It was ironic that something was the reason she’d gotten pregnant. A paralegal at the law firm had died from bacterial meningitis and everyone who had come in contact with her was prescribed a powerful antibiotic. Unknown to Renee, the antibiotic interacted with her low-dose contraceptive, decreasing its potency.
There were times after she’d relocated to Kentucky when she wondered what if Donald hadn’t been married. Would he have offered marriage once she told him he was to become a father? The what-ifs had haunted her until she went for a drive, parked along the bank of a small river and screamed at the top of her lungs. The action was enough to purge her what-ifs and lingering angst.
Renee forced herself to leave the bed long enough to brush her teeth and take a hot shower. She made it back to bed on wobbly knees and went back to sleep.
Sheldon walked into the dining hall and saw Jeremy and Tricia sitting at a table with her grandfather, Gus Parker. Tricia motioned for him to join them.
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “Good morning.”
“Good morning, Pop.” Her dark eyes sparkled. “Grandpa has some wonderful news.”
Sheldon sat next to his longtime friend. Augustus Parker had come to the farm as a groom two weeks after Sheldon purchased his first Thoroughbred, and retired as assistant trainer some thirty years later.
“What’s the good news, Gus?”
Tall, thin and nearing eighty, Gus affected a mysterious smile. “I’m getting married.” He and his first wife Olga were married for forty-seven years before she died twelve years ago.
Sheldon’s shocked expression gave way to a wide grin as he pumped Gus’s hand. “Congratulations. Who is the lucky woman?”
“Beatrice Miller.”
“Your nurse?” Sheldon asked.
“My ex-nurse and soon-to-be wife.”
Tricia rested a hand on her grandfather’s shoulder. Gus had suffered a heart attack and been hospitalized in late summer, but had recovered enough to give her away in marriage to Jeremy Blackstone. It was apparent the middle-aged visiting nurse not only helped heal the older man’s heart; she’d softened it as well.
“When is the big day, Grandpa?”
“I’m leaving that up to Beatrice.”
“Do you plan to move off the farm?” Sheldon asked.
Gus shook his head. “No. I wouldn’t even consider leaving now that I’m going to become a great-grandfather.” He winked at his granddaughter. “Beatrice told me she would love to fill in for Tricia as school nurse once she goes out on maternity leave.”
Tricia stared at Gus. “I’m not going out on maternity leave, Grandpa. The baby is due the first week in July. School is over by that time. I’ll have two months to bond with the baby, then I’ll see it every day at the school’s infant center.”
Sheldon thought about Renee and her baby. She’d told him she was in her fourth month, which meant she would probably deliver sometime in March. Although she would not have worked for Blackstone Farms long enough to make her eligible for maternity leave, he would ask Jeremy to allow her some time off.
He glanced down at his watch. It was nearly noon and Renee had not put in an appearance. If she did not come to the dining hall before he’d left it, he would bring her breakfast favorites to the house.
Sheldon rapped on Renee’s bedroom door, listening for movement on the other side. He tried the knob, turning it slowly. The door opened silently and he walked over to the bed. She lay on her side, eyes closed. He touched a bare shoulder, then jerked his hand away. She was burning up!
Guilt attacked him. He thought she’d refused to share his bed because she hadn’t felt comfortable sleeping with him at the farm. Reaching for the cell phone on his waistband, he dialed Jeremy’s number. The call was answered after the second ring.
“Tell Tricia I need her to come and check on Renee. She’s burning up with fever.” Ending the call, Sheldon walked into the bathroom, wet a towel with cold water, then retraced his steps.
Jeremy and Tricia found Sheldon sitting on the side of Renee’s bed, dabbing her face and neck with a cloth.
Tricia met her father-in-law’s worried gaze. “Let me take her temperature.”
Sheldon rose from the bed. He stood with his back to the window, watching intently as Tricia took Renee’s temperature and blood pressure.
“Last night she complained of a sore throat,” he said in a quiet voice.
Tricia glanced at Sheldon over her shoulder. “At least half a dozen kids have also come down with sore throats. The doctor tested them for streptococcus.”
A frown appeared between Sheldon’s eyes. “Did any of them have it?”
“No. All of the cultures came back negative.”
“I can’t take antibiotics,” Renee said in a croaking voice.
Tricia met her gaze. “Why not?”
Renee closed her eyes. It hurt her to talk or swallow. “I’m pregnant.”
Jeremy and Tricia turned and stared at Sheldon, whose impassive expression did not change with Renee’s admission. They exchanged a knowing look. It was apparent the elder Blackstone knew about Renee’s condition.
“I want her tested for strep throat,” Sheldon ordered softly.
After tucking her stethoscope and blood pressure equipment into a small black leather case Tricia stood up. “You want the doctor to come out here today?”
“Call him, Tricia. Now.” Sheldon could barely control his annoyance. The farm’s on-call physician was paid a generous retainer to come at a moment’s notice.
Jeremy was more than familiar with his father’s explosive temper. He had challenged him countless times as an adolescent, and had always come up the loser.
