That's My Baby!

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Yeah, and that’s also my fault. You should never—”

  “Listen.” Sebastian actually shook a finger in Nat’s face. “Whether you and Jessica like it or not, we’re in this rodeo with you, and we’re gonna be part of that baby’s life. All of us—Boone, Shelby, Josh, Gwen, Travis and Luann, besides Matty and me. The fact that her granddaddy’s a billionaire is something we’ll have to accept and find a way to deal with. But we’re not letting that baby get away. At least not very far away. Got that?”

  Nat grinned. “Got it.”

  “And I’m not ready to see the last of your sorry carcass, either, despite the fact you are a heap of trouble.”

  Nat’s grin broadened. “I realize that.”

  Sebastian handed over the keys to the Bronco. “Here come the ladies with Elizabeth. I’ll go get the .38.”

  “I sure wish I didn’t have to take it.”

  “You’re taking it.” He started back toward the house.

  Nat turned to watch Jess come out toward the Bronco carrying Elizabeth. Heiresses, both of them. When he tried to be objective, he could see the evidence of privilege in Jess. Someone had probably coached her, from a young age, how to walk, how to hold her head, how to remain gracious when everything wasn’t exactly as she’d like it to be.

  He’d made what most people would think was a lot of money as a broker, but his bank balance was laughable compared to her father’s. That hadn’t been a factor before, partly because Jess had insisted she wanted no part of her father’s wealth because she hated that life, and partly because he’d never intended their relationship to go this far.

  Now it was too late to consider whether he was an appropriate person for Jess or not. Heiress or not, he wanted her. And increasingly, he wanted that little bundle in her arms. His heart ached looking at them together.

  No one would doubt they were mother and daughter. Sunlight danced on Jess’s red curls, setting them on fire, but the baby wore a little cap to protect her face from the sun, and her ringlets curled out from under it. They were a lighter shade than Jess’s, but Elizabeth would grow up to have hair as fiery as her mother’s. She’d be a pistol, too, like her mother. Nat’s chest tightened as he realized he wanted to be there to see how Elizabeth turned out.

  Jess would probably have her on skis before he could turn around. Elizabeth would be hotdogging down the slopes by the time she was seven. And eventually she’d discover makeup and earrings. And boys. The boys would be wild for her.

  He imagined her gliding down the stairs dressed for her high-school prom, her date waiting with a corsage and a nervous smile. Who would be there to give that awestruck boy an intimidating stare and ask a few pointed questions about his intentions regarding the lovely Elizabeth?

  He would. His heart expanded with hope as he allowed himself to dream of a future that included Jess and this baby he had helped create. His first reaction to hearing of her existence had been born of fear. But the longing he carried with him constantly now was born of love.

  Matty walked beside Jess, and she was doing her best to look cheerful, but Nat doubted she felt cheerful at all. If this week accomplished what it was supposed to accomplish, Elizabeth would cease to be a regular resident of the Rocking D.

  “Oh my God, we forgot Bruce,” Matty said. She turned and raced back inside to search for the sock monkey.

  “Ba-ba!” Elizabeth called after her.

  “She’s getting Bruce for you.” Jess hoisted the baby a little higher on her shoulder. Then she glanced up at Nat, and squinted a little in the sunlight. “It’s bright out here. I didn’t want to wear my sunglasses because Elizabeth would just pull them off.”

  “Here.” Impulsively, Nat took off his Stetson and put it on her head to shade her eyes. It was big on her and she looked adorable in it.

  “Oh, I can’t take your hat,” she said.

  “You can have anything of mine you want,” he said quietly.

  She held his gaze and her throat moved in a convulsive swallow.

  “Here’s Bruce,” Matty called, hurrying out with the sock monkey in one hand.

  Elizabeth twisted in Jess’s arms and reached out both hands. “Ba-ba!”

  “Thanks,” Jess said as Elizabeth grabbed the monkey and began gnawing happily on its arm. “We would have been back here in no time if we’d forgotten Bruce.”

