Blake sat on the table facing her. When his hands came to rest on her knees, she jumped. A hurt expression flashed on Blake’s face before he moved his hands away. “At first I wanted to see if there was some way around it. When my lawyer exhausted his resources, I planned to tell you. When I arrived home, I found you in the bathroom declaring war on the condoms. One day bled into the next and it just didn’t seem important any longer.”

“That’s no excuse.”

“I know that now. But it’s the truth, Samantha. It wasn’t until last week when I saw my father’s lawyer that I thought I’d need to say something to you. The risk of losing you kept my lips sealed.” Blake dared another touch, this time she didn’t flinch. His pleading eyes sought hers. “I’m sorry. I should have done so many things differently. And if you’ll give me another chance, I promise to never keep anything from you again.”

Samantha’s lip started to tremble, so she sucked it into her mouth to control it. Blake’s explanation, his motivations, were understandable. But the truth was, their marriage was still one of convenience… destined to end in heartache. Now or later, but it had an end date on it. Living with that open-ended question wasn’t something Samantha could do any longer. It wasn’t fair to either of them… or the baby.

“Can you forgive me?”

Samantha closed her eyes and when she opened them, stared deep into Blake’s. “I forgive you.”

He started to smile, but Sam shook her head.

“Blake, wait. I can’t do this. I thought I’d be able to play house, play wife and be able to leave after the year was up, but I can’t.”

“But—“

“No, wait,” she cut him off. “I know you didn’t want emotional attachment, but I couldn’t help falling in love with you any more than I could stop breathing and survive.”

This time when Blake lifted his lips into a smile that reached all the way to the sparkling grey of his eyes, there was no holding it back. “You love me?” he whispered.

“Which is why we need to end things now,” she explained.

Blake closed his eyes, shook his head, and let out a gasp. “What?”

“It’s hard enough being pregnant, this pain in my heart, the not knowing if you’re going to decide to make good on the end date of our marriage contract, isn’t something I can life with.” Even looking at him now caused her heart to skip. How could she go through the next eight months thinking he’d ask her to leave?

“Did you hear me say I love you?”

“Yes but—”

Now he held up a finger to her lips and silenced her. “I love you, Samantha Harrison, and if you’re waiting for the day I ask you to leave my life, you’d best be willing to wait a lifetime. I’ve already had Jeff draw up my will. The one that gives you and our baby everything if something were to happen to me.”

“What?”

Instead of explaining himself, Blake bent down on one knee and lifted her hand to his lips for a tender kiss. “This might be ass backwards, but will you marry me? Not because of some contract, a will, or money, but because you love me and want to be my wife for now and forever?”

“What?” Her voice dropped a full octave, which for her was deep.

“You’ve made me a better man, Samantha. Say you’ll marry me.”

“Oh, Blake…” She knelt down beside him. “We’re already married.”

He smiled, caught her face in his hands. “Is that a yes?”

She loved him so much. Saying no wasn’t an option. “Forever is a long time.”

“A very long time. Some times are bound to really suck.” His word reminded her of their previous conversation.

“Only you can’t back out, no matter how sucky things get.”

He placed his lips on hers, tender, caring. “Say yes.”

“I thought I already did.”

Blake caught her in his arms and deepened their promising kiss. The headache and heartache of the last several days started to fade and a flutter swelled deep inside her stomach.

Samantha gasped and pulled away from Blake’s kiss.

“What is it?” he asked, alarmed.

“The baby. I felt the baby.” She waited, placed a hand over her stomach, and felt the fluttering sensation again. She grasped Blake’s hand, but knew the movement was too tiny for him to feel.

“I think it’s her way of saying she approves,” Blake said against Sam’s ear.

“Her? You think it’s a girl?”

“Women are emotional creatures. Taking this time to show herself is her way of telling us to stay together.”

Sam laughed. “You think so?”

“Maybe, or it’s a boy and he’s trying to kick some sense into both of us.”

“Boy or girl, with us as parents, this child is bound to be pushy to have their needs met.”

“I love you, Samantha.”

As Blake lowered his lips to hers again, Samantha’s only thought was of her love for her not so temporary husband.

Epilogue

They named their son Samuel Edmund Harrison. Samuel after Samantha, because Blake couldn’t keep it in his pants and naming his child after Sam was something he was hell-bent on doing. And second after his father, who Blake just couldn’t hate any longer since Edmund was the reason the two of them met in the first place.

“You’re such a greedy little Earl, aren’t you?” Samantha watched Eddie as he finished his afternoon meal. The doctor wasn’t kidding when he said breastfed infants ate every two hours. She didn’t care. Okay, if she were truthful, the middle of the night feeding was weighing on her, but she still woke up every night and happily fed her son. Blake did his part by being on diaper duty and helping where he could. He tried staying awake in the beginning, but most nights fell asleep at her side as she met Eddie’s needs.