Chapter Twelve

She was having his baby; Beth Wallace, the woman that had wanted him since high school and never gave up hope, was having his child and there was nothing he could do about it. One night that never should have happened, that he had felt pressured into, would make him a father and the mother was someone he couldn’t love, didn’t love and would never love. Everyone would be disappointed, he was disappointed, and the only thing he could feel was disbelief and anger. He had been duped and now he would have to pay.

The force of his fingers folding into fists, the crumbling sound seeming louder in his numb mind, crushed the two pieces of paper in his hands. A growl rumbled from his throat as he slammed his fists onto the hard wooden desk, the pain totally undetectable to his senses. Nearby the phone rang and his unseeing eyes didn’t shift from their spot on the wall as he knocked the machine from his desk, sending it to the floor with a crash. Stuffing the paper into his pocket, Luis grabbed his car keys and stalked outside, passing his friends who were calling his name. He heard no one.

Blindly he made his way to Beth’s house in his car, his foot like lead on the accelerator. Later he wouldn’t remember leaving the station or driving to her home, the thoughts of being married to Beth and watching her raise their child making his stomach churn. All he would remember was the pain in his chest, the ache in the hollow place where he heart should have been.

Once he arrived at the front door, Luis started pounding his fist against the wood with his head resting against the single pane of glass in the door. “Beth, open the door!” he demanded, continuing to slam his hand against the door. “Damn it I said open it now!” he yelled.

Inside a Beth smirked, her plan to bring Luis back to her working perfectly. He might be angry now, thinking about how everything he planned was changing, but in time she knew he would come to love the idea of being a father. Placing a hand against her stomach, she mustered up all her energy into acting like the doting woman he wanted. She could calm Luis down; she had many times in the past as his best friend and then his girlfriend. It had taken years, but she had learned just what to say to bring his boiling blood to a stand still. “Coming,” she called, walking over to the door calmly and undoing the locks. She smiled at him. “I didn’t expect you, Luis. Did you get my note?”

Luis shot her a look, storming inside as she closed the door. “You mean this…trash?” he growled, removing the papers from his pocket and flinging them at her. “What the hell are you trying to pull, Beth?”

“Luis,” she sighed, picking up the crumbled sonogram of their baby. Tears filled her eyes as she smoothed the tattered edges. “This is our baby, Luis. I told you I was pregnant! I told you I wasn’t lying. Please believe me, Luis. We’re going to have a child.”

“No,” he shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest in a defensive stare. “This isn’t happening. If this is your idea of a joke…”

“It isn’t, Luis. I just told you. I’m pregnant,” she kept her tone as even as she could.

“Fine, then I guess we have some things to talk about,” he grumbled, sitting in the armchair near the couch. His features were hard and his body rigid as she sat on the couch and looked at him. “How long have you known about the baby?”

“Not long, I found out the day before yesterday. I was going to tell you but then Sheridan came back and I wasn’t sure just how to break the news to you with her around. Besides, you had been avoiding me and I wasn’t sure if I had done something wrong.”

“You hadn’t, I did. That night shouldn’t have happened,” he replied coldly. “Everyone kept telling me to move on, you kept waiting for me to make a move and then everything in my life fell apart. You were there for me and I guess we both got carried away.” He sighed. He didn’t want to get married to Beth because she was pregnant. It was stupid to start a relationship for the wrong reasons; he had learned that now. He would be responsible, but there had to be another way without marrying her. “What are we going to do about this?

“I don’t know,” Beth was truly saddened by his tone. She couldn’t believe he wished to take everything that happened back. His mindset was not what she expected it to be and she knew she had her work cut out for her. “I do wish you wouldn’t be so angry; this is supposed to be a happy time,” a teary-eyed Beth sniffled. “I thought you would love the idea of finally starting a family.”

“Not with you,” he slipped, too angry to take it back. “I love Sheridan, Beth, you know that. I had plans of having a family with her, of marrying her. My feelings for her haven’t change and this little…” he shook his head. “This baby is mine and I will do the responsible thing to take care of it.”

Beth’s hopes rose. There was a chance he was about to tell her they would get married and raise their child together. “Does that mean…”

“No, I’m not ready to marry you just because that would be the most logical thing to do. I’m not ready to jump into a marriage, especially right now. I made one blind leap, two would be stupid.”

She sighed. “What’s wrong Luis? Besides the baby I know that something else must be wrong?” Of course she knew what was wrong, but she couldn’t let him know that. However, she couldn’t wait to see the look on his face when he told her that Sheridan was pregnant with Antonio’s child. If she had to pretend that she cared about his situation with the blond bimbo that had taken him away, then she would as long as it meant she became closer to him.

“It’s been a long two days,” he shook his head, looking down at the flooring. “Sheridan’s return meant the world to me but I found out that Antonio is back too. Ironically, he came back with Sheridan, who’s pregnant with his child.” Luis nearly started to cry.

“Oh no, Luis, I’m sorry,” she feigned shock, though inside she was laughing. This couldn’t have been more perfect if it was the planned plot of some movie or soap.

“You don’t care,” he rolled his eyes. “I’m not stupid enough to believe that.”

“I do care about anything that hurts you, Luis. Don’t make me out to be some bitch. I love you and anything that hurts you, hurts me as well. I just wish you would…”

The scrapping of metal against wood filled the air, causing Beth to shudder and her eyes to flash. Dana Wallace slowly made her way into the living room, huffing from the exertion it took to move her body through the halls. Beth noticed Luis smiled slightly, the man always having a good rapport with her mother better than he did with Beth. It was ironic how much the pair liked each other. “Beth,” Mrs. Wallace’s breathing was labored. The woman looked frail and weak, her body practically hanging over the walker she used to get around. Her pale face was drawn and her eyes dim as she meekly spoke to her daughter. “I know you have company and I hate to interrupt, but I really rather hungry and was wondering if you could make me something to eat.”

Beth smiled tensely at Luis, turning slightly to face her mother. Glaring at the old woman, she grumbled, “Later, Mother, I’m a little busy right now.”

Luis cocked an eyebrow at the tone Beth was taking with her mother. Had she always been this way with the woman? He tried to think back and realized that most of the time Beth’s mother was stuffed away in her bedroom being ignored. Watching Beth intently, Luis wondered just how much of her was truly an act.

Grimacing when she caught his look, Beth stood and pulled her mother back into the hallway and closed the door behind her, hoping Luis wouldn’t be able to hear what she was about to say. She was tired of her mother ruining her life, wrecking all the plans she had for the future. She clung to the woman’s shoulders, shaking her not so gently as she spoke. “Look, Mother, right now I have to talk to Luis. It’s important! I’ll feed you later!”

“But Beth, I haven’t eaten all morning,” she whined loud enough for Luis to hear. “Please, I’m hungry. It won’t take long.”

"I said later, damn it! I'm busy! Why do you have to be such a pain in the ass? You know Luis is here and that I’m trying to talk to him about the baby!"

The door to the hall flung open and Beth spun around. There Luis stood, dark brown eyes glowing with anger at the way she was treating her Mother. He had heard enough from his seat in the living room; tired of watching a woman he thought he knew mistreat the woman that gave her life. He could only imagine what Beth would be like when she had children and he wasn’t going to be around to witness it.

“Luis…it’s not what you think…” Beth rushed to explain, panic written on her face.

"No! How could you treat her like that?" he screamed, pointing to Beth’s mother. “She gave birth to you! Raised you all these years without your father! She’s the only family you have in this entire world and what do you do? Abuse her? Neglect her? What kind of daughter are you? What kind of woman are you to be so hurtful to a parent? You know what family means to me and yet you take yours for granted?”

Beth started sobbing, her tears falling fast and furiously as he yelled at her. Several times she tried to voice her opinion, tried to defend herself and get back in Luis’ good graces, but he held up his hand and shook his head, shooting her a look that made her blood run cold. She knew that that she ruined everything.

“I don’t want a wife that isn’t even concerned about her own mother,” Luis told her angrily. “If you treat her this way, I can imagine what little love you’ll have for your children. You’re going to be a miserable mother and a terrible wife and I want nothing to do with you. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, Beth Wallace. I want custody of that baby and I’ll make damn sure you’re no where near it after this.” Turning on his heels, Luis left with nothing but the sound of the door slamming to remind Beth he had been there. As he headed to his car, Luis realized exactly what kind of mistake he was forcing Sheridan into and just how much he needed her in his life. Starting the engine, he sped off towards his house, hoping he could catch her before it was too late.

Sheridan sank tiredly onto the couch in Pilar’s living room, thankful for the reprieve from human contact for even the shortest of time. Closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose in attempt to ward of her upcoming headache, Sheridan groaned. It had been a terrible morning for her and the throbbing of her head nearly brought her to tears. Antonio had been incredibly dense while she was at the Bed and Breakfast with him, his mouth going into gear far before his head started to think. In her mind she replayed the events that occurred in his room.

