Chapter 12

Camelia had been expecting to be cornered by the woman as soon as she stepped into the office, but Celeste had been tied up for most of the morning with the various investors, which fortunately prevented her from bombarding her, which suited Camelia very well. She had also received a call from her aunt demanding to have lunch.

"Hon, the parasites are hovering, and I would like to make certain we are on the same page."

Last night and this morning were magical. They had left early this morning to return home. When they were leaving, she clung to him and stored the memories of the place in her heart.

She had a nagging feeling that something awful was coming and could not shake it. She had the same feelings just before the tragedy as her parents and had ignored it.

Now. it was coming back, and she could not bear to think about it. She could not lose Hayes again; that was one thing she was decisive about. Coming back home and getting involved with him again had proven to her that the love she had thought had put on a slow burn had intensified until she could not possibly see herself without him.

He had asked her to marry him, and she desperately wanted to say yes. Being his wife and the mother of his children was her dream, but she did not want one without the other. Hayes might say that he did not care if she conceived, but she did.

She cared so much; she could not stop thinking about it. That's why she had made an appointment with Dr. Gloria Henson a week ago and went to see her.

The woman had called her to come into her office and would not say what it was about.

"I would prefer to speak to you in person."

She was apprehensive and could not stand hearing what was wrong with her. And she was wondering if it was bad news if she could really accept a proposal of marriage from Hayes. There were other methods, of course. A surrogate—-adoption was out of the question. She wanted a child from Hayes' seed. Nothing less would do.

The sound of her door opening snapped her out of her reverie and had her stifling an impatient groan.

"I am finally free to demand some answers." Celeste whirled into the room with a cloud of chiffon and exotic perfume, her foxy face alive with curiosity.

"I know we are not BFFs or whatever the young people are calling it these days, but as your employer and I would like to think, friend, I would expect to be alerted that my editor had taken back up with her childhood sweetheart.

The other magazines are running with the exciting story, I have been getting calls, and I have no idea what to say because, of course, I know nothing." With a frown marrying her smooth brow, she sat on the chair in front of the desk. "Now, dear. Anytime you want to chime in is fine with me."

Putting away the article she had been trying to edit, she gave the woman her full attention.

"We wanted to keep it private."

"Ah well!" Celeste threw her hands up in a dramatic manner, eyes glimmering. "That's not an answer. What I would like to know is if there is going to be a wedding and if your very wealthy boyfriend is thinking of buying the magazine for you."

Camelia's eyes twinkled with mirth, and despite her annoyance at the lack of privacy in her relationship, she was amused. "There will be a wedding eventually, and no, Hayes is not thinking of buying the magazine."

Celeste eyed her curiously. "Why aren't you snapping up the man and marching him to city hall to get legal? He is quite gorgeous and incredibly wealthy, and I saw the way he looked at you at the function on Saturday. He is clearly head over heels in love with you. Why are you waiting? Or is there more to the stories we read in the papers?"

"A lot more, but I am not sharing."

"You do know that it is very strange for us to be the only paper not commenting on the relationship, don't you? And part of that reason is the editor happens to be the one involved in all this. When are you going to do a write-up?"

"Not now." She shook her head firmly. "And before you start exploding, I want to assure you that when the time comes, you will have a bigger scoop."

The woman's eyes gleamed. "I trust you, dear, and with that, I must be on my way." She rose gracefully. "I am very glad you have found your second chance. I mean that."

"I know you do."

Second chance .Camelia turned the pen over in her hand, a frown touching her brows. She had been toying with an idea—an article she wanted to write but was hesitating. What she and Hayes shared was very personal, and she hated the fact that people were salivating over their 'story' as they refer to it in the various magazines.

She wanted to set the record straight, but she could not afford to write anything now. Their journey had not yet ended. They were still dealing with so much, and she wanted to keep their lives as private as possible.

Picking up the phone, she dialed his number, her lips curving slowly when he answered.

*****

Camelia felt as if she was waiting for hours when it was just minutes that had ticked by in slow, agonizing slowness that was twisting her belly into knots. She had almost blurted out what she had been up to when she spoke to Hayes but had managed to keep it to herself. She was not willing to say anything until they were certain.

"My dear," Dr. Henson said bustling into her office with an apologetic smile., "I am so sorry to keep you waiting, but I had an emergency." She went behind her desk and picked up a file. "I have done a very thorough examination and found some interesting things."

Camelia felt as if she was going crazy with anticipation and fear. "I am more interested in whether or not it's possible for me to conceive. It's of the utmost importance to me."

The doctor nodded. "I read the magazines."

"And I chose you because you are a doctor to several celebrities, I am familiar with and hope you will be discreet."

"You can count on it." She smiled. "I have some wonderful news for you Camelia. You are six weeks pregnant."

Camelia felt her breath stop and then start back up again. Her entire limbs were trembling so much that she had to clutch the arms of the padded chair to anchor herself.

"I am pregnant," she whispered.

"Yes."

"Are you sure? The doctors said–" She lifted a hand and rubbed the back of her neck and then her left cheek. "They said it was not possible. Oh please, don't give me false hope. I could not bear it."

"I would never do that," the woman told her gently. "There are scar tissues that are significant, but we can fix that. There is also the fibroid that will have to be monitored closely.

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.

"Unless it's to accept my many proposals of marriage, then I don't want to hear it," he said lightly.

