Her face flushed red and her pulse thundered in her head. She had nothing left to go back to, her old life was in tatters thanks to Gianni. Her mom’s jewelry was the only thing of value she had to sell. With it gone, she was in trouble.
Gemma scanned the room. Her breath came out in a loud whoosh as she spotted her coat hanging on the back of a chair. Taking a couple of faltering steps forward, she walked to the chair and lifted up the coat, relieved to feel the weight of the jewelry in the pocket. Although, Simon might still know it was there. She’d hidden it in the seam of the pocket while Simon cooked her eggs, but anyone lifting the coat would feel its weight.
What was done was done. Simon had told her she could trust him, so perhaps she should test that out by asking him what the necklace was worth.
If it was enough, she would sell it and keep the earrings.
If not, then both items had to go.
As she waddled back across the room with the necklace and earrings in her hand, she reached for the robe on the back of the door and put it on. Slipping the jewelry into the pocket of the robe, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The toll of the last couple of months had caught up with her and she looked so much older and so tired.
This was not the life she wanted for her unborn child. This was not the mother she wanted to be.
With a need to set things straight and sort out her life, she opened the door and went out into the hallway. Simon’s house was impressive. Not as impressive as Gianni’s mansion, but this house felt more like a home. The winter sunshine streaming in from the windows gave the house warmth, even as the view outside spoke of ice and the threat of snow hung over the mountains in the distance.
Gemma stopped and admired the view. Arriving in the dark yesterday, she hadn’t seen Bear Creek and the mountains surrounding the town. But from her vantage point on the first floor of Simon’s house, which sat in a slightly elevated position on the edge of town, she could truly appreciate the wonder and beauty of the place her father had called home.
Had he walked those mountains? Had he climbed those peaks? She wished she could find out everything about him.
“I thought I heard you stirring.” Simon’s strong yet gentle voice bright her back to the house where she might happily raise her child if she could get Gianni off her trail.
“My baby needs feeding,” she said, affectionately rubbing her belly.
Simon cracked a genuine smile, his crinkly eyes lighting up as he held out his arm for her. “Then let’s go find some food.”
Gemma lifted her head and inhaled deeply. “I can smell something cooking.”
“I’ve been busy,” he admitted. “I have pancakes warming and I also have bacon and eggs sizzling in a pan. There’s also toast if you need something a little plainer.”
“Oh, no, pancakes sound amazing.” She stepped forward and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, then he kissed the top of her head. For a moment she tensed, the sign of affection alien to her. Even when she was dating Gianni, he’d never shown her affection like this. They slept together, obviously, but it had been more of a lust-based relationship rather than anything deeper.
But Simon wanted more. Expected more. Could she give him what he wanted?
There was only one way to know. Gemma had to abandon her fears, let down her barriers and trust him. Whatever happened, he was part of her life.
Yet the need to protect him, to keep him away from the damage Gianni might do to him, was overwhelming. She wanted to protect Simon in the same way she wanted to protect her child.
Was that the answer? Should she leave the child here with Simon and move on, turning Gianni’s attention in another direction?
The thought made a lump form in her throat and her stomach clenched as if she were about to be sick. That was never going to happen. She had fought to stay one step ahead of Gianni, so she could give birth and raise her child. If she left, Gianni would win.
“Hey, you look sad.” Simon’s intense gaze rested on her face.
“I’m okay. Still a little tired,” she admitted.
“Which is why I’m going to take you to the hospital later to have the tests Kit recommended.” He waited for her to argue with him, but she didn’t have the energy or the conviction.
“You’re right.” She nodded once and slid away from him to sit in a seat at the kitchen table, while Simon went around to the large range oven and scooped up fresh pancakes which he set down on the table in front of her.
“Help yourself to syrup.” He indicated the bottles on the table and turned his back on her while he finished cooking the bacon and eggs.
“I think I’ve died and gone to breakfast heaven.” Gemma forked the pancakes, which she’d smothered in maple syrup, into her mouth.
“I’m very domesticated,” he admitted.
“I wish I was. If you’re after a woman who can cook, you’re going to be disappointed.” She closed her eyes in ecstasy as the soft, light pancakes seemed to dissolve in her mouth.
“There is nothing about you that can disappoint me.” Simon set two plates down on the table and then dished up the bacon and eggs along with toast and fresh berries and sliced melon.
“What’s it like?” she asked. “You know, to believe in this invisible force that dictates who you are going to fall in love with?”
Simon sat down across the table to her and thought for a moment. “For the last thirty or more years, it’s been frustrating. When I was a kid growing up, I always assumed I’d meet my mate in my twenties and get married, settle down with a couple of kids…”
“But it never worked out that way.” She nodded and finished up her pancakes before tackling her plate of hot food.
“The more years passed, the more of my friends found their perfect mate and started a family, the more I felt cheated.” He ate his food and thought some more. “It’s lonely. I gave up dating because I knew the people I went out with were just passing through my life.”
“And now you’re happy to accept that you have a pregnant mate? I don’t suppose I’m exactly the picture-perfect mate you expected, am I?” Gemma asked, her stomach feeling full already.
