Derrick was more grateful for Jackson and Spence than ever. They stayed calm while he nearly lost it. He’d cradled Ellie, making sure she was breathing. They’d made the calls.
Noah came into the room then. He walked over to Ellie’s bedside and stared at her. “She’s really pregnant?”
Derrick couldn’t believe it, either. “Yes, but it’s risky.”
Noah nodded without looking up. “Spence told me.”
Spence. Interesting. Derrick hoped that meant they’d bonded. Noah needed guidance.
“Thanks.”
The word came out soft. Derrick almost missed it.
“I’m not going to let anything happen to her, Noah.” Derrick thought about what Noah had said about a mentee. “If you let me, I’ll make it up to both of you.”
“I shouldn’t have moved the money.”
“No.”
“We can worry about that later,” Spence said.
Noah nodded again as he stepped away from the bed. “I want to get her some flowers.”
“I know the place for that.” Spence gestured for Noah to follow then winked at Derrick.
He watched them go and thought about all that had happened. All the miscommunication and missed cues. He’d hidden behind his desk for so long, so focused on the business and not the people he cared about. But no more. He would do better. For her, he would try.
Sixteen
The DC Insider: An ambulance. A family fight. These Jamesons know how to keep things interesting. But the fairy tale is back on! Congratulations to Derrick Jameson and Ellie Gold on their upcoming wedding...and the little surprise they’ve been keeping. We’re hoping for a girl.
Ellie was finally able to leave the hospital three days later. Not that anyone let her even take a step on her own. She’d tried to get off the couch for a drink of water this morning and men had come from every direction.
Derrick had turned away the engagement party guests. He’d explained that Ellie was sick. She didn’t know much else because every time she opened her mouth Derrick tried to feed her or give her a pill.
The guy loved playing nurse. She let it happen because she worried about what would happen when he stopped. The game should be over. Everyone knew everything now. Noah had been by every day. He seemed connected to Spence’s side and had made a tentative peace with Derrick.
She must have really been sick.
She heard male voices and Derrick’s telling people to get out. His tone, frustrated and gruffer than usual, made her tense. She’d been waiting for bad news since she got home. Not that she needed to invite more.
Derrick hadn’t been overstating what they faced with this pregnancy. It carried all sorts of risks. Not as bad as it could have been because she hadn’t been that far along when they’d discovered it, but the risks were still pretty high. So she’d opted for keeping the IUD. Now she spent every day doubting the choice and worrying she’d lose the baby. Derrick’s baby.
After everything that happened, she still wanted to build something with him. But could she trust him? He’d kept most of his promises to her, but he still lied. At the very least, he held information back because it benefitted him. She couldn’t figure out a way to process that.
“Hey.” That’s all Derrick said as he walked into the room.
Just as he had since she’d come home, he seemed subdued and a bit on edge. Her insides churned and she half wondered if that rubbed off on him.
She tapped the couch cushion next to her. “Can you come sit with me for a second?”
He hesitated then nodded. “Everything okay?”
He’d asked her that so many times that she now dreaded the question. “Is it, Derrick?”
“What does that mean?”
The question had been right there, on her tongue. She’d bit it back for days. Didn’t want to invite trouble. But she had to know. “Do you want me to leave?”
He made an odd face. “What?”
“This relationship was fake and now that—”
He swore under his breath. The sound of the harsh words made her jump. She wasn’t afraid but he did let them fly. She started to get up, but he held her hands and pulled her closer to his side.
“Never.”
The word didn’t make any sense. “What?”
His chest visibly rose as he inhaled a deep breath. “Ellie, how can you not get this? I love you.”
She didn’t realize she was shaking her head until he touched her hair. “What?”
“I fell in love with you. Nothing about this or how I feel about you is fake.”
Her mind refused to believe and that made his words that much sharper. “You don’t mean that.”
This was about guilt and the baby. He’d been moping around, not going to work. The pressure...she got it. It crushed her, too.
“We can figure something...” She didn’t even know what to say. She’d practiced and now the words wouldn’t come.
He slid off the couch and went to one knee. “Ellie Gold.”
She froze. “What’s happening?”
“Go ahead.” Spence called out the encouragement from the top of the stairs. Jackson stood with him and Vanessa. Noah was there. And was Spence holding up a phone?
Jackson pointed at the cell’s screen. “Carter didn’t want to miss this. He’s still ticked off that Derrick didn’t tell the whole truth, either.”
