Susan Mallery - The Million-Dollar Catch - The Substitute Millionaire

Todd walked in and slumped on the leather sofa by the window.

“So what did she want?” he asked, then shook his head. “No, wait. I want to guess. She’s forgiven all and desperately wants to be with you.”

“Did she act like either of those was true?”

Todd shrugged. “She was mad, sure, but was it real or an act? Come on. We’ve seen it all. Some of them are better than others.”

At one time Ryan would have agreed with his cousin. Recently he’d become convinced there weren’t any honest women left. But he’d been wrong.

“She’s pregnant.”

Todd straightened and stared at him. Then he swore and flopped back on the sofa. “You’re totally screwed,” he said glumly. “Doesn’t it just figure. She wins in the end.”

“No one’s winning,” Ryan said. “We’re dealing. She asked me if I wanted to sign away rights.”

“And in return she’d ask you for nothing?” Todd shook his head. “I won’t believe it until I see the paperwork myself.”

“I told her no.”

“Of course you did.”

“This isn’t what I would have planned, but now that it’s happened …” He didn’t know what to say. In truth, the thought of a kid of his own was appealing.

Todd frowned. “Don’t go all father and son on me.”

“I wouldn’t mind a daughter.”

Todd groaned.

Ryan grinned. “Look at the bright side. I read somewhere that a child gets most of its intelligence from the mother. Julie’s bright enough that her kid could grow up to save the world.”

“ You need saving right now. You barely know this woman and now you’re having a baby with her? If she offered you an out, you need to think about taking it.”

“No.”

“Look what happened last time.”

“This is different. I won’t be a stepfather. I’ll be involved from the beginning. We’ll make decisions together.”

“You sure about that?”

“Julie has every right to be pissed at me.”

“I don’t agree but we’ll go with it,” Todd said. “Fine. She’s pissed and are you so sure she’ll get over it? Or play straight with you? Are you even sure the kid is yours?”

Ryan stared at his cousin. “Have you always been such a cynical bastard?”

“We both are.”

“Not anymore.”

“No way.” Todd rested one ankle on the opposite knee. “You can’t tell me this changes anything. You met her, you liked her, you obviously slept with her, which I’ll now point out you didn’t tell me.”

“It didn’t seem relevant.”

“All evidence to the contrary. You have no way of knowing who she was with the night or week before she met you. Okay, sure, assume it’s yours, but protect yourself, Ryan. It makes sense.”

It did make sense, he thought. The thing was, he knew it wasn’t necessary. Something in his gut told him that Julie was telling the truth.

“Maybe she planned this,” Todd said. “Maybe she set the whole thing up.”

“Right. She arranged to reconcile with a grandmother she didn’t know she had, confident Ruth would insist one of the sisters go out on a date with you. Then she waited until the perfect night of her cycle, arranged the date, seduced me, dragged me home and slept with me without knowing if I would use a condom, all the while hoping she would get knocked up.”

“It could happen,” Todd muttered.

“You’re making me rethink our partnership.”

“I’m looking out for you. I know you, Ryan. You have that damned honorable streak. You keep it hidden, but I know it’s there. You lied to her and even though you were justified and angry at the time, you hate that you did it. Now the woman is pregnant and you’re feeling responsible. Don’t be stupid.”

“I won’t be.”

“Like I believe that. At least don’t do anything until after the kid is born and you get a DNA test, okay? I can get you the name of a good lawyer.”

Ryan appreciated Todd’s intentions, but they weren’t necessary. “Julie is a good lawyer.”

“I meant the name of one who isn’t out to screw you.”

Unfortunately Ryan doubted Julie would ever want that again. He’d spent their brief meeting thinking about getting her naked again and he would bet money that she’d been planning fifty ways to skin him alive.

“Are you sure she isn’t in it for the money?” Todd asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m not. Ryan you’re the closest thing I’ll ever have to a brother. Remember what happened last time. I don’t want you worked over again.”

“Julie wouldn’t do that.”

“How do you know?”

Ryan didn’t have an answer. It was something he felt, not something he could prove or explain.

In truth, Todd had a point. Ryan knew very little about Julie. It was possible she was just in it for the money. Maybe this was a game to her. But honest to God, he couldn’t begin to care if she was.

Which said what about him?

“She’s not like that,” he said at last.

Todd shook his head. “They’re all like that.”

“Why am I meeting you here?” Willow asked as she climbed out of her car and glanced around at the shopping center. As Julie had requested, she’d parked in front of the office-supply store. “Is there a sale on paper clips or colored pens?”

Julie waited until her sister had joined her on the sidewalk. “I have something to tell you.”

“You don’t want to be a lawyer anymore? You’re going into retail?”

“Almost.”

“Don’t make any big decisions now, while you’re still in recovery from jerk-man. He’s not worth it.”

“I appreciate the support.”

Delicate little Willow was also so passionate about everything. Unfortunately, when guys looked at her, they tended to see a best friend or a buddy. But one day the right man would open his eyes and be swept away. Julie hoped he was up for the ride.

“So I have something to tell you,” Julie said as she led her sister past the office-supply center and toward the baby store next door. “I left out a small detail of my night with Ryan.”

“He’s a hermaphrodite?” Willow asked with a grin. “Because that would have made things really weird.”

“More weird than you know.” Julie faced her and stared into blue eyes that were so much like her own. “I slept with him.”

Willow surprised her by nodding slowly. “I kind of figured that.”

“What? How? I didn’t say anything.” Julie had always thought she was good at keeping secrets. “I didn’t even hint.”

“You didn’t have to. You were more upset than you needed to be and that’s more my flaw or even Marina’s. Not yours. So I figured there had to be a reason. Sleeping with Ryan was the most logical.”

Julie sighed. Her sisters knew her and she knew them. That was at the core of their closeness. “I’d been looking forward to your shock and outrage.”

“I could get huffy now, if that would help.”

“I appreciate that, but I’m okay. Still, there’s one more thing.” She motioned to the baby store.

This time she got the reaction she’d been expecting before. Willow turned slowly, then froze in place. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropped open and she gave a strangled sound.

“You’re pregnant,” she breathed. “Oh no. Pregnant? Really? By Ryan?”

“Uh-huh. It was a busy night.” Julie went for humor because if she actually sat down and thought about the mess she was in, she got overwhelmed.

“Pregnant.” Willow reached for her hand. “What do you think? Are you happy?”

Julie smiled. “Yeah, I really am. I never thought much about kids except as something to get to later, but the second I found out, I knew I wanted this baby.”

“Have you told Ryan?”