On the other hand, if she didn’t sign it and she didn’t get pregnant right away, she would sit home with little to do, and eat into the savings she’d put away for when she had a baby.
As if the contract problem wasn’t enough, she had a bigger concern weighing on her mind. She picked up the bath sponge and swiped it down her throat.
She thought she might be a nymphomaniac.
The word resonated inside her brain as she finished her bath. The idea that she might be one had grown through the past week. She and Bailey had made love almost every night, and it worried her that she liked it. She liked it a lot.
Bath finished, she stood and reached for a towel, her mind filled with thoughts of making love to Bailey. She wasn’t supposed to like it. It was simply supposed to be a means to an end.
But she loved the way Bailey’s warm body felt against hers, she loved the taste of his lips. And more than anything she loved how he made her feel when they were joined in passion.
It worried her that when they finished making love, all she could think about was the anticipation of the next time they would make love.
It couldn’t be because of Bailey himself. She had no romantic feelings toward him. She couldn’t have, because that might mess up the beautiful friendship they shared. And that meant she loved sex.
She must be a nymphomaniac.
She shoved this troubling thought aside as she dressed in a pair of beige slacks and a beige and emerald-green blouse she’d never worn before.
It would be nice to get out. She and Bailey had always enjoyed eating at the café and she was looking forward to the outing.
She had just finished fixing her hair when Bailey walked in, bringing with him the scent of the outdoors. His blue eyes flared slightly at the sight of her. “You look…nice.” His voice held the faintest touch of surprise.
“It’s not every day my husband decides to take me out to dinner,” she began, and in the back of her mind realized his facial expression had irritated her. “I figured it was a momentous, spiff-up kind of deal, but if you prefer I’ll pull on a pair of old, dirty jeans and a ripped T-shirt so you won’t be quite so surprised.”
“Jeez, Mellie, all I did was give you a compliment, don’t bite off my head.” He pulled his T-shirt off over his head, exposing his muscular torso.
Instantly she wanted to run her fingers through his thatch of chest hair, press herself into the warmth and security of his body. This only sent her irritation up a notch and brought home what she had worried about only moments before.
“Bailey.” She sat on the edge of the bed. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Anything…always,” he replied, and sat down next to her to take off his shoes.
She bit her bottom lip thoughtfully before continuing. He was her best friend. Surely she could talk about anything with him…even the possibility that she was sexually insatiable.
“Do you know any nymphomaniacs?”
He gasped and nearly fell off the bed. “Excuse me?”
Melanie felt a blush warming her cheeks. “You heard me.”
“I heard you but I can’t believe what I just heard.”
The heat that had swept across her cheeks now crept down her throat. “I just wanted to know if you know any and if they’re normal in every other area of their life except for that.”
“Mellie, what’s going on in your crazy head?” he asked, his oh, so blue eyes holding her gaze.
She broke eye contact with him, suddenly embarrassed that she’d even brought it up. “Never mind,” she said.
He laughed. “Oh, no, you don’t. You can’t bring up a topic like that and say ‘never mind.’ Now, what’s going on?” She met his gaze and to her horror felt tears welling up. He took her hands in his. “Mellie, honey, what’s wrong?”
She tried to laugh, but it came out as a strangled sob. “I think I’m a nymphomaniac!”
He stared at her, obviously stunned, then thew his head back and roared with laughter.
“It’s not funny,” she protested, laughing and crying at the same time. “I…I think I might be one.”
He released her hands to wipe tears of laughter from his eyes. “Why on earth would you think that?”
She fought for composure, unsure if tears or laughter would escape. “Bailey, I like making love. I like it a lot.”
“I like making love, too,” he replied, his eyes sparkling with obvious amusement. “I like it a lot. Does that make me a nymphomaniac?”
“No, from what I understand, that just makes you a male,” she replied dryly. She stood. “Just forget I brought it up.”