“You are pretty perfect to me,” he replied with a twinkle in his eye. Then he sobered. “I meant what I said about being the father your child deserves.”
“You don’t know me. You don’t know the real father of my child…” Her voice caught in her throat.
“I don’t care… Okay, I do care, because I get the feeling the father is the reason you are on the run…”
Gemma opened her mouth to protest, but then decided it was only fair that Simon knew just what he was getting into if he decided to stay with her. “Our relationship was over when I found out I was pregnant. I tried to tell him, but he’d moved on and didn’t want to see me.”
“But then he found out about your pregnancy?”
“Yes. I’m not sure how. I was six months pregnant, happy in my life and my decision to raise a child alone, when it suddenly all fell apart. I lost my job, my car got broken into, lots of little things kept going wrong. It all happened over a period of a couple of weeks, I thought I just hit a run of bad luck. Then my bank accounts got frozen. I defaulted on some payments and before I had a chance to work it all out, I had a threatening text telling me if I wanted my life back, I would have to give up my baby.”
“And you’re sure it was the baby’s father?” Simon asked.
“The message said my baby would be better off with its father.”
“And who is he? The man who is doing this to you.” Simon’s eyes flashed with anger.
“You don’t need to know who he is.” Gemma wasn’t sure if Simon might fly out the door and hunt Gianni down as soon as he knew his name.
“Yes, I do.” Simon reached out and took hold of her hand. “If anything happens to you, I want to know all the facts. I’m a little past my hothead days, I’m not going to hunt him down. I’m old enough to know if I acted out of line, I could lose you
. And I want to be there to protect you every day.”
“Gianni Virto. He’s from a rich Italian family.” Gemma had been swept away by his accent and good looks. She knew it was a brief fling. His family wanted him to settle down and get married, but Gianni didn’t seem to be the settling down type. “I’m not sure if he was a shifter.” Her eyes flew open wide and she sat up straight in her chair. “That would explain why he wants my child, wouldn’t it?”
“I’m not sure. He could simply want an heir.” Simon studied her for a moment. “Is there any reason other than his behavior over the baby that makes you think he might be a shifter?”
“That might be why he never committed to anyone. He had a reputation, I knew I was a brief affair that would soon be forgotten.” Her voice faltered. “That makes me sound like a loose woman.”
“I think I can understand the need for company and companionship.” He gave a wry smile. “And sex.”
“We all have needs.” Gemma looked down at her empty plate.
“Coffee?” Simon asked and rose from the table to fetch the coffee pot.
“One cup would be heavenly.” She waited for him to pour the coffee and then clear the plates from the table before he sat down again. “Do you think it’s possible that he wants this baby because he’s a shifter and he wants his own flesh and blood?”
“It is possible.” Simon sipped his coffee. “As a shifter, the need to have and protect your family is the most important thing in the world. It’s possible that he wants this child in his life...”
“But he doesn’t want me because he hopes to meet his mate.” Gemma smelled the rich aroma of the coffee. She wanted to savor every part of it since she was rationing herself to one cup a day.
“You would be an inconvenience, I suppose.” Simon smiled apologetically. “Not to me. But to some shifters.”
“And this child isn’t an inconvenience to you?” Gemma asked, wanting him to confirm this.
“No. Never. The child is part of you. Which makes him, or her, part of us.” He took hold of her hand once more and kissed the back of it.
“You know, when all the crap started to happen, I thought I was the unluckiest person alive.” She leaned forward, or as far forward as she could before her baby got in the way. Reaching out, she stroked his cheek, feeling his skin, the cracks and wrinkles of a life well lived. “But right now, I think I’m the luckiest woman alive.”
“And I am the luckiest man.” Simon half stood, closing the space between them and kissed her lips, sending shockwaves through her body. If only she weren’t quite so pregnant, she would drag him into bed and ask him to remove all her clothes.
But she was pregnant, and her baby was pressing on her bladder. She sighed as their kiss broke. “I need the bathroom.”
“Oh, that reminds me.” Simon got up and fetched something from the hallway. “Kit dropped this off, he said you needed to bring a urine sample to the hospital.”
Gemma cocked her head to one side and chuckled. “Wow, the perfect gift. Aren’t you a romantic?”
Then she turned around and waddled upstairs to dress after she’d relieved her poor bladder. Yep, she was more than ready to have her baby out in the world. But as the child kicked in agreement, she also knew she’d miss the feel of the life she had created.
Chapter Six – Simon
Simon cleared away the breakfast dishes while Gemma went upstairs and showered. He tried to keep his mind off her naked body covered in soap.
Tickles jumped on the chair and stared at him accusingly.
“What? I can’t help it if I have an intense need to claim my mate.”
His wolf chuckled at his human side. Why do you waste time talking to that cat? He does not understand one word you say.
That is the point, Simon said in return as he stroked Tickle’s head and scratched her behind the ears just as she liked it.
“Shall we get you some food, Tickles? I’m going to take Gemma to the hospital, and I don’t know how long we’ll be.” A surge of excitement filled him. It was ridiculous really, but he could not wait to see the child when it was born. In less than a day he had come to terms with impending fatherhood.
