But they’d known each other such a short while. Could she risk giving her heart to a man who was practically a stranger? Even if he was the father of her baby. Rowena leaned against the pillow, telling herself she wasn’t in any condition to make a major decision. Not only was she physically exhausted, she was emotionally drained, as well.
She yawned, then closed her eyes. Sleep was a peaceful haven where she could dream about Alan without worry. She needed time to sort out her feelings.
Time to figure out what she really wanted.
* * *
WEDNESDAY MORNING, Rowena found herself in Alan’s arms.
“Don’t you think this is a little extreme?” she asked as Alan carried her through the house and into her bedroom.
“The doctor ordered complete bed rest for the next ten days,” he replied. “That’s the only reason he agreed to release you from the hospital today. I probably shouldn’t have let you walk from the car to the front door.”
She gave up trying to reason with him. “A girl could get used to this kind of attention, you know,” she said, leaning against his chest and letting herself enjoy the moment. “As well as lose all muscle tone in her body.”
“You feel all right to me,” he said, laying her gently on her bed. Then he tugged on his shirt collar. “In fact, I need a cold drink. Would you like something?”
“I think I’ll take a bath,” she said, ready to luxuriate in a tub full of warm water. “If you promise not to carry me there.”
He frowned. “I think we forgot to ask the doctor about baths.”
Rowena found that hard to believe. Alan had interrogated poor Dr. Milburn for over thirty minutes this morning about everything she could and couldn’t do. The doctor had said she could walk to the bathroom or to the kitchen for a glass of water, but Alan seemed to think her feet shouldn’t be allowed to touch the floor.
Time to set him straight.
“Surely Dr. Milburn would have said something if baths were forbidden.”
Alan moved toward the door. “I’m going to call him anyway, just to be sure. So don’t move.”
She leaned against the pillows with a sigh. At least he hadn’t resorted to tying her to the bed. But as much as she chafed at the restrictions, she understood his concern. She didn’t want to do anything to bring on more premature labor contractions. If that meant letting Alan spoil her rotten, then she’d just have to endure it.
Ten minutes later, he was back in her room carrying a tray. “I talked to Dr. Milburn’s nurse, and she told me a bath was fine. And she agreed with me that it wouldn’t hurt you to gain a little more weight. So I brought you a snack.”
She looked at the tray. It was full of chocolate. Chocolate fudge brownies, chocolate milk and chocolate-iced doughnuts. In the corner of the tray sat a small stuffed pink lamb.
“What’s this?” she asked, hearing a rattle when she picked it up.
“The purple giraffe was gone when I got to the store,” he said, disappointment in his voice. “I know I promised to get it for you....”
“It’s no big deal,” she assured him, though she wanted to kick herself for not buying it when she saw it. “This lamb is adorable. Thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure you’d like it, so I picked up a couple of other stuffed animals while I was there,” he said. “Well, six, actually.”
“Six?” she echoed with a smile. “Can I see them?”
“Sure.” He stood up. “Do you want me to run your bath first?”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, Alan. I can do that. I’m not completely helpless.”
He grinned. “All right. You can run your own bath. But let me know if you want me to scrub your back.” Then he turned and walked out of the room, leaving her to stare after him in disbelief.
Was he serious? It would serve him right if she did call him to come scrub her back. Only he’d probably have the audacity to go through with it. A blush warmed her entire body as she envisioned him doing just that. What was happening between them? Were they actually becoming...friends?
But something told her it was much more than that.
The ring of the doorbell distracted her from embarking down that dangerous line of thinking, and she could barely resist jumping out of bed to answer it. But she knew doing so would only provoke another lecture from Alan. He’d already chastised her once today for pulling on her snow boots.
“You’ve got a visitor.” A feminine voice chimed from the bedroom doorway. She looked up to see Alison Fairchild, her cheeks a rosy red from the winter wind.
“What a nice surprise,” Rowena said, sitting up straighter in bed.
“Your butler said I could only stay a minute.” Alison grinned as she walked inside the room.
“My butler?” Rowena asked, arching a brow. “Is that what Alan’s calling himself now?”
“Not exactly, but he’s very efficient. Quite the hunk, too. I definitely want one of those at my house. Where did you find him?”
She swallowed a sigh. “It’s a very long story.”
“Well, unfortunately, I can’t stay long, so you’ll have to wait to tell it to me. I just wanted to stop by with your mail,” Alison said. “I brought a chicken casserole, too.”
“That’s so sweet. Thank you.”
“I left them both in the kitchen with Alan. Now promise you’ll let me know if there’s anything else you need.”
“Thank you. I will.”
Alison hesitated. “I never got a chance to congratulate you, Rowena. I’d heard you were pregnant, but since you hadn’t announced it yourself yet, I didn’t feel comfortable mentioning it.”
“I know,” Rowena replied, aware that everyone in town must have a hundred questions about her condition. “It’s a little...complicated.”
