An Unexpected Husband (8 page)

“I love it up here,” Brenda said simply. “This is where I keep everything that has ever mattered to me. And some stuff that didn’t but I kept it because it meant something to someone that I love.

Skye wasn’t entirely sure what she was there for. She was glad that she got to see it though.

“There’s a reason I wanted you to see up here,” Brenda said. “I want you to have a look at the things that Shaun loved when he was younger, and I want you to take anything from here that you think you would like.”

“I couldn’t take away things that you hold so dear.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, it just doesn’t seem right. Shaun and I, we’re not really a couple. We just kind of drifted together.”

“Hmmm. You’re having a baby, and you still sleep in the same bed, and you seem to be spending all your time together.”

Skye’s eyes filled with tears. “I know and it’s been great. Shaun’s great. I know he wants to do the right thing.”

“Oh,” Brenda said with a small grin.

“What Oh?” Skye asked trying to return her grin.

Brenda sat in front of Skye and took both her hands in her own.

“You think he’s only with you because of the baby.”

Skye nodded. “He is.”

“No. I don’t think so. If fact I KNOW he isn’t. He’s in love with you Skye.”

“How do you know?” Skye asked trying not to sound too hopeful.

“I’m his mother. I know.”

Skye thought about that. “He didn’t choose me.” She didn’t feel like she could really say what she meant. Yes, he’d chosen her, but he’d chosen her for her body in a bar. Not just any bar either, a pick up bar. She’d been acting. She hadn’t been herself. So he hadn’t even chosen her for that. He’d chosen Scarlett.

*              *              *

Brenda watched the girl for a long minute before she spoke. “Have you ever received a gift that someone has chosen for you that turns out to be perfect? It isn’t what you would or should have chosen for yourself, you didn’t even know that you needed or wanted it, but you love it and you don’t know why it never occurred to you before then?”

“I guess so.”

“That’s what you are to Shaun.”

“You mean the baby?”

“Not just the baby. The baby isn’t here yet. It’s you that makes him smile.”

“Do you really think that?”

“I know that. I’ve never seen Shaun so happy, so protective.”

“So bossy,” Skye added with a huge smile.

“No he’s always been bossy, oldest son and all that. His father was the same way.”

“Oh really,” Skye said.

*              *              *

They spent the rest of the morning going through old photographs and baby clothes. Brenda even offered her an antique Christening robe that every generation of Collins had worn for as long as they could remember. The things that Skye liked were tagged but she wouldn’t take any, yet. She would wait until they made it official before she took any memories out of this room. Then she and Shaun would be adding to the memories, not taking them away.

*              *              *

When the boys made it home Shaun was happy to find his Mom and Skye in the kitchen preparing dinner. “Oh wow…it smells great in here,” Shaun said as he walked through the door. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Uh huh,” Skye said beaming. “Chicken pot pie. We’re even making the pastry from scratch.”

“Really,” Shaun said. He was impressed.

“Your Mom says there’s no love in the supermarket packets.”

“That sounds like Mom,” Shaun said with a grin in his Mom’s direction. If she had been meddling she’d done a good job.

“Nice,” Tom said lifting the lid to the pot of chicken mixture that would go underneath the pastry. “Ouch,” he said when his Mom slapped his hand.

“Go wash up or something,” Brenda said.

“You made this for me?” Shaun asked. He kissed Skye’s cheek tenderly.

“That’s my intention,” she said with a giggle. “We’ll have to see if that translates into anything actually edible.”

“It’ll be lovely Skye,” Brenda said.

“Yes, I’m sure it will,” Shaun said with a grin. Skye flushed with pleasure. She really hadn’t ever bothered with cooking much, it wasn’t the same when it was only for yourself. Cooking for other people was actually fun.

*              *              *

When Skye went to take a shower the night before they were due to leave, Brenda finally got the opportunity to talk to her son. “So? Have you given any thought yet to when Skye might become my daughter-in-law for real?”

“Mom…we’ve been through this.”

