That same passion would carry over into their relationship, as well. At the end of thirty days, Tyler would be successful in making Amelia fall in love with him. He might not be in love with her, but it didn’t matter. He wasn’t the one hell-bent on a perfect love. He just wanted a happy family, and he didn’t intend to let this woman and their child slip through his fingers.

Eight

“I can drive, Tyler.” Amelia frowned at him as she stared down his new Audi with disdain. “You don’t even know where my doctor’s office is.”

“You can tell me,” he said as he opened the passenger door for her to get in. Why would she rather ride in her old SUV than his brand-new luxury vehicle? He had heated leather seats. Individualized climate controls. It was like floating on a cloud to their destination.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “How can I convince you that pregnancy is not a disability? I’m perfectly capable of driving my own car to the doctor’s office.”

Ah, it wasn’t the car. It was him driving it. Too bad. His willingness to do whatever made her happy went only so far. He was going to take care of her whether she liked it or not. “If I had truly thought that about you, the acrobatics in bed last night would’ve persuaded me to believe otherwise.”

Amelia’s eyes grew wide, then a smile chased away her irritation. “Quit it,” she scolded.

“I will, but how can I convince you that letting other people help you isn’t a crime?” He stood looking at her expectantly until she finally gave in and climbed into his car. “See?” he said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

She didn’t respond. Once he got in the car and they started out toward the doctor’s office, she turned to look at him again. “You make me crazy sometimes.”

He gave her a sly smile in return. “Ditto, sweetheart. You know, you gave me this big, looming deadline to steal your heart, but you fight me at every turn.”

Tyler’s thoughts drifted to her concerned question from Saturday night. She hadn’t broached the subject again since then, but he hadn’t been able to put it aside in his own mind. If she didn’t love him at the end of thirty days, it wouldn’t be for his lack of trying. But would their friendship survive it? He’d insisted everything would be fine and dismissed any concerns because he didn’t intend to lose, but could they be friends with a baby? Could they go back to where they came from, knowing what they knew about each other? “How am I supposed to woo you when you won’t let me do anything for you?”

“We must have different definitions of wooing. I don’t consider it very romantic to drive a woman around everywhere against her will and treat her like a fragile flower.”

“That’s your problem,” Tyler noted. “I don’t think you know what love is really about.”

“What?” She looked at him with wide eyes as she scoffed at his suggestion. “Love is my business.”

“Food is your business. Love is your obsessive ideal, but you don’t really understand it. You think love and romance is just about those big gestures—expensive gifts, fancy dinners and moonlit declarations of undying devotion.”

“What is wrong with all those things?”

Tyler sighed. “Nothing is wrong with them. It’s just that none of that lasts. Flowers die, food gets eaten, words are forgotten. Fifty years from now, when we’re sitting in our favorite chairs watching our grandkids play, that’s not what you’ll remember about our life together. You’ll remember the little things, the things you don’t give me credit for doing now because they don’t fit your ideal.”

“You get credit for everything you do,” she argued. “I just feel helpless when you drive me around and carry things.”

“That is your hang-up, not mine. I’m just being nice. But I could go bigger if you want me to. Would you like me to buy you a new car? That would be a big romantic gesture.”

“You are not buying me a car. No way. I don’t care how much money you have just lying around, it’s a ridiculous suggestion.”

“See?” he said, with a shake of his head. “I can’t win.”

At that, Amelia chuckled. “You’re married, Tyler. You’d better get used to that.”

That was certainly right. He wished Amelia didn’t question the motives of every little thing he did. Somehow being nice seemed to get him in trouble, although he didn’t really mind it. He didn’t do it on purpose, but he got a little thrill when Amelia got irritated with him. A becoming flush would rush to her cheeks and a flash of emotion would light up her dark eyes. She was a beautiful, passionate woman. He’d had the good fortune to share her bed the past two nights and had taken full advantage of that fire in her. That didn’t mean that he didn’t enjoy winding her up and watching her spin in the daytime.

He hadn’t wanted to push their physical relationship too hard. They’d come together suddenly that first night in the house, and he could tell she was apprehensive about it. Their night together in Vegas had been fueled by raw emotions and alcohol. The second by the delirium of sleep and fierce desires. Since then, he’d thought she’d want some space, but it had been the opposite. She seemed to have abandoned all her reservations about their physical connection. Which he didn’t mind at all. But somehow it didn’t feel as though they were making relationship progress. It just felt like sex.

What universe was he living in where just having sex with a beautiful woman was somehow less than fulfilling? He was turning into a teenage girl.

Speaking of girls, the doctor’s waiting room was crawling with women when they arrived. They checked in, then found a pair of seats among the sea of other ladies waiting. Tyler wasn’t certain he’d seen that many women together at once. Young ones, old ones, pregnant ones, ones with babies in carriers... At the moment, he was the only man and feeling very out of place.

“Maybe I should—” he began, but stopped when another man came in with a pregnant woman.

“Are you trying to punk out on me?” Amelia asked with a teasing smile.

“Well, I just wasn’t sure. I didn’t know what the protocol was for this kind of thing.”

Amelia patted his arm, reassuringly. “Daddies can come. Relax. You may just have to look the other way when there are lady parts involved.”

“Lady parts?” he asked with a frown.

“I know you’re familiar with them, but this is a whole new ball game. Just remember, if you’re uncomfortable seeing them, just think how uncomfortable I am putting them on display and subjecting them to various...things.”

Things? Tyler swallowed hard. There was a lot to this baby-having business he hadn’t considered before.

“Amelia Kennedy?” the nurse called from the doorway.

Amelia got up and slung her purse over her shoulder. Despite his trepidations, Tyler followed her to the doorway, pausing only when the nurse smiled at him and held up her hand to stop him.

“Sir, we’re going to take her back to change, get her health history and do a quick pelvic exam. If you’d prefer, I can come back for you when that’s done and the doctor is ready to do the ultrasound and chat with you both.”

“Absolutely,” he said, looking visibly relieved.

Amelia smiled and patted his shoulder. “Saved by the nurse. It shouldn’t be long. Read some parenting magazines.”

Tyler nodded blankly and returned to his seat. About a half hour later, the same nurse returned and waved him over. He followed her through a maze of corridors, finally stopping at an exam room with a closed door. She knocked softly and entered.

He paused just as he crossed over the threshold into the domain of the female. Amelia was lying back on the table with her feet up. She had a paper sheet draped over her, but his eyes still widened as he took it all in. “The nurse said we were going to do an ultrasound. I thought that meant rubbing gel on your stomach.”