  “I’m glad I remembered.” Matty started to reach a hand toward the baby, hesitated and shoved both hands in the pockets of the denim overalls she’d taken to wearing now that her jeans didn’t fit. “Okay, now, you’re sure you have enough diapers?”

  “Sebastian and I loaded in enough boxes of those things to diaper quintuplets for a month,” Nat said.

  “And my cell phone? Did either of you remember to pick it up off the dining-room table?”

  “I put it in my duffel,” Jess said.

  Matty rocked back on her heels and smiled brightly. “Well, then, I guess that’s it. Where’s Sebastian?”

  “He’ll be right out.” Nat decided not to mention what Sebastian had gone into the house to get. Matty was nervous enough about letting them take Elizabeth out to the line shack without bringing up a danger that might not even exist anymore.

  “I hope that wooden floor doesn’t give her splinters when she crawls on it,” Matty said. “Do you have some first-aid cream? I never thought of that. How about bandages and stuff like that?”

  “Sebastian said everything’s in that first-aid kit he keeps in the Bronco.” Nat decided it was time to get this show on the road. He opened the vehicle’s door. “Jess, why don’t you put Elizabeth in her car seat?”

  “Sure thing. Maybe you’d better take this back for now.” She handed him his Stetson and started to put Elizabeth in the car. Then she paused and glanced over at Matty. “Want to hug her goodbye?”

  Matty took a deep breath. “You know, I don’t believe I will. I don’t want to take a chance on upsetting her.” She grimaced. “Or me.” She turned toward Nat as if she didn’t care to watch Elizabeth being strapped into the padded seat. “Now, if you have the slightest problem, I want you to call. Someone will be here all the time, and one of us can take a run out there in my truck.”

  “I appreciate that, Matty.” This scene was starting to make Nat emotional, too. “I expect we’ll have an uneventful week.” He expected nothing of the kind. The events of this week would determine his entire future. He didn’t know if he, Jess and Elizabeth could form a happy little unit, but this was as close to a trial run as he was going to get.

  He was counting on having a crutch to get him through, and that crutch was making love to Jess. Nothing had seemed quite right ever since she’d proclaimed a ban on that activity, and Nat was sure once he could take her to bed again he’d feel more sure of himself in other areas of his life.

  “She’s in,” Jess announced. Then she walked toward Matty. “Can you risk giving me a hug?”

  “I can risk it.” Matty squeezed Jess tight. “Take care of yourself and that precious little bundle.”

  “I will.” Wiping at her eyes, Jess climbed into the Bronco. “You’d think we were leaving for a year, the way we’re carrying on.”

  “We’ll get better at this,” Matty said. “We’ll have to.” She turned to Nat. “Watch out for them,” she murmured.

  “You bet.” He gave Matty a quick hug and walked around the Bronco to the driver’s side. Matty had moved back several feet, as if to give herself distance from the pain of watching them drive away. If Sebastian didn’t show up soon, people were going to start blubbering, Nat decided. He got in and shoved the key in the ignition. He was about to lay on the horn when Sebastian appeared.

  “I’m coming!” he called as he loped down the porch steps carrying a small toolbox.

  Nat got out again and went around to open up the back. No way did he want that thing up front.

  “Okay, I found you a lock for the clasp,” Sebastian said as he tucked the toolbox in among the pile of cardboar
d boxes, collapsible baby furniture and bags of groceries. He handed Nat a small key. “It’s locked now, but I wouldn’t leave it that way if I were you.” He lowered his voice. “Does Jess know how to handle one?”

  “I don’t know. I doubt it.”

  “Maybe you should teach her.”

  “I’m not sure about that. The noise would be bad for the baby.”

  “True,” Sebastian agreed. “Well, at least you’ve got it.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Nat didn’t want a gun, but if it would make Sebastian sleep better, maybe that was reason enough.

  Jess turned in her seat. “What are you two doing back there?”

  “Last-minute stuff,” Nat said as he closed up the back again and held out his hand to Sebastian. “I’m going to do everything in my power to make this come out right for you.”