“I know but we didn’t finish the conversation to my satisfaction.”

Shaun sighed.

“We had an interesting chat Skye and I.”

“Oh?”

“She thinks that you’re only with her because you’re doing the right thing. She doesn’t want you to feel trapped.”

“You’re joking!”

“Nope. Now there’s only one person that could have made her feel like that and it wasn’t me.”

“I haven’t made her feel like that!” he said “If I did, it certainly wasn’t done on purpose. I don’t feel trapped. I love Skye.”

“I can see that. Can she see that?”

“She must be able to see that. I never stop telling her how much I want us to stay together. In fact I’ve told her we WILL be staying together. She won’t be getting rid of me.”

“Oh how romantic Shaun.”

“What do you mean?”

“Very Neanderthal. Why don’t you just club her over the head and drag her into your cave. Then she’d know how you feel.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Maybe, but that’s how it seems. You need to woo her. A little romance wouldn’t hurt. You need to make her see that you were already interested in more than just sex even before the baby.”

“Ok. I get it but I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“Why not? I just want to help you.”

“I know and you have.” He kissed his Mom’s cheek and headed up the stairs.

*              *              *

Shaun went into the bedroom and found Skye had fallen asleep. He sat beside her and gently ran his hand over her tangled hair, smoothing it across the pillow. He HAD fallen for her, but he could see that his Mom was partly right. That’s why he was having trouble getting Skye to commit to being with him permanently. He’d gone about things all wrong. He was trying to reach her by making her do what was right, which of course was what was best for the baby. What he completely left out was that they should do what was right for her, and for them, which was of course being together, being married. It wasn’t even just that he WANTED to be with her. He really didn’t think he could live without her. In the last two weeks they’d slotted into each other’s lives like they’d always been there. He had to find a way to make her see how much he needed her.

He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed easily in her sleep, as she turned over a curl fell across her face. It made her seem younger, innocent. He smiled when he looked at the gentle swell of her growing belly. She always tried to hide it from him when she was naked, like he would be repulsed by it. Nothing could be further from the truth. He loved it and her slightly curvier ass. Yes he loved that ass. Her breasts were fuller too and her whole body seemed to be softer, warmer and more responsive to his touch. Maybe it was physical, hormone changes, and maybe, hopefully, she was falling for him too. He hoped so.

She turned and smiled in her sleep as he cuddled up next to her and closed his eyes.

*              *              *

“Make sure you call me,” Brenda shouted and waved as they drove away.

“I had a fun time. I love your Mom AND your brother.”

“They have their moments,” he said with a smile. “Only joking. I’m glad.”

“Where are we going?”

“Home silly.”

She nodded sadly. Technically, her home was her apartment and his home was his house. If they each went to their own homes it would mean sleeping by herself for the first time in nearly three weeks. She found that the idea didn’t thrill her. Not at all.

“You could stay at my apartment tonight. Save you having to take me home and then drive all the way to your house.”

“I’d love that,” he said with a grin. “Actually I had no intention of dropping you off and going home. Home is wherever you are. I just assumed you’d want to go home to your own apartment after being away so long.”

“I would, especially if you’re coming with me.”

They drove along in a companionable silence until her phone rang.

“Hello?” Skye answered. She went white. It was the super in her building. She’d completely forgotten to cancel the order from the baby store. He’d had to let them in to deliver all the stuff. She thanked him and hung up.

“Something wrong?” Shaun asked.

“No, no.”

“Something is wrong.”

“NO it isn’t,” she said. “That was the super. He was just telling me he signed for something for me.”

“Oh, ok. Something important?”

“Um, no. You know what? Why don’t we stay at your house tonight?” Shaun frowned suspiciously.

“Why?”

“No reason.”

“Seriously, I’m asking you why?”

“Does there have to be a reason? If you don’t want me there you can just drop me off and go home.” Shaun looked at her sideways. He could tell she was picking a fight but he couldn’t figure out why. All he knew was it had something to do with that phone call.