Antonio held her against his chest, his arms encircling her slender waist as he kissed her cheek and neck. His exuberance would have been contagious on any other day and under any other circumstances, but today all she wanted was to go back to Luis. Now that she had finally met the man that was missing from her life, Sheridan couldn’t imagine being with anyone else for any other reasons. She couldn’t believe this was happening to her or that Luis had been so willing to send her back into the arms of a man she didn’t love the way she loved Luis.

The thought of Luis still in her mind, Sheridan pressed the heels of her palms into Antonio’s chest and forced him away. No matter what Luis wanted, no matter why she was here, Sheridan was going back to Luis to be in his arms. When Antonio wouldn’t relinquish his hold, Sheridan slapped his cheek as well, causing him to stumble backwards in shock with his hand pressed to his cheek. “I warned you not to touch me!” she insisted, crossing her arms. “I said I couldn’t be held responsible for my actions if you didn’t listen to me Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald,” she used his real name just to anger him.

Antonio had never expected to be hit again by the woman he loved and sighed, sitting cautiously onto the edge of the queen sized bed. Gently he rubbed his cheek, watching as she began pacing for a moment, leaving him more confused than before. For once he thought things were finally going his way and that Sheridan was going to be his, but still his little brother haunted the woman he loved. It was frustrating beyond belief to watch the woman he wanted to be with swear her allegiance to another man, especially when that man was his brother.

“Look, I love Luis,” Sheridan told him, stopping her pacing. “I told you that much when I arrived. I don’t want to be with you, I will never want to be with you. I want to spend the rest of my life loving Luis and he may not want me right now, but I won’t give up until he does. Luis was right, you have a right to know about your baby but that doesn’t mean I have to settle down with you. This isn’t the nineteen-fifties. Women get pregnant and raise children alone or with other men all the time.”

“The proper thing to do is get married, no matter what the year is. My child deserves to have a mother and a father.”

“He or she will. He or she will know that Luis is its father until he or she is at an age where it is possible to explain the circumstances of what happened. You can be part of your child’s life and still be called Uncle.” She looked out the window, not wanting to see his reaction if it might change her mind.

“Not if Luis is with Beth and their baby,” Antonio grumbled, looking away from her.

“What did you say?” Sheridan spun to face him.

“Nothing.”

“Antonio, you better tell me. I know karate and I’m not afraid to use it to get what I want,” she stepped closer. “Now what did you say about Luis?”

Antonio laughed, hardly afraid of the woman he had known as Diana. There was no way she could do any damage to him. Shaking his head, blue eyes alit with laughter, Antonio refused to say a word.

Sheridan took another step. “I said tell me or I’ll chop you right in the head!” she positioned herself to strike.

Fear filled his eyes when she took position and he decided not to toy with Sheridan Crane today. “I said that Luis is probably with Beth at her place because of the letter she sent him this morning. She told me about it last night and I’m sure my little brother would want to go and speak with her about it. There’s a chance you might not get to be with Luis after today.”

“Why? What was in the letter?” she asked.

He hesitated for a moment, remembering that she threatened him just a few minutes ago. Reluctantly he responded, “Beth’s pregnant with Luis’ baby and after the sonogram she had this morning she sent him a letter showing him proof that she’s really having his child. She intends to get him to marry her because of the baby.”

Sheridan’s eyes widened in surprise and she covered her mouth with her hand. Beth was really pregnant. The message on the machine the previous night had not been a lie, but in fact had been the real situation. Luis, the man that had forced her back into Antonio’s arms, was facing the same predicament she was: dealing with a pregnancy and the wrong partner. Smirking, Sheridan realized that things may actually change. Now that Luis was finding himself in the same situation, he might be a little more open to her opinion and if not, at least she had a bargaining chip for the next time she had a battle with her stubborn fiancé. “You’ve given me the greatest news in my entire life, Antonio, and if I wasn’t absolutely livid from your stupidity yesterday, I would kiss you,” she laughed. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?”

“A deal?”

“Yes, from now on the only time I see you, is when you are at the Lopez-Fitzgerald house with your family. You can be a part of our child’s life when he or she is born, but you are nothing but a brother-in-law to me, understand?”

He nodded sadly.

“Good,” she grabbed her purse from a nearby chair. “Oh, and bring my things by tonight, will you?” she waved, closing the door behind her and leaving him alone.

The door to the Lopez-Fitzgerald home creaked opened, a single red rose appearing before the rest of Luis’ body. Sheridan’s eyes fluttered open at the sound of the door, a small smile gracing her face when she saw the man she loved standing there, the rose like a white flag in battle. Silently closing the door, Luis slowly made his way to the couch where he settled beside her. Holding out the single long stemmed rose, Luis apologized, “I’m sorry I acted like such an ass, Sheridan. I guess I was just afraid that if I let you tell me that you were going back to Antonio, it would have killed me. I love you so much, Sher, and I yesterday I kept wanting to put what I wanted before anything else but I just couldn’t.”

“And what was it you wanted?” she questioned, taking the rose from him.

“For you to be my wife. Sheridan, it’s all I’ve dreamt about since you disappeared and more than anything in the world I knew that you and I were destined to be together. But as much as I wanted for us to become a family, I couldn’t be a cad and totally turn my back on Antonio when he’s the baby’s real father. I know he and I don’t get along and that while part of me is glad he’s back, the rest of me is angry that it took so long, but he’s still my brother and I couldn’t deny him the family he was supposed to have until we found each other again.”

“So now what?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking all morning until I had a bit of an interruption; Beth sent me a letter this morning telling me I was a father too, which distracted me from the task at hand.”

“I know about the letter, Antonio slipped up and told me about it when I was with him. It’s what made me come back here to wait for you. I realized since we are now facing the same problem you might be a little more willing to hear my thoughts on the situation.”

Luis smirked. “You have a bit of a point,” he slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Though I do have to wonder how Antonio knew about Beth. I wonder if the two of them are working together to keep us apart?”

“I don’t know, Luis, and I really don’t care. I’m not going to let them ruin the relationship we have. I love you and I want to be with you and only you, no one else. Beth can have this baby, Luis, and I can have Antonio’s but I know that we can make it through this. I know we can be the best parents and step-parents as long as we are together.”

“I completely concur,” he kissed her cheek. “I want to try and survive this major roadblock, Sheridan. I know it isn’t going to be easy, but nothing in our lives ever has been.”

“So what changed your mind, besides the obvious?” she queried. “Antonio seemed to think you’d marry Beth.”

“Well, I knew I really didn’t want to marry her for the wrong reasons, that would do nothing but hurt everyone including the baby. I don’t love her, not in the least, but she is having my child and I do want to be a part of its life. So I went over there to discuss our options with her, but her mother needed something from her. Instead of helping, Beth actually snapped at her and called her a pain in the ass. I swear, Sher, I’ve never seen Beth that way but I realized that she mustn’t care about her mother at all. Hell, half the time the poor woman is bedridden and Beth is running the Book Café! I told her that if she treated her mother like that she probably would neglect our child, so I told her expect to hear from my lawyer. I figure I’ll try and gain custody of the baby instead of forcing myself to deal with her on a permanent basis. You don’t mind do you?”

“No, not at all. Obviously if she’s indifferent to her mother’s needs she would only ruin the life of the child. I wouldn’t want any child to suffer that way, even if I don’t much like Beth Wallace.” She paused. “Wow, I never would have imagined Beth to be so cruel, Luis. Her own mother,” Sheridan shook her head slightly as she rested it against his chest. “I mean, how can someone be so hideously vicious that they would mistreat their own parents?”

Luis shrugged. “I don’t know, baby,” he murmured into her ear. “You know, Sher, everyone makes mistakes and I think we all have seen a lot of them made recently. In fact, I made one of the biggest mistakes last night yelling at you. We both thought we were moving on with other people and for that I’m willing to pay the consequences as long as I have you.”

“Luis,” she turned to face him. “There is no place on earth that I would rather be,” she leaned in and kissed his lips sweetly, lingering slightly.

As they parted, Luis released a breath and smiled, looking deep into Sheridan’s sparkling blue eyes. “You are so beautiful.”

She blushed, cupping his cheek with her left hand. Her eyes fell upon her naked ring finger and she pouted. “Isn’t there something you want to give me now?”

Luis laughed, realizing what she wanted and left her on the couch for a minute. She could hear him enter the bedroom, fiddling with a few things before his footsteps neared once again. When he returned to the living room, instead of sitting beside her, he knelt down in front of her. “Sheridan Crane, I’m a stupid man sometimes and I do many stupid things. One thing I will never regret in my life is loving you. For a year we’ve been apart and last night I did a foolish thing in trying to push you away, but now I realize that I can’t live without you. I would rather die than spend my life without you in it. So Sheridan, will you do me the immense honor of being my bride?”

