Page 51 of Hayes

The first three months will be crucial, and you are going to have to be extremely careful." Leaning forward, she bent a soft smile on the dazed young woman. "You and I are going to work together to bring a healthy baby into the world."

*****

"Darling, you look positively radiant," her aunt greeted her with a hug. "I ordered the shrimp and garlic bread." Taking her seat, she searched her niece's face closely. "And you have news. You are back together publicly with that delicious man."

She patted Camelia's hand. "That's a very good idea. I am happy for you, and like I said before, you deserve some happiness after what happened."

"I agree with you." Camelia was brimming over with joy, but she could not tell her aunt. She had left the doctor's office and sat in the parking lot, reeling from the news. She was going to have a baby. Hayes' baby was growing inside her womb. She had reached for the phone to call him and decided against it.

This particular news was best-given face to face. She wanted to be standing or lying in bed next to him when she told him that the thing she had been hoping for was about to happen.

"I want to find out what your plans are." She waited until the meal had been placed in front of them. "I am assuming there will be a wedding?"

"We are waiting."

The woman gave her a shrewd glance. "I have a feeling you are the one insisting on that."

"Something like that." Picking up her glass, she took a sip of the water. Her stomach was feeling jittery, and it was not just the news; she was clinging onto it. It was the symptom of pregnancy, something she should have picked up several weeks ago. But she had always been irregular, and after the miscarriage, she had not dared to hope.

"My dear, what on earth are you doing?" Her aunt gave her a disapproving look. "Don't tell me it's this issue about you not being able to conceive. Don't allow that to stand in the way of true love. Not because I made the choice to be by myself without a man or a child does not mean you should subject yourself to the same thing.

A man like Hayes Marsden can have any woman he wants. He is talented, gorgeous, and fabulously wealthy. Be careful he does not give in to one of those beautiful parasites who keep wanting to drop their panties and climb into his bed."

Digging into her plate, she took a delicate bite of her shrimp and savored it for a second before nodding in approval. "That Simone person is a regular opportunist. Rumor has it that they are broke, and a marriage with Hayes would have bailed them out of the dire circumstances they find themselves in."

"How do you know these things?" Camelia asked with a breathless laugh, feeling the tension releasing.

"I have been away for years, but I still had my connections here in the States and people who are still faithful to me despite what my wicked and spineless brother did." Angela's eyes twinkled with mirth.

"She is smarting over the breakup, and if she pretends she is okay with it, you should know she is not." Her expression sobered. "She was not the only one depending on the union, my dear. William Bledsoe borrowed money due to that expectation. She is not going to let him go that easily."

"I cannot worry about that," Camelia told her firmly. "He loves me, and I love him, and we are going to end up together. I know she must be hurting, and I am sorry for that. I didn't come back expecting to make things up with Hayes. It just happened."

Her aunt gave her an incredulous look. "Surely, you are not naive enough to believe that. Hon, the minute you stepped foot back home, it was inevitable you would end up with each other. If she had been smart, she should have rushed him to the altar before you had a chance at him.

The moment he laid eyes on you or even before that–" She gestured with her fork. "As soon as he heard you were back, it was all over. There was no way you could be in the same country, much less the same town, and he would not come and find you.

You are drawn to each other, inexplicably so—I saw that when you were mere children. Simone lost Hayes the minute you decide to come back home, and she is not going to just accept it just like that."

*****

"Hi." He looked at her anxiously as he stepped inside the living room. She had called and suggested they spend the night at her place instead of her going to his. And she had not told him what was going on.

"Hi." Walking into his arms, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What's going on?"

"I am just happy to see you." Easing back, she tilted her head and studied each feature lovingly, feeling the jolt at how handsome he was. He had shed his jacket and tie and unbuttoned his shirt. "Hungry?"

"No. You?" He was still expecting something else. She had sounded a little strange over the phone, and all throughout the day, he had expected her to call and tell him that she couldn't deal with the publicity anymore.

He had met with the PR department to issue a statement to try and get them off her back. He was afraid if they continued to harass her, she was going to change her mind about them or run off to Europe again, and he could not bear thinking about it.

"No. Can we sit?"

"Of course." Forcing himself not to rush her, he allowed himself to be led to the sofa.

"I have something to tell you," she said softly, causing him to stiffen, his heart picking up the pace.