Simon quickly fed Tickles and cleaned the counters and the table, all the while listening as his mate moved around upstairs. Her story of Gianni Virto ruining her life made him angry, but he needed to curb his temper. A hot-headed wolf was not what she needed right now. Both mother and baby were relying on him to help them through this final stage of the pregnancy.
A shiver of excitement rushed through him. Would she let him be there for the birth? Would he watch as the baby he would raise as his own took its first breath?
“I’m ready.” Gemma appeared at the kitchen door, her bright smile fading as she took in his emotional expression. “Are you having second thoughts?”
He shook his head. “No, I was just thinking of how miraculous life is.”
She entered the kitchen looking so much better than when he’d found her in the ladies’ restroom in the museum. Her cheeks had good color and her eyes were less haunted. As she came closer, he could smell the scent of orange blossom shampoo and lavender soap. His mouth watered at the thought of kissing her fresh, clean skin.
“Love is a miraculous thing, too.” She took hold of his hands and held them in hers. “I want this baby to be loved.”
He brushed a stray strand of wet hair back from her face. “It will be loved.” As he spoke, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Simon slid his hand down to the small of her back and pulled her close. As close as he could considering how far along her pregnancy was. But this was the only time the baby would come between them. “And protected.”
“Shall we go to the hospital?” She pressed her forehead to his. “I don’t want to, I want to stay here with you and never leave. But that’s not possible.”
“No, it’s not.” He pulled away from her and took her hand. “Do you really think he can find you here?”
“So far trouble has only been one step behind me.” She pressed her lips together and her hand went to her pocket.
“Is there something more you need to tell me?” he asked gently, remembering the necklace that had fallen out of her pocket.
She sighed in resignation. “My father gave this to my mother. It’s the last thing of value I have. At least until I can get my bank accounts unfrozen. I wondered if you could value it for me? I assume that’s what you do since you are an auctioneer.”
“I do...at least I used to.” He waited for her to hand over the necklace, there was a pair of matching earrings, too. “These are exquisite.”
“I have no idea how much they are worth. My mom left them to me when she died. They have such sentimental value. But providing for the baby is more important.” She offered them to him, but he didn’t take them.
“I can value them for you. But I want you to keep them. I’ve earned enough to support us and the baby. These are yours to keep and pass down to your child.” His words might offend her. She was an independent woman who might not want to accept financial help.
“Just until I get this whole mess straightened out.” She looked down at the jewelry in her hand and then moved to put them in her coat pocket. “If you are sure.”
“Absolutely certain.” He wasn’t happy about her carrying such valuables around with her. “Why don’t we put them in my safe? I don’t feel comfortable with you carrying them around in your coat pocket like that. Not when we’re going to the hospital. Anyone might pick your coat up by mistake.”
Gemma hesitated for a moment. Then she nodded. “Good idea.”
It was a small step, but one in the right direction. She trusted him enough to give him the jewels for safe keeping.
“This way.” He took her into the hallway and opened the door leading to the cupboard under the stairs. This was where he stored his vacuum cleaner and a set of golf clubs he’d bought when he retired. They were hardly used, golf, it turned out, was not his thing.
Instead of spending his retirement hitting balls around a golf course, he’d spent the days at the animal shelter or prowling the mountains in his wolf form. “This is a state-of-the-art safe,” he assured her as he moved the golf clubs to one side and pulled up a section of the wooden floor.
She gave a small laugh as he removed the boards to reveal a small, but highly secure safe. “I thought we were just going to put these under the floorboards,” she admitted. “It’s where my mom kept them my whole life.”
Simon input the code to the keypad and turned the handle to open the safe. “She was lucky no one ever robbed you. Those jewels are worth quite a sum of money.”
“They are?” She sounded relieved. “Part of me wondered if they were fake. The only reason I wanted them valued was because I needed the money. If not, I’d happily live in ignorance and simply believe they are a family heirloom or something.”
“An heirloom. Perhaps if they belonged to your father and he lived in Bear Creek, there might be some record of them.” Simon placed the necklace and earrings in the safe and then closed it securely. “We should visit the library and the museum to see if there are any records of them. Or records of other members of your family.”
“When I decided to come here, I think it was with the hope that I might find some family. So I didn’t feel as if I was totally alone.” She stood back as he straightened up and closed the door leading to the cupboard. “But now it doesn’t matter to me so much.”
“It would be good for the baby to know if he had any other family living in Bear Creek. If your dad grew up here, it shouldn’t be too hard to trace him and his family history.” Simon turned to face Gemma. “I know you think your dad deserted you, but he might have some reason, some explanation.”
“I don’t think I’d want to hear it.” Gemma ran her hand through her silver-tinged hair. “I guess I’ve had a lot of years to think about it. First when my mom struggled to raise me alone and then after she was gone.”
“You didn’t ever try to find him when she died, to tell him?” Simon asked gently. Gemma was on an emotional knife edge and he didn’t want to drag up memories she’d buried deep inside.
The Wolf Wants a Wife (A Second Chance Christmas in Bear Creek Book 2) Page 4