Tilting her head in thought, Sheridan pretended to ponder whether or not she wanted to be his wife. “I don’t know,” she chewed on her bottom lip. “It’s an awful big step and you’re right, you do some really stupid things sometimes.”

“Oh, ha ha. Come on Sheridan, marry me?” he begged giving her his best puppy dog face.

“When you say it like that, how can I say no?” she asked, putting out her left hand for him. “Yes, Luis, I’ll be your wife. I’ll marry you!”

Luis whooped with joy, getting up off his knee and pulling her into his arms. He kissed her hard, passionately, his tongue searching for the pleasure and fire they once had. Sheridan kissed him back with matched fervor, enjoying the feel of his lips and tongue meshing with hers. Memories of other kisses filled her mind and Sheridan felt dizzy from the feelings that flooded her system. When Luis pulled away, Sheridan clung to his shoulders and pinned him in a heated look. “So, fiancé of mine, how do you think we should celebrate our engagement?” she asked seductively, playing with the button on his shirt.

Luis swallowed hard, torn between making love to his fiancée and the thought that the last man she slept with was his brother, who impregnated her. Part of him still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that Sheridan had been with another man, especially when that man was Antonio. The rest of him wanted her, needed her the way they once were. His heart told him it would be just fine if he made love to the woman he had missed for so long. “I think I know what you have in mind,” his knuckles brushed against her cheek. “And I’m liking the way you think.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” she asked, grabbing the tie to his uniform and winking. “Come on, Luis, it’s time to read me my rights,” she purred.

“Oh this is one job I’m going to thoroughly enjoy,” he swept her into his arms and carried her into his room, kicking the door shut behind him. The duo spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the bliss of their being engaged without a care in the world. They could worry about the rest of their lives later, that moment was for them and the consummation of a love that was true and lasting. It would have to be to face the challenges that were to come.

Chapter Thirteen

Sheridan knelt beside a large cardboard box of photos and personal decorations that once resided in the cottage, her hands cautiously unwrapping the bubbled plastic from the crystal vase that once belonged to her mother. Looking around their new living room, Sheridan tried to decide just where the vase belonged and rested the palm of her hand on the small bump that was beginning to appear beneath her blouse. She had been back in Harmony for six weeks and Luis had been at her side each and every day since their engagement on her second day home. He had been attentive and loving, forcing his anger and resentment aside and learning to care for the child she was carrying. It hadn’t been easy; plenty of arguments had arose over the life that dwelled inside her, but she knew that their love was strong as ever, especially now. They had set a date for the wedding, Christmas day, and were planning to keep this one as simple as possible, but Sheridan knew that either way it would be special.

Slowly getting up, she placed the crystal piece on the mantle, turning it just slightly so the delicately carved rose in the side could be viewed. The new house had been Luis’ idea, a way to put the past behind them and move on, even though she didn’t remember just what they were moving on from. Of course, her memory had been coming back piece-by-piece, starting when they made love the afternoon Luis re-proposed. That was the moment she had remembered their several failed attempts at love making, the beautiful sleigh ride he had taken her on in the frosty February air and their engagement party disaster. She even remembered most of their trip to Bermuda, including the boat explosion, when Luis took her to the Harmony wharf one evening for ice cream. But the vast majority of her recovered memories had returned while they were packing up the cottage so that they could move into the new house. She remembered Luis being her body guard, their trip to New Mexico, most of her life as the Crane Heiress in Europe and the remainder of the flawed memory where she believe Luis had died in the Crane archives. She never knew just when the next memory would return, but she looked forward to the moment they all did.

With a sigh, Sheridan turned and surveyed the living room, her mind drifting off to memories of the moment that brought them to a new home on their journey to build a life together.

Sheridan rested against Luis, her fingers dancing lightly across the bronze skin of his chest. He chuckled, capturing her hand in his and lifting it to his mouth for a kiss. With a smile, Sheridan shifted on the bed, bringing Luis’ lips within inches of hers for another kiss. As her lips descended upon his, the door to his bedroom creaked open and a gasp reverberated in the silent room.

“Mijo! I’m so sorry…I,” Pilar stuttered, her emotions laying between shocked and anger that her son would be so careless with his impressionable young siblings around, not that Theresa hadn’t already gone to Hell in a hand basket. Making the sign of the cross, she mumbled a speedy prayer that her family would return to their religion and stop behaving as they were.

“Hello, Pilar,” Sheridan prayed the earth would swallow her up right now. This moment couldn’t be more awkward for her. Her cheeks grew rosy in color as she burrowed under the blankets.

“Mama,” Luis swallowed, making sure he and Sheridan were covered. “We have good news,” he attempted to lighten the situation.

“I can see that,” Pilar massaged her temples. “Why don’t I give you time to dress while I begin dinner, mijo, and we can discuss your news.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Luis replied, watching as she nodded and closed the door.

“That was so embarrassing,” Sheridan covered her head with a pillow and groaned in frustration. “She must think I’m some tramp.”

“Sheridan, Mama knows we lived together. I’m sure she understands that during that time we made love and considering the fact that you’re pregnant…”

“She doesn’t know that yet, Luis. Remember, I haven’t told anyone besides you and Antonio,” she cut him off.

“Oh…right,” his eyes glazed over with an emotion she couldn’t quite name and Sheridan shivered in fear of that look.

“Luis, come on. I’m here with you; I’m staying with you. Let’s not ruin all the progress we’ve made thus far. I love you.”

“I love you too,” he pecked her lips gently before getting out of bed and searching for his clothing. “But we do have to explain everything to Mama now and she’ll be the first person we’ve told about everything. I’m a little anxious about how she’ll take it.”

“I’m sure she’ll take it relatively well, Luis. Of course, the fact that I’m carrying Antonio’s baby and marrying you is going to throw many people for a loop, but I think they can understand the situation. Both of us tried to move on, mistakes were made and now we’re trying to rectify them the best way we know possible. Neither of us want to suffer for the rest of our lives and we’ve decided we’d rather get married and give the coming children happy homes than give them homes where their parents struggle to be pleasant to each other.”

Luis sighed. “Still, not everyone is going to be understanding. I’m sure there are a few people out there that would rather see us be miserable but be real families with our children.”

“And we will be. Luis, stepparents aren’t as odd as they used to be, you know. Of course, the baby being Antonio’s complicates things, but I don’t think we should change our plans. I don’t want to marry him.”

“I know,” he tugged on his boxers and a pair of jeans. “I love you, Sher.”

“I love you too,” she joined him in dressing. When the two were done he took her hand in his, linking their fingers and leading her from the room. She followed behind him nervously, unsure of just how Pilar was going to take the news that he and Sheridan were still getting married and that Antonio was fathering their first child. Luis pushed open the swinging door, seemingly unaffected by nervousness until Sheridan noticed how sweaty his palms were becoming. It wasn’t building her confidence to know that Luis was just as worried about the upcoming confrontation with his mother and she sighed as the door swung shut behind her. This was it: the moment of truth.

“I’m making tacos for supper, mijo. Does that sound all right with you and Sheridan?” Pilar asked, her back to the pair as she busied herself with cutting some tomatoes.

“Sure, Mama,” Luis pulled out the chair for Sheridan, motioning that she should sit. “But could you stop and sit with us for a while, Mama? We have a few things to talk about.”

“Mijo…”

“Please,” he beseeched, stopping her hands and removing the knife from them. “It won’t take more than fifteen minutes, I promise.”

“All right,” she sighed, settling at the table and sitting across from Sheridan. She took the younger woman’s hands into her own, patting them softly and comfortingly. “How are you feeling, mija? Any better?”

“A little Pilar,” Sheridan offered a weak attempt at a smile. “Today was almost as stressful as yesterday, though I recovered some of my memories earlier.”

“I’m sure it’s stressful, but I’m glad you are starting to remember more,” she gave Sheridan’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Now what did you two want to talk to me about?”

“Well, Mama,” Luis stood behind Sheridan, massaging her shoulders soothingly. “Sheridan and I have decided to become engaged again and get married as soon as we possibly can. We want to start our lives together.”

“Oh Mijo! I’m so glad you worked out your problems, after what Antonio said yesterday at the hospital I was worried that you would hold it against Sheridan. I’m so proud of you,” she smiled. “I told you that you would find happiness again, Luis.”

“That’s not all there is, Pilar. I’m afraid Antonio’s revelation was further complicated by a few of our own. What I found out after you went to see Theresa last night was that I am pregnant and the father of the child is Antonio.”

