Marrying Kate Read Online Free PDF Page A

sweetie, come for a cuddle." Kate lifted the little girl onto her lap and pulled a bottle from the diaper bag. Within seconds Dani cuddled contentedly against her breast, sucking furiously on the bottle. It was her nap time and Kate knew she’d drift off to sleep before too long.
    Kate glanced up to see both men staring at her and felt the heat rise in her cheeks. "Sorry for the interruption. She’ll be asleep in a few minutes."
    Marcus cleared his throat. "As, uh, I was saying, if you would consider marriage, I believe it would greatly improve your chances of keeping the children."
    "Okay, for the kids, I’ll do anything, include getting married. But who on earth should I ask?"
    Kate was looking at Marcus and saw his gaze slide her way. A look of embarrassment crossed his face and then one of pity. Kate kept her chin up and willed herself not to look away. She had her pride, and she certainly didn’t want Jared to be forced to consider her.
    Jared must have followed Marcus’ gaze as well because when Marcus looked away, Kate realized Jared was staring at her.
    "Kate?" Uncertainty rang in his voice.
    "I think she’s the best solution," Marcus said. "She’s been with the kids for six months now. She’s done her best to keep the family together with no help from anyone else."
    "But what about her job? Surely she must have to go back to her job."
    Marcus looked confused. "But I thought she lost her job. At our last meeting she said her employer had fired her."
    "Excuse me, but I am present in the room. Am I not permitted to speak for myself?" Kate asked, not bothering to hide the edge of irritation in her tone.
    Both of them had the grace to look apologetic.
    "Go ahead," Jared said with a nod.
    "Yes, it’s true I no longer have a job , but I’m sure I’ll have no problem finding another one."
    "But you wouldn’t have to if we got married. Unless you wanted to go back to work," Jared quickly added. "Don’t you see? The best solution would be if you married me."
    "Perhaps you’d best look around first. I’d hate to have you settle for me when the next Jennifer might be waiting right around the corner. Why I could introduce you to several single women in the church who would no doubt fit the bill." Kate felt her anger building, fueled by an aching heart. "Why should you have to settle for plain old me who can’t cook, hates housework and doesn’t have a domestic talent of any sort? Surely the woman you marry should have at least one of the qualities you seek. I’m afraid I don’t qualify on any account."
    Kate stumbled to a stop as she realized what she was saying. Waves of emotions were battering her defenses and she feared she was going to burst into tears on the spot. Clutching Dani, she grabbed the diaper bag and fled the room. She paused only long enough to ask the secretary for directions to the washroom.
    Once inside, Kate leaned back against the door, her whole body trembling. She took a couple of deep breaths and then looked around the room. There was a nice sitting area off to the side and with relief she slumped down on the couch. Dani continued to slumber on, oblivious to the pain her aunt was in. The bottle was gone , and Kate realized with dismay that it must have fallen in the office when she made her escape. There was no way she was going back to get it.
    She needed to pull herself together. To gather the ragged remnants of her dignity and pride and accept the inevitable. She would marry Jared because neither of them had a choice. There was no one else to marry him. No one else who could claim to love the children as she did. No one else the children needed as much as they needed her.
    Kate just wished that she had been the first person to pop into Jared’s mind when Marcus mentioned marriage, not the last.
    Jared paced the foyer area in front of the secretary’s desk waiting for Kate, a baby bottle clutched tightly in his fist. The secretary had assured him that Kate would have to walk past her