by Marla Monroe
They arrived home at nearly five that afternoon. Marcus helped her inside then returned to help Randall unload the groceries. She was to stay inside and put them away. Then they would drive over to the barn and unload the feed. She methodically put everything away then did the same with her new clothes. She blushed all over again when she got to the underwear. Oops, excuse her, lingerie.
She had to admit the clothes would be much warmer and maybe now that she had thermal underwear, not lingerie, they would let her out of the house some when it was pretty outside. As it was now, she couldn’t really say anything since her clothes didn’t keep her warm outside.
Suddenly, her stomach heaved. She ran for the bathroom and was sick. Whatever was going on? Had she eaten something to make her sick? Were Randall and Marcus sick? They’d all eaten the same thing, and they had actually cleaned their plates. Long minutes later she managed to get up from the floor by the toilet and wipe her face with a warm bath cloth. She brushed her teeth, which almost made her sick again.
Darla decided she should lay down for awhile. A nap would be nice, she decided. She would cook dinner in a little while. The men would be busy outside for hours yet. She pulled off her boots and climbed onto the bed. She pulled the blanket they kept folded at the foot of the bed over her lower legs and promptly fell asleep.
Chapter Twelve
Marcus filled Randall in on what all had gone on in the department store and later in the grocery store. Randall found himself laughing over most of it.
“She was so pissed about it,” Marcus said after telling him about the books.
“I suppose she feels like she shouldn’t spend our money. We need to set her straight about that.” Randall threw another bag of grain toward one of the hands.
“Yeah. I think she’s still trying to decide if I was serious about calling her my fiancée. I suppose I shouldn’t have said that without talking it over with you, but I wanted to be sure they treated her right.” Marcus dropped a bag into his brother’s arms.
“It’s okay. We should have talked to her before we went into town. We’ve really got a lot to talk to her about. I got the dossier from our lawyer. I decided not to read it. I put it in the desk drawer to shred when we have the chance. I vote we talk to her tonight,” Randall said.
“If you think so, then yeah, tonight is as good as any other.”
“If she was pissed over the underwear and the books, she’s really gonna be upset about this,” Marcus admitted.
Randall had a sinking feeling in his gut about the background check. He was sure it was going to bite them on the ass when it came out. He just hoped they could smooth it over with her. Surely she would understand they loved her and weren’t thinking straight. They just wanted to keep her with them. Then again, he thought, she might not understand at all.
It was past dark when they finally climbed up the porch steps and walked into the kitchen. They looked around and frowned. Everything was cold. There was no sign of Darla. Randall’s first thought was that she’d left them. But he knew her car was in the garage a check in the junk drawer produced her keys. She probably knew they were there, but they hadn’t told her where they were or even where her car was.
“Let’s check upstairs,” Marcus said in a near whisper. “She has to be there.”
They climbed the stairs almost at a dead run and slid down the hall to the bedroom door. It was slightly ajar. Marcus reached the room first and flung open the door. Randall was right behind him. There on the bed was Darla curled on her side sound asleep.
“Guess we wore her out today,” Marcus said in a low voice.
“Shhh, come on,” Randall said, indicating they should step back out in the hall.
Randall closed the door behind them. He didn’t want to wake her up.
“We’ll let her sleep. Let’s cook something easy and eat. Then when she wakes up, we can fix her something.” Randall nodded toward the stairs. “I’m going to go cover her and then I’ll be downstairs,” he said.
Marcus nodded and started toward the stairs. Randall opened the door again and carefully walked across the floor so as not to wake her up. He gently settled the blanket around her, covering her from toe to neck. He stood there just looking down at her for a long few minutes. She appeared relaxed in sleep. He realized she hadn’t looked like that during the day in several days. Something was going on. He wanted to figure out what it was, but they had agreed not to read the report. God, he hoped she wasn’t regretting her declaration of love.
He backed out of the bedroom again and closed the door. Then he went downstairs to help Marcus fix something to eat. She meant so much to both of them. He hoped whatever was going on with her they could fix. The alternative just wasn’t acceptable.
They ate in silence and then washed up the dishes. Randall went up and checked on her again. She hadn’t moved from that spot. It worried him. Maybe she was coming down with something.
“I’m going to go check the horses. I’ll be back in a little bit,” he told Marcus.
“I’ll watch for her. If she wakes up, I’ll fix her something to eat.”
Randall stepped outside into the cold air. The hills of snow on either side of the path looked like walls closing in on him. He decided he needed to talk to one or both of his dads. There was so much he didn’t know about courting a woman to be your wife. He and Marcus both had played the field as teenagers and young men, but actually trying to win someone’s hand in marriage was new to him.
After checking on the horses and spending a little time with the one that had been sick, he thrust his hands in his pockets and contemplated their options when it came to Darla. Nothing he came up with seemed any easier than another. Maybe it would be best to just tell her outright.
Finally he walked back to the house and found Marcus sitting on the couch watching TV.
“She hasn’t stirred. I’m worried about her, Randall.”