That was the understatement of the century.
“Well, I hope you’re back on your feet soon.” Alison smiled. “Although I’d certainly enjoy all that undivided male attention if I were you.” She reached down to give her a hug. “I think you’ve found a keeper, Rowena. Congratulations again.”
So not only did the people of Cooper’s Corner know Rowena was pregnant, but they believed Alan Rand was her lover. She supposed it was only natural, since they knew he was the father of her baby. And explaining the truth to them wasn’t something she was prepared to do.
So Rowena pasted a smile on her face the rest of the day as a steady stream of visitors stopped by to see her, delaying her plans for a bath. All her friends and neighbors brought casseroles and small gifts, like books and crossword puzzles to help pass the time she had to spend in bed. They were all delighted and charmed with Alan, too, a few even digging for hints of an upcoming wedding. But she kept her mouth firmly closed on that subject.
At last Alan appeared in her room. “I’ve put a closed sign on the front door. And your bath awaits, my lady. With lots of bubbles. Would you like me to carry you there?”
“Yes,” she replied, more tired than a woman who’d spent the day in bed should be, “but I think I’d better walk anyway.”
She threw back the coverlet and climbed out of bed. Alan retrieved her robe from the closet and slipped it over her shoulders. Then he pulled her long blond hair free of the terry-cloth collar.
“Any pain or contractions?” he asked.
“None at all,” she replied, cinching the robe’s belt loosely around her waist. “I feel as good as new.”
“Good. I’ll have your supper and your medication ready when you’re through with your bath.”
She turned to face him. “You’re going to end up in bed next to me if you keep up this pace.” Her gaze flew to his as she realized what she’d said.
His brown eyes darkened. “I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.”
The air sizzled between
them, and Rowena’s heart skipped a beat when he reached out one knuckle and skimmed it over her cheek.
“But we’ll talk about that later,” he said.
She stared at him, trepidation mingling with desire. After pretending that he was her lover all afternoon, she was finding it hard to remember reality. “I’d better hurry before the bathwater gets cold.”
“I’ll let you know when supper is ready.”
She nodded, then headed for the bathroom. Everything was happening much too fast. There was so much to consider. So much to worry about, when all she really wanted to do was enjoy the moment.
Especially the moments she spent with Alan.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ALAN SHOVED THE last casserole dish into the refrigerator, amazed that he’d found room for it. When he’d first arrived in Cooper’s Corner, he’d been curious about how the people here felt about Rowena Dahl. He had no doubts now.
They loved her.
Since the news had spread about the car accident and her hospital stay, people had been phoning and popping in all day. There was enough food in the house to open a restaurant.
He preheated the oven before sticking one of the covered casseroles inside. Then he began cleaning up the kitchen, blaming his nervous energy on his lack of sleep and trying to ignore the images of her naked body submerged in bath bubbles that kept popping into his head.
His mouth watered as the savory aroma of the casserole filled the air. He turned to wipe crumbs off the kitchen counter, then saw the pile of mail sitting there. The postmistress had been kind enough to bring it so he wouldn’t have to leave the house. He idly thumbed through the envelopes, then froze, his gut tightening with anger when he saw the one addressed to Savannah Corrington.
Was it from the same creep as before? Maybe Rowena still regularly received fan mail from other loyal viewers of the show, though she’d never mentioned anything about it. Hardly surprising, since she was one of the most modest women he’d ever met. Even with her breathtaking beauty and her successful acting career, she still shied away from attention.
He turned the letter over, tempted to break the seal and read it. But that would be an invasion of her privacy. Still, he didn’t intend to let anything upset her. That had definitely been one of the doctor’s orders.
A rustling sound in the hallway made him quickly pull open a kitchen drawer and stuff the letter under the molded plastic silverware tray. Then he closed the drawer before gathering the rest of the mail and placing it in a neat pile on her dinner tray.
“Something smells delicious.”
He turned to see Rowena standing in the open doorway to the kitchen. She wore the long terry-cloth robe, her thick hair hanging in damp ringlets over her shoulders.
“What are you doing out here?”
She smiled in a way that made his heart drop to his toes. “I live here, remember?”
“You’re supposed to be in bed.”
She held up both hands. “I know, but I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t remodeled the kitchen or anything. According to the reports I’ve received, you’re the model of organization and efficiency.”
“And you’re disobeying orders.” He walked over to her. “Now, will you go back to bed, or do I have to carry you there?”
Mischief glowed in her amethyst eyes. “Let me think about it for a minute.”
“Too late.” He bent and swooped her up in his arms.
She gasped, then twined her arms around his neck. “I was just joking, Alan.”
“I wasn’t,” he said, carrying her effortlessly toward the bedroom. “I’m going to make sure you follow the doctor’s orders to the letter.”
She gazed into his eyes. “I won’t do anything to endanger the baby, Alan.”
