by Cindy Kirk
“Sounds like a girl to me. Or a stubborn boy.” Marnie laughed then turned to Jace. “Are you excited about having a new little cousin?”
Silence descended over the table.
Jace cocked his head and looked at his daddy.
Beside him, Shane could feel the tension rolling off Lia’s body in waves.
“I don’t think Jace has been around many babies.” Asher placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Have you, pardner?”
The confused expression on the little boy’s face eased. “My friend Austin has a new baby brother.” Jace’s nose wrinkled. “All he does is cry.”
“Babies tend to do a lot of that,” Lia said lightly, then changed the subject. “This corn bread is delicious. My grandmother used to make hers in a skillet. This tastes so much like hers that it’s scary.”
The conversation among the women veered off in a culinary direction. Shane relaxed back in his chair and concentrated on eating his dinner.
The special tonight had been quail with sautéed kale and grilled lemons. Lia had opted for a strawberry, avocado and tofu salad, which looked surprisingly tasty. Before they’d entered the dining room, she’d told him she was going to pay her share, but he planned to make sure that didn’t happen.
Shane knew Lia didn’t have extra cash for dining out. Heck, a couple months ago she didn’t have money for eating at all. The thought of her going hungry brought an unfamiliar tightness to his chest.
In the past couple weeks she’d become important to him in a way he couldn’t possibly have foreseen.
“Wyatt tells me Jeanne Marie will be here soon,” Sarah-Jane said.
Lia looked around the table, her fork poised with a ripe strawberry halfway to her lips. “Who’s that?”
“She’s a friend of our parents,” Shane said before any of his siblings could speak. “She’s coming to Red Rock for a visit in a couple weeks.”
“I didn’t think your parents were here,” Lia said, a confused look on her face.
“They aren’t,” Wyatt explained. “But we’re hoping they’re back by the time she visits. If not, it’ll be a good chance to get better acquainted.”
“Do your parents live in Red Rock?” Sarah-Jane asked Lia, apparently realizing her gaffe and eager to change the subject.
“My parents aren’t together. I’m not sure where my father is living now. My mother is in Boston.” A shadow crossed her face. “We’re very close. I miss her a lot.”
“Have you ever thought about moving closer to her?” Marnie asked.
Shane took a sip of the pinot noir he’d ordered. What would happen if Lia moved across the country? Having her that far away might be a good thing, he told himself. If it wasn’t his baby, then where she lived shouldn’t matter at all. If the baby was his, once he obtained full custody, it might be better for him—and her—if she lived far away.
His heart quickly rejected both scenarios as unacceptable. Shane realized, despite his best intentions, he’d fallen. And fallen hard.
“Red Rock is my home,” Lia answered. “It would take a lot for me to leave.”
He glanced over at her and she smiled back at him, a smile that made her brown eyes shimmer.
“Oh, look at that darling baby,” Sarah-Jane said as a couple walked by.
She’d spoken so loudly the couple paused.
The father was holding some kind of infant carrier by its handle while his wife—or the woman Shane assumed was his wife—held the baby against her chest. It was impossibly tiny, so small he swore it would fit into a shoe box.
If the pink stretchy bow thing around her softball-size head was any indication, it was a little girl.
“What’s her name?” Marnie asked.
“Reece,” the woman said proudly. “She’s two weeks old today.”
“She’s so little.” Sarah-Jane slanted a glance in Lia’s direction. “That’s what you’ll have soon.”
The woman smiled at Lia. “When are you due?”
Lia couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the baby. “September 23.”
“Reece is so much work,” the woman confided. “But we adore her. We can’t imagine our life without her in it. I’m sure you and your husband will feel the same way.”
“Be prepared not to sleep,” the man warned Shane, whose arm rested lightly on the back of Lia’s chair.
“We didn’t want to hire a nanny,” the woman said, almost apologetically. “We wanted to do all the night feedings ourselves.”
Night feedings. Nannies. Shane’s head spun. He hadn’t really thought about Asher’s warning that having sole custody of an infant would change his life. Of course, he had the money to hire round-the-clock care. But was that fair to a baby?
After dinner, everyone headed to the parking lot except him and Lia. Since it had finally cooled down outside, she’d told him she wanted to get some walking in so they decided to take a stroll down by the golf course.
The flat shoes she wore tonight were sensible and reminded him of the ballet shoes his sister had worn when they’d all been forced to go as a family to her recitals. His dad had grumbled but he’d always made it a point to be there when his only daughter danced.
Stars dotted the clear night sky. A large moon lit their way. Lia was unusually quiet as they walked, her small hand resting in his.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been around babies,” she said softly. “You forget how tiny they are.”
“And helpless,” Shane added. He couldn’t imagine even holding anything that small.
“I want to be a good mother.” The brown eyes that met his were serious. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading on baby care. But I worry if it’s going to be enough. Am I going to know what to do? Will I be able to find good child care while I’m at work?”