"Then I guess you don't want to hear that I am carrying your baby."

He went still with shock, green eyes narrowing as he stared at her. "I am sorry, I thought I heard you say that you are- Camelia…what are you saying?"

"I am pregnant." She gripped his hands, eyes sparkling. "Oh, Hayes, I suspected the other day, and I wanted to be certain. I am pregnant. We are pregnant."

He continued to stare at her, not certain what he should say. The thing he had been praying for and not daring to hope for—was within his grasp. "Baby–" He had to swallow the lump in his throat. "Are you sure?"

"I am positive."

"Tell me exactly how this could be. You said–"

"There are scar tissues, and the doctor will be working closely with me. There is also the threat of fibroid, a black woman's curse of course, but she promised that we should have a healthy baby. I am scared, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to make certain that we have this baby,"

"When did you find out?" He still could not believe it.

"This morning. I did the test a few days ago, and she called and said she wanted to see me. I wanted to be certain before I told you. Darling, it's happening." The tears were trickling down her cheeks. "I had given up hope, and that was what was holding me back from completely committing myself to you."

"I wouldn't have cared," he told her hoarsely. "I hope you believe that. I want you Cammy, and I would not have cared." His hands gripped hers. "Oh, my darling. My sweet…" his voice petered off, and for a few seconds, he could not say anything else. "We are in this together, and baby, I want you to marry me."

"Hayes–""No." He shook his head. "I am thinking about a December wedding. I am not waiting any longer. I want a family with you. I want us to be husband and wife when our child is born–" His voice shuddered to a stop at the expression on her exquisite face. "What is it? Are you feeling unwell?"

"You said our child. As if it is a fait accompli and I want it to be so Hayes. Oh, how I have prayed for this. I never expected it to happen. I thought I would have to go through a series of tests and that even with all your resources, it would not happen.

But even while I was obsessed—" She smiled through her tears. "And yes, I have been obsessing over this ever since we got back together.

I know you said you were okay with me not being able to give you a child, but you are Hayes Marsden, and you have a very rich legacy, one that you would want to pass on to your child. Our child." His arms closed around her as she drew closer to him. "I feel overwhelmed and so happy that I am afraid that something is going to go wrong."

"Shh." Tilting her chin up, he kissed her damp cheeks tenderly. "We have waited ages for this. For something that was taken away from us.

You have waited ages to be this happy and I believe it is our time." He kissed her lips and for several minutes, words were not possible. Lifting his mouth from hers reluctantly, he rose and brought her up with him.

"Let's go to bed, darling."

*****

"We cannot tell anyone. Not yet. Not even your mother."

"I know." He was struggling to get his breathing under control and worried that he had been too rough.

He had started out gentle, his hands roaming over her lush curves and settling on her stomach, marveling that his seed was cradled inside her, growing each day, being nurtured by her, and he wanted to just shout for joy and take out ads in every major newspaper. But he was going to have to restrain his urge.

She was right. They lived in the public's eye, and especially after what had happened with her parents, it was made even more so.

Besides that, he had been linked to Simone for months and the speculations had been rife with hints that they were going to tie the knot. He had switched so quickly that the talk was still being fueled.

"It's time like this that I wished we were an ordinary couple." The frustration could be heard in his deep voice.

Leaning up with one elbow propped on his wide chest, she eyed him with a hint of amusement on her face.

"What?"

"You could never be ordinary."

"Neither could you," he admitted ruefully. "But I can still wish and hope." Lifting his hand, he smoothed the hairs off her cheek. "I want to tell everyone."

"I was having lunch with my aunt, and I had to stop myself from blurting out the truth," she said ruefully. "It's wonderful news and we should be able to tell people–"

"But we can't," he finished. "The price we pay for being who we are."

Her expression became contemplative.

"What is it?"

"My parents were far from being Parents of the Year or the Decade."

"You are going to make a wonderful mother," he assured her swiftly.

"I would like to think so."

"I have every confidence that you will be the best mother in the world."

"How can you tell?" she asked him achingly.

"Because you are the sweetest person I know. Cammy, you cry for homeless people and would march home or demand that I engage my parents to do something about them."

"My mother thought it was amusing," she reflected. "She used to tell me that I am a bleeding heart, and the world was going to eat me up and spit me out."

"She was wrong," he told her gently. "You are strong where it matters and those are the qualities I want my children to possess."

"Your mother told me some things when she burst into your room."

"What did she say?"

"She knew that my mother propositioned not only your dad, but you as well." Her eyes became shadowed. "She believed I had inherited those traits."

His fingers tightened on her face. "She shouldn't have–"

"She is a mother, Hayes, and I would like to think I will be that fierce. My mother was a parasite and believed that she was in competition with everyone." Leaning over, she kissed him slowly. "I don't blame her for wondering."

He kissed her back. "I know you," he said quietly. "I know you better than anyone else. I know what your ideals are, what you treasure, and how you operate. What matters– the only thing that does is that I know who you are, darling. No one else's opinion means a damn."

She smiled at that as she wrapped her fingers around his wrists. "I agree with you."

"Now," he continued briskly, "we need to revisit the topic of our wedding."

"We cannot have a wedding in December for the obvious reason. We are already in the month." she pointed out.

"January then." He shook his head. "I am not waiting longer than that," he warned.

"I was not going to argue. A New Year's wedding and a new beginning for us."