“I don’t want to forget it.” He took hold of her arm and pulled her back to the bed next to him. “I think we should explore this further.” His eyes were still filled with mirth and his dimple flashed near his mouth.
She yanked her arm from his hold and crossed both arms over her chest. “Go take your shower. You’re just making fun of me,” she exclaimed.
He stood, that sexy grin of his lifting the corners of his mouth. “I’m just teasing you a little, Mellie.” His voice was gentle. “Trust me, it’s normal and healthy to enjoy the act of making love, especially when the man you’re making love with is such an expert in the field.” He winked broadly then ducked as she threw his dirty T-shirt at him. His laughter filled the room even after he’d disappeared into the bathroom.
Chapter Nine
It was a week before the Fourth of July and the Miss Dairy Cow Contest along with all the other activities that would take place on that day, and the whole town of Foxrun had gone dairy cow crazy.
As Bailey drove down Main Street, cows were everywhere. Papier maché cows peeked out of store windows, life-size statues stood on the sidewalks and flags in the likeness of bovines hung from every streetlamp.
Bailey was meeting Tanner for coffee at the café in a few minutes. He hadn’t seen his neighbor since before his wedding to Mellie and was looking forward to a little man talk.
If he was perfectly honest with himself, he would face the fact that he’d made the arrangement to meet Tanner because he needed some time away from the house…away from Mellie.
A little more than a month of marriage had transformed his bachelor pad into an alien landscape. Lacy doilies now decorated the surface of his end tables, and most evenings fragrant candles filled the air with the scent of summer breezes and wildflowers, strawberries and apples.
In the kitchen, colorful potholders had appeared, matching the pretty dish towels and brightening up what had been comfortably utilitarian.
The bedroom and master bath were the worst of all. Her scent lingered in the very molecules of the air, taunting him each time he entered either room.
Who would have thought Mellie’s hair would have been so soft? Who would have believed her skin would be like warm silk? And who would have imagined that she’d be such a responsive, fiery lover?
He shoved all these disturbing thoughts aside as he spied an empty parking space in front of the shop belonging to Tanner’s wife, Colette. At least the Little Bit Boutique had no cows in the window. Instead the window held a yellow-canopied crib with a cheerful, smiling teddy bear.
As Bailey got out of his car, Tanner walked out of the shop, a smile of greeting on his face. “I’ll just be a few minutes, I’ve got some boxes to unload, then we can get coffee.” He motioned to the shop. “Come on in and say hello to the boss.”
Bailey hesitated only a minute, unsure if he wanted to enter the place devoted to babies. Every time he thought of Mellie having his child, his head filled with enough confusing thoughts to give him a headache.
Still, he followed Tanner in, instantly noticing the baby-powder scent of the shop. Colette stood behind a register, ringing up a female customer Bailey didn’t recognize. She smiled and waved at him.
“I’ll be in the back room for just a couple of minutes,” Tanner said. “Feel free to wander around and look things over.” He disappeared toward the back of
the store.
Bailey shoved his hands in his pockets and meandered up an aisle that displayed a variety of little bitty clothing. Were babies really that small? He touched the lace of a tiny dress and tried to imagine his daughter clad in it.
His daughter.
Would she have a spill of curly red hair like her mother, or dark hair like his? Would her eyes be blue or green or an intriguing combination of both? As she got older, would she be a princess or a tomboy?
A tiny baseball uniform brought the same kind of questions to his mind. What would his son be like? Would he miss the presence of a full-time father in his life? Would a daughter?
“Amazing, isn’t it?”
He turned around to see Colette. “What?”
She touched the little ball uniform. “The items they make for babies nowadays. Look at this.” She opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of name-brand tennis shoes no bigger than his fingers.
“Unbelievable,” he said. “The shop looks great. Is business going well?”
Her eyes sparkled brightly. “Better than I dreamed. Apparently babies are big business in Foxrun. In fact, I’ve been wondering why you and Melanie haven’t stopped in to visit yet.”
