First Comes Baby...: The Loner's Guarded Heart by Michelle Douglas

glow of her skin. He’d never noticed how cute they were before—cute and kind of cheeky. They were new to him. This conversation wasn’t. Commitment versus freedom. They’d thrashed it out endless time. To her credit, though, Meg had never tried to change his mind. They’d simply agreed to disagree. Even that one stupid time they had kissed.
    Damn it! He’d promised never to think about that again.
    ‘Then you should also be aware that I don’t expect to “ deprive”— ’ she made quotation marks in the air with her fingers ‘—my child of a father for ever.’
    He frowned, still distracted by those freckles, and then by the shine on her lips when she moistened them. ‘Right.’
    She hauled in a breath and let it out again. The movement wafted a slug of coconut infused pineapple his way. He drew it into his lungs slowly, the way he would breathe in a finely aged Chardonnay before bringing the glass to his lips and sipping it.
    ‘Just because I’ve decided to have a baby it doesn’t mean I’ve given up on the idea of falling in love and getting married, maybe having more kids if I’m lucky.’
    It took a moment for the significance of her words to connect, but when they did they smashed into him with the force of that imaginary bottle of Chardonnay wielded at his head. The beach tilted. The world turned black and white. He shoved his hands into the sand and clenched them.
    ‘I might be doing things slightly out of order, but...’ She let her words trail off.
    He stabbed a finger at her, showering her with sand. ‘You are not letting another man raise my child!’
    He shot to his feet and paced down to the water’s edge, tried to get his breathing back under control before he hyperventilated.
    Another man would get the laughter...and the fun...and the love.
    He dragged a hand back through his hair. Of course this schmuck would also be getting hog-tied into marriage and would have to deal with school runs, parent and teacher interviews and eat-your-greens arguments. But...
    ‘No!’
    He swung around to find Meg standing directly behind him. ‘Keep your voice down,’ she ordered, glancing around. ‘There are small children about.’
    Why the hell didn’t she just bar him from all child-friendly zones? She obviously didn’t rate his parenting abilities at all. His hands clenched. But giving his child— his child —to another man to raise? No way!
    He must have said it out loud, because she arched an eyebrow at him. ‘You think you can prevent me from marrying whoever I want?’
    ‘Whomever,’ he said, knowing that correcting her grammar would set her teeth on edge.
    Which it did. ‘You and whose army, Ben?’
    ‘You can marry whomever you damn well please,’ he growled, ‘but this baby only has one father.’ He pounded a fist to his chest. ‘And that’s me.’
    She folded her arms. ‘You’re telling me that you’re giving up your free and easy lifestyle to settle in Port Stephens, get a regular job and trade your motorbike for a station wagon?’
    ‘That’s exactly what I’m saying.’
    ‘Why?’
    It was a genuine question, not a challenge. He didn’t know how to articulate the determination or sense of purpose that had overtaken him. He only knew that this decision was the most important of his life.
    And he had no intention of getting it wrong.
    He knew that walking away from their baby would be wrong.
    But...
    It left the rest of his life in tatters.
    Meg sighed when he remained silent. She didn’t believe he meant it. It was evident in her face, in her body language, in the way she turned away. Her lack of faith in him stung, but he had no one else to blame for that but himself.
    He would prove himself to her. He would set all her fears to rest. And he would be the best father on the planet.
    When she turned back he could see her nose had started to turn pink. Her nose always went pink before she cried. He stared at the pinkness. He glanced away. Meg hardly ever cried.
    He