Pilar pulled her hand away from Sheridan. “Oh Dios mio!”

“Yea, that’s what I said,” Luis grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest causing Sheridan to shoot him a disapproving glare.

“Does Antonio know?” Pilar asked.

“Yes,” Sheridan replied, returning her attention to Pilar. “I told him this morning and while I know you might have preferred that I marry Antonio since the baby is his, I know in my heart that it’s the wrong thing to do. I loved Antonio once, I’m sure I had to, but it’s not the same as my love for Luis. Luis consumes me and I would rather be with him. Being with Luis today had totally wiped away whatever feelings I might have had for your other son.”

“I would never ask you to marry Antonio for the wrong reasons, Sheridan,” Pilar sighed, folding her hands in front of her. “How do you feel about this, Luis?”

“At first, Mama, I told Sheridan she had to go back to Antonio and make him take responsibility for his child. I was angry, hurt and jealous, but I knew that I loved Sheridan and I only wanted what was best for her. I went to work and thought that Sheridan was just patching things up with Antonio, but that wasn’t the case. That’s where my news comes in. While there I received a note from Beth, it turns out she is pregnant as well and that the baby is mine. I went to see her to work something out, though I knew I didn’t want to marry her, but while I was there she totally abused her mother and I knew that I couldn’t be with her or let her raise my child. I came home and worked things out with Sheridan and we decided that what was best for both children would be for them to be raised in a happy environment and we could give them that if we were married.”

“Beth’s pregnant too?” Pilar shook her head in shock. “Mijo, I expected better from you and your brother.” Near tears, her voice shook as she looked at him. “I am only happy that you are not making a mistake and entering into a marriage that will end in divorce. You will save your children pain.”

“That’s what we want, Mama, to keep our children from hurting. Sheridan and I are going to raise our children, Beth’s and hers, in our home with all the love we can possibly show them.”

“It will almost be as if we sought the aid of a surrogate mother,” Sheridan told Pilar. “I honestly believe this is best.”

Pilar nodded. “If you are to take custody of your child, Luis, and only allow Antonio visitation with his, you will need a place to raise this family. Have you considered where that will be?”

“I still own the cottage,” Sheridan replied.

“Yes, but that has only one bedroom,” Luis replied, sliding into the seat beside her. “It’s not the place to raise a family. I was thinking we could get a home of our own.”

Sheridan gasped, spinning around to look at him. Getting a house was a major step in their relationship, one she wouldn’t have considered previously. While they hadn’t been back to the cottage during her two days in Harmony, she did know it was there from the few memories that had returned while they made love. She just assumed that she would return there now that they were engaged. “But the cottage…”

“Is on Crane property, someplace I would rather not be. I just think it would be a much wiser idea for us to start fresh in a house we can call ours.”

“I think I will leave you two to continue this conversation,” Pilar kissed Sheridan’s cheek and then Luis, exiting the room as quickly as she could. Luis could hear her murmuring a prayer as she walked away.

“But the cottage is the only home I’ve known in Harmony, Luis,” Sheridan spoke, bringing his attention back to her. “ We’ve even lived there together! I don’t want to leave it now.”

“Sheridan,” he sat beside her, taking her hands back into his. “The cottage was our home, you’re right, but things have changed. I don’t feel safe knowing that your family will be watching our every move anymore. I think they had a part in the boat explosion and Theresa was already lost to their wealth and power; I would rather raise our kids away from that kind of atmosphere. Besides, it’s not large enough for two children and us.”

“We could add a room onto it, Luis. There’s nothing wrong with expanding the cottage.”

“Except we would have to use Crane money to expand something on the Crane grounds,” he got up, walking over to the fridge. “I don’t want that either.”

“I can use money from my mother’s family. I know there’s some left in my trust fund,” she replied, not even noticing that the detail had come to mind so easily.

“Still under Crane watch. I would rather not use your money unless we have to and we won’t necessarily have to just because I purchase a home and unless we added onto the cottage it would never be suitable for a family.”

“You once mentioned your family lived there, Luis, and that was five children and two adults! You said it was cozy and everyone enjoyed themselves! You bonded during that time! I want that for our family, Luis. Why can’t we have that?” she argued.

“It was cramped and we fought a lot about not having space. I want better for my family, Sheridan, for our family. I want us to have a place that isn’t yours or mine…a place that’s ours filled with our things. I want our children to know they are loved and shouldn’t want for anything that’s important. We can’t have that in the Crane cottage,” he defended, returning to her.

Sheridan stood quickly, sending her chair backwards. “You are so damn frustrating sometimes!” she threw her hands in the air. “I can’t believe how stubborn you’re being!”

Luis caught her hands, placing them against his heart. “Sheridan, I love you,” he stated quietly, looking deep into her hypnotic blue eyes. “I just want better for you and for our family, for your sake and that of the babies that are coming.”

“I love you for that, Luis, but I don’t want you to make unreasonable demands on yourself, for my sake or the babies’. I’m afraid that we’ll never get to see you because you’ll have to work double shifts and overtime to support the family and a home of our own. I want my husband at home with me in our bed. I want him to share in raising our children, in the life that we have planned. We can’t have that if you are away from us.”

“Sheridan, that’s not the way it will be. Mama and I made due in this house and I earn quite a bit of money right now. I could put a nice down payment on a house and still be able to make the bills. If I get that promotion it will be even less of a problem.”

“But there’s still the chance that we won’t make ends meet! You said it yourself, the family has suffered before because you couldn’t always make ends meet. Luis, I won’t be working. I’ve never held a job down before and I probably will never find a skill to which a job can be applied. I won’t be able to help you with the bills unless I use the money I have from my mother.”

“I really don’t want to depend on your money,” he insisted, dropping her hands.

“And I don’t want to lose my husband!” she argued, tears in her eyes.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve learned a lot about us by thinking over our times together. Our biggest problem is when we differ in opinion I make you either back down or we ignore it. That’s not the way to build a marriage.”

“I agree,” she sniffled.

“I don’t want to lose you over this, Sheridan, so I will acquiesce. We will get a new house because I believe that is what is in our family’s best interest. We do need a place that we can start fresh in, someplace not within the Crane compound where they have a little less of an ability to rule us. But, because I do not want to miss out on our lives or that of our children, I will give in and allow you to use your money as the down payment on the house, but I refuse to let you buy the house completely.”

Luis entered the living room, silently coming down the stairway from their bedroom. Remaining on the bottom step for a moment, he watched his fiancée as she stood lost in another world, her hand gently caressing her stomach. The baby had been a sore point for him over the last six weeks, everything reminding him that the child in her womb wasn’t his. For the next six months he would have to watch her carry his brother’s child and for the following eighteen years he would raise that child as his own. It was unsettling and upsetting and yet he knew that life without Sheridan wasn’t worth living so he would struggle silently with the feelings he had towards his brother and the bastard child Sheridan was having. For Sheridan he would be brave, but it was moments when he was alone that truly told what he was feeling. He would cry while in the shower, angrily kick around the punching bag in the workout room at the Youth center and dream about the moment that Sheridan told him the baby she was having was his and not Antonio’s. It was there, in his dreams, that everything was the way it should be even though his life had taken an interesting turn.

Rejoining the world, Luis finished his descent of the stairs and entered the living room, walking up behind Sheridan and wrapping her in his arms. She jumped for a moment until she realized whose arms she were in and sighed contently, resting back against his chest. “Good thoughts?” he whispered in her ear.

“Some,” she replied, turning in his arms and looking over the light brown uniform he wore. Her hands fiddled with his tie, straightening it for him. “I hate that you have to go to work,” she pouted.

“I know,” he kissed her cheek, placing a hand on her abdomen. “I want you to rest today, Sheridan, you’ve been running yourself sick from all the packing and unpacking you have been doing. The last of your purchases for the house have come so there won’t be anyone coming in and out.”

“I promise to try and relax,” she told him, looking over the purchases he had been speaking of. She had persuaded him that with a new house they would more than likely need new furniture and that she wanted to buy it for them as a homecoming present. He had been willing to argue that she shouldn’t use more of her money on them, but she had taken advantage of their horizontal position at the time and convinced him otherwise. He had given in and allowed her to use more of the Barrett money to furnish the entire house with things that were durable and stylish. She even managed to buy only furniture that Luis would have been able to afford on his salary and was quite proud of her accomplishment.

“Good,” he pecked her lips and then knelt in front of her. “You in there, take good care of your mom today, ok? She doesn’t understand that pregnant women need rest, so try to convince her otherwise,” he kissed her stomach and stood back up. “I better go or I’ll be late. I love you.”

