Mountain Man's Secret Baby

by Lauren Wood

“Gemma, wake up.”

  I heard Keenan’s voice and turned towards the sound. “I am tired. Go away Keenan.”

  “I want to go out for dinner. Come on and get up.”

  I was exhausted because the drive back from the festival was a long one and after a full day of activities, I was just plumb tuckered out. I wanted to sleep, but my husband was insistent and even though I wanted to hit him, I finally opened my eyes.

  “It’s dark outside.”

  “I had a meeting with your father that ran over or I would have been here sooner.”

  I knew my face changed. I didn’t want to hear about my father and Keenan’s business. That was what got me into this mess to begin with and I had a feeling that even though I told myself I didn’t care, I would.

  So I let him tell me how great it was going and how my father had fostered a deal that Keenan had thought was even possible. He was in love with dad and this wasn’t the first time that I had felt second rate to him. My dad was a money wizard and everyone around him struck gold.

  That left me married to a man that wanted to strike it rich, even though he already was and I hated that his plan was going so well. I knew that it was because of dad that he was going to take off in his career, but where did that leave me?

  It left me stupidly falling for a man that couldn’t see passed the numbers in his bank account. In no world was he right for me and the more I thought about it, the more I was sure that I was just setting myself up for failure thinking anything about it.

  “Are you even listening to me Gemma?”

  I was barely awake and my mind had wandered. I certainly wasn’t thinking about what he was saying or even hearing it for that matter. I got up and pushed the sheet away and heard him hiss from above me.

  “What? I am listening. I am just getting up.”

  Keenan didn’t answer me and I finally looked over at him to see what he was making that sound for. His dark eyes were staring at me and it took a minute for it to register to me the look that was on his face. I looked down and made a sound of my own.

  “Go Keenan. I will be out in a minute.”

  His mouth was agape as he didn’t budge. I grabbed the sheet that I had just moved off of me and covered up my naked body. Why hadn’t I realized that a little bit sooner?

  “Sorry, I didn’t realize that I was naked.”

  Keenan still hadn’t moved but the look in his eyes was predatory as they met mine.

  “Go Keenan!”

  The raise in my tone seemed to snap him out of it, but he was still not all that quick about getting out like I asked. His gaze had taken in every inch of my body and by the way he looked, he really liked what he saw. I am not saying that it wasn’t flattering, but it had my whole body on fire with a blush that had creeped over me rapidly.

  I went to the door and locked it before I let the sheet fall to the floor. I couldn’t believe that he had caught me like that, but his reaction was one that I wouldn’t likely forget any time soon.

  Getting dressed, I hurried and just threw on a short black dress that I wear out a lot. My hair that was tied in a knot on top of my head I let tumble down my shoulders. Pushing a few fingers through the mane, I was done. I wasn’t going to get all fancy because he wanted to go out.

  “So are you ready to go?”

  He looked at the dress and then my hair. There were still flames in his eyes and I felt no less naked then I did a few moments ago.

  “Yeah Gemma. You look great.”

  “Is it fancy enough?”

  His dark expression didn’t lighten up as he nodded his head. “Anything you wear is right.”

  “Except for the wrap huh?”

  Keenan didn’t find my comment funny, but I found it hilarious. His reaction to it was even better and I was having far too much fun with it all.

  “I just don’t like guys looking at you like that.”

  “Like what? The way you are looking at me now?”

  He frowned and I smiled bigger. At least I got to mess with him if he was going to wake me up and make me go out. I wasn’t expecting much and when we pulled up at the restaurant a while later, I got exactly what I figured I would.

  The place was nice and though I hadn’t been there before, I remember a couple of people talking about it. It was pricey but hopefully had some good food. I wasn’t that hungry, but it was nice to see Keenan again. Last night had been pretty intense and not seeing him again all day was hard because I had wanted to make sure that we were going to be okay.

  I’d turned him down and now he was acting a little different. I don’t know why it bothered me so much, but being here I hoped that he would see that I was going to try to get along. There were just some lines I wasn’t going to be able to cross. I shouldn’t cross them.

  We sat down and I wished that I hadn’t teased him. He turned into a sour mood and when he asked me the next question, I almost spit out the water that I had just taken a sip of.

  “What?”

  “You called me Raphael the first night we stayed together in the tent. You kissed me, rather passionately and I have to wonder who that is.”

  I didn’t know what to say. My heart was pounding in my chest and I took a deep breath before I continued.

  “He was an old acquaintance of mine. I don’t know why I would be dreaming about him.”

  “Were you two intimate?”

  The question was out of line, the same one I had tried not to cross.

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because I have to know.”

  “Why do you have to know? I don’t understand you. You are so possessive. Do you really want to compare notes?”

  “There are notes?”

  I sighed and looked around for the waiter. I was going to need something a little stiffer than water if this was how this conversation was going to go. I didn’t want to argue with him, but it was clear that Keenan had some things to get off of his chest and my side stepping his questions didn’t seem to be helping matters at all.