Lines of worry furrowed her brow and her voice shook slightly.
Shane knew the attorney would say that he should stoke those fears and make her doubt her ability to parent. The problem was, it was his ability he was coming to doubt, not hers.
He gave her hand a squeeze. “You’ll be an excellent mother.”
And he didn’t need any P.I. to tell him so.
The lines of worry on her face eased. “Do you really think so?”
He nodded. “You’re a warm, loving woman with a good heart.”
A ghost of a smile lingered on her lips. “I love her—or him—already.”
“I know you do.”
“I do think child care might be a problem, though.”
Although Shane had no experience with it, he’d overheard two of the household staff talking about their difficulties in finding someone to watch their kids when the children were sick. “You wouldn’t want just anyone watching her.”
“That’s why my mother keeps encouraging me to move to Boston,” Lia said with a sigh. “She said if I was there, she could watch the baby while I worked.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her that a baby needs a father, too.” Lia looked up at him. “And I would never take her away from you.”
Chapter Eleven
By the time she and Shane reached her apartment, waves of exhaustion washed over Lia. She hadn’t slept well the night before and her workday had been unusually hectic.
When Shane had asked her to join him for dinner with his family, she’d taken it as a sign that perhaps he was finally ready to accept that he was the father of her baby.
Even though all she’d wanted to do was to go home and put up her feet, she’d told him yes. She had wanted to get better acquainted with his brothers. And she’d never met Sarah-Jane or Marnie.
Lia found it particularly strange that her and Sarah-Jane’s paths had never crossed before, considering they shared a love of crafts.
She’d liked them both and had appreciated the way they’d accepted her with open arms. His brothers still looked at her skeptically but at least they were civil.
There had been just one bad moment. When she’d seen the
woman with the baby and realized that she was going to have to do this all on her own. Shane had given no indication that he wanted to be intimately involved with his child’s day-to-day life, so all the care would fall on her.
She would handle it. Women did every day. It was just that she railed against the thought of her child being raised by a babysitter. She wanted to be there for her little girl. Or boy.
When they arrived at her apartment, Lia slipped the key from her pocket and opened the door. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. “How much do I owe you for dinner tonight?”
“You paid me already.”
Lia thought hard, which was especially taxing on such a tired brain. “No. I asked you how much after we finished walking, but you said we could talk about it in the car. I know for sure I never paid you.”
“You did,” he said with a slight smile. “You gave me the pleasure of your company all evening.”
Although the words touched her heart, Lia forced a laugh. “How many women have you used that line on before?”
“None.”
“Come on, be honest.”
“Seriously, none. Not one woman—before you—has ever concerned herself with paying for dinner.”
“I can see that if you’re out on a date,” Lia said slowly. “But what if you and the woman are just friends?”
“I don’t have any women friends,” Shane said.
“Yes, you do.”
Shane thought for a moment then shook his head. “No. I don’t.”
She smiled. “You have me.”
A softness stole over his masculine features. His blue eyes darkened and he took a step closer.
Her heart picked up speed. He was going to kiss her. And by the look in his eyes and the way she felt whenever he was near, she doubted it would end there.
When he lowered his lips to hers, she turned her face and his lips brushed her cheek.
“You don’t want to kiss me?” he murmured against her hair, pulling her close.
“I do,” she whispered back.
“Then why turn away?” he asked, his fingers toying with a lock of her hair.
The question had barely left his lips when the door to the apartment across the hall opened and old Mrs. Martinez stuck her head out. “I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it down out there. Some of us have to get up for work in the morning.”
“Sorry, Mrs. Martinez,” Lia said, sounding properly contrite.
But when Lia turned back to Shane once her neighbor’s door shut, her eyes were twinkling. “She had to have her ear pressed against the door to have heard us.”
“She’s probably got it pressed there now,” Shane said in a barely audible tone.
Lia couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long day, but a nice one. “Would you like to come in for a few minutes?”
She’d extended the invitation merely to be polite, but he followed her through the open door.
“If you want anything to drink, I’m afraid you’re going to have to get it yourself.” Lia sank into the well-worn cushions of the sofa and kicked off her shoes.
Shane slipped into the chair opposite her, two lines of worry between his brows. “Are you okay? Can I get you anything?”
She shook her head and smiled wearily. “I’m fine. Just tired.”
“Did you mean what you said?” he asked unexpectedly.
Lia had talked so much the entire evening she’d forgotten half of what she’d said. “Remind me.”
“About me being your friend.”
Lia nodded.
“Good,” he said. “Because I like having you as a friend.”
“I like having you as a friend, too.” A melancholy wistfulness wrapped around Lia’s heart. “If I could go back and change one thing, that’s what I’d pick.”
He looked at her quizzically.
Lia hadn’t planned to get into something so heavy this late but it had been on her mind a lot lately. “When a friendship begins, two people do things together, get to know each other’s likes and dislikes and share how they feel about important issues. A bond develops and a friendship is born. True?”
