. “What now?” she asked.

Izzy wiped her hands on a napkin, then straightened. “Jed can’t have children.”

The bomb fell with perfect precision, landing on the table and exploding. Lexi guessed she looked as stunned as she felt. She was unable to move or speak. Apparently she kept breathing because she didn’t fall over in a faint.

“What?” Skye whispered.

“He can’t have any more children. I’m the last of the Titans, at least by dear old Dad. Garth could be impregnating every virgin from here to the state line for all I know.”

Jed unable to have more children? Is that why he’d never remarried after Pru died? Is that why the women came and went but none lasted?

“Shades of Henry VIII,” Izzy said with a grin. “If you could see your faces.”

“How do you know?” Skye asked. “How are you sure?”

Izzy wiggled in her chair. “Did you know Jed’s doctor employs a male nurse? He’s very crush-worthy.”

Lexi nearly choked. “You slept with him to get private medical information on our father?”

“You make it sound so tacky.”

“It is tacky,” Skye snapped. “And gross.”

“That’s very judgmental of you, but the truth is, you’ll want to hear everything he told me. But if you’re going to have that kind of attitude, I’m not going to tell you.”

Lexi wanted to shake Izzy. Instead she forced herself to stay calm. “What made you want to talk to someone in Dad’s office?” she asked.

“I’ve been thinking about all this the past few days,” Izzy said, grabbing another fry. “And I remembered talking to Dad when I was little. I asked him for a baby brother and he said that wasn’t possible. I was the last of his children. At the time I didn’t understand that might be a significant piece of information. When it came back to me, I wondered if it was true. If Jed couldn’t have more children.”

“So you decided to break the law?” Skye asked, obviously annoyed.

“I just slept with a guy,” Izzy told her. “ He’s the one who broke the law. Apparently Dad had his little swimmers tested after Pru died. Which isn’t something I want to think about.”

Lexi didn’t either, but it was obviously an important piece of the puzzle. Why would Jed bother to check out his sperm unless he had reason to believe they weren’t working? Had he slept with someone and expected her to get pregnant?

“According to the medical records he has some kind of weird degenerating sperm. The older he gets, the less he has. The last test was fifteen years ago. They were nonexistent.” Izzy bit down on the fry.

“I can’t believe this,” Skye said, looking as stunned as Lexi felt. “I wonder if Garth knows.”

“That he’s the only Titan son?” Lexi asked. “If that mattered to Jed, he would have married Kathy when he had the chance.”

“He would have thought he would have more boys.” Skye leaned forward. “Maybe the initial sperm testing wasn’t about viability.”

“It was about finding out if there was a reason he hadn’t had more sons,” Lexi said, finishing her thought. “He discovered there wouldn’t be any more babies.”

“It would explain why he never married after Mom,” Izzy offered. “He’s not interested in loving anyone. Relationships are all about power with him. About getting what he wants. He doesn’t need companionship. Marriage is an exchange, and if he wasn’t getting a male heir, why bother?”

Because Jed Titan wanted a male heir, Lexi thought, feeling sick to her stomach again. Although she would bet this need to throw up had nothing to do with being pregnant.

“Is that why he’s been playing with us?” she asked, thinking aloud. “The reason for the games? Because we’re girls?” She didn’t want to believe it, but it made sense.

“He’s always been a bastard,” Izzy said cheerfully.

“I don’t want to believe that of him,” Skye murmured. “I won’t. He has his idiosyncrasies, but he’s not…”

“What?” Lexi asked. “Cruel? Domineering? Manipulative?”

“Someone has some issues with Daddy,” Izzy said. “Come on, Lexi. He’s just the same guy he’s always been. He’s a jerk sometimes, but he’s still our father.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t make him a nice guy.” Garth wasn’t the only one with a plan. Jed had one, too, but what was it?

“We have to be careful,” Lexi told her sisters. “I don’t know what this means where Jed is concerned, but Garth is out there and he wants us punished. We’re all vulnerable.”

“I’m not,” Izzy said. “I don’t have anything he could take away from me. I don’t have a business or a foundation. I work for a living. If he gets me fired, I’ll find another job.”

“Still,” Lexi said. “Be careful. We don’t know what he’s going to do next.”

Skye rubbed her temple. “Do you think he’d come after Erin?”

Lexi thought about her bright, funny, outgoing niece. “If you’re asking if I think he’ll kidnap her? No. But if you want to know if he would use her somehow if he could? In a hot minute.”

Skye nodded. “That’s what I think, too. But why now? Why us?”

They looked at each other. No one had the answers. They weren’t even sure those were the right questions. But one thing was clear-Garth intended to take down the Titans and they were going to have to stop him.

L EXI HADN’T MEANT TOgo into the baby store. It was next to a Hallmark store and she’d wanted to get a funny card to send to Kendra. As she walked toward her car, she found herself drawn to a window display of a baby’s room. The bedding had been done in shades of mint green and yellow. Tiny teddy-bear angels floated on cream fabric. The open door by the window beckoned her and then she walked inside.

There were dozens of furniture displays, sections with clothes, books, high chairs, car seats and toys. She wandered through the furniture, running her hand over the side of a crib, then stroking a blanket.

Everything was so small, she thought as she moved toward the clothing. So tiny. How could a baby be so very small and be real? Hers wasn’t yet. It was a theory masquerading as a rice grain. Pregnant? Her? Not possible.

Yet she was. And in eight or so months, she would give birth.

She picked up a pink-and-white dress with ruffles, then put it down. The boy clothes drew her. There were overalls with puppies and T-shirts with trains.

A boy would be good, she thought absently. A boy like Cruz. She would like to see a son who had inherited his eyes and dark hair. Definitely his smile. A kid would look good with that irresistible grin.

“Hi. Can I help you?”

Lexi glanced at the older woman who’d joined her. “I’m just browsing.”

The woman smiled. “You’re a bit intense for that. Your first?”

Lexi hadn’t told anyone she was pregnant. She barely believed it herself. Still, she said, “Yes. I just found out a couple of days ago. I’m not sure when it’s going to be real.”

“That first 4:00 a.m. feeding will make it real.” The woman patted her arm. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. I don’t know anything about babies.”

“You know more than you think. Every mother does. To make you feel better, there are dozens of books on the topic. I can recommend a few that are excellent.”

“Thank you.”

They walked over to the book section. The woman pulled a few off the shelves and discussed their merits. Lexi chose two.

“Is your husband excited or terrified?” the clerk asked as they walked to the register.