  “No, there are no notes. I wasn’t intimate with Raphael in a way that you are thinking of. It was innocent and I loved him if you must know.”

  That got him to shut up and then it was Keenan that didn’t want to meet my gaze.

  “I have never loved anyone.”

  “That makes me sad for you.”

  “What happened?”

  “With what?”

  “With you and Raphael.”

  I didn’t want to talk about it, but I knew if I said one thing, it would lead to another question, much like it was doing right now. Every time I said something, he wanted to know more and I didn’t want to give him more.

  “He died.”

  I didn’t add anything more to it and I hoped that it would change the subject.

  “I am sorry to hear that. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s fine, really. It was a long time ago, before I even started college, so it’s not a big deal now.”

  “Well he must have meant a lot to you to still think about him enough to dream about him.”

  “We were engaged.” I stopped myself and shook my head. I didn’t want to tell him all of that and I shut my mouth. It just spilled out and I forgot how long it had been since I had even said his name when I was awake. I missed him. He’d been free like me and he was the few moments of sanity that I got away from my daily life. I wished more than anything for an outlet like him now.

  “Oh. So does your father know about this?”

  “Of course he does, though I think he was happy about it. He would never dare say anything to my face. He didn’t think that Raphael was good enough for me. He didn’t come from a good family and he hadn’t made his fortune yet, so dad thought he was just trash that would amount to nothing.”

  “I am sorry to have brought up something so personal. I was jealous and now I wished that I hadn’t put my foot in my mouth.”

  “You didn’t know. It’s okay.”

  “It doesn’t fee
l okay. I feel like a boob.”

  I giggled at his terminology and couldn’t be mad at him for long. I know that he didn’t mean to hurt me, so there was no need for me to be upset about it. It was in the past and like I’d said over and over again, it has been quite some time since it happened, but it still hurt to talk about him.

  “Did you ever almost get married before, ever engaged?”

  He shook his head like that was the very last thing on his mind. I didn’t think he had. I would have read about it and he just didn’t seem like the type for commitment.

  “No, nothing that was ever that serious. I don’t think I am meant to get married. Well that is what I thought for most of my life anyways.” I think he forgot for a minute that we were in fact married.

  “I felt the same way after Raphael. I told my father I was never going to get married and I think it scared him. This is most likely why he did all of this. He doesn’t want me to be a spinster, although I think it wouldn’t have been that bad. It isn’t going to be much different than it is now. I will get the last laugh when he doesn’t get the grandchildren that he goes on and on about.”

  “So you are trying to stick it to your dad?”

  I hadn’t really thought about it like that, but there was certainly a lot of animosity between us.

  “He hated Raphael and would never let us be together. I just think about all of the time we would have had together if he wouldn’t have been so adamant against him. I mean, look at you. He practically blackmailed you to marry me. If he would have been that way towards Raphael, I could have seen him so much more in the little time that we had together.”

  “That is a lot to put on your old man. He must not have really known how you felt. When you are young, emotions are even stronger and can feel like more than they really are.”

  I frowned at him and told Keenan he sounded just like my dad.

  “I don’t know what to say Gemma. I had this going so much better in my head.”

  I chuckled a little bitterly and agreed. “I am sure you did. Nothing like asking about your wife’s dead ex-boyfriend to really get the party started.”

  “Can we start over?” He looked at me earnestly and I had to smile his way. He was really cute when he wanted to be. He has this look to him that made it hard to stay mad at him very long. I don’t know what I was going to do with him, he was a true mess, but he was mine for better or for worse.

  Chapter 14

  Keenan

  Another week went by and I was no closer to bedding my wife then when I first started out. It was nice to think about it and I certainly craved her, but she still wasn’t ready and after learning more about her past, I could see why. I didn’t want to rush her, but at the same time I didn’t want to go on without touching her for another moment. I had fallen for Gemma. I had fallen for my wife.

  “Sir?”

  I looked up from my desk and I knew by the look on my assistant’s face that I was daydreaming again. It was becoming a problem. One that I had never had before, but now it was hard to stop it. I had so many hopes for me and Gemma. I also knew it was because she refused me, many times now. I wanted her and she wasn’t as apt to want me. It was frustrating to no end.

  “Yes Betty, what is going on?”

  “Ronald is here to see you.”

  I nodded my head and thanked her. “Have him come in. I will be with him in just a minute.”

  Ronald had started to pop up a couple of days after me and his daughter got married. He came there to say hi, but I knew that he was really there to see how things were going between me and Gemma. I wished that I had better news for him, but our marriage was yet to be a real marriage. Right now, it is just two people that are becoming less strangers. There was a long way until we would be together in any real kind of way.

  “Good morning Keenan.”

  I turned towards the approaching man and returned the greeting.

  “I have a good lead of a sale. We have to go do it now. It’s a short sell and I couldn’t tell you over the phone. You are going to thank me in about a week Keenan. I think we can double your whole portfolio.”

