Keeley's idea hung in the air for a minute while Aaron considered it.

"You know," he said finally, "Cameron actually suggested something similar. He thinks the target might be my father, not me. Since he knows about my plan and gave me something to speed it along."

"That makes perfect sense! It doesn't explain what happened in our first life, but it explains why he's kept our secret."

Aaron was a high-profile person in the city. Everyone knew his name, but not his face. News of their marriage had been a huge deal the first time around. The fact that it hadn't leaked this time probably meant Graydon Meyer had no intention of revealing it.

If Alistair Hale was his enemy, rather than Aaron's, discovering the plot to overthrow his father must have been a pleasant surprise. Helping Aaron instead of harming him would be easy if they were working against the same person.

Was this why he wasn't pursuing them this time? Did he know Aaron was working against his father from the start? But how would he know that? Aaron had been meticulous about covering his tracks.

A thought struck her. Even though it added to her worries, she was glad his first reaction upon coming home was to tell her what was happening. If he'd done this in their first life, they wouldn't have fallen apart.

Aaron trusted her. He saw her as a partner.

Keeley was reminded of her father's words on her wedding day: They needed to support each other. Being a sounding board was one way she could support him.

He was practically radiating stress. She scooted closer, put her hands on his face, and kissed him quickly. His eyes widened at this display of affection, her first since their remarriage.

"No matter what's going on, it's going to be okay," she said. "You told me the truth, so I know what to expect. I can help you if you let me. I've got your back."

Aaron nodded, pulled her onto his lap, and held her close until she felt him relax. She was his lifeline.

All those years together, and she never realized how much he relied on her mere presence. This time, she could do so much more. He didn't have to shoulder his burdens alone anymore. They were a team.

The first month and a half of their remarriage passed without incident. They didn't hear from Graydon Meyer again; Alistair still didn't know his son was married; and Keeley had completed her name change paperwork.

Her social security card, bank accounts, health insurance, and driver's license all read "Keeley Marie Hale" instead of "Keeley Marie Hall." Aaron had added her to his bank accounts and insisted she become an authorized user on all his high-spending credit cards.

She protested, saying she didn't need them, but he insisted. "What's mine is yours. If you don't feel comfortable buying whatever you want, at least use them for groceries and household purchases."

He smiled softly. "I know you're a simple person, but please feel free to do what you'd normally do without worrying about budgeting."

Keeley smiled. "So I can buy myself whatever treat I want at the movies instead of agonizing over the popcorn?"

"Exactly."

Aaron won her over. She wasn't an excessive spender. In fact, since being added to his cards, her only unnecessary purchases were constant snacks to satisfy the pregnancy cravings that finally hit.

One day, she woke up ravenous and obsessed with Cherry Garcia ice cream. She bought three containers, and it only got worse from there. Thankfully, that was her only sweet craving. Otherwise, it was pickles (endless pickles!), peanut butter, or hamburgers. She frequently stopped at the Burger Barn drive-thru on the way home from school.

Aaron was patient about her cravings. If they ran out of something, he'd get more immediately, often picking things up on his way home from work.

Keeley's stomach finally showed, doubling in size almost overnight. She wasn't eating enough to justify such a change!

She used Aaron's card to buy a maternity wardrobe from one of her usual stores. Nothing fit anymore. Now that it was cold, she wore maternity leggings and long sweaters.

Ironically, from behind, she didn't look pregnant. She hadn't gained much weight despite her growing belly. Dr. Chapman was concerned at her last visit and told her to eat more.

Aaron loved rubbing her belly and feeling the life growing inside. He'd never shown such visible excitement about anything in either of their lives. It made her smile; he was cute when he got like that.

He was cute, period. Aaron had always been attractive, but with a cold, distant handsomeness—like a disinterested model who only drew people in more.

Since he'd started smiling more, she noticed his eyes were a much brighter blue. To the casual observer, they were so dark they appeared black, but they were definitely a beautiful blue.

(Remove the NovelFire.net advertisements.)