“I know,” he said, pushing her bedroom door open with his foot before walking inside. “Maybe I just like having a reason to boss you around.”
“Now, that I believe,” she replied as he laid her gently on the bed.
He stood leaning over her, his neck still entangled in her arms. “You smell like peaches.”
“It’s that scented bubble bath you put in the water when you filled the tub.”
“I like it,” he said huskily, then bent to kiss her parted lips. They tasted even better the second time. She moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, the front of her robe parting as she leaned against the pile of pillows behind her.
Alan followed her, his body half reclined on her bed. Their mouths met and clung, tasted and teased.
She slid one hand over his waist, her fingers skimming the bare skin under his sweater. His fingers trailed down her soft cheek, then traced her delicate collarbone.
He lifted his head a fraction of an inch. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, before kissing her again. He inhaled the scent of peaches and Rowena, a heady combination.
She murmured something against his mouth, and he lifted his head. “What?”
“I’m not sure we should do this,” Rowena said softly.
He pulled back, furious with himself for losing control. And for bringing her with him. Then he straightened and stepped away from the bed. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” she said softly. “I’m as much to blame as you are.”
“But the doctor told me not to...”
She arched a brow. “Not to what?”
His cheeks burned. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I want to know.”
“Dr. Milburn said we should refrain from... physical contact.”
“You mean sex?”
He met her gaze. “Yes.”
Her eyes widened. “You asked him about it?”
“Of course not,” he replied, backing away from the bed. “Milburn is the one who brought up the subject.”
She pulled the lapels of her robe together. “Then I guess that’s another good reason to stop.”
Another good reason? What was the first? But he was in no condition to continue this conversation. So he nodded, his body throbbing in protest. “I’ll bring in your supper tray.”
“Thank you,” she said, a blush in her cheeks now, too.
Alan turned and left her bedroom, wondering what the hell had come over him. She hadn’t even been out of the hospital for twenty-four hours.
“You’re losing it, Rand,” he muttered as he pulled the casserole dish out of the oven. He couldn’t afford to lose his mind.
Especially when he was in imminent danger of losing his heart.
* * *
A WEEK LATER, Rowena lay in her bed flipping through the television channels with the remote control. She practically had the television schedule memorized, but nothing appealed to her anymore.
Her confinement in bed had definitely begun to fray her nerves. She’d snapped at Alan this morning when he’d brought in her breakfast tray, then pretended to be asleep when Father Tom Christen stopped by on his weekly round of visiting homebound parishioners. She still felt guilty about that.
She wanted her life back. She missed the barbershop and her customers. She’d love to stop in at Tubb’s Café for lunch. Drive over to New Ashford for a shopping spree. Stop at the ice cream parlor there for a banana split.
Then the baby moved, and her frustrations evaporated. Every movement and tiny kick assured her that the baby was doing well. Despite her impatience, she’d stay in this bed until the middle of summer if it meant her baby would be all right.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door, and she looked up to see Maureen standing there.
“Care for some company?”
“I would love it.” Rowena clicked off the television set. “What a nice surprise.”
“I’m your official baby-sitter,” Maureen told her, taking a seat i
n the wing chair next to the bed. “Alan called me this morning and asked if I could come and stay with you for a couple of hours while he went shopping.”
Rowena frowned. “He didn’t say anything to me about it.”
“That’s odd.”
Her frown faded. “Maybe not so odd. I did throw a book at his head this morning when he tried to get me to eat a second bowl of oatmeal. He’s probably got cabin fever, too. We’ve both been stuck in this house together for almost a full week.”
Maureen shrugged. “He seemed perfectly cheerful to me.”
“I know,” Rowena mused. “It gets irritating, doesn’t it? He’s always smiling.”
Maureen’s green eyes sparkled. “Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that Alan Rand is falling head over heels in love with you?”
Rowena stared at her friend in disbelief. “You really believe that?”
“Don’t you?”
She shook her head. “He’s here because of the baby, Maureen. That’s all. Although I have to admit he’ll make a wonderful father.”
“The baby may have been the reason he came to Cooper’s Corner in the first place, but I think you’re the reason he’s stayed so long.”
“And I think you’re a hopeless romantic,” Rowena said, telling herself not to get her hopes up. Nothing had happened between them since that sizzling kiss a week ago. There was desire between them, she couldn’t deny that. But desire didn’t equal love.
“I’m just glad someone is staying here with you,” Maureen said. “I have to admit I’ve been worried ever since you got that letter. Have there been any more?”
She shook her head. “Only the one I showed you. It’s very strange.”
Relief softened Maureen’s expression. “Well, I’m glad. When I first heard you were in the hospital, I was afraid Max Heller might have been involved. Especially when someone told me the other driver had fled the scene.”
“They found him,” Rowena said, smoothing the coverlet over her. “A teenager from New Ashford who had skipped school that day. He was simply driving too fast on those slick roads and panicked after we went into the ditch.”
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