“We’ve been pretty busy lately,” he replied.
“Oh, yes, we heard about the puppy mill. Are the puppies all doing okay?”
Bailey smiled. “Healthy and thriving, and I’ve managed to adopt out four in the past two weeks. You and Tanner in the market for a puppy?”
“I don’t know. It might be nice. We have Bugsy, but he’s pretty much an outdoor dog. It might be nice to have a sweet, indoor dog. I’d have to talk it over with Tanner.” Her smile grew larger. “You see, we just found out yesterday that there’s going to be an addition to our family.”
At that moment Tanner appeared next to her and threw an arm over her shoulder. “I can tell by the smile on her face she just told you our news.”
“She did. Congratulations to you both.” For just a moment Bailey envied the utter happiness that shone from his old friend’s eyes. “Who would have thought the most confirmed bachelor of Foxrun would not only be married but starting a family of his own?”
Tanner laughed. “And who would have thought the second most confirmed bachelor in Foxrun would be married and in the process of starting his family,” he replied.
Bailey wanted to protest, to tell Tanner their situations were entirely different. Tanner was in his marriage for life, Bailey was in his marriage for mutual convenience and when the Miss Dairy Cow Contest was over and Mellie got pregnant, Bailey intended to go back to his carefree single life.
“Yeah, I guess in every man’s life there comes a time when it’s important to grow up and realize what’s important…like love and family.” Tanner kissed Colette on the forehead. “And now I’m going to regress a bit and go have coffee with Bailey, where we’ll probably talk about fast cars and faster babes.”
Both men laughed as Colette shot an elbow into Tanner’s ribs. “Go on, get out of here, both of you,” she exclaimed.
Coffee with Tanner was pleasant. They spoke of their farms and their respective businesses. Tanner’s place, Two Hearts, was not only known for prime Charolais and Hereford cattle, but also for the quarter horses he’d been breeding.
They talked about what farms were thriving in the area and which appeared to be failing and why. They laughed about old times and spoke of old friends.
Bailey would have enjoyed himself completely had he been able to get the mental image of his yet-to-be-conceived baby out of his head.
He’d thought he would get Mellie pregnant as his end of the deal, then return to the easy friendship they had shared and he’d cherished for years. In his mind he’d assumed he would take the position of a favorite uncle to the baby she’d bear.
“I can’t wait until this contest is over,” he said as he and Tanner walked from the café back to where Bailey had parked his truck.
“The town does go a little nuts, doesn’t it,” Tanner replied.
“It’s not the town, it’s the people. Two days ago Madge Walker brought her granddaughter in to see me. The granddaughter is only about ten or twelve. Anyway, apparently she’s a little contestant in the making and wanted me to see her talent…just as kind of a trial run for when she gets old enough to enter the contest.”
“And?” Tanner raised a dark brow, his features radiating amusement.
“And so reluctantly I agreed. Before I know it, the young lady whipped out two batons, lit them on fire and threw them up in the air. The smoke alarms went off, the dogs went nuts and I thought Madge Walker was going to have a heart attack in the middle of my barn.”
Tanner laughed. “Just think, Bailey, this time next year this will all be nothing more than a vague memory.”
“Yeah, but I have a feeling I’m going to have a lot of nightmares in the next week,” Bailey replied ruefully.
A few minutes later as he drove back to his ranch, his thoughts once again turned to Mellie and the baby she would eventually carry. For the first time since he and Mellie had struck their deal, he realized he wanted more.
He simply wasn’t the type of man who could walk away from his child and merely exist around the edges of his or her life.
It was time to have a talk with Mellie. He needed to make her understand that he would not be shoved into the background of their child’s life.
“Mellie,” he called as he entered the front door. There was no reply. He walked down the hallway and peeked into each of the bedrooms but saw no sign of her.
