Ethan reclined his seat and shut his eyes, remembering the sound of his father cracking open another beer from his second six-pack, hearing the squeak of springs as the old man dropped down on the ratty couch before hurling beer caps at Ethan, along with a few choice words about how Ethan was the real reason his mother had left them.

Why the hell did he keep coming back here? Did he like torture? Did he feel he deserved it?

A loud knock on the window had Ethan awake and alert in seconds and he stared out the side window at the man who now owned the trailer. Still a little foggy with memory, Ethan pressed the button to his left, and the window dropped slowly.

The man had no baseball cap on this time and looked like a badass with his bald head, Iron Maiden T-shirt and sinister expression, but when he spoke there was no anger in his tone, only interest. “Is there a reason you like to park in front of my place or are you just a freak?”

“I used to live here.”

The man’s brows shot up. “Did you now?”

“With my mother and father-well, actually just my father.”

“Yeah, I know about that.” The man scratched his neck, said thoughtfully, “I got a boy myself. Teenager. Crazy at that age, but he’s real smart. All As, every subject. Maybe he’ll go to a good college and get a fancy car like yours.”

“Maybe.”

“That’s why I moved here,” the guy confessed. “For him, so he could go to the best public school in the city.”

Ethan stared at the guy. He didn’t have much, and he seemed to know the curse of a woman walking out on him or maybe never being around in the first place, and yet his biggest concern was his kid’s future. Ethan hadn’t had that kind of love and commitment from his own father, but he sure as hell wanted to be that kind of dad.

What the hell was he doing? Coming here, feeling sorry for himself when he had made a life that he should feel damn proud of. Mary had been right. He’d been lying to himself all along. The shame he felt for where he came from wasn’t about the trailer-that was an easy excuse, and an easy place to throw the blame when he just didn’t want to deal with the past. His shame came from a father who’d had no pride in himself and had blamed everyone else for his lot in life.

Kind of like Ethan.

He didn’t need blue blood to feel worthy, and he didn’t need to be accepted by those people to feel real success. His real success was growing inside of Mary right now.

Ethan eyed the guy outside his window as he gave a quick wave to what was probably his teenage son on the porch. He’d never known the kind of love this man had for his kid, had no idea what it felt like, so to get it he’d forced a woman to create a child with him by threatening the one thing she loved.

“What a damn fool,” he muttered.

“What was that?” the man asked, turning back.

“Just talking about myself, brother.” Ethan took out his wallet. “Here.” He handed the man a business card. “When your boy starts college, have him contact me.”

The man read the card, then looked up impressed. “CEO?”

“Wouldn’t have minded a leg up in the beginning,” Ethan said. “We always have internships available.”

“Appreciate it.” The man pocketed the card, then gestured to the trailer. “You want to come in? We’re just about to throw some steaks on the barbecue.”

“Thanks.” Ethan smiled. “But I think it’s time I got out of here.”

“Back where you belong?”

“That’s right.” He was only thinking about Mary and the baby when he said it.

Ethan drove away from the trailer park, knowing it was the last time he’d ever be back, realizing that if he wanted any future with the woman he loved and the child growing inside her, he had to leave the past where it was and look ahead to the future.

Thirteen

“I can’t believe I’m going to be a grandpa.”

Mary sat on the picnic blanket her father had laid out in the backyard beside the vegetable garden, a garden that was now going crazy with bushes of fragrant basil, vines of squash and pumpkin and rows of ripe cherry tomatoes.

“Well, it’s true,” she told him, taking a bite of her corned-beef sandwich.

He plunked down beside her, looking stronger than she’d seen him look in a year. His color was good, too, and when he spoke, his tone contained that rich, happy sound she remembered from her childhood. “Your mother would be so proud. I wish she could see…”

“I know. But she will, in her own way.”

“I like that.” He winked at her, then handed her a cookie. “I made these myself, chocolate chip.”

She took a bite and sighed. “They’re great. In fact, all of this food is wonderful. I may have to hire you to cater for the company.”

He chuckled. “Sounds good. But let’s wait until after I open my restaurant.”

“You’re opening a restaurant?”

“More like a roadside place. Sell my vegetables and offer some small meals, homemade ice cream, the cookies…” He grinned. “Who knows, it’s still in the planning stages.”

