by Andre, Bella
Clive’s eyes shifted to Conner, and the spark of pride that had flickered in their depths only seconds before disappeared. “That’s not true, is it, Con?” he asked. “You haven’t left Millie and Ralph’s daughter, or any other young lady, holding the bag, have you?”
Conner stood. Stephen had laid it all on the line; his secret was out. For a moment, he thought of explaining how it had happened, how Delaney had asked him to dispense with her virginity and he’d innocently obliged. But he knew, with his past, how hollow any excuse would sound. And he wasn’t willing to save himself at Delaney’s expense. He had to take full responsibility and make it right— or he’d disappoint his grandfather again.
He forced a bright smile even though the resentment he felt toward Delaney suddenly spiked. “Thanks for ruining my surprise, Stephen,” he said. “And just when I was about to make the big announcement.”
“The big announcement?” Stephen scoffed, still smug. “Yeah. I have good news, but I wanted to save it for the right moment, which I guess is now, thanks to you.” Stephen’s expression finally showed a touch of uncertainty. “What do you mean?”
Taking a deep breath, Conner replied with as much excitement as he could manage. “I’m getting married.”
His mother briefly covered her mouth with one hand. His grandfather pushed the button that raised his bed.
“You’re marrying this woman who’s pregnant with your child?” his mother asked.
“It’s true that Delaney and I are expecting a baby. But I’m happy about it,” he lied.
Stephen looked stricken, but his grandfather was obviously pleased. “I can’t think of anything better for you, son,” he said. “The people of Dundee are good people, salt of the earth, and it’s high time you settled down.”
Conner had a momentary vision of Delaney lying to him in the lobby of the Bellemont, lying to him in his hotel room, and wanted to throttle her. If not for her, he wouldn’t be in this position.
At least the shock on Stephen’s face was gratifying. “That’s what I’ve been thinking,” he murmured.
“But you haven’t even mentioned her,” his mother said. “When did you two meet?”
Conner focused on Stephen and kept his smile firmly in place. For the moment, he’d outmaneuvered him, but it was going to be a costly move. Marriage? Now? “Almost the minute I arrived in Idaho.”
“He’s lying,” Stephen said. “He just came up with this.
I can tell.”
But everyone ignored him.
“A wedding. Isn’t that wonderful, Dad?” Vivian gushed. “Conner’s getting married and starting a family. I can’t wait to meet the lucky bride. When’s the wedding?”
“Uh...we haven’t set a date yet. But soon,” he said.
“You’ll be the first to know.” Right behind Delaney.
“So when we see you next, it’ll be in Dundee? Is that where you’re having the wedding?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t that wonderful?” Vivian said again.
Thrilling, Conner thought. Now all he had to do was convince Delaney. He doubted she’d be too happy about it, but she was the one who’d gotten him into this. And she was going to be the one who’d get him out.
IT WAS LATE BY THE TIME Conner’s plane touched down in Boise. He rented a car because he hadn’t arranged for anyone to pick him up, and headed out onto the open road, eager for a couple of hours to think before he confronted Delaney. How was he going to get her to marry him? He couldn’t exactly force her, which meant he had to enlist her cooperation. But how? They didn’t know each other very well, and he hadn’t been particularly nice in the time they’d been acquainted; he’d been too angry for that. He didn’t have a lot to offer as far as stability went, considering the risk he was about to take, and she’d made it abundantly clear that she didn’t want anything from him. None of which stacked the odds in his favor. Besides, he couldn’t help balking at having his hand forced like this, which made winning her heart completely out of the question.
So what other weapon did he have?
Logic, he decided. Marriage would solve a myriad of problems. It would give their baby his name, save Delaney’s reputation, relieve her of at least part of the financial burden, protect his grandfather from further shame and reduce his uncles’ power over him. It also gave Conner some claim on Delaney. If they were married, she wouldn’t be slow-dancing with other men at the Honky Tonk as though she were single, he told himself. She’d make a commitment to him, he’d make a commitment to her, and they’d both be committed to their baby. That was the way it was supposed to be, and she was the one who’d chosen this path back in Boise, right?
By the time Conner passed beneath the wrought-iron arch leading to the ranch, he’d made his decision. He’d approach her in the morning, lay it all out and they’d set a date. How hard could it be? Then he’d get back to all the other things he had to do, like buy a nine-million-dollar ranch without any money of his own. And buy it, moreover, from his uncles, who would certainly fight him if they thought he had half a chance of succeeding.
He was the black sheep of the family, the one who wasn’t supposed to be able to do anything right. But now he was getting married, having a child, buying a ranch and building a huge resort. Was he crazy? Probably. But he wasn’t about to change course.
With a sigh, Conner parked as close to the door as he could manage with all the other vehicles already clogging the drive. He grabbed his bag and hopped out. He’d told Roy to let Delaney know he’d be home tonight, but he hoped she hadn’t waited up. He was tired and overwhelmed and figured tomorrow would be soon enough to set everything straight. Yet, when he let himself inside and found the whole place dark, he was strangely disappointed.