“I’ll call the doctor, Pop.” Turning on his heel, Jeremy walked out of Renee’s bedroom.
Tricia, more than anxious to follow her husband, said, “Make certain she drinks lots of water to avoid dehydration. I’ll wait downstairs for Dr. Gibson.”
Renee lost track of time, but she remembered hearing the doctor tell Sheldon she had contracted a virus, and with bed rest, a light diet and plenty of fluids she should feel better in three to five days.
She slept for hours, waking to find Sheldon hovering over her while urging her to drink from the glass he held to her lips. Milk and blended fruity concoctions were added; these she sipped through a straw. What she did not remember was Sheldon washing her body as if she were a small, helpless child. Early one morning she woke up to find him asleep on the chair in the sitting room.
Renee sat up in bed Tuesday afternoon alert and ravenous. The first thing she noticed was that she wasn’t wearing a nightgown, but a man’s T-shirt; the second was the woman coming out of the bathroom with a pail filled with cleaning supplies. Even though she’d met Claire Garrett at the pre-race party, she’d only seen the housekeeper once before. She heard the hum of her vacuum cleaner, but failed to catch a glimpse of the tall elusive woman.
The third thing she noticed was the most shocking: her stomach. She’d lost her waistline the month before, leaving her belly slightly rounded; however, now it protruded above her pelvis.
Claire smiled, her bright green eyes sparkling like emeralds. “I’ll let Sheldon know you’re up.”
“Thank you.” The two words came out in a low husky tone. Her throat no longer hurt, but whatever she’d picked up had affected her vocal cords.
Renee returned Claire’s smile as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her feet touched the cool bare floor and she shivered. It wasn’t even winter and she felt cold. It probably would take her some time to get used to the change of seasons.
Walking into the bathroom, she filled the tub with water, added a capful of bath salts, the scent of vanilla wafting in the air. She brushed her teeth, rinsed her mouth with a mint-flavored mouthwash and
washed her face, then stepped into the tub. Sighing, she rested her head on a bath pillow and closed her eyes.
“Do you need me to wash your back?”
Sitting up and splashing water over the sides of tub, Renee spied Sheldon lounging in the doorway, smiling broadly. A swath of heat cut a path from her face to her toes.
“No…no thank you.”
Sheldon could not move, not even to breathe. The sight of her full breasts and the timbre of her husky voice rendered him temporarily paralyzed. The increasing heaviness between his thighs was akin to pain, a pain he did not want to go away.
“Does your throat still hurt?”
Sinking lower in the water, she shook her head. “No. But I sound like a foghorn.”
He fixed his stare on her dewy face, smiling. “All foghorns should sound so sexy.”
Sheldon knew he had to leave the bathroom now, or he would strip off his clothes and join Renee in the bathtub. “I’ll see you downstairs.”
He knew his feelings for the woman living under his roof were intensifying with every minute he remained in her presence. Sitting and watching Renee sleep while he waited for her body to heal had taken him back twenty years. Then he’d sat by another woman’s bedside, waiting and watching her die. While the events in his life had changed in two decades, he hadn’t—not until now.
In the past, he’d slept with other women because of sexual frustration. However, it was different with Renee because he did not need her as much as he wanted her. A wry smile tilted the corners of his mouth. It was time he opened himself to accept whatever life offered.
Chapter Seven
“Is this your first one?”
Sheldon pulled his gaze away from The Washington Post and looked at the red-haired man sitting on his right. A slight frown furrowed his smooth forehead. “First what?”
“Baby?”
His frown vanished. “No.”
“Which one is it?”
As promised, Sheldon had accompanied Renee to her obstetrician the following week.
“This one will be the tenth,” Sheldon replied, deadpan.
The man’s face paled, leaving a sprinkling of freckles over his nose and cheeks before a bright pink flush eased its way up from his neck to forehead. “You’re kiddin’, dude?”
Nodding and hoping not to burst into laughter, Sheldon continued the charade. “Nope. I have nine sons. We keep trying because we’re hoping for a girl.”
“Holy…” The redhead’s words trailed off.
Sheldon went back to reading his newspaper.
Renee walked into the waiting room at the same time he finished reading the business section. He placed the newspaper on a coffee table and rose to his feet. Her dimpled smile was as bright as a spotlight.
When she had come to Blackstone Farms he never would have suspected she was carrying a baby. Now three weeks later, a hint of a belly was apparent under her khaki-colored tunic.
He closed the distance between them, putting an arm around her waist. “How are you?”
She snuggled closer to his side, her arms circling his waist. “Wonderful. It’s a girl!”
Lowering his head, Sheldon pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Congratulations.”
The moment she had informed him she was pregnant and intended to raise her child alone he’d hoped for a girl. He’d been a single father, and there were times when his teenage sons tested the limits of his patience and sanity.
He’d found girls quieter, less aggressive than boys. The difference between his three-month-old granddaughter Vivienne and Sean at the same age was like night and day. Vivienne was content to coo and play with her fingers and toes, while Sean had demanded to be picked up whenever he wasn’t sleeping.