  This was the kind of information that I’d married his daughter for. I squinted my eyes towards him and wanted to know what it was that he wanted. Ronald was a man that would do nothing for no reason. I had to wonder what his plan was, besides helping me to double my profit. He wanted something for it, but I played along. I had already gone to great extremes for this. It didn’t matter that my wife was making me realize that I had done it all for money that I didn’t need. Would it make me any happier? Did I really need to conquer the world to be complete? Or did I just need to conquer her?

  “Well come on Keenan. We have to make some moves now before anyone else catches wind of this.”

  I didn’t even ask what he was talking about, it didn’t matter. If Ronald Gray told you to make a short sell, you did. I wasn’t going to waste time, but at the same exact time I wasn’t moving as fast as I would a week or two ago. Gemma was making me realize that I had to pick a new dream. I had conquered the money world, now I just wanted to do the same to her.

  Grabbing my jacket, I moved out of the office. Ronald was already outside in the hallway. He was talking to one of the interns and she was gushing at the older man. Did everyone know who Ronald Gray was? It was like everywhere we went, he was welcomed. I still wanted that kind of reverence. The money didn’t matter, but I did want the respect that came with it.

  I followed Ronald out to his waiting car. The driver already knew where to go and I sat back in the seat across from him feeling awkward. It didn’t matter how many times we had had these impromptu meetings, I was still getting used to his style. It was a hard one to jump on the band wagon for.

  “You look nervous Keenan.”

  “Not at all Sir.”

  “How are things going with Gemma?”

  I had to wonder if he was here only for that one question. It had been almost two weeks since we had been married and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that everything was because of this. Gemma was right. He desperately wanted grandchildren and I didn’t yet know the lengths he would go to get what it was that he wanted.

  “We are doing well Sir.”

  His bright eyes looked into mine, trying to find something that wasn’t there. I had nothing to report, even if he wasn’t my father-in-law and this all wasn’t extremely embarrassing to talk about with him.

  “Are you?”

  I shook my head, but I could feel his eyes boring into me. Ronald didn’t believe me.

  “I am shocked really. My daughter can be a handful.”

  I nodded my head and smiled. “Yeah she took me to a music festival last weekend.”

  Ronald laughed and told me that he couldn’t imagine me there with a bunch of stinkin’ hippies. I saw the utter disgust that he had for them and I remembered that Gemma told me that he had called her that all of the time. I hoped then that he hadn’t said it in such a way. Ronald was a good man, but he was also a very conservative man that just wanted normal kids to take over when he was gone. It was rather ironic that he had a gay son and a hippy daughter. Both were loved, but I could imagine that his new hope was on normal grandkids.

  I smiled to myself and he thought I was thinking about the festival with Gemma. I wasn’t going to make a comment either way. Let him think what he wants.

  “Well I have decided that it is because you didn’t go on a proper honeymoon. Women are particular about that sort of thing. Did you even take a day off to go to a honeymoon?”

  “No Sir. I think we ended up meeting that next day.”

  Ronald thought for a moment and nodded. “So we did. Well then it is partly my fault. I will fix this.”

  “There is nothing to fix Sir.”

  “There is. I have already told the pilot to take you wherever you want to go.”

  I didn’t mention that I had my own transportation. Ronald was trying to be helpful and like everything
else, I was just going to let him have his way. There was no use in pretending like he wasn’t the one in charge. I just couldn’t bring myself to see it any other way. I had gotten into this with open eyes and I still found the old man far easier to deal with then the daughter. Gemma had even higher expectations.

  “Thank you Sir. Do you have any suggestions? Places that Gemma would like to go?”

  The old man shrugged and wiped his brow with a handkerchief. “She goes everywhere and anywhere there is nature. That’s what makes her happy. Get her some paints and take her somewhere beautiful. That is how you get to an artist’s heart.”

  “You sound like you know from experience.”

  The smile on his face brightened. “She is just like Evelyn. Where do you think her creative side came from? Her mother was a wild rose and still is in many ways, but she slowed down. I had to slow her down. You just have to show her what is best for her.”

  He looked at me meaningfully and I had to wonder what it was I was supposed to do. How could I slow down a woman like Gemma?

  ***

  “Where are we going Keenan?”

  “I thought you liked being in the moment?”

  “I do, but it is better if you give me a little hint.”

  “Like you gave me when you took me out to the middle of nowhere?”

  “So this is payback?”

  I shook my head and told her that it wasn’t. “It is just a surprise.”

  “But what about work?”

  I shrugged and told her that it didn’t matter. “Work will be there when I get back.”

  She checked my forehead and I laughed at her. We were on my plane and I had taken Ronald’s advice. I was going to take her to the most beautiful place on the planet at the minute and I hoped that it was going to be her first time. Ronald had also mentioned paints, though I didn’t know what kind. So I got a little of everything. I hoped that she liked this as much as I thought she would.

  “You are like a different man. Last week you were flying out of the festival every morning because of business.”

  “Gemma, you made me think about it. I never thought about work as everything I did, but you were right. I need to put more effort and energy into other facets of my life that are far more important.”