“Me, too. Let’s get ready for bed and see from there how she is when we get in bed with her,” Randall suggested.
“Sounds good to me.” Marcus stood up and switched off the TV with the remote, then he followed Randall upstairs. “I’ll shower in my room.” He peeled off heading for his old room.
Randall eased the bedroom door open, and finding that she hadn’t moved, he continued on into the bathroom. He quickly showered and dried off. The cool air hit him, and he had to restrain himself from jumping under the covers. About that time Marcus walked in with a towel around him.
“I’m freezing my balls off,” he said.
“Me, too. Ease into bed though so we don’t disturb her. She must need the sleep.” Randall climbed into bed trying not to jar the bed.
Marcus slipped under the covers as well.
“Ah hell,” Marcus said.
“What is it?” Randall asked.
“She’s cold as ice. We need to get her clothes off and get her under all the covers.” Marcus rolled out of bed.
Randall slid out from under the covers and the two of them gently undressed her before settling her between them under the blanket. Randall checked to make sure his side of the electric blanket was on high. She stirred a couple of times when they were undressing her and again when they settled her between them, but soon returned to a deep sleep. Randall began to really worry now.
An hour later, he was still awake making sure she warmed up and didn’t have a fever. Her breathing was easy so he was sure she didn’t have bronchitis or pneumonia. Something was wrong though. She’d never slept like this before.
Early the next morning, he was jolted awake when Darla climbed over him and out of the bed. She ran for the bathroom and a few seconds later retching could be heard.
“Ah, hell,” Marcus said behind him.
Randall climbed out of bed and went to help Darla however he could. He wet a bath cloth and knelt beside her to wash her face. She didn’t look at him.
“Oh, baby. It’s okay. I’m here,” he soothed while he gently rubbed her back.
“God, my stomach won’t quit churning.”
“Easy. It will pass,” he assured her. He had a feeling their time had run out.
“I want to get up.” Darla tried to push away from the toilet but couldn’t seem to get her feet under her.
Randall scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed. Marcus pulled her back into his arms, murmuring nonsense in her ear as he gently rubbed her shoulders. Randall eased back in bed, careful not to jar it. He wasn’t too sure if it would cause her to be sick again. Seeing her hanging over the toilet scared him. He didn’t like to think of her sick. Because he knew she was pregnant. It would explain why she was tired, not hungry, and grouchy at times. She would be upset enough about that without telling her about the background check.
He glanced over her head at Marcus. His brother had undoubtedly come to the same conclusion. He looked as miserable as Randall felt.
Around eight, Randall got up and dressed to see about the animals and meet with the hands. He needed them to handle the animals in the mornings now, and he’d take the late afternoons. He would be there for Darla if she needed him. It was the least he could do.
When he returned to the house, Marcus was in the kitchen pouring a cup of coffee. He handed it to Randall and poured another one for himself.
“She still asleep?” Randall asked.
“Yeah. She stirred a little when I got up but settled down again.”
“We’ve got to tell her, you know,” Randall said.
“I know. If she’s okay to talk, we should tell her tonight,” Marcus decided.
“You’re thinking if we wait till night, she won’t be able to leave, aren’t you?” Randall watched the worry roll over his brother’s face.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
A sound on the stairs alerted them that she was coming down. Randall walked over to the doorway and waited on her. When she appeared he grimaced. She looked frazzled, and she wouldn’t look him in the eye.
“Morning, baby. Did you sleep okay last night?”
“Um yeah. I’m sorry I didn’t wake up to cook dinner last night. I think I might have a bug.”
He led her into the kitchen and sat her in a chair. Marcus smiled at her and went to kiss her, but she pulled back.
“I don’t want you to catch whatever I have.”
Randall carried a glass of milk to her. He sat down next to her and turned her face toward him with two fingers to her chin.
“Baby, I think you’re pregnant. Don’t you? You have all the signs.” He watched her face.
“I can’t be. We’ve been using condoms. It has to be a virus.” She shook her head.
Marcus cleared his throat and drew her attention.
“Remember, that first time the condom broke. It only takes once. It will be okay, though. I promise. We’ll take good care of you and the baby. As soon as we can arrange it, we’ll get married and…” He trailed off.
“No, we don’t have to get married just because I’m pregnant. If I’m pregnant,” Darla said.
“Of course we do. Our baby will have our name and be respected,” Randall insisted.
Marcus nodded his head at Randall to get his attention. When Darla was looking at Randall, he shook his head at Randall to let him know he didn’t think they should tell her right then with her probably being pregnant. They needed to give her a couple of days to get used to the idea before they hit her with the other.
Darla looked back and forth between the two of them and frowned.
“Besides, we don’t know that I am pregnant. I need to take a test.”
“We’ll get one in town tomorrow,” Randall assured her. “I’ll go myself and get one while Marcus stays here with you in case you need anything.”
“I just can’t believe I could be pregnant after one time,” she fussed, wringing her hands. “Oh, Lord.” She fingered the glass of milk, obviously worried.
