I'd damned near told her how I felt. That I loved her. That I wanted us to be a real family together. That I'd seen more than enough, watching how she'd cared for Moki, to know what a wonderful mother she'd be. If she could only believe in herself… And if it was what she really wanted…

Thank god, I'd stopped in time. There was nothing to gain by overwhelming her now. Her body was already going through so many changes… I thought of her uneaten breakfast… how emotional she was becoming. And how passionate and demanding she was in bed…

I felt a wave of hard desire run through me and had to force it aside. It was good I hadn't told her. As much as I hoped that her feelings might change as the pregnancy progressed, I had to accept… at least for now… that she'd made herself perfectly clear. She had no desire to raise a child. And when he was born, she was still planning to leave us both behind. Nothing had changed…

I watched the clouds drift by as the chopper headed for the coast. We'd land in Jacksonville, and from there I'd take the private plane into Asheville. The finished contract Spence had faxed to me was still unsigned. But he was waiting for me at the office, along with Bill Jackson and Ed Wyler of Warner Aluminum. We would wrap up the deal in person today. I had a hundred details to take care of, but my laptop was still in my case. All I could think about was Libby.

Had I gone too far, when I'd had my lawyer look further into Libby's history? I felt a pang of guilt, but what was done, was done. The report was waiting in my desk. I only had to decide whether or not to read it. Then, whether or not to share it with Libby…

I knew what I was hoping for. And I knew the chances were slim to none that the report would hold the power to change anything… but it was a chance I had to take. Whatever it said about Libby's birth mother, I could only pray that it held the power that I did not. The power to open Libby's heart to me.

* * *

"What the fuck do you mean, they couldn't be here?

Goddamn it, Spencer." I raked my hands viciously through my hair and turned to face him. "Bad enough you faxed me a fucking contract without the goddamned signatures you promised. Now I left my wife alone on our honeymoon, for a meeting you failed to produce? Christ, Spencer," I threw the papers onto my desk. "What the fuck am I paying you for?"

Spencer stood, his face ashen. "I did my best, Jack. Honest to god. But Ed flew out of the country this morning, until the fifteenth. And Bill's daughter is in labor…" He looked up at me and I saw beads of sweat lining his upper lip. "But I got this copy signed," he pulled a folder out of his briefcase and held it out. "Both of them… this morning… It only needs yours, and it's a done deal."

I flipped it open, taking my time with every page. I put my feet up on the desk and let Spencer stand… The signatures were there, all right. At least he'd managed that.

Forty-five minutes later, I looked up and nodded. Spencer's chest heaved with relief. I didn't fucking like how this had played out, but the contract was perfect. He hadn't missed a single detail. I scratched my signature out, page by page, until it was complete.

"It's good, Spence. Damn good." I reached out to shake his hand. "I'm sorry for doubting you." I clapped a hand on his back and felt him sag, just a little.

"I did what I had to, boss. I fucking promised you, and I did everything I had to… I'd never let you down, if there was any way in hell not to."

I laughed and poured us each a drink. Though I'd have preferred handshakes to seal it, we'd made the deal, and Mason Steel would be moving forward into the future with the strength of Warner Inc. alongside it. We were both powerful as hell before. Now we'd be unstoppable. And stock sales for both companies had been soaring for the last few months. The future of our family, of my family, was safe for generations to come. It was what I'd always wanted.

Spence and I headed for the boardroom together. I'd had Veronica arrange for the catered spread. One by one the rest of the family trickled in, as their schedules allowed. By three, we were all there and the champagne was flowing.

"Shit, Jack," India refilled my glass and hers. "You know, I was never really convinced it would happen. But we're here. The whole family… all those years of work finally paying off." She lifted her glass. "To Jack. And to his new wife, Libby." Her eyes sparkled and she turned her glass toward Blake and Janet. "And to the newly engaged couple…

To Reid, who held my hand while I learned the company, and Bennett, who's been a rock for us all. And to Mom and Dad, the foundation of our family, who loved each other for the last thirty-four years and still had enough left for the rest of us…" She held her glass higher and we all did the same.

"To a bright and promising future. And to the new generations of the Mason family, soon to come."

* * *

The party continued through the afternoon. Ronni had outdone herself. There was a superb lobster frittata and bowls of Wellfleet oysters on ice. The whole family was together. It was all perfect. Except that Libby wasn't beside me.

"Jackson, honey," Mom came over to kiss my cheek. "I can't believe you came all the way back for this. And I can't tell you how proud you've made me." She gave my arm a squeeze. "But you didn't bring your brand-new bride along with you? People are gonna say I didn't raise my son right…" Her eyes were bright, teasing. "How is Libby, honey? And how are the two of you settling down into married life?"

"Libby is beautiful…," I replied. "Every day she shows me a new side of herself… She's the loveliest woman I've ever known…"

Mom reached up, her eyes wise, and smoothed my hair back. "Of course she is," she said softly. "Isn't that exactly why you married her…?"

Maybe it was the relief of having finished the deal. Maybe it was the champagne. Or maybe it was how much I was missing Libby. But I was suddenly tired of having secrets. "Mom, I… There's something I should tell you. Something about Libby and me… something that you don't know…"

She smiled the way mothers do, and touched my cheek. "I don't believe there is…

You're in love with her, aren't you Jackson?" she asked easily.

"But it's not that simple…" I started.

"You love her." Hers was a statement this time, not a question.

"I do, more than anything."

"Then there really isn't anything else that matters… now is there?"