  Sebastian’s grip was firm. “Don’t worry about me. Make this come out right for that little kid in there and I’ll be happy.”

  “I’ll give it all I’ve got.” With one final squeeze, he released Sebastian’s hand, touched the brim of his hat in salute and walked back to the driver’s side of the Bronco. In seconds he was in, seat belt fastened, engine switched on. As he put the vehicle in gear he looked up to see Sebastian standing with his arm around Matty.

  Please don’t let me be the reason for screwing up this good man’s life, he prayed as he pulled out of the driveway, tooting the horn once as he headed down the rough dirt road that cut across the Rocking D property and ended at the old line shack on the edge of Sebastian’s land. In the rearview mirror he saw Matty and Sebastian still standing there, their arms raised in farewell.

  “If I knew nothing else about you,” Jess said, her voice choked with emotion, “I would know you were special because of your friends.”

  AS THE BRONCO JOLTED over the bumpy road that was little more than a faint track across the countryside, Jessica didn’t try to make conversation. Nat had his hands full avoiding rocks and chuckholes, and she wanted to make sure Elizabeth felt safe, so she kept talking to her throughout the ride.

  She couldn’t see Elizabeth’s expression because the car seat faced toward the back, but at least the baby wasn’t crying. During one smooth stretch in the road Jessica unlatched her seat belt and leaned over to find out what was going on with her daughter, who hadn’t let out a peep so far. Elizabeth looked up at her, eyes wide, as if flabbergasted by the wild trip.

  Jessica couldn’t help grinning. “Having fun?” she asked.

  “Ba-ba!” Elizabeth jiggled in her car seat with every bump in the road and she kept her monkey clutched tight in one fist, but she didn’t look remotely ready to cry.

  Settling back in her seat, Jessica glanced at Nat. “I think we have a thrill-seeker on our hands.”

  “There’s a scary thought,” Nat said as he steered around one large rut and jostled them all anyway when one wheel dipped into another hole in the road.

  “At least she’s apparently decided to trust us.”

  “You, not us. The jury’s still out on whether she’ll tolerate being alone with me. She never has. Come to think of it, she won’t be on this trip, either.”

  “Why not?” Jessica thought this was the very time for that kind of experimentation. “I could take a little walk, so we could test it and see how she does.”

  “Not this week. This week I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

  A thrill of awareness arrowed through her stomach. “You mean because the guy still might be out there?”

  He didn’t take his eyes off the road. “That’s right. Besides, it makes a damn fine excuse to keep you close to me.” He gripped the wheel tighter as they hit another rocky spot in the road. “Very close.”

  As heat spiraled through her, she watched those hands control the steering wheel with strength and sureness. How she’d missed his touch. They’d barely begun to enjoy each other again when she’d insisted on ending the physical relationship.

  She’d been right to insist on that until he’d had a chance to see Elizabeth and sort out how he felt about her. Unless Jessica was reading him all wrong, he’d made wonderful progress in that regard. Instead of being an obstacle between them, the baby seemed to be pulling them closer together.

  And she was ready to be close to this man again. More than ready. Even the bouncing ride seemed to be stirring her up. A week of loving Nat. It had seemed like a long time when the plan had been suggested, but now she wondered if it would be long enough to satisfy the need that she’d built up over the past few days. She didn’t want to waste a minute of their time together. She glanced at her watch. Nearly lunchtime. After lunch Elizabeth always took a nap….

  “You’re pretty quiet over there,” Nat said. “Are you having second thoughts?”

  She smiled to herself. “Yes.”

  “What?” He gave her a sharp glance. “So help me, Jess, if you’re not planning on making love to me while we’re out here, I don’t think I can—”

  “I’m having reservations about limiting ourselves to one week. Considering how much time I want to spend loving you, I wish we had at least two.”

  He let out a gusty sigh and shifted in his seat. “Oh, God. We should never have started this discussion.”

