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‘Calypso, darling.I need you and your husband at my house tonight.’
‘Mother?’Cally sat up in bed, an uncomfortable sinking feeling in her stomach.
‘I heard you got married.Nice of you to invite me.’
‘I thought you were overseas.Aren’t you?’The discomfort switched into alarm.
‘This is the twenty-first century, darling.We have mobiles and airplanes.If you’d wanted me there, I could have been there.’There was a pause and Cally figured her mother was taking a drag on her cigarette.‘I hope you got yourself a decent pre-nup.’
It was the one thing she and Blake had agreed on without argument—only now she hoped she’d never need it.‘Blake has his own fortune; he doesn’t need mine.’
Her mother laughed.‘You always were naïve, Cally.Men always need more than their fortune.And his wealth isnouveau, isn’t it?It’s probably the status of your name that attracted him.’
Cally mentally counted to ten.Her oh-so-charming mother was describing herself and her own reasons for marrying Cally’s father—money and social standing, the supposed kudos attached to the Sinclair name.Was it so impossible to believe Blake had married her because he’d fallen for her?
Cally’s heart puckered.She knew he hadn’t.Her mother hadn’t guessed right, but it was true that Blake had only wed her because she had something he wanted—his child.
‘Anyway, I’m back now and I’m desperate to meet you and yourcatch.’Her mother’s tones fluttered down the phone with false sincerity.‘So I’ll see you and your Blake tonight at seven p.m., won’t I?’
Oh, hell.Any remnants of ease from the night with Blake disappeared in a pouf.All her doubts magnified.Despite the reality of their relationship, Alicia liked the world to think they were close.She wanted to be thought of as ‘best friends’ with her daughter.In fact, she’d resented the loss of income that had come with her divorce, resented that Cally had inherited everything, and had been irate to learn it had been tied up in trusts until Cally was of age.Cally was sure that was the reason why she’d demanded custody of her when her father had died.Money was the only language Alicia understood, plain and simple.She was the kind of woman who viewed every other woman as a competitor—even her own daughter.She’d been as unsupportive as it was possible to be, with deriding, cruel, undercutting comments all accompanied by tinkling laughter that held no genuine amusement or warmth.
That chill had been in the call too.Alicia was not pleased.Cally lay back under the covers and wished she hadn’t answered the darn thing.How on earth did her mother know about the wedding?But her mother always had her finger on the pulse.
She knew she should talk to Blake.They’d never done the parental meeting.How crazy they should be married and hadn’t even covered half the basics.But it didn’t matter.You didn’t need to know someone to the nth degree before you could love them.
And that was what she did.She loved him, was in love with him.With his steadfastness, the security he offered her, his support, his sexiness, his kindness and, yes, even the way he bossed her about.When he was with her she felt capable of anything—that together they could do anything.
But now, alone in his big bed, anxiety twisted up her tummy.She’d suspected this might happen—that if she went back to his bed she’d fall for him completely.She frowned—she couldn’t really blame the sex.Forcing herself to face the truth, she acknowledged that it would have happened anyway.She was destined to love Blake McKay.He was impossiblenotto love.
Seizing courage, she reached out for the phone again and dialled the number he’d given her.Talking to him would reassure her, wouldn’t it?Surely hehadto feel it too?Hope burgeoned in her heart—maybe there could be more to their marriage.
He answered right away.‘Is everything all right?’His worry was evident even in the gruff tones.‘You’re feeling okay?’
Sure she was—physically.She pressed her lips together.Of course, he’d immediately worry something might be wrong with the baby.She didn’t hesitate long.‘I’m fine.’
‘Are you sure?You don’t sound all right.’
She wasn’t.She was the world’s biggest idiot.He’d married her for one reason only—it was all about the baby.‘My mother phoned.She knows we’re married.She wants to see us tonight.’
‘Fine.’There was a pause.‘Are you okay about that?’
‘My mother and I aren’t close, but she doesn’t like to be left out of the loop.’
‘Does she know you’re pregnant?’
‘No and I don’t want her to.Not yet.’The last thing she needed was the hellish reaction she’d get to that one.
‘Okay.I’ll see you at home tonight, then we’ll go put on a good show.’
With that terse reply he rang off.She held the phone uselessly, stunned he’d already gone.
A good show.Was that all they really were?
She tried to focus on the evening ahead and put her energy into surviving what would undoubtedly be an ordeal.Cally was unconvinced she’d fool her mother no matter how good a ‘show’ she and Blake put on.Alicia might be shallow but she wasn’t stupid—far from it.She was calculating and knew exactly how to hit Cally in her weakest spot.She always had.
In the late afternoon, after her swim, she dressed with care, conservatively in a black scoop-neck top that clung on the right curves and hung over the wrong ones.She teamed it with black wide-leg trousers and dainty heels.She accessorised with a heavy gold chain, grimacing as she did up the clasp.There was little point in trying to meet the level.Alicia would find fault with something.As she descended the stairs and went to the kitchen to wait for Blake she found him there already.
He watched her entrance and she saw the heat in his gaze.Felt the responding warmth in her cheeks.Maybe she looked okay.
