The Billionaire's Reluctant Pregnant Bride: A BWWM Romance (6 page)

It makes no sense. I don’t remember a single thing about him. And yet…

I shut my eyes and feel his hand again, gripping mine, comforting and warm. His voice.

I love you.

I almost see something. A beam of light. A world of aqua and deep green shadows. The warmth of his breath, of his touch. The softness of lips, even more tender than his sweet voice. And the words I’d waited what seems like a lifetime to hear.

I’ve always loved you.

But it’s nothing but a ripple on the surface of the dark pool of consciousness. Just when I think I have something to hold onto, it disappears again, receding back into the tide.

I blink.

He’s still looking at me.

What are you hiding?
I want to ask.
I feel so much. I know you mean something to me. So how could I have refused you?

The door flies open yet again and two people burst through. The large man that resembles an older Reggie, and the woman commands the attention and respect of the entire room just with her presence.

I can tell she’s older from the silver strands of hair dusting her temples, and the wizened look in her eyes, but her poreless skin is smooth and the color of milk chocolate. She holds herself with class and a strength that hints at years of hard work and sacrifice.

“Tachell,” she whispers, eyes filling with tears that don’t quite spill over to run down her cheeks. “Baby.”

Suddenly, I’m embraced by a love that knows no boundaries. I grip her shoulders as she holds me close.

“Mama,” I whisper.

I may not remember her, but it doesn’t matter. I know who this person is.

This is the woman who brought me into this world. This is the woman who will always stand by me. Who loves me unconditionally. Who will still love me even if I never again find the person I once was.

“Baby,” she whispers, kissing my forehead. “It will be alright.”

And, for the first time since I woke up, I truly believe it will be.

Chapter 7

Time becomes a blur of tests, questions, and bright lights shining in my eyes.

Reggie hangs around my hospital room like he’s cursed to haunt this place for all eternity.

Sondra brings me old magazines, scissors, and tape. Apparently I’m an artist, and collage always puts me in a good mood. I don’t know about the artist thing, but she’s definitely right about the collage bit. Once I get started, I lose myself for hours.

My mom and dad are always at my side. We play Gin, Poker, and Rummy 500. After a few hands, it’s not long before I’m beating them.

“You were always a natural,” my dad says with a wink.

“I think you’re letting me win,” I tell him.

He looks shocked. “Ho! I’d never do such a thing!”

My mom narrows her eyes at him. “Well, I can tell you one thing Tachell. I’m sure not letting you win. Be nice to your mama and help me out next hand, okay?”

I grin and decide I will. It turns out that letting her win is far harder than actually winning.

Sondra stops by again to drop off some romance novels featuring heroines “suffering” from amnesia.

“Ugh,” I groan. “I don’t think I can read this.”

“Why not?” she asks, offended.

I hand her the book. “Look at this cover!”

She peers down, scowling. “What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong is that it looks like the hero slipped something in her drink so he could cop a feel!”

Her scowl deepens. “Oh. Well, that’s probably because he’s the hero’s evil twin brother. And she has them mixed up because… Amnesia? I don’t remember, it’s been a while since I read it. I think he kidnaps her and takes her on a Caribbean cruise. They do it on the beach and fall in love.”

I snatch the book back from her. “Wait, I thought he was the evil one. She can’t fall in love with him.”

“Well, she falls in love with the good twin when he shows up!”

“And just ditches the evil twin like he was nothing? I guess that’s why he’s evil.”

“No, his father tried to kill him when he was a boy.
That’s
why he’s evil. The heroine’s rejection probably didn’t help, though.” She pats my leg. “Anyways, you should read this. It’ll be good research for you.”

“I’m not following you.”

“Tachell, you have amnesia.”

Suddenly, I wonder if it was really Sondra who got hit in the head. “Yeah. I have a medical condition, not a plot point.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know, girl. You knocked your head and woke up pregnant and with a billionaire fiance.”

I feel my cheeks burning. “Preston hasn’t even visited me since that first day.”

She cocks her head to the side. “And he didn’t leave your side while you were asleep.”

I start fussing with the bed sheet. “Well…I just don’t think I should read much into it.”

“Fine. But I think you can read something into the bouquets of lavender he sends every day.”

I glance at the most recent bouquet before I can stop myself. White roses and snowdrops are surrounded by lavender and seated in a crystal vase. Every time I shut my eyes, a clear and soothing scent fills my senses. My body knows it means something to me, my mind just hasn’t realized it yet.

“It doesn’t matter,” I tell her. “He’s not my fiance! I rejected him, remember?”

“Yeah, but if he asked you again, I bet you’d say yes.”

She had me there.

“I’m tellin’ you, you should read them,” she says as she heads for the door. “Because there is a lesson contained in all of those books that you’re gonna have to learn.”

“And what gold nugget of wisdom is that?”

She looks back at me, eyes pensive and weary. “That you have secrets, ones that only you know. And when you remember them, it will change everything.”

Finally, it was time to be discharged. I expected to walk down the hall, get in a car, and go home with Sondra (who, apparently, was my roommate in addition to being my best friend) and my mother (who had decided to stay and take care of me until I got back on my feet—my father, unfortunately, had to go back to work).