*              *              *

“I’ll be staying at your apartment like we planned.”

Skye burst into tears.

“Why don’t you just tell me,” he said. “You know I’m going to find out. What could be so bad?”

She picked at her fingernails. “I forgot to do something.”

“What? Did you leave the stove on or something?”

“No,” she said with a sob.

“Then what honey? You’re worrying me.”

“You’ll see when we get there but I was going to fix it. Honest.”

“Fix what? Seriously Skye. I’m not messing. I want you to tell me, now.”

“You were being bossy, when we were at my parent’s house.”

“What? When I told you to be nice to your Mom?”

She nodded. “You were threatening to spank me.”

“You were being a brat.”

“You made me go shopping with her. So I let her shop. A lot.”

“Oh Skye, how much?”

“Um, quite a bit.”

“Quite a bit doesn’t tell me how much.”

“About eight thousand dollars,” she wailed.

“You’re joking! To make a point that you don’t need anyone telling you the right way to behave, you let you Mom spend all that money that they may not be able to afford?”

“I feel terrible! I realized it was stupid and I was going to cancel the order but I forgot!”

“How did she pay?”

“Credit card.”

“How could you mess with your parent’s finances like that? How did you even convince her to do it?”

She hung her head and he could tell there was more and he had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t going to like it. Not at all. “Skye.”

“I, I told her that I was worried about what would happen.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I told her that we’d struggle on one salary when I went on maternity leave.”

“Why would you say that?!” he asked. He didn’t understand, he really didn’t.

“I knew that it would embarrass you.”

“Wow. You. Wow.”

“I don’t know what was wrong with me when I was there. I’m sorry Shaun…really.”

“You will be.”

Shaun didn’t say anything else. Neither did Skye. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she stared out of the window. She sniffled every now and then, occasionally glancing over at him to measure how angry he was. He was plenty angry.

*              *              *

By the time they finally parked outside Skye’s building she was very worried. Not really worried that Shaun would punish her, that was pretty much a given. She was more worried that he wouldn’t. Her biggest fear was that he’d just be so disgusted with her that he’d just leave.

“Are you still angry?” She asked when he made no move to get out of the car.

“No…not really. I’m surprised, that you’d be so conniving, just to make a point. A moot point I might add. You obviously DO need to be told what to do.” She hung her head.

“So you’re not going to leave me?”

“No of course not, but you need to know something.”

“What?”

“I am going to spank you and it isn’t going to be a few smacks over your panties.”

“You can’t hurt me. I’m pregnant.”

“I promise you I won’t do anything that would hurt you or the baby.”

“Am I going to have to tell my Mom and Dad what I did? My Mom will be broken hearted.”

“I honestly don’t know your Mom well enough to make that call,” he said. “I’m going to call your Dad and tell him, let him tell me the best way to go.”

“He won’t be so angry with me if you tell him.”

“I’m not doing it this way to cover for your naughty ass. I’m doing it this way to protect your Mom, the innocent bystander.”

“Ok.”

“And the baby stuff will all go back, except for the stroller.”

“Ok.”

He frowned and shook his head at her and her tummy flipped right over.

Chapter Five

“Holy cow!” Shaun said as they entered what resembled a baby store more than an apartment. “Did you buy up the entire store?”

“No of course not.”

“That was a rhetorical question.”

“Oh.” Skye wandered around running her hands over things. Skye smiled. “This is so cute.”

“Skye,” Shaun warned. “Don’t touch or open anything.”

“I’m not. Geez. I’m just looking.”

He frowned. He could have sworn with all the trouble she was already in that there was still a hint of an attitude. He took her hand. “Come on,” he said.

He sat on the bed and started to remove her clothes.

She tried to shrug him off.

“Stop it,” he said. He lifted her t-shirt over her head, stopping to raise an eyebrow as she tried to stop him. “This is punishment, a punishment you truly deserve. Do you agree that you’ve earned a punishment spanking?”