Amanda laughed. “Honey, you’re marrying him.”
“I know, I know.” Julia frowned and told herself she was being foolish. “But living with him is a little…”
“Exciting?”
“I was going to go with ‘unnerving.’”
“Why?”
“Because of the way we’re getting married,” she said. “And the fact that he still doesn’t believe me about the baby.”
“Well, he’s an idiot. We already decided that.” Amanda went back to her lists.
“I know, but how’m I supposed to convince him that he is the father?”
“You may not be able to until the baby’s born. Then you can do a paternity test.”
“So that leaves me with seven months of my husband thinking I’m a liar.”
Amanda closed her folder, picked up her mocha and idly twirled the straw through the thick, pale brown liquid. “You know I’m with you, no matter what, right?”
“Of course.”
She smiled. “And you know I’m completely excited that you’re letting me take over your apartment when you move in with Max…”
“I know.”
“But,” Amanda said, leaning forward to pat Julia’s hand, “if you’re really worried about this, don’t do it.”
“What?” Julia glanced across the room when someone laughed too loudly. Then, looking back at Amanda, she said, “I have to.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve already faced the worst part. You’ve told your parents.”
“And the blackmail?” Julia shook her head slowly, despite being grateful for what Amanda was trying to tell her. God knew, after the afternoon with her parents, Julia was even more thankful to have Amanda’s unswerving support. But the simple truth was, she had to marry Max. Otherwise, her child would be the subject of vicious gossip before it was even born. And she wouldn’t allow that. “I appreciate it, sweetie,” Julia said. “But I have to marry Max.”
“Getting married for the wrong reasons is so not a good idea,” Amanda said softly.
“Marriage for any reason isn’t usually a good idea.” A deep voice resonated from just behind Julia and she swiveled to look up at the man staring down at her.
“Hello, Max.”
Six
“Okay,” Amanda said, grabbing her drink and standing up in one smooth move. “That’s my cue to hit the road.”
“You don’t have to go on my account,” Max said, already dropping onto the couch beside Julia.
“No, it’s okay. I’ve got lots of calls to make,” Amanda told him, then shifted her gaze to Julia’s. “We’ll talk later at home, okay?”
“Sure, see you later.” Julia watched her friend leave, then turned her head to look at Max, who was studying her carefully.
“Your friend trying to talk you out of this?”
“She’s worried about me.”
“Should she be?” He ran the tips of his fingers down the length of her arm, and even through her linen shirt Julia felt heat, a heat that began to slide through her veins.
“Good question,” she said, and shifted slightly, drawing her arm back and away from him. How could she think when he was touching her?
“Is there an answer?” He eased back, the sides of his black suit jacket falling to either side of him, displaying what she knew to be a rock-solid chest and abdomen hidden beneath the custom-made dress shirt.
She lifted her gaze to his and blew out a breath. “I don’t know. Max, Amanda’s my friend. She’s trying to be supportive, letting me know she’s on my side no matter what.”
“She knows what’s going on?” he asked. “The baby? The blackmail?”
“Yes.” Julia glanced around the coffee shop, checking to see who was watching them. Who might be listening. She knew darn well that whoever was behind the blackmail had to have overheard her and Max talking about the baby in here. When she looked back to him, though, she let the worry go. The blackmail had already happened. What more could this person do to her? “I told her everything.”
“Including the name of the father of your baby?” he wondered aloud, his gaze narrowing slightly.
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