“Not really. Whenever she’s with her grandchildren she’ll sing and dance with them and they love it. I’m going to tell her about our engagement before you meet her.”
Jasmine’s face clouded with uneasiness. The warning voice in her head shouted fraud. She had to pretend she loved the woman’s son and had accepted his marriage proposal. “Do you plan to tell her about the baby?”
“No, sweets. That’s something we’ll do together once you get the results of your tests.”
Jasmine leaned against the leather seat in relief. She had time to gird herself once the news of her pregnancy went public. “You can drop me off at Hannah’s before you go back to your office.”
Cameron punched the Start engine button. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”
“No. I need to go home and take a nap.”
“What about I drop you off at the hotel? You can nap there until I get back.”
“No, Cameron. I need to wash my hair and put up a couple of loads of laundry. I also want to start packing so I’m ready to move in on Friday.”
“Okay, babe. Then I’ll see you Thursday morning.”
Jasmine closed her eyes and nodded. She couldn’t believe she was so fatigued she could hardly think straight. She had slept more in the past two weeks than she had in an entire month before she got pregnant. She ate and slept, and woke up to eat and then sleep again.
She slept through the ride from the Central Business District to Marigny, unaware that Cameron had carried her from the car, upstairs to the bedroom, undressed her, and covered her with a lightweight blanket.
* * *
Cameron descended the staircase to find Hannah waiting for him. “She didn’t wake up.”
“You love her, don’t you? And please don’t lie to me again, Cameron. A man doesn’t put a ring on a woman’s finger like the one Jasmine’s wearing because he likes her.”
Cameron wanted to tell Hannah she was worse than a dog with a bone. She didn’t know how to give up. “Yes, I love her, Mrs. Hannah DuPont-Lowell McNair.”
“I must have really gotten to you for you to recite my entire government name,” she teased.
“I could call you a few other names but I was taught to respect my elders.”
Hannah’s lips parted in a knowing smile. “My being older than you didn’t stop you from trying to hit on me.”
He winked at her. “If I remember, you didn’t seem to be too insulted. Then you had to throw out that you were involved with St. John.”
“Well, I was and I still am.” She rested a hand on Cameron’s arm. “I’m glad you met Jasmine because she deserves someone who really loves her for herself.”
“She’s incredible, Hannah. I never get tired of being with her. It’s as if we can talk about everything, no holds barred.”
“Maybe you had to date a lot of bimbos before you were able to recognize quality.”
“You’re right about that.” Cameron hugged Hannah, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Thank you for looking after her.”
Easing back, she stared up at him. “I should be the one thanking you for giving her what has been missing in her life.”
“Tell Jasmine I’ll call her later.”
Cameron drove back to his office a changed man. When he’d slipped the diamond ring on Jasmine’s finger it signaled his promise to share their future. And when he’d admitted to Hannah that he loved Jasmine it was as if he’d been freed from an invisible prison. He no longer feared loving a woman without the angst and turmoil he’d witnessed growing up.
It wasn’t as if Nathan and Belinda fought every day, but when they did they were cruel to each other. Thankfully history would not repeat itself with him and Jasmine.
Chapter 17
Jasmine felt as if she was on a treadmill and couldn’t get off. She had her first appointment with the doctor and was weighed, examined, lectured with list of dos and don’ts, and finally given a prescription for prenatal vitamins. The obstetrician questioned her about nutrition, whether she exercised, and whether she and her fiancée were having sexual intercourse. Jasmine admitted they hadn’t since the pregnancy was confirmed. The doctor said she could engage in sexual intimacy as long as she was feeling well. Cameron went with her to pick up her vitamins, and then drove her back to Hannah’s in order for her to finish packing.
She went with Hannah to the airport to pick up St. John, and had a joyous reunion when Hannah welcomed her husband home with a special dinner. The college professor was more handsome than Jasmine had remembered. The California sun had darkened his tawny-brown complexion. His silver hair, a neatly barbered matching goatee, and a tall, slender physique caused heads to turn whenever he walked into a room. Hannah disclosed he had been voted the best-dressed and best-looking senior in their high-school graduation, and now at fifty-nine it was still evident.