“Love you too,” she replied as Luis left, blowing her a kiss from the doorway. She stared at the door in surprise, wondering how her fiancé was managing to keep such a brave front for her. She knew that deep down inside Luis didn’t love her child as if it were his own and that he was willing to be the father mostly because he loved her. She couldn’t blame him in a way, part of her was not excited about the prospect of raising Beth’s child either, but he never let on that anything was bothering him. Not once since their fight had he voiced any resentment or residual anger towards the baby or Antonio. In fact, he had started to pick out names and plan the nursery with her. It was almost as if the baby was his.

Shaking her head, Sheridan was about to return to the box of knick-knacks when the doorbell rang. With a sigh, she tilted her head backward and eyed the door, wondering who could be interrupting her now. Every day she had tried to unpack boxes and each and every time she opened one someone came by to see the house. Standing, she brushed her hands over the jean shorts she was wearing and walked to the door. “Who is it?”

“Sheridan, open up, it’s Antonio.”

Sheridan’s hand fell to the brass knob of the front door, reluctant to open it. Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald had avoided her since she their talk that day at the Bed and Breakfast. She hadn’t minded not being around him, knowing she hurt him laid heavily on her conscience. Still, she had wondered why he had avoided her so much and wondered if he really had ever loved her. Luis had recommended that she put Antonio out of her mind and focus on the positive things: their upcoming nuptials, the new house and the baby. But it was hard forgetting that the father of her child was going to be her brother-in-law and that the news of her pregnancy and life with him had widened the rift in the Lopez-Fitzgerald house.

Opening the door slightly, but making no move to open the screen door in front of it, Sheridan asked, “What are you doing here, Antonio?”

“I just want to come in and speak with you, Sheridan, I promise I won’t stay long,” he smiled softly. “Is it too much to ask as the father of your first born?”

“Please don’t remind me. It’s hard enough as it is,” she opened the door, unlocking the screen and letting him in.

“Thank you,” he walked by her and into the living room. “You’ve been avoiding me. Mama said that you had Luis turn down a dinner invitation when you heard I would be there.”

“I wasn’t feeling well,” Sheridan corrected, leading him into the living room and sitting on the couch. “Luis was concerned about my health and turned down the invitation of his own accord. Pilar shouldn’t have told you it was your fault.”

“She didn’t, I only assumed it was because I was there,” he sat beside her. “You said I could be part of my child’s life, Sheridan, but I can’t be if you’re going to attempt to forget the year we spent together.”

“I would rather forget, Antonio, because you are not the man I thought you were. That night you told Luis about us in the hospital nearly ruined the one good thing I had in my life. I never fooled you into thinking that we were soul mates or head over heels in love. I told you I had feelings and I cared for you and yes, at one point it might have been love, but anything we could have had died the moment you viciously told Luis that I slept with you. Now please, just tell me what you want and leave.”

“Well I wanted another chance…”

She shot him a look.

“But I obviously blew it. Look, I wanted a life with you, Sheridan. I still want a life with you and our child, but I’m not foolish enough to believe that I have in any way atoned for trying to break you and Luis up. When I told my brother that you slept with me, I was angry and hurt that you could so casually throw me away just because you found him again. You have to understand that I reacted as a scorned man.”

“You’re still a scorned man, Antonio, but now you’re adding delusional to the mix. I don’t want to give you another chance. Luis is the man I love, my soul mate. He’s the man I’m going to marry whether you like it or not. He’s the man in my bed every night,” she looked at him, bitterness dancing in her blue eyes. “You nearly took away the one thing that made me happy in twenty-nine years. I will never forgive you for that.”

“Well I assume apologizing would be a waste of time?”

“You know what they say when you assume, but in this case the assumption is dead on.”

He sighed. “Fine. The only other reason I came was to check in on the baby. I was wondering if you had an ultrasound yet, I would like to know about my child too.”

“I went last week but they haven’t done an ultrasound because the machine was broken. I’m supposed to go back next week with Luis so that we could see our baby.”

“Oh,” he looked pained. “And the baby is healthy?”

“That I know of,” she replied shortly.

“Do you know the due date?”

“Antonio! What are you up to?” she crossed her arms.

“I just want to know about our child. I am still that baby’s biological father.”

“And that’s all you’ll ever be to it and to me! Now please, if you have no other business…”

“Let me take you out to lunch, Sheridan,” he pleaded.

“What? Are you not listening to me?”

“Please,” he placed his hand on her shoulder. “As a present to the mother of my child, let me take you out to lunch. Can’t you grant me just this one wish before you cast me out of your life?”

Sheridan sighed, seeing the sadness and pain in his eyes was far too much for her and she looked down. “All right,” she responded softly. “I will let you take me out for lunch, Antonio, but if you try anything funny, you’ve lost the chance to get to know your baby at all. Understand me?”

“Yes, Sheridan, I understand completely,” he smiled, playing the innocent. “How does the Lobster Shack sound?” he asked, leading her from the house.

Sheridan just nodded, climbing into his car. Deep down she could feel that this was a bad idea and she only prayed that whatever happened didn’t ruin her chances with Luis.

Luis sat at his desk, looking over the case file for a string of robberies that had taken place during the summer months. The one thief had yet to be caught and had only recently held up a small gas station on the outskirts of Harmony. It was the biggest case the precinct had lately, considering that Julian Crane had mysteriously returned from the dead. The only problem with the case was that no suspect had been found as no one had managed to get a clear view of his face. They were going on the few leads they had, which wasn’t much.

Sighing, Luis dropped his pencil on the desk and looked over at a picture of Sheridan. He really did miss her while he was at work, even if part of him was still unsure about their being together. It was hard being so mentally torn the way he was; half of him never wanting to leave Sheridan and wanting to make love to her forever while the other half found her untouchable and couldn’t stand the thought of Antonio’s hands ever having been his beloved’s body. Try as he might to forget Antonio’s past with Sheridan, it was impossible knowing that she was carrying another man’s baby. As long as that baby was alive the memory would be there.

The telephone on his desk rang and Luis reached for it out of instinct, bringing the receiver to his ear. “Lopez-Fitzgerald.”

“Luis, it’s Beth.”

“Beth, what do you want?” he grumbled into the phone, feeling the headache start already. He hadn’t spoken to Beth in six weeks and he had no intention of starting now.

“Before you say anything, I want you to know that I’m not trying anything, Luis. I was just wondering if you would want to go with me for the ultrasound and meet the doctor. As the baby’s father, I think that you have the right to go with me and see the treatment that your child is having.”

“This better not be a trick, Beth. I don’t have time to play games with you.”

“It isn’t,” she sighed sadly.

“Fine, I’ll come along but not because of you, but because of the baby. You’re right, I should make sure you are getting the best care for my son or daughter, especially since I still intend to seek custody of the child.”

Pain stung her heart and Beth gasped, realizing Luis was being as cold and indifferent to her as she was to her mother. “I understand. My appointment is at the Harmony Medical Center across from the hospital. I’ll meet you there in fifteen minutes, ok?”

“I’ll be there,” he hung up.

Beth sighed again, dropping the phone into the cradle. This wasn’t going to work to her advantage at all and Luis certainly didn’t seem to care one way or another if she was in his life. All she wanted was to fix what she had done and go back to the night they made love. Maybe then she could have convinced him that they belonged together if only she tried harder.

“Such a waste of time you are,” Dana Wallace shook her head, dropping the sales circulars from the newspaper. “Don’t you realize that Luis will never ever love a woman like you? He made it clear! You’re a loser and no one wants you, especially not someone like Luis. He has taste.”

Beth attempted to ignore her mother, looking around the living room for her car keys and purse. It didn’t matter if Luis didn’t want her right now, because he was going to see their baby and realize what a mistake it was to go back to Sheridan. He was going to love her again and then they were going to start a family and have their own house.

“I hope you really don’t think in that he is ever going to love you,” Dana eyed her daughter. “Don’t you realize you’re like that annoying piece of chewing gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe? He walks all over you and doesn’t even know that you’re there! You’re a delusional waste of space that will never have someone to really love. You’re not loveable and you’re certainly not capable of loving anyone but yourself. I don’t even know why you go after Luis.”

“Shut up!”

“Why should I? It’s about time someone tells you what everyone thinks of you! God, Beth, no one wants you around! No one buys the Betty Cocker crap that you try to give them, especially not Luis. You’re lame, darling, lame. Just because it worked for Grace Bennett, don’t convince yourself that you have any hope of it working for you.”

“Listen to me,” Beth grabbed her mother. “If you don’t shut up I’ll make sure that this time you don’t survive what I do to you. Just remember how you ended up in that walker, old woman!” she grabbed her car keys. “Keep that in mind while I’m gone,” she left.

Dana Wallace shuddered in fear, easily remembering the last time Beth had attacked her. “But I’m not afraid anymore, Bethy darling,” Dana pushed herself off the couch. “I’d rather die than watch a loser like you ruin someone else’s happiness like you ruined my life.” She walked to the window, watching her daughter drive away. “Never again, Beth. I won’t let you hurt Luis or anyone else ever again.”

