Bonnie Winn - The Mommy Makeover

She shook her head. “I thought I was, but now things aren’t as clear. My feelings seem muddled. Like about having children. I was so sure about my decision. And now…”

“You have doubts?”

“More than just doubts.” Katelyn’s voice changed, infused with a tone Finn had never heard her use. “Something inside tells me you’re right. I don’t want to wake up someday and wish I’d done things differently.”

The light changed and the car behind them honked impatiently. Finn tore his gaze from the rearview mirror, breaking their connection. But his thoughts remained on her words. Was it possible Katelyn not only wanted children, but could possibly even be good with them? He hadn’t considered her in this light. Briefly he remembered the vulnerability she had exhibited while sleeping. He had dismissed that for the most part. But could he be wrong? Was the barracuda really a woman beneath her prickly surface?

Glancing again in the rearview mirror, Finn decided it was worth consideration.

DANIEL USED his key to enter Katelyn’s condo. He often housesat for her, watering the plants and picking up her mail when she was out of town. But his mission today was different.

While the last tape he’d given Katelyn had accelerated the process, it still wasn’t working as quickly as he expected. Realistically, Daniel knew he couldn’t expect her to listen to the tapes indefinitely. Happy in his own relationship with Mary, he wanted Katelyn to find a potential mate as well.

Not only would she be happier, so would he. He sensed that it was her frustration in recent months that had made her edgy, unusually testy. Even though her behavior wore on his nerves, he was genuinely concerned about Katelyn. Having climbed to an enviable position of power, she would find it difficult to relinquish her career for a husband and children. Daniel knew that without outside intervention, Katelyn would grow more frustrated and unhappy.

Again, Daniel thought of his sister, the bitterness she couldn’t escape. He intended to make sure Katelyn had a different choice.

Although the last tape he’d purchased had advocated marriage, this one practically guaranteed that it would push the listener into holy wedlock. It worked primarily on a woman’s natural desire to procreate. Katelyn should soon be brimming with desire for a husband and children.

Daniel had exchanged this newest tape for the one in her cassette recorder, but he wasn’t certain she would listen to it enough for it to work. So, he’d purchased a second tape.

Walking into her bedroom, he spotted the stereo system. It was a separate unit that Katelyn had bought to bring an air of romance to the room. However, she had confessed that the unit hadn’t been used in a long time.

But Daniel had a better use for the neglected stereo.

He slipped the tape in the proper slot, adjusted the volume and then for the pièce de résistance, set the timer. Every night the stereo would turn on at a predetermined time. As she slept, the tape would play repeatedly.

Grinning, Daniel realized Katelyn would be after her perfect mate in a flash. He just hoped the man she chose was ready. Because a determined Katelyn could put a steamroller to shame. And after listening hundreds of times to the tape, she was going to be one determined hunter.

IT HAD BEEN an interesting three weeks for Finn. His relationship with Katelyn had altered dramatically. It began changing when she had discussed her uncertainty about having children. Since then, the rigid ice princess persona had lessened until it completely disappeared. Instead of treating him like a faceless employee, Katelyn had actually been kind, even interested in hearing about his life and goals. In other circumstances, he would have said they were becoming friends. But that was a loaded description.

Because even though Finn knew Katelyn was his boss, he still found her enormously attractive. But, now that she had started acting like a regular human being, he realized it went beyond just a physical attraction. The intelligence in her eyes drew him along with a grudging admiration for all she had accomplished. He had witnessed her drive and determination and knew it equaled that of only the most dedicated. Most male executives would have difficulty keeping up with her and would be hard-pressed to duplicate her success.

While her breakneck pace hadn’t slowed appreciably, Katelyn was acting softer, more open-like. Even her clothing choices were changing, going more and more often from dynamic power suits to soft, clingy dresses, wispy blouses and flowered skirts. Instead of pulling her hair back in severe styles, it now hung loose in silky waves.

What was even more puzzling was her uncharacteristic behavior. Katelyn had paused several times to longingly watch children. Once they had passed a church with a wedding in progress and he could have sworn he saw the glint of tears in her eyes. It was baffling, but Finn guessed her actions could be attributed to her biological clock. Apparently she had reached a point in her life where she was questioning the choices she had made. It wasn’t that uncommon. For once, Finn could see the definite advantages of female hormones. They appeared to be making a complete transformation in Katelyn.

As he completed the thought, Finn spotted her. She was strolling out the revolving door of a glassy skyscraper, long, burnished hair peeking out of the flowered hat she wore. She looked particularly attractive today. But it struck him that she was like an entirely different person—in appearance, attitude, and behavior. It wasn’t like her to stroll instead of walking at a near running pace.

As she approached, he swung open the rear passenger door.

“Hello, Finn. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.” It was another of her changes. She no longer felt compelled to address him as Malloy.

“Actually, I just got here a few minutes ago. The meeting didn’t go as long as you’d thought. Is that a good sign?”

“Sometimes you don’t have to keep beating a dead horse. It’s smarter to simply bury it and get on with the next race.”

Puzzled, Finn shut the door and got into the car himself. Adjusting the rearview mirror, he studied her face. “I’m not sure exactly what that means.”

“The client didn’t like the presentation. So, why should I keep trying to sell it? I’ll simply work up another campaign.”

Simply? Finn knew that Katelyn had spent weeks on the presentation she was now dismissing. A good portion of her success was her unrelenting determination to sell her ideas, dominating meetings with her forceful presence. “And it doesn’t bother you that so much work went into it?”

Katelyn shrugged “There’s not much I could do about it. I’ll just have to think of something fresher. Life’s too short to get caught up in the things you can’t change. It’s much wiser to concentrate on the ones you can.”

Finn’s gaze remained on hers. As baffling as her behavior was, he couldn’t stem his fascination. “And is there something new you plan to concentrate on?”

A dreamy smile slid over her lips. “Perhaps.”

Shaking his head, Finn pulled out of the circular driveway and into traffic. He couldn’t help wondering what that purposely vague response meant.

Tonight’s meeting was being held northwest of the city in a secluded club. While it boasted of a first-class golf course and a four-star restaurant, it wasn’t a convenient location since it required a drive through snarled traffic routes. It would have been wisest to take a helicopter to the club, but Finn didn’t want to suggest it. He vividly remembered Katelyn’s terror in the copter. It wasn’t something he wanted to subject her to again.

Finn expertly navigated through the traffic. It didn’t take long to reach the loop. From there he took an exit which put them on a farm road, out of the gridlock.