  Immediately she glanced down at the telltale bulge in his jeans, and her pulse began to race. “I probably don’t have to ask, but did you bring—”

  “Are you kidding? Those little foil packets were the first thing I packed. We have more of them than we do diapers.” His jaw clenched. “I want you, Jess. Right here, right now.”

  The Bronco jolted them all as it hit a large rock in the road.

  She was breathing fast, and it had nothing to do with the rough ride. “Here and now isn’t what you’d call optimum,” she said.

  “I’m aware of that.”

  “How much longer before we get there?”

  He glanced at her, his gaze hot enough to melt steel. “An eternity.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  JESSICA HAD PREPARED herself for a primitive setting, not that she much cared where she was as long as she could be alone with Nat and Elizabeth. From the outside, the line shack looked about as she’d expected, the exterior weathered to a dull gray and broken up with square windows without curtains. A corrugated tin roof covered with pine needles, leaves and fallen branches topped the structure. The forest debris on the roof almost made it look thatched.

  But the shack, humble though it was, sat within a grove of aspens. With their gleaming white trunks fountaining upward to a burst of golden leaves, they were all the decoration the little place needed to make it spectacular.

  “It’s beautiful,” she said as Nat parked the Bronco near the front door.

  “Beautiful?” Nat gave her a puzzled glance. “You don’t have to pretend it’s the Taj Mahal for my sake, Jess. I know you’re used to much better.”

  She stared at him in shock. “Where did that come from?” In their entire relationship he’d never once apologized for their accommodations, and not all of them had been five-star, by any means.

  “Well, after all, you are an heiress, and—”

  “Nat Grady, have I ever, in all the time you’ve known me, put any importance in that? In fact, haven’t I done my level best to escape that label?”

  Elizabeth began to chortle in the back seat as if she wanted to join in the conversation.

  “Well, yes,” Nat said. “But you can’t change the fact that you are connected to Russell P. Franklin.”

  “As little as possible.” She didn’t really want to talk about this.

  Elizabeth grew louder.

  “Are you planning to keep Elizabeth a secret forever?” Nat asked.

  It was a fair question if he was considering making a life with her. She looked over at him. “No, I guess not. No matter how I feel about my parents and their power, that wouldn’t be right, for Elizabeth or them. I’ve been thinking about my mother lately,” she admitted. “Under better circumstanc
es, I’m sure she’d love the idea of being a granny.”

  Elizabeth started rocking in the car seat in time to her increasingly demanding babble.

  Unsnapping her seat belt, Jessica started to get out of the car so she could tend to the baby. “We should get her inside.”

  Nat didn’t move. “You mean better circumstances, as in a better guy?” he said softly.

  She turned to him, saw the naked uncertainty in his eyes and could have kicked herself for her choice of words. Ignoring Elizabeth’s agitation for the moment, she reached out and cradled his face in both hands “I have the best guy,” she said. “I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about this whole mess with the stalker. I would be proud to tell my parents you’re the father of my daughter.” I would be proud to tell them that you were my husband, too. But she didn’t say that. They needed to take care of Elizabeth before they had that kind of discussion.

  He covered her hands with his as he gazed into her eyes. “Jess, I never expect to make the kind of money that your father—”

  “Nat, shut up,” she said gently. Leaning forward, she kissed him. She’d only meant to silence him and stop this ridiculous discussion, but the minute her lips touched his, the need between them exploded.

  With a groan he slid his hands around to cup the back of her head and plunged his tongue inside her mouth. In no time they were straining to get to each other over the console between the seats, their breathing labored as their mouths sought deep and deeper access.

  “Da-da!” Elizabeth yelled at the top of her lungs.

  Jessica and Nat drew back from each other immediately, and she was sure her expression of guilt mirrored his. “The baby,” they said together.

  “My God, Jess.” Nat looked down at his hands as if they didn’t belong to him, as if he had no idea they’d already unfastened the first button of her blouse. He pulled away as if he’d touched something hot.

  She struggled for breath and fastened her blouse. “We’ll…have to be more careful.”