It was a reality that wasn’t swayed by the last seven days.
Her stomach went queasy at the thought. The past week had been…perfect. The two of them alone, laughing, making love.
Living a lie.
How could something so hollow feel so real? She’d loved before, but never with so little encouragement. It would be foolish to let herself romanticize her husband. Of course, he’d been sweet and attentive, passionate and sensual.
He’d said from the beginning that he wanted to have sex with her. She was the one who was in danger of confusing that hormonally-crazed desire with something more substantial.
She couldn’t let herself love him, no matter the temptation. This relationship was doubly-cursed. Time-limited from the beginning, it had an even shorter shelf-life than marriages based on the fleeting emotion of love.
How would she feel to discover her husband was sleeping with another woman?
Her stomach clenching again, Kelsey drew in a deep breath. He’d made her no promises outside of the wedding ceremony. She had to remember that, had to keep her heart safe.
“You girls mustn’t worry about me,” Chloe straightened in her chair, a smile dawning on her face. She reached out a hand to pat Kelsey’s. “I’ll be fine, particularly when you deliver those grandchildren Jared promised me.”
“What?” Kelsey sat back in surprise, not sure she’d heard correctly.
“Grandbabies,” Chloe said wistfully. “I’m so glad you aren’t planning on waiting to have children. Just think, you could be pregnant now!”
Kelsey instantly envisioned the little packet of pills she relied upon to prevent just such an occurrence. Pray God she wasn’t the one out of every hundred that ended up conceiving anyway. Children were definitely a part of her future, but not now. Not in this make-believe marriage.
“Jared told you we’re planning to have children right away?” she asked her mother carefully, suppressing the outrage that flared in her at such a thought. Chloe might be confused. He’d probably made a remark she’d misconstrued.
“Oh, yes. We had a quiet moment at the reception and he just sort of let it slip out. How wonderful to have a man who’s so excited about having children.”
“He specifically said I was planning to get pregnant?” Kelsey asked again, baffled and incredulous. Fury spilled through her. How dare he?
Her sister sent her a sharp look, but said nothing.
“Yes.” Chloe beamed. “It’ll be my salvation, dear. Just what I need to help get through the divorce with Armando. I’ll move back to New York. I’m so excited about a grandbaby. Don’t be angry with him for telling me.”
Kelsey drew in a breath with effort. The emotion that crowded in her throat as she looked at her mother’s happy face went far beyond anger. How could he? Why would he promise her mother such a thing?
“Was it a secret?” Amy asked, her curiosity clearly overcoming sisterly discretion.
“No.” Kelsey hesitated, not wanting to give her sister and mother the impression that her marriage was less than perfect, but unable to promise something she knew wasn’t going to happen. “We…haven’t really talked about when we’ll have children. Not specifically, I mean.”
“Oh.” The interest in Amy’s face flickered and shifted to Chloe. “So when do you think you’ll be moving back?”
Under the cover of their conversation, Kelsey’s brain reeled from the bomb her mother had inadvertently dropped.
Jared specifically promised her grandchildren?
It made no sense.
Naturally, her mother wanted grandchildren. The thought had changed her whole demeanor. How could Jared be so cruel when he knew they wouldn’t be creating a family?
***
“Whew!” Amy sank back against the seat as the taxi sped off, their driver whistling cheerfully. They had just seen their mother off, enduring her farewell tears as best they could.
Although she’d gone through the motions and hugged her mother fondly, all Kelsey could think about was Jared telling Chloe she’d be a grandmother soon. What the hell was he up to?
“Well, what do you think?” Amy asked, turning her bright-eyed gaze on her sister.
“I think she’s leaving Armando,” Kelsey replied, having no difficulty interpreting her sister’s question. The latest development in her mother’s love life was just one more trigger, one more log laid on the fire. Relationships between men and women were torturous and perilous, and they sucked!
She felt as though she were wound tight. Sad about her mother. Furious with Jared and disappointed in him, as well. The glow of their honeymoon evaporated like bubbles from a cold bath.