Claire passed Julie to Logan before saying hello. Her mother’s voice wasn’t exactly the most welcome of sounds echoing in her ear.
“Claire. How are you doing, honey? How’s the baby? Did you name her yet?” A pause for a breath, then another onslaught of uninterrupted questions. “When can we come in to visit you? How was the labor?”
By the time her mother was finished, Claire couldn’t recall all the questions, so she settled for answering the obvious. “The baby’s name is Julie Elizabeth Monroe, and we’re both doing fine. We were just getting to know each other when you called.”
“Monroe?” Her mother’s voice sounded a bit deflated. “Why can’t she have your last name?”
“Mom,” Claire chastised, not really wanting to get into it with Logan standing right next to her. He was already sensitive enough about his background without her mother butting into the matter. Besides, she wanted their daughter to be a Monroe.
“I was just wondering,” Anne said, sounding defensive. “Anyway, when do you think we can come to see her? And you, of course. I can’t wait.”
Claire, on the other hand, could, but saying so wasn’t really an option. She thought for a moment. “Whenever you want, Mom. I think visiting hours start at eight.”
She and her mother talked for a few more minutes before hanging up, Anne promising to arrive in about an hour. Claire waited until Logan had hung up the telephone before informing him of the impending doom. He didn’t complain. He merely nodded, peering down into Julie’s face.
“I guess you want her back now,” he said, offering her to Claire.
Claire accepted the baby with a smile. “Just tell me if I’m being greedy.” She paused. “But I have to get in some time before my mother shows up. I don’t really want to share her with anyone yet. Is that terrible of me?” She had a feeling it was.
A smile curved Logan’s mouth. “It’s natural, I think.”
His fingers brushed lightly across the rounded curve of Julie’s head. The silky strands of blonde hair stood on end in little spiky tufts.
“I think we should get married,” he said abruptly. His tone was as matter-of-fact as it would be if he were saying something like “it’s cloudy outside” for all the lack of inflection and emotion in his voice.
Claire stared. That was it? Just like that, not even a proper proposal? No hint of romance, no illusions of love?
“Why?” she asked at last when her stunned tongue finally resumed commission.
He returned her gaze, his direct, frank. “I think that should be self-explanatory.”
“It’s not,” she said, a hard edge to her voice. “Why don’t you humor me and explain?”
“To give Julie a stable life.” He raised a brow. “You and I are compatible, I think, and we would make a good partnership. We could give Julie a far better life together than apart.”
Had he really just used words like compatible and partnership in his makeshift proposal? Of course he had. As always and yet again, he had reduced something meaningful into a bloodless business deal.
“I’m hoping for something better than compatibility in a marriage.” Her voice was cool.
As if sensing her mother’s sudden agitation, Julie began to cry. Claire rocked her as best she could and patted her little bottom.
“I see,” he said, his tone clipped, his face a shuttered mask, expressionless. “Should I take that as a ‘no’ then?”
Marriage to Logan was actually very appealing to Claire and would be a given if he loved her. But he didn’t love her, and here he was offering marriage as if he were launching an ad campaign. Besides all that, she’d already been involved in a marriage that hadn’t been based on the right motivations and look where that had gotten her. She couldn’t bear the thought of Logan turning to another woman while he was married to her. It would destroy her.
“I don’t see how I could possibly accept,” she said finally. “When two people get married, it should be because they’re in love, not because they feel obligated to do it. Even though you and I get along reasonably well and now have a daughter together, those things wouldn’t be enough to make our marriage a happy one. I won’t put any child in the middle of a relationship that’s doomed to fail.”
Logan’s lips thinned and his jaw was on edge. “I think you’re wrong. It would be selfish to bounce her between your house and mine when we could all live together, under one roof. I know what it feels like to go from home to home and I don’t want that for my daughter.”
“She won’t be in foster care,” Claire pointed out. “That’s much different than dividing time between two parents. How do you think divorced couples with children manage to raise kids?”
“I’m sure they do a fine job of it.” His tone was infused with a familiar stubbornness. “But my point is why should we resort to that when we could easily give her two parents in one home? You and I aren’t a divorced couple.”
“No, but we will be if we get married,” she insisted. Even two people who loved each other ended up divorcing sometimes. How did he think that the two of them could possibly survive when he couldn’t offer her anything more than a tepid proposal that they would make a good partnership?
“Claire.”
“It’s just not a good idea.” She remained firm.