“When’s your next appointment?”
“A month from now.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m fine, Sheldon. Let’s get out of here,” Renee said quietly. Seeing some of the women in their last days of confinement was a blatant indicator of what awaited her.
Sheldon escorted Renee through the waiting area, stopping only to tap the inquisitive man on his shoulder. “We can stop now. It’s a girl.”
He glared up at Sheldon. “What if it was going to be another boy?”
Leaning closer, his gray eyes giving off sparks like streaks of lightning, Sheldon bared his straight white teeth. “Then I’d keep trying, dude.”
Waiting until they were out in the parking lot, Renee placed a hand on Sheldon’s arm. “Did I miss something back in the doctor’s office?”
Sheldon opened the pickup’s passenger-side door. “He asked me how many children I had and I told him nine.” He bit back a smile when Renee’s delicate jaw dropped. “I said we were going to keep trying until we got a girl.”
Resting her hands on his chest, Renee shook her head. “You’re bad, Sheldon Blackstone.”
He moved closer, trapping her between his body and the truck’s door. “How bad, princess?”
Tilting her chin, she stared up at him through her lashes. “Very, very bad, your highness.”
Sheldon dipped his head. “Is that a good bad or a bad bad?”
Closing her eyes against his intense stare, she shook her head. “I don’t know.” The sultry hoarseness in her voice floated around them like a low, lingering fog.
“What would I have to do to help you make up your mind?”
Renee opened her eyes. “I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
Without warning, she found herself swept up in a strong embrace and seated in the truck. She did not have time to catch her breath when Sheldon got in beside her, put the vehicle in gear and drove out of the parking lot.
“Where are you going?” Renee asked as Sheldon parked the truck behind a gourmet shop.
Leaning over, he kissed her cheek. “How would you like to share a late afternoon picnic dinner with me?”
She ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip, drawing his gaze to linger there. “Where?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Front porch, back porch, your bedroom or mine. It’s your call.”
Renee thought of his choices, then said, “How about outdoors?” The early frost had come and gone, and the Indian summer temperatures topped out in the low seventies during the daytime hours.
Sheldon regarded Renee for a minute. She was totally unpredictable, a trait he liked because he knew she would never bore him. “Outdoors it is.”
Renee lay on a blanket in the same spot where she’d lain with Sheldon on Halloween. They sampled the most delectable foods, emptied a bottle of sparkling water, then fell asleep in each other’s arms.
The sun had begun its descent and the air had cooled considerably when she stirred, her face pressed to Sheldon’s solid chest, one leg sandwiched between his.
“Sheldon?”
He opened his eyes at her sultry query. “Yes, baby?”
“I want you to be bad.”
There was a pulse beat of silence. “How bad?”
There came another pause. “Naughty.”
Cradling her body with one arm, Sheldon rolled Renee over on her back. “Here?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I can’t protect you, because I didn’t bring any condoms with me.”
Renee giggled like a little girl. “It’s too late for that, Sheldon. Remember, I’m already pregnant.”
She was pregnant and he was disease-free. He had used a condom with her the first time because he didn’t want Renee to think he was cavalier when it came to sleeping with women.
Sitting back on his heels, he reached down and pulled off his waffle-knit pullover. His gaze fused and locked with Renee’s as he removed boots, jeans and
boxers. He followed her gaze as it moved downward.
The first time they’d made love it had been in the silvered glow of a full moon, and now it was in the fading shadows of the setting sun. He had tasted and touched her like a sightless man, but this time everything she claimed would be presented for his viewing.
A cool breeze rustled the leaves on an overhead tree, leaves falling and littering the blanket like colorful confetti. Shifting, Sheldon removed Renee’s shoes and striped trouser socks. He unbuttoned her tunic, his breath catching in his chest. Leaning over, he pressed a kiss to her distended belly.
“You’re beautiful, princess.”
Renee closed her eyes. “I’m fat, Sheldon.”
Reaching for her hand, he placed it over her stomach. “You’re filled with life, darling. Don’t you realize how special that is?”
She opened her eyes, seeing unspoken pain glowing in his eyes and recalling the loved ones he’d buried. “Yes.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “This baby is special.”
He removed her tunic, bra and panties with a skill and familiarity indicating he had performed the action innumerable times.
Renee did not have time to ponder his statement when she found herself naked to his penetrating gaze. Extending her arms, she welcomed Sheldon into her embrace. She did not feel the full effect of his comforting weight because he’d supported it on his arms.
Under a darkening autumn sky with all of nature as their audience, they began a dance of desire that needed no dress rehearsal.
His eyes smoldering with liquid fire, Sheldon feasted on the woman who made him look forward to the next day, the woman who made him laugh without trying to be funny and the woman who made him want to be inside her every day, hour, minute, second.
He brushed featherlike kisses around her mouth. Her lips parted of their own volition, and his tongue entwined with hers like pieces of molten steel. He did not kiss her mouth, but devoured it before moving down to the scented column of her neck, lingering at the base of her throat.
The Blackstone Promise Page 8