Karen Rose - Expecting the CEO's Baby

The Rocky R was about fifteen minutes outside of Fawn Grove. A wooden archway welcomed Jenna as she drove her car up the lane to the house. Marianne, Shannon’s partner, was working in the corral with a student.

Jenna parked in the gravel area near the two-story house and was relieved to see Shannon’s truck there, too. Her aunt Cora’s car was gone, though, and that could mean Shannon wouldn’t be home, either.

As Jenna ascended the porch steps, she could see that the front door was open. She rang the bell and called, “Anyone home?”

Shannon came to the door dressed in her usual jeans and a blue-and-yellow-plaid, short-sleeved shirt. She was all smiles when she saw Jenna. “Hi, there. I just came in from grooming the horses and washed up. I’m about ready to fix lunch. You want some?”

“Are the girls here?”

Holding open the wooden screen door, she explained, “They went into town with Cora to get groceries. They should be back any minute.”

“This isn’t just a friendly visit,” Jenna said as she stepped inside. “I need perspective on everything that’s happened, and I thought you could give it to me.”

“I’ll do my best. Let’s talk in the kitchen while I make salads.”

Shannon’s kitchen was bright, colorful and welcoming. “Has Rafe told you anything?” Jenna asked her friend.

“He can’t. Confidentiality between lawyer and client. I only know what you told me after your first meeting at the clinic about the baby not being B.J.’s. Rafe paced most of last evening but wouldn’t tell me why. Did that have something to do with you?”

“I…I was with Blake Winston yesterday against Rafe’s advice. Blake thought if we went off somewhere and talked without lawyers, it might make everything easier.”

Shannon gave Jenna her full attention. “Did it?”

She felt her cheeks grow warm. “I don’t know. He’s so— I don’t know how to explain it. He’s just so much a…man.”

Shannon seemed surprised at that and her lips twitched up. “What does that mean?”

As Jenna sank into one of the kitchen chairs at the table, she thought about it, then tried to put those thoughts into words. “He’s so confident but he doesn’t talk much about himself. He’s used to getting his own way and giving orders, but yet he seemed to know how to listen, too.”

“It sounds to me as if you learned a lot about him in one afternoon.”

“He learned a lot more about me. When I told Rafe that last night, he wasn’t happy. But I had to be honest with Blake.”

“Do you think he was honest with you?”

“I think everything he told me was true. From what I gathered, this child means a lot to him. He had his sperm frozen so one day he could hire a surrogate. Apparently he wanted his sperm to be fully potent—” Jenna stopped, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Shannon’s brows arched. “A man like Blake Winston could have any woman he wanted. I wonder why he planned to use a surrogate?”

“I got the feeling that a serious relationship isn’t on his agenda. But he’s not your typical confirmed bachelor if he wants to be a daddy. I think he’s a very complex man.”

After Shannon was quiet for a few moments, she said, “Blake Winston knows powerful people, not just actors and actresses, but politicians, too. From what I understand, he’s got it all—money, good looks…” She paused before she added, “Charm. A man like that could be very persuasive. Do you think he was handling you yesterday?”

“I don’t know. I was upset, that was for sure. Yet I didn’t feel he was charming me. I mean, I felt he was as thrown off balance by all of this as I’ve been. When we were out on his boat—”

“Out on his boat?” Shannon cut in.

“He suggested it. He said it was the best place to relax. And it was. It was so peaceful out there, Shannon. Even though I’d never been on a boat, when he was at the helm, I trusted him.”

“You like the man.”

When she thought about it, she wasn’t sure how to explain what she felt around him. “I don’t know him yet.” Even though Shannon was a good friend, she didn’t feel comfortable telling her about being almost kissed, the feelings that had made her tingle all over. They didn’t seem any more right today than they had yesterday. She already knew what Shannon would tell her—that B.J. was dead and she had to go on. But up until two days ago, she’d intended to keep B.J.’s memory alive forever by having his child.

“Did he make any offers?”

“I think he might agree to joint custody. But I can’t imagine not holding my baby every day, not caring for it every moment.”

“Joint custody doesn’t have to be half a week at his house, half a week at yours. Courts are willing to be flexible if the two of you can be flexible. You have to think about the trauma going to court over this would cause—not only the disruption in your life, but in your child’s life. Custody battles usually turn nasty because both sides want the advantage. Rafe can tell you that better than anyone.”

“Do you think I should agree to joint custody?”

“What I think doesn’t matter, Jenna. You have to solve this in your heart and come up with what you can live with.”

A beep sounded from Jenna’s purse and she fished inside for her cell phone. When she answered it, she expected to hear her father’s voice…or Gary’s. Instead she heard “Jenna? It’s Blake.”

“Oh. Hi.”

“Am I catching you at a bad time?”

She glanced at Shannon. “No. I was just having lunch with…a friend.”

“I won’t keep you. How would you like to come to my house for dinner tonight?”

Dinner with Blake? If she agreed, what tactic would he use tonight to convince her that joint custody was the solution to their dilemma?

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