“You mention that now?” Derrick swore again. “You’re all pains in the—”
“Keep going,” Vanessa called out.
“Fine.” But Derrick didn’t sound fine. His voice was sharp and he was fidgeting. Something he rarely did. Then he looked at her and the scowl disappeared. A softness moved into his eyes. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She had no idea what else to say.
“I think I loved you from the first time I met you.” He laughed then. “You were so unimpressed with me and who I was. So beautiful and not interested in anything I had to say. It was a potent combination.”
The room started spinning again. This didn’t have anything to do with her pregnancy or fainting. It was the punch of happiness—hope—that seared through her. It left her breathless.
“I should have told you everything from the start, but I didn’t want you to find a new place to live.” Derrick laughed as he bent to kiss her hand. “Hell, it took forever to get you to agree to share a bed with me.”
He reached out a hand and fit it over her stomach. “Not that long, I guess.”
“Derrick...” She didn’t know what she wanted to say except his name.
“What I should have said when I gave you this ring.” He held it up.
They’d taken it off her in the hospital and she hadn’t dared ask for it. She felt naked and half-sick without it. Relief nearly swamped her at seeing it again.
He turned it over in his fingers. “I picked this because it reminded me of you. Bold, sparkly, beautiful. Different in every perfect way.”
Her defenses, already shaky, collapsed. Seeing him kneeling there, usually so strong but now so vulnerable, won her over. He’d messed up but they could fix this. They could learn to communicate better, to share. Together, they’d unlearn some of the damaging interpersonal skills passed down from their parents. They would do better.
She reached out and cupped his cheek. “Yes.”
He shook his head but this time he was smiling. “No, I’m asking this time.”
She bit back a laugh because he seemed so determined.
“Ellie Gold, I love you more than anything. I loved you before I knew about the pregnancy and I’ll love you forever, if you let me.”
“Yes.” The word rushed out of her. She was laughing and crying and nodding. One big weepy mess.
“Marry me.”
This time she fell against his chest and felt his strong
arms wrap around her. He whispered something into her hair. She could hear her name and the cheers from their family and friends who were sharing the moment. She loved all of it, all of them; mostly she loved Derrick.
She pulled back and stared up at him. Derrick, the strong and determined man who liked to boss her around and argue for no good reason. With him she felt the intoxicating mix of comfort and heat. She loved him and wanted him. She knew he would help protect their baby and they’d save each other if they lost it.
“I love you.” Her voice was soft but mighty.
“About time you said that.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I’m going to need to hear it a lot.”
“You know, if this is a real engagement—”
“It is.” He practically barked the response at her.
“You should know that I plan to be a bossy fiancée and an even bossier wife.” And that was an understatement.
Once she checked with the doctor about what she could do and couldn’t, she’d try to return to the work she loved. She’d also control his schedule a bit better than he did. No more all-nighters in the office or dinners at ten. She was going to get his life in line.
“Wait, what?” But he didn’t sound even a little worried about the idea.
“We’ll start with your work hours.” She glanced over his head at Jackson. “They are decreasing.”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
Derrick cleared his throat. “We’ll talk.”
“I’ll win.” She looked around and realized she already had.
“I can hardly wait to negotiate our new agreement.”
She heard groans that matched the one she was holding back. “You’re not going to believe what provisions I add.”
He kissed her then. Long and lingering. When he lifted his head, all the stress he’d carried on his face for the past few days was gone. “You can have everything you want.”
Her heart swelled. “You’re going to be a great husband.”
* * *
Carter would arrive tomorrow, after what had turned out to be a ten-day trip across the country. Only his baby brother would draw out something like that.
“What are you laughing about?” Spence asked.
Derrick looked up to see Spence staring at him. He stood at the kitchen sink, nursing his morning coffee. Ellie wasn’t up yet, which Derrick assumed would become a new thing now that she was pregnant.
They had a wedding and a baby ahead of them. His father was coming for the rescheduled engagement party in a few weeks. All of the things Derrick never thought he’d have, a family of his own and the stability of friends and family around him, were happening.
“Life is pretty good,” he said in response to his brother’s question.
“For you.” Spence shook his head. “You’ve met Dad’s conditions. Noah is quiet, your PR image is pristine, and Carter and I are both here, at least for the short-term. For as long as you need us, actually.”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, well. Apparently, I’m up next. Dad has some stipulations Carter and I need before we can settle the business and get him out for good.”
“You don’t have to—”
Spence made a strange noise. “I do.”