“So, how’s your salad?” Antonio tried to break the uncomfortable silence that settled around their table. Sheridan hadn’t said a word since she ordered, her eyes focused on something going on outside and not him. He had tried everything he could to get her to talk, but it seemed futile.

“Good,” she replied, pushing an olive off the dish and making a face.

He sighed, taking a bite of his own food and trying to find a safe subject. “Did I tell you about the apartment I found? I decided that since I have a job I should probably move out of my mother’s house.”

“You just moved back into it,” Sheridan said, bumping another black fruit off her dish.

“I’m just trying to settle down into a lifestyle that’s good for me. I figured I’d be able to move on with my life romantically if I had my own place.”

“Well then I’m happy for you, Antonio. You should move on, it’s for your own good,” she sipped her water. “Speaking of romances, have you heard from Liz at all? She must be worried about us by now.”

“No, I’ve totally forgotten about her,” Antonio shrugged. “I guess I should call her soon.”

“Might not be a bad idea.”

Silence fell over the table again, Sheridan’s fork digging out more olives and pushing them onto her napkin. Antonio watched her silently for a few minutes, waiting before trying to start a conversation again.

“Are you feeling all right?”

“Fine,” she replied. “I just don’t seem to like the taste of olives today. And please stop fawning over me, I’m pregnant, not an invalid.”

“I’m just trying to start a conversation, like friends would have,” he defended. “I want your friendship back, Sheridan.”

“Well I’m not so sure I want yours back, Antonio. I don’t believe I can trust your intentions. It seems that you and Theresa are a lot alike when it comes to people you obsess over. You’ll do anything to win them over, even if it involves lying or hurting someone else.”

Pain flashed in Antonio’s eyes and he opened his mouth to reply when he noticed that Sheridan had become quite pale. Panic rushed through him as Sheridan’s eyes fluttered shut and the glass she was holding fell to the table, the glass shattering and spilling water all over the white linen cloth. “Sheridan?”

She shook her head, doubling over in pain and clutching her stomach. “Something’s wrong, Antonio, something’s wrong with the baby.”

Thinking quickly, Antonio grabbed Sheridan, dropping some cash onto the table to cover their lunch. He immediately rushed her out to his car, speeding to the hospital as quickly as possible. In no time he had her inside, listening to her groans of pain as Dr. Russell wheeled her into a room and shouted orders to some of the nurses on staff. He watched from the hallway as they moved her from a gurney onto a bed, wanting to step inside but knowing he couldn’t and shouldn’t.

“Antonio please,” she cried out into the hall. “Call Luis!”

Antonio grumbled something, heading outside with his cell phone to call his younger brother and let him know that something was wrong with Sheridan. As his eyes scanned the parking lot across the way, he noticed Beth and Luis walking into the Harmony medical center and laughed. Inadvertently, his little brother had set him up with the perfect way to get back into Sheridan’s arms and he wouldn’t have to do much to convince Sheridan that he was the one she belonged with. Smirking, he closed his cell phone before it could dial Luis’ number and turned around to return back inside and find Sheridan’s room. He silently walked down the hall, nearing the curtain Sheridan had been put in. The white drapes opened, revealing Eve Russell who was covered in a crimson substance.

“Eve?” Antonio swallowed hard, thinking the worst.

“I’m sorry, Antonio,” Eve looked at her bloody hands. “There was nothing we could do for her, it was already too late. The baby is gone.”

“Wh-what?” he stuttered.

“I’m sorry, Antonio but Sheridan had a miscarriage.

Chapter Fourteen

The evening sky was sparkling with stars as she sped along the Coast Road towards Harmony. She was only minutes from home, the house on Raven Hill looming before her. A few more minutes and she would be eating dinner with her nephew, Ethan, and the rest of her insufferable family. While seeing her brother, Julian, again was not going to be the highlight of her evening, she knew that just being safe and away from her ex-fiancé was enough to make this trip worthwhile. Her foot floored the gas pedal, the engine roaring to life as she accelerated.

Faster and faster…seventy…eighty…ninety-five miles per hour…

It wouldn’t be long now before she was parked outside her cottage and free of any man that didn’t deserve her, especially Jean-Luc. She was going to take it easy from now on, no more looking for love in the wrong places. Sheridan Crane was swearing off men.

She passed a cop, speeding away easily and telling herself that she wasn’t stopping. He wasn’t going to stop her from making it to the mansion. He would get over it and find someone more important to arrest. Hadn’t Ethan told her there was a stalker on the loose when she phoned him earlier? Surely this cop would find arresting the stalker of the Crane heir more interesting than a high-speed chase. His siren died down and Sheridan started to believe she was finally rid of the blasted cop. She turned a curve and found herself speeding towards the same police cruiser that had been following her. The sound of crushing metal filled the air as she slammed on the brakes…

She was busted.

Luis climbed from the car, gun pointed at the driver of the red sports convertible. This might not have been the high profile case he needed to become detective, but at least it was something to put in his record. He leaned against what was left of his driver’s side door and scowled.

"You try anything else and I’m using your tires for target practice,” he called to the driver, starting to walk towards the car. “Well, I hope you had a good time, buster, because you're about to say good-bye to life as you know it. There's no way your sorry behind isn't doing jail time after those moves."

Sheridan squinted into the dark as he neared her window, already pulling out her license as her anger got the best of her. "My name isn't Buster, my behind is anything but sorry, and you can't arrest me."

Confused, the cop stopped beside the car, his gun still drawn. Who did she think she was to say she wasn’t getting arrested for what she did? "You've broken at least ten laws in the last minutes. Give me one good reason I shouldn't arrest you."

“Because my last name is Crane!”

It was no longer nighttime, but morning and Sheridan entered the Book Café walking to the counter to order some food. There was music playing softly and people chatting around steaming cups of coffee and cocoa. If she didn’t have a meeting with the man from the Youth Center, she may have settled herself at one of the tables and relaxed while doing some people watching. Only in town for a two days and she had been arrested, given a ticket, hit on, yelled at and ordered to serve one hundred hours of community service! It couldn’t get worse, right?

She looked at the coffee menu for only a minute before Beth walked over, a bright smile on her face. She ordered a take out coffee and then looked over at the muffin display ordering a blueberry muffin as well. She might as well eat before she attempted to buy her way out of the Youth Center hours.

“Oh, actually, he just beat you to the punch,” Beth apologized as she put the muffin into a bag. She motioned with the tongs to Luis, who was slowly walking up behind her.

“Oh, no,” Sheridan groaned.

Luis shook his head as he neared them. “Give the muffin to the lady, please, Beth.”

“Oh, no. I wouldn't hear it,” Sheridan protested without looking at him. “Please. Give the muffin to the officer. He ordered it first.”

His temper started to boil and he barely looked at her as he replied, “And would you please tell the lady that I’ve changed my mind. She needs the muffin or her blood sugar might drop and make her crash into my car.”

By this point neither was calm as Sheridan growled, “Oh, please. Tell the officer not to worry about my blood sugar. I'm afraid that if I take the muffin, he'll accuse me of grand theft, slap his handcuffs on me, and haul me off to the police station for another night in jail.”

“And would you please tell the lady,” Luis began to reply.

“You know what?” Beth cut him off angrily, dropping the tongs. “That's it. Ok? I've got another customer, so you guys just settle this yourself. Ok?” She walked away leaving them both to fight over the muffin, which Sheridan had no qualms about taking moments later.

The Book Café’s faded into the cool foyer of the old stone church, candles causing shadows to dance on the walls of the old building. In one corner, Luis knelt at the statue of the Immaculate Heart, tears in his eyes. He closed his eyes, bowing his head in prayer. “Dear Lord, I'll never ask anything of you again. Just bring Sheridan back. Don't take her away from me. I'll do anything; just let us live our lives together. Let us be happy, let us grow old together,” he pleaded.

She walked up behind him, her hand clinging to the table of candles to aid her in keeping her balance. Standing made her dizzy, but being so close to him made her heart swell with love. So much wasted time and they had nearly missed their chance at this love. Weakly she took a step forward and whispered, “Luis.”

He stood, turning towards her with eyes wide. Disbelief shown in his sparkling brown orbs and he seemed near tears. A single step closer was all he could handle, afraid that she might disappear into thin air. “Sheridan is-is that really you?” he asked, hardly able to hope that his prayer would be answered so soon.

She nodded mutely and he pulled her into his arms, clutching her body to his. She felt at home there in the warmth of his embrace and suddenly, she too felt like crying.

“It’s you. You’re with me!”