Evidently she wasn’t very excited about seeing him. Was she asleep? Or had she gone home for the night?
He set his bag in the living room and paused at the end of the hall instead of going immediately to bed. The house smelled of fresh-ground coffee and wood smoke, but there was a hint of Delaney here, too—her perfume, perhaps— and it caught him by the throat. He wanted to see her, he realized. He wanted to see her now.
Only because they had unfinished business, he told himself, but it was enough of an excuse to get him moving quietly down the hall toward her room. He stood on the other side of her door, listening for any sound, but he couldn’t hear anything. Dare he barge in? She hadn’t worried about changing his entire life that night in Boise. Why should he care about courtesy now?
He lifted a hand to knock, then hesitated and quietly opened the door. Delaney was sleeping in the middle of the bed. The blinds, only half-drawn, let in sufficient moonlight to reveal the fan of hair on her pillow, the delicate profile of her face, a bare arm thrown over the blankets.
The sight of her sleeping so peacefully soothed Conner’s anger, but it did nothing to make him feel like going to his room. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he slipped inside and stood by the edge of her bed, gazing down at her. She was beautiful. Regardless of what she’d done to him, regardless of what might happen between them, he had to give her that. When he imagined her growing big with his child, he felt an inexplicable sense of pride. And when he lay in his bed at night, he sometimes thought about the coming months and visualized her taking his hand and guiding it to her swollen abdomen to let him feel his baby kick.
From there, it wasn’t hard to fantasize about her taking his hands and guiding them someplace even more exciting. He remembered her hesitancy the first time he’d made love to her, the slow yet trusting way she’d eventually opened up to him, and wondered what it would be like to make love to her a second time. Here. Now.
Arousal swept through him as he imagined her waking up and pulling back the blankets in a silent invitation, pictured himself eliciting from her the same desire he felt, then taking her hard and fast until she cried his name. He wanted to hear her say she wasn’t content with being alone. That she wanted more than his baby. That she want
ed him.
But he knew better. She already had what she wanted.
She’d told him that, and her indifference at the Honky Tonk only confirmed it.
Raking a hand through his hair, he started to go, but her voice stopped him.
“Conner? Is that you?”
He turned, his heart in his throat. “Yeah, it’s me.”
“What are you doing here?”
What was he doing here? Why had he complicated his emotions by acknowledging the desire she evoked? He had no idea. “Just checking on you. I thought maybe you’d gone home for the night.”
She didn’t answer right away. “Do you need something?” she said at last.
“I need to talk to you, but we’ll do it in the morning.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Is your grandfather going to be okay?”
“I think so.”
“That’s good.”
“Yeah, that’s good,” he said, but he wasn’t thinking about what he was saying, he was thinking about touching her again, and he knew that if he didn’t get out of her quiet, dark room, he’d try. “It’s late. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Conner?” she called as he left.
He didn’t dare stop. He forced his feet to carry him at a quick and decisive pace to his room.
Chapter Seventeen
CONNER DIDN’T COME to breakfast or go out on the range with the other cowboys. Delaney had assumed he was sleeping after getting in so late, but she found him in his office, looking as though he’d been up all night, judging by his rumpled clothes and the stubble on his chin.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, pausing in the doorway and wondering at the change in him. Something was different. She could sense it. She’d felt it last night when he came to her room, and she felt it now, the second his eyes flicked in her direction. He was rather morose, for one thing, which Delaney didn’t really understand. But it wasn’t just his dark mood. He was also more focused, more driven. Why? “I’ve brought you some bacon and eggs.”
“Set it here, please.” He shoved some papers to the side and went right back to his computer.
Delaney deposited the plate on his desk. She knew he expected her to leave, but she’d been waiting for more than a week to talk to him. She wanted to discuss what they could both expect in the months to come, and felt it was time they made some decisions. So she waited, clearing her throat when he didn’t immediately look up, and finally managed to capture his attention.
“Is there something else?” he asked.
“Last night you said you wanted to talk to me. And I’ve actually been wanting to talk to you, too. So I was hoping this might be a good time.”
He kept typing. “Why don’t you go first?”
“Okay.” She waited for him to turn toward her, but he didn’t. “Are you going to stop that?”
He checked his watch, then glanced reluctantly at his computer screen. “I can only spare a few minutes.”
“Then, maybe we should postpone this until—”
“No, go ahead.” He swiveled to face her. “We need to get it handled. That’ll put at least one hurdle behind me.” Hurdle? Delaney rubbed her palms on her jeans. “I wanted to talk about what happened at the Honky Tonk before you left for California.”
“You don’t have to worry about that,” he said. “Why not?”
He shrugged. “Because it won’t happen again.”
“It won’t?”
“No.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you won’t be going there in the future.”
The hairs on the back of Delaney’s neck stood on end, and she took a step closer, coming to the edge of his desk. “Excuse me?”
“The place is a singles hangout,” he said, as though that explained everything.
“Not really, but sort of, I guess. Anyway, I am single.”
“You’re also pregnant.”