“True.”
“A relationship begins in much the same way.” Lia had given this subject much thought since New Year’s Eve, so, despite her tired brain, the words flowed easily. “Except, in a relationship, there’s an element of sexual attraction. The way I see it, ideally a couple should be friends before anything of a physical nature occurs. That didn’t happen with you and me. The attraction was there, the opportunity was there and we went for it.”
“You regret having sex with me.” It was a statement more than a question.
Lia glanced down at her slightly rounded belly, determined to be completely honest. “When you saw me in the ranch office and asked me out to dinner, I wished with all my heart it could have simply been two people who were attracted to each other going out and getting to know each other better.”
“But you were pregnant.”
“I was pregnant. The chance of us having a normal relationship...” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Well, that train has left the station.”
“I believe we can pull that train back into the station anytime we want.”
Lia looked at him. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m suggesting we start over,” he said. “This time we do it right.”
Lia twisted her lips in a wry smile. “Going back is impossible.”
He shook his head. “Think about it. Isn’t that what we’ve been doing the past couple of weeks?”
She met his gaze. “You really think it’s an option?”
He gave a decisive nod and she found his confidence contagious.
The thought of a do-over held infinite appeal. Of course, they couldn’t completely start over—some things couldn’t be undone—but the thought of getting to know Shane better, of having him really and truly consider her a friend instead of an enemy...well, the thought brought tears to her eyes.
She stuck out her hand. “Hi, I’m Natalia Serrano.”
* * *
What he and Lia discussed was never far from Shane’s thoughts the next day. Would he have pursued a relationship, even a friendship, with her back in January? Perhaps, but it would have been difficult. After all, he’d left town the next day to take care of business in Atlanta and to search for Jeanne Marie.
Now that he was back in Red Rock, was he interested? The attorney would say Shane should be definitely interested. He needed to get to know Lia in order to build a case against her if the child she was carrying turned out to be his.
But that wasn’t what this thing with Lia was about, at least not any longer. He liked Lia. Liked the way she could be strong willed, yet willing to bend. Liked her optimistic attitude and the pure joy she seemed to get from life.
If last night had been their first encounter, she’d definitely be a woman he’d want to know better. He glanced at his cell phone lying on the desk.
It was much too soon to call if a relationship was what he wanted. But they’d talked about building a friendship. And there was no game-playing in friendship. He picked up the phone and punched in her number.
When she answered, he had to smile at her businesslike tone.
“Natalia,” he said, because this was a new friendship and that was the name she’d given him. “This is Shane Fortune. We met last night.”
A moment of stunned surprise, then a little laugh.
“Shane, yes, I remember.” She lowered her voice. “How nice to hear from you.”
“I realize it’s short notice, but a business acquaintance told me about a great German restaurant in Fredericksburg. I wondered if you might be interested in having dinner there tonight with me.” The moment the words left his mouth, Shane wondered if he should have been less specific. Perhaps Lia didn’t like German food.
“Well,” she said slowly, “I’ve been craving sauerbraten. And I do need some peaches.”
&nb
sp; Shane held the phone out from his ear and wondered if there was a problem with the connection. “Peaches?”
“Fredericksburg and the surrounding area produce about half of the peach crop in the state,” Lia informed him.
“Is that a yes?” he asked, his heart quickening like a schoolboy’s.
“Absolutely.” The happiness in her voice made him smile.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at your place at two.”
“Two?” He could almost hear the frown in her voice. “I don’t get off until five.”
“Since we just met, I’m not sure if you’re aware of the fact that your boss is my brother.” Shane leaned back in the desk chair, enjoying the conversation. “He’s giving you the entire afternoon off, with pay.”
He heard a sound and looked up to find Sawyer standing in the doorway to his office. Shane motioned him inside.
“In fact, he’s with me now. Do you need to talk with him? Hear it from him directly?”
“No. No. I believe you,” Lia said hurriedly. “So I’m through for the day at noon?”
“That’s right,” Shane said. “And dress casual.”
“Okay,” she said, sounding breathless. “And, Shane?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you called. I was hoping to hear from you again.”
When he clicked off, Shane couldn’t keep from smiling.
“What was that about?” Sawyer took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“Lia and I have decided to be friends.” Satisfaction surged through Shane’s body. “By the way, you’ve given her the afternoon off. She and I are going to pick peaches in Fredericksburg and have sauerbraten.”
“Who are you?” Sawyer leaned forward. “And what have you done with my brother?”
Shane found the sight of his normally implacable brother completely flummoxed, amusing.
“Last night Lia and I decided we’d jumped into...things...before we’d had a chance to get to know each other.” Shane wondered if he should take the car to Fredericksburg or perhaps the pickup would be better if they would be bringing back peaches. “We’ve decided to spend time together and get better acquainted.”
The hour or so drive north would be pleasurable. There were so many facets to Lia and he’d barely touched the surface.