Randall wondered what this would mean to their plans to marry her. Would she let them now? She’d already balked when they’d suggested it earlier. Surely she would settle down and realize that their love didn’t change just because she was pregnant.
The rest of the morning went by with Darla carrying on as if nothing was wrong. After lunch, she went upstairs to take a nap. Randall figured that would be what her routine would be like from now on. Marcus could take care of her in the afternoons when he checked on the ranch. He’d be there for her in the mornings should she need anything.
The more he thought about a baby, the more excited he became. Then he remembered they still had to tell her they’d had her checked out. She would be furious with them for lying to her. She’d get past it, though, he was sure, especially if she really was pregnant. She’d want her baby to have its fathers.
Now he wondered if he needed to shred the papers or hand them over to her unread. He hadn’t broken the seal. Surely that would account for something. All he could do was hope.
* * * *
Early the next morning, Darla woke up again sick to her stomach and raced for the bathroom. She heaved until she couldn’t anymore. Randall and Marcus were right there with her, holding cool clothes to her head and neck. They picked her up once she was finished and carried her back to bed, where they cuddled her until she fell back asleep.
Once she woke up for good, she showered, dressed, and eased down the stairs. Randall and Marcus were talking in the kitchen when she walked in. They stopped talking to stare at her.
“What?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious.
“You just look so beautiful, baby,” Marcus said and pulled her in for a kiss and a hug.
Randall pulled her from his brother’s arms and kissed her as well.
“I’m on my way to town. Do you need anything else while I’m there?” he asked, rubbing up and down her arms.
“No, I can’t think of anything.”
“Get those prenatal vitamins they have while you’re there. She needs to be on those from day one,” Marcus told him.
“I might not be pregnant!” she shouted, then frowned at her obvious temper tantrum.
“It won’t hurt to be prepared in case you are,” Marcus told her.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. If you need anything at all, let Marcus help you, baby. Okay?” Randall leaned in for another kiss.
“Okay,” she sighed.
She watched Randall pull out of the drive in the truck. She had plenty of chores to keep her busy all morning. Between the washing, fixing lunch, and preparing something for dinner, she would keep her mind occupied and away from that niggling feeling that they were right and she really was pregnant.
Around lunchtime, she figured Randall would be home soon and went in search of Marcus. He wasn’t in the office, so he would probably be out in the barn. She’d have to wait until he came in to fix the sandwiches.
Before she got out of the office, the phone rang. She raced to Randall’s desk and picked it up.
“Hello?”
“Is Randall in?” a male voice on the other end asked.
“No, he’s in town but should be back at any time now. Can I take a message?” she asked.
“Please.”
She scrambled, trying to find something to write with. Not a pen lay in sight. She pulled open his drawers, thinking to find one in them. Instead, she found a sealed envelope with her name and social security number on it as well as a lawyer’s insignia.
“Ma’am? You still there?” the voice on the other end of the phone asked.
She grabbed at a pen and told him to go ahead. She took his name, and number, and left it on the desk. After she hung up, she pulled the envelope out and sat down in Randall’s desk chair.
Why would they have an envelope with her social security number on it? Why was it sealed? She’d filled out the paperwork they’d given her. They claimed they didn’t need to check her references. What would be in that envelope other than information about her? Why would they use a lawyer to find out anything ab
out her? They could have just called the phone numbers.
She fumed and huffed out a breath. They’d lied to her. She tore open the envelope and began reading all about her miserable life. Every little detail was in there, including her indiscretion with her ex. Everything. Tears threatened to fall, but she held them in. She wasn’t going to break down. She wanted to throw it in their face for lying to her.
She heard Randall’s truck pull up in the front yard. Now that he was home, she just needed Marcus to come in and she could confront the bastards about it. How dare they! Fury had her heart racing and her hands shaking as she folded the envelope of information and stuck it under her arm. She picked up the phone message for Randall and left the office to find them.
* * * *
Randall walked in the house. Something didn’t feel right. He didn’t hear anyone, for one thing. Then Darla came out of the office and held out a note to him.
“You have a phone message. I’ll be in the kitchen getting lunch ready. See if you can find Marcus and come eat.” She breezed out again.
What was up with her? She hadn’t so much as hugged or kissed him. He didn’t like this one bit. Randall folded the paper and stuck it in his pocket, then went in search of Marcus. Maybe he knew what in the hell was going on.
Randall found Marcus outside with the foreman talking over the weird behavior of one of the horses.
“Hey, you’re back. Did you get everything?” Marcus asked.
“Yeah. What’s going on with Darla?”
“What do you mean? She was fine when I left her in the kitchen. I just ran out here for a few minutes to look at one of the horses.” Marcus began to panic and head for the house.
“Whoa, she’s fine physically, but she’s acting weird. She didn’t kiss me or hug me when I got home.”
“I don’t know. She was fine with me. Maybe it’s just pregnancy hormones,” Marcus suggested.
“Maybe.” But Randall didn’t think so. Something was wrong.
“We’re supposed to come in for lunch now.”