His joy was contagious and she laughed slightly, shaking her head in agreement. “I’m here with you,” she replied.

“Don’t you ever leave me,” he demanded, still holding her against him.

“Never again,” she promised.

Drawing back he looked into her twinkling blue eyes and caressed her cheek slightly. She waited expectantly for what would come next and his face took on a serious look. “I love you.”

A single tear rolled down her cheek, but she was smiling. Overwhelmed by a sense of total and complete peace, Sheridan begged, “Say it again, please, say it again.”

“I love you,” he easily resounded. “I love you with all my heart and soul and always will.”

His vow was like music to her ears as another tear escaped and she responded, “I love you so much!”

And in the middle of the church, they kissed to seal their promise to each other.

Groggily, Sheridan opened her eyes and released a small groan, alerting anyone nearby that she was awake. Through blurry vision, she looked around and tried to place her exact location. She definitely wasn’t at the cottage and she certainly wasn’t at her new home. A beep from a monitor beside her made her jump slightly and she realized exactly where she was: the hospital. Sitting up slightly, her head turned from side to side as she tried to decide what was wrong with her and why she was here. Closing her eyes for a second, she tried to remember what had happened that day. Slowly her memory cleared and she noticed something she hadn’t before. Not only did she remember what happened that day, but she remembered each and every moment of her previously forgotten life.

Funny how memories flooded in at the oddest of times.

Opening her eyes again, she met the blue-green eyes of a man she had come to distrust and even hate. Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald sat beside her bed, his expectant eyes watching her every move. He smiled slightly, as if hiding something from her, and she wondered why Antonio was here and not Luis. She thought back to the accident at the restaurant and wondered if everything was all right with her baby, but she also wondered more. Now she needed to select the exact thing she wanted to know first. Squinting against the bright light of the windows behind him, she looked Antonio over before asking, “Where is Luis?”

Antonio sighed, hurt over her decision to call on his brother when he was already there for her. He shrugged, leading her to believe that he had no idea where his little brother was. “I couldn’t get him on his cell and they said he was out of the office. I left messages on his voicemail and with the guys at the station,” he easily lied. “Sorry.”

Sheridan’s eyes flashed angrily at the thought of Luis not rushing to her side when something went wrong. Part of her, however, wondered just what Antonio was hiding. “And the baby?” she asked, placing a flattened palm against her stomach.

Antonio wondered how much of this was his place to say. Technically, he had been the baby’s father and he was the one that had brought her to the hospital when she collapsed. He easily could tell her what happened to their child but he wasn’t sure he wanted to be the one to tell her that she had miscarried. “I don’t think it’s my job to tell you, Sheridan. I could go get Eve.”

“But you already know, don’t you?” Sheridan questioned, looking at Antonio. “You know that something happened to the baby, I can tell by your hesitation.”

“I’m not a doctor,” he replied.

“Thank God,” she grumbled, folding her arms against her chest and resting back. “Just tell me, is everything all right with the baby?”

Well, everything was all right in one way, he supposed, considering the fact that the baby was in a “better place” according to any religious person you spoke to. Medically, of course, there wasn’t any baby. He shook his head. Since when was he one to get into a theological debate over a baby being a baby and being all right? “Sher…”

“Spare me,” she raised her hand. “Mother’s can tell, Antonio. There isn’t a baby, is there? I lost it, didn’t I?”

“You suffered a miscarriage,” Antonio agreed. “But I don’t know if I would allow you to take the blame for losing a child. It isn’t your fault.”

“Luis warned me I was working too hard,” she whispered, again placing her hands against her stomach. “He’ll be so disappointed. We had so many plans for the baby.”

“I bet,” Antonio mumbled bitterly.

“I just can’t believe that Luis isn’t here for me. I would have thought he’d want to be here for me even if the baby wasn’t biologically his,” her eyes teared as she thought about losing her child and not even having her fiancée there for her. What kind of horrible man wouldn’t be there to support the women he loved? ‘One that didn’t want the baby to being with,’ something inside her replied and she knew that voice was right. Luis hadn’t wanted to be the father to his niece or nephew; he had made that abundantly clear. He was probably out, secretly celebrating the fact that he wouldn’t have to go broke raising his brother’s bastard child and that now all they would have was his baby and no one else’s.

That angered Sheridan.

“I can try him again,” Antonio offered, knowing damn well he had no intention of calling his little brother’s attention to Sheridan’s mishap. This was his last chance to get Sheridan back in his life now that she had lost the baby. “But I do know that Beth had a sonogram today. He could be with her…”

“Shut up,” Sheridan growled angrily. “If you are going to cause problems, Antonio, feel free to leave!”

“I’m not trying to cause problems,” Antonio swore, moving closer to the bed. “I love you, Sheridan, you know that. I would never do anything in the world that would hurt you, not even try to come between you and my brother. Believe me, I’ve learned my lesson.”

She rolled her eyes. It would be a cold day in hell before she believed that one. “I want to go home,” she sat up further, dropping her legs over the edge of the bed. She was a little stiff in her movements, but fine nonetheless. She looked down at her bare legs and noticed that she was wearing a hospital gown. “Where are my clothes?”

“Eve asked her daughter to wash them for you, Sheridan. They were covered in blood from the miscarriage and she didn’t think that it would be a good idea to hand them back to you in the state they were in.”

Her eyes teared, thinking about her lost child. She refused to cry in front of Antonio, not wanting his arms to be the ones that comforted her. Still, her heart stiffened in pain and she gasped, trying to make it go away. “My baby,” she whispered, crystal tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. “I lost my baby,” she crumbled, covering her face with her hands.

Antonio rushed to her side, taking her into his arms and holding her close. “Oh Sheridan,” he rocked her gently, rubbing her back. “It’s all right. Let it out.”

“He wasn’t there!” she slammed a balled fist into Antonio’s chest, causing him to flinch in pain. “I couldn’t save my baby and he wasn’t even around when I needed him! Where the hell is my loving fiancé now? Probably with that slut,” she growled, still crying in her angered rage. “Oh God,” she sobbed.

Antonio just held her, relishing in the feel of her in his arms. Luis had blown it this time and didn’t even know it yet. While he was out with Beth, bonding over their child that lay protected in her womb, Sheridan was suffering the greatest pain on earth. She lost her precious baby and no one could comfort her now, only him.

“I loved my baby, Antonio. I wanted my baby,” she whispered painfully into his chest, her tears wetting his shirt. “I bet she would have been so beautiful and Luis would have made such a wonderful father.”

Antonio tensed. His brother was still her first concern! “The baby would have looked just like you, I’m sure,” Antonio murmured into her hair. “I was looking forward to seeing her birth,” he told her, stepping back slightly and looking into her red-rimmed eyes. “Our baby would have been perfect, Sheridan. Just like you.”

“I lost our baby,” she looked away from him. For once she realized that the loss was not just hers; it was theirs. The baby had been Antonio’s too and despite the fact that she tried to keep their child from him merely so she could be happy with Luis: Sheridan’s loss was his as well. “I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing and I mean nothing you are to feel sorry for, Sheridan. You couldn’t control what nature had planned,” he kissed her head, feeling nothing at all for the child. He would have thought losing his first child with the woman he loved would have pained him some, but it didn’t. Perhaps had he been with Sheridan during the last few weeks he would have felt closer to the child she had been carrying. “I’ll help you through this.”

Sheridan’s eyes met his and she sniffled. “I just want to go home.”

He nodded. “Then I’ll go find Eve and get you released. I’ll take you home.”

Sheridan sat on the couch, looking at the box of baby items she and Luis had recently purchased for the new nursery. With two babies coming, they had designed two separate nurseries that were good for either sex: a little pale green room covered in nursery rhymes and, her favorite, a light yellow room covered in angels. That was going to be the room for her baby, the little angel she expected to have. Sheridan had been almost positive the baby was going to have a girl. She didn’t know why, but deep down inside she planned on having a daughter and she thought the angel room was perfect for one.

Sighing, she placed her hand on her flattened stomach and closed her eyes, listening to Antonio going through the kitchen in attempt to make some tea. He had refused to leave her, despite her insistence that she wanted to be alone. As much as his presence annoyed her, it also brought an odd sense of comfort to her to be with someone that cared about her baby too. It meant that she wasn’t going through this alone; that the father of the child was suffering too and wanted to be sure she had the support she needed. It could only be better if it came from a different man: the one she loved.

She couldn’t believe that Luis could be so callous that the news of her miscarriage wasn’t enough to upset his day and send him running to her. Sure, there were more important things in life than broken nails or dishes, but a miscarriage was a major turning point in a couple’s life and he had shrugged it off and continued on with his routine. Her stomach started to knot at the thought that he wasn’t there for her but had spent the day with Beth. She didn’t want to believe the worse about her fiancé, but at the moment it was hard thinking the best.

