Page 64 of Secret Baby
Colt must have taken his mother outside. Vicki sucked in her breath. "Let's shower and get ready first."
"Yeah!" Clara jumped off the couch and raced to her room.
Vicki gulped down her water. The dryness remained. Eventually Colt could love her, but he needed time to see it. There had to be a way to stall. She'd not marry out of obligation or because it was the "right thing to do."
Then her phone rang. Vicki heard Clara's shower as she answered, "Hey."
"Why hello, my villainous, man-stealing best friend out to trap my brother." Alice giggled. "That sounds even more ridiculous if you say it out loud."
A small smile broke out on Vicki's face. "Alice, don't be silly. I don't know what to do. Your mother is outside, talking to Colt."
"She's nice. Relax. She'll help you."
Vicki closed her eyes. "I can't. Colt's big plan today was to marry me just to keep me safe."
Alice answered fast, "What?"
"Relax, I said no." Vicki opened her eyes and stared out the window that led to the porch. She inhaled. "Now your mother is coming inside, and I don't know if I can handle someone's hate."
Alice said, "She doesn't hate anyone. You're being overdramatic."
Vicki's hand went to her waist. "To stay out of the papers, I have to stay here. I have nowhere to go."
Alice asked, "Why do you think my brother asked you to marry him to keep you safe? I think he's always had a thing for you."
"He said it was to protect me."
"Okay, Victoria, why would he want to protect you if he didn't love you?"
"'Cause Colt is great guy and he's Clara's dad," Vicki whispered as her heart thumped against her chest.
"Love has nothing to do with it?"
Vicki's skin heated. "No, not consciously, anyhow."
"So it's possible he loves you subconsciously?"
This conversation made her skin tingle. "This is getting confusing. I don't know."
"My brother's an idiot if he doesn't love you, and I think he does. I think he always has."
"I'm not a mind reader. I can't tell. If he does, I need him to tell me."
Alice sighed. "Okay, let's change topics. I don't think we can do anything except wait for him to figure it out. So my advice is to be calm and peaceful today. Don't worry about Mom."
Vicki dropped her arms back to her sides. "Easier said than done. Peter said he had his team of lawyers on the case for me, so the news nonsense will die down."
"I suspected that, as no one has asked my opinion in the past hour. Besides, you have bigger issues. Stick to my brother's side like glue, and be supportive if he tells you he's off to visit the ex anytime soon."
Vicki hadn't thought of that. "You think he will?"
"He's going to want to see for himself," Alice said. "So when he goes to visit Belle, be gentle. I don't think he loves her, and if he broke it off with her, he knows it too."
"I don't know." Vicki stared at her daughter, who came out of her bedroom all dressed to go out.
"Don't worry. Stay and be calm with Colt until he figures it out."
Clara tugged Vicki's pant leg and stared at her as she stepped into her boots. Vicki nodded at her and told Alice, "I have to go. Talk to you soon."