“Good for you.”

He nodded, then shifting topics. “So, what are your plans? Are you going to stay in your apartment after the baby is born? It’s pretty small.”

“It is.” She didn’t know exactly what her plans were, only that she’d be okay and that this child would be loved beyond belief. “Oh, Grandmother called.”

Hugh looked surprised. “Really? Even after the scene you told me about at the funeral?”

“She said she respects my choices-”

“She actually said that?”

Mary laughed. “I know. I was shocked, too. She even apologized and said my friends are my own business. Even after I told her who the father was. She wants me to move in with her, have the baby there.”

“What did you tell her?”

“Thanks, but no thanks.”

“Bet she wasn’t too happy to hear that.”

“No, but she said she understood and asked me to visit as much as I could.”

Hugh munched on a carrot. “Boy, she’s certainly changed her tune since her daughter married me.”

“I guess so. She wants to be a part of my life and the baby’s, and she said she was willing to let go of this feud with Ethan.” Mary shrugged. “I’ll believe it when I see it, but people have been known to change every once in a while, right? Even in small ways?”

“It’s been known to happen,” Hugh said, tossing aside his carrot and regarding her with serious eyes. “Did I say I’m not all that happy about the daddy myself?”

“You did.” The sun was high in the sky, must be around one o’clock, she thought, reclining back on the blanket. “He made some mistakes, Pop. Some big ones, but then again so have I. So have you.”

“Well, if sending that back to me was any indication of change, than perhaps you’re right, lass.”

Mary looked in the direction that her father was pointing. At the far end of the garden, where her mother had planted a circle of yellow roses, was the sculpture of mother and child that Hugh had risked so much in trying to get back.

“He gave that to you,” she asked, stunned.

Hugh nodded. “Brought it by himself. We didn’t say much to each other, but it was pretty decent of him.”

Mary smiled to herself, knowing that for Ethan, coming to her father’s house with that sculpture couldn’t have been easy. He’d made a grand gesture.

When she looked up, her father was watching her. “You love him.”

“Yes. I just hope that’s enough. He’s got some demons to exorcise, some new ideas to come to terms with and a life waiting for him. But I’m anxious to see what his next step will be.”

Hugh lifted one grayish-blond brow. “And if he doesn’t take a next step?”

“Then I’ll be very sorry-” she lifted her chin, trying to ignore the ache in her heart “-but I’ll survive.”

It was Saturday morning around ten-thirty, and all three of the women of No Ring Required were working, sans receptionist. Business was crazy right now, and Mary, Olivia and Tess were all working overtime to accommodate their clients.

Tess stuck her head in Mary’s office. She looked slightly anxious, unsure of how she wanted to say what she had come in there to say. “Mary, it’s Mr. Curtis.”

Her heart leaped into her throat. “Here?”

“No, he was on the phone.”

“What line?” she asked, breathless.

“He’s already hung up,” Tess explained awkwardly. “But there’s a message.” She handed a slip of paper to Mary. “He asked if you’d meet him there.”

“Asked?” Mary repeated.

Grinning, Tess nodded. “Good luck.”

After Tess went back to her office, Mary stared at the address on the paper, her pulse pounding in her blood. After all they’d been through, she didn’t want to go back to that place, especially now, but more than anything, she wanted to hear what Ethan had to say, so she stood up, grabbed her purse and headed out.

Ethan was actually nervous. Like a damn teenager asking out a girl he knew he was not even close to being good enough for. Thank God the baby shop wasn’t packed with customers or he’d probably have to pay the owner to shut the place down for a while so he could really talk with Mary in private.

The bell over the door jingled, and he turned to see Mary walk in, looking so beautiful Ethan almost couldn’t speak. Her blond hair fell in waves around her shoulders and she wore a cream linen pantsuit with sexy sandals and pale-pink toes.

He picked up a baby blanket from the railing of a nearby crib. “I think we should stay away from anything blue. Even if it is a boy.”

With wary eyes she regarded him. “What am I doing here?”

“Sit.” Grinning at the command that came so easily to him, he amended quickly, “Please.”

She sat in the rocker next to him and waited.

“How are you?” he asked.

“Fine. Curious.”

He nodded, knowing he needed to get to the point if he wanted to keep her attention. “Look, Mary, I get it now.”