He simply stared at her as understanding flooded through his mind. Evelyn knew. No hiding a three- month pregnancy from Evelyn. She'd known about Lara's pregnancy. Probably remembered his reaction to that piece of news, too, letting Ric know immediately so his old friend understood Lara's position and could act on it if he wanted to.
Evelyn would have advised Megan that Johnny had to be told. But what did Megan want of him?
That was the big question.
Though instantly overriding it was what he wanted. Megan was pregnant with his child.
There was no question about what should be done. 'We get married,' he said, pushing off the desk to stand
tall and determined against any opposition she threw at him.
'Married,' she repeated, as though she couldn't believe he had made that leap.
'I think Mitch told me it can't be done under a month. We can fly to Bourke tomorrow, sign whatever papers have to be signed for legal notice…'
'Johnny, people don't get married over a pregnancy anymore,' she cried, her arms unfolding, hands flapping in agitation. 'Especially when…'
'It was just a night of sex?' he finished for her, all his doubts about Megan's motivation for that night crowding into his mind.
He watched her flounder, so many emotions flitting across her face, it was impossible to decipher what she was thinking. Johnny decided it didn't matter. The only important end to this conversation was to give the child she was carrying—his child—the kind of security every child deserved to have.
'Look!' she finally pleaded. 'I did something stupid… wilful…'
'We're all guilty of rash acts from time to time, Megan,' he said sympathetically.
'I'm responsible for the consequences, not you, Johnny,' she shot back at him.
'That's beside the point. Whether planned or not, I'm the father of this child,' he stated simply.
'It doesn't mean you have to marry me.' Wild pride in her eyes.
'Do you have a problem with being my wife?' No answer.
Anguished uncertainty in her eyes.
The sex between them had been good, Johnny argued to himself. She couldn't deny that. And he was co-owner of Gundamurra. Difficult for her to marry some outsider when she had a child by the man who would continue to share her home.
'I'm here, Megan,' he pressed. 'You can't send me away.
I'm not going away. Why not accept—'
'But you will go away,' she broke in vehemently. 'You always do. Career opportunities will come up…'
'I don't have to take them. I can afford to retire from the whole entertainment circus right now.'
'You won't want to. Not in the long run.'
'Don't tell me what I want, Megan. More than anything I want to be a good father.'
'You don't have to be married to fulfil that role, Johnny.' 'You'd prefer us to be single parents?' His mind buzzed around what advantage Megan might see in that situation and zeroed in on the worst possible scenario. Connected to her insistent belief that he would go away… 'If I have to fight you for custody rights, I will,' he fired at her in grim challenge. 'Just because you're the mother doesn't make you the arbiter of what's best for our child.'
She looked appalled. 'You wouldn't drag him—her— around the world with you.'
'Why not? Gundamurra might be the centre of your universe, but would a fair judge rule that a child can't experience anything else? If you don't want to be my wife and work at being a harmonious couple…'
'A good father would want a stable life for his child,' she fiercely argued.
'Yes. And also want the child to feel loved by both parents. Not one cutting out the other. Was that what you intended to do with me, Megan? Cut me out?'
'No!' She paced around, pumped up with too much turbulent energy to remain still, though her arms folded across her chest again, projecting a need for self- containment, excluding him by action if not by word.
Johnny kept his distance, watching her deal with the pressure he had mounted for the outcome he wanted. Anger was still burning through him. If she had imagined he'd just waltz off about his business and leave her to bring up their child any way she wanted, she could certainly dismiss that idea right now.
She paused, shooting him a measuring look. 'You said Gundamurra was home to you. I want it to be home to our child, too.'
'So why not make us a family, Megan? What objection do you have to marrying me?'
'If I marry you…will you leave our son or daughter here with me when you take on career commitments overseas?'
Johnny knew that being a hands-on father would always come first with him. However, his career was clearly a big stumbling block to Megan, had been for a long time and still was, though he'd thought he'd answered the prejudices she'd held about it. The arrangement she wanted to put into place seemed very one-sided to him, and certainly not to his liking.
'Should I take on work that requires me to be elsewhere, I would want my family to go with me.'
'No!' Scarlet pride in her cheeks. 'I will not compete with…' Her mouth clamped shut, but her eyes held a violent storm of feeling.
'Compete with what?' he probed.
'The women in your world,' she flung at him, hating having to say it yet unable to hold it in.
He shook his head. The absurdity was…she was the only woman he wanted. Nevertheless, the realisation finally dawned that Megan was consumed by an intense sense of vulnerability, fighting him to keep herself and their child on the only secure ground she knew.
'There is no competition,' he said gently, wanting to erase her fears.
Rank disbelief stared back at him.
It propelled him forward, his hands spread in an openly inviting gesture. 'You can trust me, Megan. As my wife, you'll have my absolute commitment and loyalty.'
Still the rigid stance, arms folded in stubborn resistance, but there was a wavering in her eyes, perhaps a wanting to believe that couldn't quite be suppressed.
He curved his hands over the tense muscles of her shoulders. 'I promise you Gundamurra will always be our home, the big constant in our lives. But if I ask you to leave it sometimes, to share something else with me for a while, aren't you brave enough to try that, Megan?'
'This is my life, Johnny. You can't expect me to leave it. I don't want to be a fish out of water. I'd hate it.'
His hands instinctively slid up to cup her face, forcing her gaze to hold his while he pushed for a resolution. 'This is fear talking, Megan. And what we need here is a leap of faith. The reality is we're going to have a child. We should live together as a family. And marriage is about giving to each other, not laying down conditions that will limit—if not wreck—the relationship we should have as husband and wife. I'm not even asking you to meet me halfway. Just give a little. At least…give it a chance.'
He dropped his hands and backed off. 'Think about it. My position is not going to change. Either we get married and we both try to make it work as best we can…or I'll fight you for my fair share of fatherhood. I won't be kept dangling on this, Megan. You have until tomorrow morning to decide.'
Johnny left the ultimatum hanging and walked to the door. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing more to discuss. Whichever way Megan chose, his own course was clear. His child was going to have the kind of father he would have wanted himself—a father like Patrick—always there for him. Or her. If Megan didn't ever come to love him, at least their child would. No way was he going to miss out on that!
'Wait!'
His hand was already on the doorknob when her call whipped through the tense silence, halting his exit. Johnny gritted his teeth and half-turned, conceding a few more moments but not prepared to enter into further argument.
She'd dropped the folded arm posture and her hands were now fretting at each other, revealing how very nervous she was. Her eyes held a fearful pleading that he found painful. He'd never done anything to hurt her. Never would. Her throat moved in a convulsive swallow, as though her thoughts sickened her.
'Dammit, Megan!' he muttered fiercely. 'Can't you see…?'
'I'll give it a chance.' 'Give what a chance?' 'I'll marry you.'