The Housekeeper's Daughter by Laurie Paige

Author:Laurie Paige
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Contemporary, General, Romance, California, Fiction, Pregnant Women
ISBN: 9780373387106
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2001-12-01T07:00:00+00:00

Eight

The rain continued throughout the night and the next morning. Maya had little to say on the trip back to the Hacienda de Alegria, except to reflect that perhaps House of Joy was no longer an appropriate name for the estate.

"It's sad," she began, then stopped.

Drake cast her a thoughtful glance as he drove carefully through the misty gloom. "What is?"

With the dawn, sense had returned and they had retreated from each other and from that place they'd reached during the night, the place where they were both so terribly vulnerable. Making love was only a temporary haven from the reality of life.

"That things have to change. Your parents—" She realized this might not be a good topic.

"I don't think their marriage is very happy right now."

"There's been a lot of stress with the shootings and the kidnapping, then the police investigation."

"Isn't trouble supposed to bring couples closer?"

Maya ignored the cynical undertone. "It can go either way, or so I've read. I think marriage must be hard in the best of times."

He was quiet for a few minutes. "You wouldn't let me say this last night, but I think we should try it."

"Marriage?"

"Yes. For Marissa's sake."

"That isn't fair," she murmured in protest.

"Life never is."

The sardonic resignation in his voice troubled her. "A child needs a stable home. She would sense if we were unhappy. It would confuse her."

"Would we be unhappy? Last night was pretty fantastic."

Sparks shimmered inside her as she relived those moments of magic—his hands, so gentle as he stroked her, his lips, so enticing as he kissed her, his eyes…

Last night there had been moments when she'd felt close to him. With the dawn, the distance had returned. She wondered if he was thinking of his mother and father and the unhappiness that seemed to surround them.

That was the problem when morning came: all the problems came flooding back.

Maya wanted to offer comfort, but she didn't. The complications in their lives seemed insurmountable. She knew she had only to say the word and Drake would make the necessary arrangements; they could be married by noon. And then what? Happily ever after?

Her heart set up a cacophonous beat. They had shared a wild, tender passion during the night. That and a child, were those enough to cement a marriage into one happy whole?

She didn't know, but it was a chance she was reluctant to take. "It's easier to dream of how wonderful it might have been than to know the reality of failure."

"Yes."

He sounded so sad. It broke her heart.

"My parents aren't a good example," he continued. "Yours are. Why does their marriage work? I've never seen Inez or Marco even frown at each other, much less quarrel."

She had to smile. "They do, though. Once Daddy complained about too much spice in the salsa. Mom dumped the entire batch in the garbage. Neither of them spoke during the whole meal. Later, after we went to bed, Lana and I heard them laughing like mad."

Drake's eyes flicked to her. "Sounds as if they kissed and made up," he suggested huskily.

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