Derrick didn’t want to subject his brothers to their father’s stipulations, to have them run around trying to meet his conditions. He was willing to stop the nonsense. The business used to mean everything but his priorities had shifted. He knew he’d survive without the office now.
“This isn’t up for debate, Derrick.” Spence stared at him. “Got it? No more secrets or arguing.”
That loyalty meant more to Derrick than he ever thought possible. “Yes.”
“And the business is yours.” Spence smiled over his mug. “Just do a good job once Dad steps fully out so I can keep collecting the checks for my minority interest.”
Derrick lifted his mug in a fake toast. “Happy to.”
“And we’ll be here for you and for Ellie.” He made a groaning sound. “Even for Noah.”
Noah was one more thing Derrick needed to deal with. But not today. For the next week, Ellie was his only priority. He was stepping aside and letting Jackson do what Jackson did best—run things.
He had a party to plan and a wedding to set. There were about a billion doctor’s appointments they needed to go to. A bunch of specialists. He vowed that Ellie would not go through any of it alone.
“I appreciate that.” Derrick let his mind wander to the one place he didn’t want to go. “With this pregnancy—”
“She needs you. We’ll take up the slack and do Dad’s bidding.”
Derrick had no idea how to thank Spence for that. He tried anyway. “I truly appreciate that.”
Spence put down the mug and moved to the other side of the kitchen island, across from Derrick. “Stop doing that.”
“What?”
“Being grateful.” He snorted. “It’s annoying.”
“Only you would think so.”
“We’re going to get through this. She’s going to be fine—so is the baby.”
Derrick needed to hear the words. They might be empty, but he could tell Spence believed them. That was enough for now. “I believe I remember something about a bet?”
“Hell, no. You weren’t in on it.”
Derrick held out his hand. “Two hundred or I tell Ellie.”
“Unbelievable.” Spence slipped his wallet out of his pocket. “You only get this if I have a chance to win it back.”
That sounded ominous but Derrick took the cash anyway. “How?”
“Give me the baby’s due date so I have the inside scoop and can take a bunch of Carter’s money.”
“Sold.” The sound of their laughter filled the kitchen.
For the first time ever, Derrick finally felt like he was home.
* * * * *
Look for Spence’s story, coming in summer 2018!
Keep reading for an excerpt from THE RANCHER’S BABY by Maisey Yates.
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The Rancher's Baby
by Maisey Yates
One
My fake ex-husband died at sea and all I got was this stupid letter.
That was Selena Jacobs’s very dark thought as she stood in the oppressive funeral home clutching said letter so tightly she was wearing a thumbprint into the envelope.
She
supposed that her initial thought wasn’t true—strictly speaking. The letter proclaimed she was the heir to Will’s vast estate.
It was just that there were four other women at the funeral who had been promised the exact same thing. And Selena couldn’t fathom why Will would have made her the beneficiary of anything, except maybe that hideous bearskin rug he’d gotten from his grandfather that he’d had in his dorm at school. The one she’d hated because the sightless glass eyes had creeped her out.
Yeah, that she would have believed Will had left her.
His entire estate, not so much.
But then, she was still having trouble believing Will was dead. It seemed impossible. He had always been so...so much. Of everything. So much energy. So much light. So much of a pain in the ass sometimes. It seemed impossible that a solemn little urn could contain everything Will Sanders had been. And yet there it was.
Though she supposed that Will wasn’t entirely contained in the urn. Will, and the general fallout of his life—good and bad—was contained here in this room.
There were...well, there were a lot of women standing around looking bereft, each one of them holding letters identical to hers. Their feelings on the contents of the letters were different than hers. They must be. They didn’t all run multimillion-dollar corporations.
Selena’s muted reaction to her supposed inheritance was in some part due to the fact that she doubted the authenticity of the letter. But the other part was because she simply didn’t need the money. Not at this point in her life.
These other women...
Well, she didn’t really know. One of them was holding a chubby toddler, her expression blank. There was another in a sedate dress that flowed gently over what looked to be a burgeoning baby bump. Will had been too charming for his own good, it seemed.
Selena shuddered.
She didn’t know the nature of those women’s relationships to Will, but she had her suspicions. And the very idea of being left in a similar situation made her skin crawl.
There were reasons she kept men at arm’s length. The vulnerability of being left pregnant was one of them. A very compelling one.
As for the other reasons? Well, every woman in this room was a living, breathing affirmation of Selena’s life choices.
Pregnant by the CEO Page 17