The front door opened behind her and she spun on the couch, watching as Luis with a single rose in his hand entered the house. Her eyes flashed angrily as she thought of how stupid he must have thought her. How could he believe that a rose would atone for the fact that he had blatantly ignored her in her time of need? He had to be completely and totally stupid to think a rose would ease the tension between them.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he smiled, catching her looking at him. One look into her eyes and Luis knew that something was wrong and halted, trying to decide what he could have done this time. Then again, there were times he hadn’t done anything besides be male. Pregnancy hormones had a really horrible tendency to take no male prisoners.

“Don’t hey sweetheart me,” she growled, getting up and taking her defensive position: arms crossed over her chest. “Where have you been all day, Luis?”

“Work?” he guessed, trying to decide just what could have set her off. “Sheridan, I told you I was working today.”

“Right and that’s why you weren’t there when I needed you,” she huffed, eyes shooting daggers at him. “I needed you today Luis and no one could get a hold of you! Why didn’t you answer your cell phone?”

“I would have if it rang, Sher, but it didn’t. I had it on all day and I didn’t get a single call! Besides, I was at the station. If whatever happened was so important why didn’t you try me there?”

“They said you were out. Convenient, no?” she scowled. “Where were you?”

“Sheridan, let me try this again, ok? I was at work!” he sighed, trying to control his anger but failing miserably. “I wasn’t out of the office for more than a half hour all day!”

“Don’t lie to me!” she screamed. “You weren’t there, Luis! You weren’t there when we tried to get a hold of you from the hospital.”

“Hospital? What? Sher, why were you at the hospital?” his tone changed and he neared her slowly. His concern got the better of him and his eyes softened. “Sheridan?”

Whatever resolve she had cracked and she sank onto the couch, grabbing one of the baby bibs on her way down. How could she voice what happened to her today? How could she possibly let him know that the moment she realized she lost her baby was the moment her heart shattered into a million irreparable pieces? Lowering her head into her hands, she started crying again. “I lost the baby, Luis,” she sobbed. “I was at the hospital because I had a miscarriage.”

The rose fell to the floor, slipping free from Luis’ lax hand. His body stood frozen and he looked at her, his mind unable to comprehend what she was saying for a moment. Miscarriage? Lost the baby? Antonio’s baby was gone? And all at once it clicked and his eyes widened. Sheridan was no longer pregnant with his brother’s baby. The slate was clean and they could live their lives without his brother ever having the chance to interfere. He wouldn’t be raising another man’s child as his own. Luis would never be the Uncle to Sheridan’s baby. “Miscarried?” he whispered.

“Yes, miscarried!” Sheridan shouted, tears still rolling down her cheeks. “Is that so hard for you to understand, Luis? I lost my baby!”

“Our baby,” Luis corrected, reminding her that the child had been theirs as agreed. “I loved that child.”

“You’re full of it!” she glared at him. “You didn’t love that baby, Luis! You didn’t even want it! I bet deep down inside you’re happy I lost my baby! I bet you wanted me to lose it, prayed for it even! You’re scum! I lost my baby and you weren’t even there to offer any form of support!”

“I didn’t know!” he yelled, closing the space between them and standing over her. “And get off your high horse, Sheridan Crane! I may not have been that baby’s father and I may have had my issues, but I never would have wished this kind of pain on your! I never would have wished that the baby died!”

“Liar! Every word out of your mouth is a lie!”

He grabbed her, pulling her into his arms. “I love you and I would never want anything to hurt you! I may hate my brother and God help me I may have wished that you never would have gotten pregnant, but I never and I mean never would have wished your baby harm at the price of your happiness!”

She struggled in his arms. “Let me go! You’re a lying son of a bitch!” she cried, her energy burning up and her anger starting to dissipate. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I hate you,” she sobbed. “Why are you doing this to me?”

He cupped her cheek. “I’m not doing anything to you, Sheridan. I love you.”

“If you loved me, Luis, you would have been at the hospital when Antonio called,” she told him softly. “Instead, you were with Beth, weren’t you?”

“Beth had an appointment, Sheridan, but I never got that phone call,” he insisted, releasing her. She fell back on the couch as he grabbed his cell and thrust it at her. “If you don’t believe me, look at my cell phone, Sheridan. Check the list of calls I got today!”

She took the phone, flipping through his received calls and finding only ones from the day before. “You could have deleted it.”

“Why would I have? Why would I hand you the phone as evidence if I purposely sabotaged the chance of your finding any? I had no reason to believe you would think the worst of me! If I were going to ignore a phone call I would have deleted all of them and not just the one call, Sher! Go on! Call the station, I bet they didn’t get a phone call about you either!”

She looked at him, confused by his willingness to offer evidence. “But if you didn’t get the call, why did Antonio tell me he called you?”

Luis rolled his eyes. “I wonder.”

“Sheridan, I put that tea o…oh, hey, Luis,” Antonio entered the living room, stopping in the doorway and looking completely uneasy. Whatever was going on had to involve him and he was sure that by now Luis and Sheridan had figured out that he had never made those calls today. “Didn’t hear you come in.”

“I bet,” Luis’ hands balled into fists. “So what is this my fiancée says about your calling me for something important, Tony?” he started moving closer to his older brother looking menacing as ever.

“I called you, Luis, I swear!” Antonio replied, looking him in his eyes. “They said that you weren’t at the station and I tried your cell but I got your voicemail! I left a message that I was at the hospital with Sheridan.”

“Nice try!” Luis moved a step closer. “But Sheridan and I know the truth already, Antonio! We know that you never made those calls!” he pinned his brother against the wall. “And I know that you are trying to ruin my relationship with the woman I love! I should kick your sorry ass!”

“Oh no,” Sheridan rushed over to them, stepping in between Luis and Antonio. “This is my honor,” she pulled her arm back and punched him hard. “That is for lying to me!” She hit him again. “That is for making me trust you!” One last time she swung, this time hitting him in the eye with her ring, “And that is for making me lose trust in the one person that ever really meant anything to me! Get out of my house and out of my life, Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald, and don’t even think about even looking at me ever again!”

“You heard her,” Luis tried not to laugh at the sorry excuse for a man before him. Antonio was cowering away from Sheridan and clutching his eye. “Get out.”

And he did. Without so much as a word, Antonio left their house and never looked back.

Silence fell over the room for a few seconds as the duo tried to calm their erratic breathing and raging emotions. Sheridan’s hand throbbed from hitting her ex-boyfriend in the face and she shook it. “Ow,” she whimpered as the throbbing pain filled her consciousness.

“We should ice that,” Luis said, barely looking at her as he pushed her towards the kitchen. “Sit, I’ll get the ice.”

She nodded mutely, sitting at the oak kitchen table and resting her aching hand atop the polished wood. “Luis?”

“Yea?” he asked, fishing some ice out of the maker and putting it in a Tupperware bowl.

“I’m sorry I believed him and took this out on you. I was so hurt thinking that you could possibly have hated my baby so much that you ignored me in my time of need. You have to understand what I felt, Luis. I was so numb from losing the baby that the thought you had abandoned me too was too much to bear. Can you ever forgive me?”

He sighed, putting the bowl on the table and gently putting her hand inside it. She flinched but didn’t pull her hand away as he iced her hand gently. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was angry that you trusted him over me, Sher. If you really loved and trusted me you would have known that I would have given anything to be at your side. Yes, I was with Beth for her sonogram, Sheridan, but I wouldn’t have stayed with her when you needed me. I can forgive you, Sheridan. I do forgive you, but you have to learn to trust me! Maybe it’s the amnesia though, so I guess it’s not all you.”

Sheridan chewed on her bottom lip nervously, looking away. She realized she hadn’t told him yet. “It’s not the amnesia; my memory returned while I was asleep at the hospital. It’s entirely me. I’m sorry, Luis,” she whispered teary eyed. “I just felt as if you were so happy my baby was gone that you were relishing the time you could have with yours.”

He shook his head, unable to comprehend the fact that Sheridan could possibly believe the worst about him with all the memories they had made. “There is no mine or yours, Sheridan. They were our babies and this is our house and our life. Don’t you understand that, sweetheart? Don’t you know that I want to blend our lives together perfectly?”

“How can we, Luis?” she asked sadly. “How can we say they were ours when we both know the truth. Sure, we might have put up a good front when it came to the babies, but in our hearts neither one of us sees the other as theirs. Now your little problem is gone, but mine isn’t. Beth still has her baby.”

“What are you saying, Sheridan?” Luis questioned.

She took a deep breath. “I’m saying,” she hesitated a moment, eyes glazed with tears. “I’m sorry, Luis, but I can’t be the mother to that baby anymore. I don’t want to raise Beth’s child.”