I did not expect a sea of cameras and news anchors plunging microphones in my face.

How did you meet Mr. Easterbrook?

Is it true you are childhood friends?

When he proposed, did you say yes or no?

Are you pregnant?

How do you know the baby is his?

My ears ring with chatter and I have to close my eyes to drown out all the flashing lights. All of this would have been unbearable if it hadn’t been for the personal army of bodyguards Preston had hired to escort me. The head bodyguard had told me Preston didn’t come because he didn’t want to attract more attention. I honestly don’t think I would have noticed.

I slide into the back of the limo. My mom and Sondra follow close behind.

Mom slams the door shut. “Well. That’s something I hope we don’t have to get used to.”

“So that isn’t normal?” I ask, relieved.

“No.” My mom puts her hand on my shoulder. “But it is probably normal for whoever is dating Preston.”

Oh.

I shut my eyes, leaning back into the seat and hold my belly. I had a feeling my unborn child was going to live a very interesting, flamboyant life regardless of what I did.

What had I gotten us into?

I watch mom wipe down the counter, buffing it until it shines. She’d already made me an amazing dinner. According to her it was my favorite, and I’d scarfed it down so fast I didn’t doubt it.

“Something wrong, Tachell?” she asks without turning around.

I know better than to lie to her. “How can you tell? I didn’t even say anything.”

She looks over her shoulder, smiling. “You can’t hide anything from me. I’m your mother.”

“So you know me pretty well, huh?”

“Well enough to know that you don’t hang around the kitchen after dinner is over unless you have something on your mind.”

I sigh, leaning forward. “Mom…did you ever worry about the future when you were pregnant.”

She chortles, dropping her cloth. “Are you pulling my leg?”

“I guess that is a stupid question. I’m just…a little worried.”

“That’s normal,” she tells me, resuming her wiping. “It doesn’t matter if you’re an heiress or a pauper, a woman focused on her career or a housewife. Nothing can prepare you for being pregnant and becoming a mother but the event itself.”

“That doesn’t actually make me feel better.”

She sets down her cloth and sits beside me, smiling. “Your father and I thought we were prepared, but pregnancy altered our lives pretty much from the beginning. First, it was getting used to morning sickness. The sudden smell of bacon, smoky grills and sometimes heavy scented cheeses, like Roquefort and Camembert had me running for the bathroom. But that was just the first few months. Then everything settles down. Oh, I just remembered. My hormones were flooding through me. I was weepy one moment and outraged the next. Your father said he got through it by pretending he was an amateur meteorologist. He got pretty good at predicting when my moods would erupt into a storm. Funny guy.”

I can’t help but laugh at my dad’s lame sense of humor. “I think you mean cheesy guy.”

“Hey, your father may be cheesy, but he was always there for me. Do you know that some men simply will not change a diaper? I was completely spoiled. Having you two really showed me what a gem I had in my husband.”

I glance down at the gleaming counter. I wonder what kind of father Preston will be. It’s hard for me to think of him changing a diaper. Come to think of it, I didn’t even know how much he’d want to be involved in his child’s life. What if he didn’t want anything to do with it?

I take a deep breath.

Then I’ll do it myself.

I was surprised at my determination and decisiveness. I was even more surprised to realize that there was no bitterness in my resolve. Where had all of this strength come from?

I glance back at my mother. She traces the side of my face, smiling. “You’ll be a great mother. I remember you taking care of Reggie when you were only three years old. I remember you came running to me when Reggie had eaten sand. You were so concerned that you tried to telephone the doctor yourself when we refused to take him to the doctor.”

I giggle despite myself. “I did not.”

“You did too, and I couldn’t have been more proud. I immediately thought,
this girl has a great capacity for love, and even more than that, she takes care of her own
. I know that you don’t know yourself right now, Tachell, but you can trust your heart because it is good.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, throat tight.

My mother gets up from her seat. “Now, you run off to bed. Tomorrow is your first day back, and it’s gonna be a good day. I’m going to finish up here and then get some rest myself. Goodnight, baby.”

I gulp as a warm, wonderful ache fills my chest. “Goodnight.”

Chapter 8

I stab at my scrambled eggs and glare at the paper.

PRESTON EASTERBROOK’S RELUCTANT, PREGNANT BRIDE

Lord, what drivel. I roll my eyes like I haven’t read the stupid thing at least three times.

Okay.
Maybe
it was more like ten but who was counting? Not me!

“Give it a rest, Tachell,” my mother calls from the kitchen.

I cross my arms over my chest and turn to Sondra. “How does she know?”

“She’s your mother. It’s her job to know.”

“I guess but…it’s uncanny.”

“Hey, you do not mess with the bond between mother and child. It’s sacred, and like many sacred things, it’s some seriously powerful shit.”

I adjust my grip on my fork and glance at the article. Stupid magazine…

Immediately, I hear a voice from the kitchen. “Tachell, eat those eggs before they get cold!”

I drop my fork. “Alright. She’s psychic.”

“I’m not psychic, I’m your mother.”

I jolt up in my seat to find my mother standing right beside me. Damn, could she teleport too?

“Now, I’m doing this for your own good girl,” my mother says as she grabs the paper and rolls it up.