“Which is why I’m willing to compromise. Maybe while I’m carrying the baby, we can agree to—”
“A compromise won’t be necessary,” he said. “Why not?”
“Because I have a better solution.”
Delaney was almost afraid to hear what it might be. “And that is...”
“I think we should get married.”
Her knees buckled, and she quickly put both hands on the edge of the desk to support herself. “Did you just say what I thought you said?”
“You heard me.” He turned back to his computer. “Think about it and you’ll see that it’s the only answer.”
Bald. Matter-of-fact. Emotionless. Delaney cringed. “I don’t think it’s the only answer.”
His eyes met hers. “This is what’s best for the baby. It gives the baby a name, saves your reputation—”
“No.”
That made an impact. “What?” he said, apparently forgetting the computer.
“I said no. I’m not going to marry you.”
He scowled fiercely. “You haven’t heard all the reasons.
I’m sure once—”
“I know all the reasons.”
“Then, why are you saying no?”
“After such a romantic proposal, I can’t imagine.” She started out of the room, but he stood and rounded the desk so quickly that he caught her by the wrist before she could reach the door.
“What’s the matter, Laney? You landed us in this mess and now you’re not happy that there’s no wine and roses?” Delaney could feel the strength in his hand and wanted to twist away. At the same time, she wanted to strike out at him. But most of all, she wanted to kick herself for causing this disaster in the first place. He was right: it was her fault. How could she have been so foolish? “I should never have told you,” she said. “You should never have done it!”
“Okay! I agree, but I can’t change that now. I regret what I’ve done, but I can’t fix it, Conner. I did everything I could do when I told you the truth.”
Nostrils flaring, he stared down at her, his lips set in an angry line. Suddenly, inexplicably, she had a momentary vision of his mouth descending on hers. They hadn’t been quite this close since that first night, not even when they were dancing. His breath fanned her face, his heart beat above her own, and for some reason she didn’t understand, desire swirled through her. All her feelings seemed to spin together so fast that she could no longer separate one from another.
Conner must have experienced something similar, because she sensed a subtle change in him right before he pulled her into his arms and made the kiss she’d just imagined real.
As hard and hungry as his kiss was, it answered everything Delaney needed in that moment. They were caught in a web of blame and frustration, anger and regret, from which there was no escape, yet something very elemental kept them clinging to each other now. Her hands delved into his hair, urging him even closer as she opened her mouth to meet his tongue and simply let herself feel what he’d made her feel in Boise. Only better. This was somehow more poignant, more meaningful. She knew him. She knew she wanted him. But she also knew he’d never be able to forgive her.
“Marry me,” he murmured against her lips, still taking and tasting, giving, touching.
But passion wasn’t enough. Eventually his resentment would take over, and she couldn’t live with that. For her baby’s sake, she wouldn’t follow one mistake with another.
“No,” she said, and, finally breaking away, she ran from the room.
WHEN DELANEY REACHED her bedroom, she stood at the window for several minutes, trying to calm down. Somewhere in the house she heard a door open and close and Roy telling Conner they had to hurry or they’d miss Josh Hill. Then the front door banged, and the truck started and drove off. As silence fell, Delaney dialed the beauty shop.
Katie answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Is Rebecca there?” Delaney asked.
“Rebecca! Laney’s on the phone!” Katie’s scream blasted across the line, then th
ere was a long pause during which Delaney could hear the dryers, the cash register and a few voices before Rebecca picked up.
“Laney?”
“Yeah, it’s me.” Until that moment Delaney had been able to hold her tears at bay. But it only took the sound of her friend’s voice to make them spring to her eyes.
Rebecca immediately recognized her distress. “What’s wrong, Laney?”
“I should never have let Conner blackmail me into working here.”
“Why not? I thought it was going okay.”
“It’s not okay.”
“Why?”
Delaney sniffed. “I think...I think I’m falling in love with him.”
Silence. Then Rebecca whispered, “Oh boy, Laney. Tell me he feels the same way.”
“Do you think I’d be crying if he did?” she said. “He hates me.”
“Well, I wouldn’t tell Conner how you feel, not if he hates you.”
Delaney groaned. “Gee, that’s a valuable piece of advice.”
“You’re the type to spill your guts. I thought it was worth mentioning. What are you going to do?”
“Quit this job so I don’t have to be around him anymore.”
“Okay. What are you waiting for?”
“He’s gone. He and Roy went to meet Josh Hill.”
The tone of Rebecca’s voice changed completely, grew a little possessive. “What’s he doing with Josh?”
“Business of some sort.”
“Oh.” A pause. “So are you going to tell him you’re out of there as soon as he gets back?”
“Yeah.”
“Great. Maybe you’ll be home in time to go to the Honky Tonk.”
“Your sympathy overwhelms me, Beck.”
“Just kidding. Who’s going to take over Dottie’s position for you, then?”
Delaney buried her head beneath the pillow. “Don’t ask me questions like that.”
“Why? Look, Mrs. Peters is waiting for a perm, so I have to get to the bottom line here.”