Surrogate and Wife by Emily McKay Page B

keep the baby, are you?”
    â€œNo. God, no.” But even as he said the words he knew they weren’t entirely true. Of course he’d thought about it. But what could a guy like him offer a kid that Beth and Stew couldn’t? He took a moment to study Kate and he asked, “You’re sure you’re not—”
    â€œDefinitely sure.”
    â€œGood.”
    â€œRight.” She nodded. But then she tilted her head to the side and studied him. “I know Beth and Stew have said they want us to at least consider it, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s not even an option.”
    It wasn’t any of his business, but he couldn’t help saying, “Okay, I know why I’m not even considering it. I know how my own dad struggled to raise me alone. But what about you? Why are you so dead set against it?”
    She shrugged. “Some women are mommy material. Some aren’t.”
    â€œAnd you think you aren’t?” he asked, because she sounded a little too sure of her answer. Who was she trying to convince? Him or herself?
    â€œIsn’t that rather obvious?” She didn’t wait for him to answer, but shifted the conversation back to their previous topic. “I see your point about the nesting, though.” Words poured out of her. It was her avoidance technique, he was beginning to recognize. Anything shedidn’t want to think about, she just talked through. “Let’s face it, sitting on the bench all day isn’t exactly a high-energy job. I guess I could use some of that nesting energy to do some reorganizing around here—”
    She broke off when he chuckled.
    Narrowing her gaze, she demanded, “What?”
    He looked pointedly around the living room, gesturing to the perfectly fluffed pillows, the neat fan of this month’s magazines and the woven basket that held the TV remotes. “I’m just wondering what exactly you’d organize. Maybe rearrange the DVDs by genre before alphabetizing them? Group the candles on the mantel by height instead of color?”
    Her gaze got even squintier and he couldn’t tell if she was annoyed with his teasing or trying not to laugh.
    â€œAh, come on, Katie, even you have to admit there’s not a lot around here that needs organization.”
    She shrugged, pushed herself away from the doorjamb and moved toward him. “So, back when you were fighting fires, what did you do to relax? Besides get drunk and take bubble baths, I mean.”
    â€œFirefighters don’t take bubble baths.”
    â€œThat’s a shame. You tough guys are really missing out on one of life’s great pleasures.”
    Kate naked in a bathtub? Oh, man. One of life’s great pleasures indeed.
    He felt heat beginning to creep up the back of his neck just thinking about it. Man, he needed to change the subject. “I…um…”
    Kate let out a bark of laughter. “I’ve embarrassed you.”
    â€œNo, I—”
    â€œI have, haven’t I? Look at that—” she gestured toward his face “—you’re blushing.”
    He was blushing ?
    He was really in trouble now. He certainly couldn’t tell her that he wasn’t blushing, just hot under the collar from thinking about her.
    â€œI…um…” He fumbled for a suitable lie, but came up with nothing.
    â€œDon’t worry,” she said, chuckling. “I won’t tell anyone that the big tough arson investigator embarrasses so easily. And just at the thought of taking a bath. That’s pretty funny.” She cocked her head to the side as if something just occurred to her. “Unless it’s because you really do take bubble baths.”
    â€œI don’t take bubble baths.”
    â€œThat must be it. You take bubble baths.”
    â€œI don’t. Trust me.”
    â€œOkay.” But her smug grin told him she didn’t believe him at all.
    â€œI don’t,”