As he went into the kitchen, he caught sight of her outside the window. She was playing with Squirt in the backyard. Clad in one of her shapeless sundresses, she was running with Squirt nipping and yipping at her heels.
Despite the nonformfitting nature of her dress, he could mentally “see” her shape—the graceful slenderness of her back, the upward thrust of her breasts and the long length of her legs. She looked beautiful with the sun sparking on her hair and laughter warming her features.
Desire soared through him…thick and hot. He wanted her, right there…in the grass with the sun warming them and the scent of her riding the summer breeze. He wanted to tangle his hands in the thick spill of her curly hair and feel her warm body next to his.
As always, irritation came with the desire. What was it about Melanie Watters that made him want her so? How could he want a woman he didn’t love romantically?
He had a feeling what he was about to tell her would make her mad. She’d chosen him to father her child, knowing he’d never wanted children. She’d obviously expected that he would be happy to be relegated to friend-of-the-family status.
Better get it over with, he thought as he walked onto the back porch, then opened the back door. “Melanie, we need to talk,” he said without preamble.
She scooped Squirt up in her arms. “Hmm, must be serious. I can’t remember the last time you called me Melanie. You want to go inside?”
“No, we can talk here.”
She gazed at him for a moment. “Just let me put Squirt away, then you’ll have my complete, undivided attention.”
As she carried Squirt back to the house, Bailey sank down in the lush grass and waited for her. As he waited for her, he thought again of those moments in Colette’s shop, when the nebulous idea of a child had suddenly become the reality of his child.
She returned a moment later and sat facing him, her slender, freckled legs stretching toward him. “What’s up?” she asked. “You look far too serious for such a gorgeous summer day.”
Bailey thought for a moment, wondering how best to broach the subject of joint custody. “You know I’ve always told you I didn’t want children.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t tell me you’re going to try to renege on our deal.”
“No, not renege,” he explained. “But, I want to modify.”
A tiny frown furrowed her brow. “Modify how?”
He looked away, unwill
ing to hold her gaze. “I’ll still try to get you pregnant, and we’ll still divorce just as we planned, but I can’t walk away from my child. I want joint custody.”
He looked back at her, expecting to see anger shooting from her spring-green eyes. Instead, she smiled, one of her soft, gentle smiles that made his heart flip-flop uncomfortably in his chest.
“I’m not surprised,” she said. “I’ve been expecting you to come to that conclusion.”
“How could you have been expecting it? I didn’t know until just a few minutes ago.”
She stood, that wonderful smile still curving her lips. “I know what kind of man you are, Bailey. It’s one of the reasons I wanted you to be the father of my baby—because I knew when it actually came down to it, you aren’t the type of man to just turn your back and walk away. And now I’m going to go in and make some lunch. Are you coming?”
“I’ll be there in just a minute or two,” he said, and remained seated in the grass. He needed to sit and think for a moment and try to figure out how it was possible that Melanie Watters apparently knew him better than he knew himself.
“Don’t forget we’re supposed to meet Mom and Dad at eleven by the barbecue stand for lunch,” Melanie reminded Bailey as they drove toward the fairgrounds.
Finally the day had arrived. The Fourth of July had dawned with clear skies and the promise of a hot day. Bailey was in an exuberant mood, knowing that within hours his job as contest judge would be behind him.
Melanie also felt the excitement of the day. There was nothing quite like the Foxrun Fourth of July celebration. The fairground was transformed into a carnival complete with edge-of-your-seat rides, mouth-watering offers of a variety of food, and games of skill and chance. The celebration would end with a spectacular fireworks display.
“The contest isn’t scheduled until five this evening, so we’ll have basically all day to hang out and enjoy the fun,” Bailey said.
Melanie nodded and stared out the truck window, trying not to dwell on how utterly handsome Bailey looked. Although he wore his usual tight-fitting jeans, his short-sleeved dress shirt had a blue-and-silver stripe that emphasized the startling blue of his eyes.
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