by Lauren Canan
Ten
Tallie awakened on the sofa in the spacious den. A cool, damp cloth was being pressed against her forehead.
“Hey.” Cole’s voice called to her. “There you are.”
Tallie didn’t have time for small talk. Nausea was hitting hard and fast.
“Bathroom.” She sat up. “Where is...?”
Cole stood, clearly looking concerned. “Down that hall on the right.”
Tallie prayed she would make it in time as she lit out like a bottle rocket. When the worst was over, Cole stood ready to hand her a damp washcloth. Tallie dropped to the bathroom floor, too weak to move.
“Let’s get you to a place you can lie down.” Without another word, he scooped her up into his arms as though she weighed nothing.
“I’m so sorry I upset the dinner. I lost that great dinner.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
He laid her gently on a huge bed in one of the bedrooms. The en suite bath was close by.
“Thank you,” she said and closed her eyes. She couldn’t think about the embarrassment of what had happened. She would have to face that tomorrow.
She must have dozed. She awoke sometime later with a kind-looking, gray-haired man sitting in a chair next to the bed. Cole hovered in the doorway.
“Tallie, I am Dr. Jenkins,” the man introduced himself. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“We, uh, we had dinner. I stood up when we were finished and the room started spinning. Next thing I knew it was lights out. When I woke up I was exceedingly nauseous. I feel better now, though still a little queasy. It’s probably just a two-day bug or something. No reason to bother you.”
“You are most likely right about the virus, but since I’m already here, let’s find out, okay?” He smiled. He was so gentle and reassuring Tallie couldn’t help but agree. “Cole,” the doctor said without looking toward the door, “please close the door on your way out.”
The door was closed without any protest.
“Now, let’s start with your lungs. Can you sit forward and take some deep breaths?”
He checked her lungs, looked in her eyes and throat. “Have you been feeling sluggish?”
“No.”
“Any fever?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Any other stomach-related virus?”
“No.”
“Okay.” The doctor returned his instruments to his bag. “One last question,” he said. “Could you be pregnant?”
Tallie could feel the blood drain from her face. She should have anticipated the question. She had been with one man. And that man was no doubt standing on the other side of the door.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, my dear,” the doctor said, concern covering his face. “It’s definitely a personal question. I mention it only because all the symptoms you described fit. How about you come by the office tomorrow and we can run a test and be absolutely certain?”
“Okay,” she agreed. But Tallie knew he was right. She had already seen an OB-GYN. Today wasn’t the first time she’d felt that wave of nausea. She was pregnant and Cole was the only man who could be the father. And she knew he would not be pleased. And that was an understatement.
“Dr. Jenkins,” she said, “please don’t say anything to Cole about your suspicions. I’m an archeologist here for a limited amount of time. If he thought I was...well, he might make me leave and my work here is highly important.” There was no way she would tell anyone who the father was, especially Cole and his doctor. Schemer. Tramp. Gold digger. Con artist. The insults she’d face would be endless. She just had to wrap up her work as quickly as possible and leave.
“I would never discuss a patient’s health with anyone without prior written approval,” he assured her. “But I must advise you, if you are with child, working outdoors in this heat could cause complications. It’s a very realistic possibility that you could lose the baby.”
That didn’t help to calm her racing heart.
“Shall I let Cole come back in? I know he is worried.”
She nodded; after all, she would have to face him sooner or later. “That’s fine.”
As soon as the good doctor left the room she was out of the bed, had her shoes on and was ready to walk out behind him. Cole met her at the door.
“I’m fine,” she said, unable to look him in the face. “Sorry I caused you so much trouble.”
“Where are you going?”
“Back to the dig site. I imagine it’s late and everyone wants to get to sleep.”
“I’m everyone. And I don’t want you going back out there tonight. If you want, I can have some men stand guard over your things, but you need to have some time to hydrate and chill out under the air conditioning.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Did the doctor say what he thinks it is? Why you collapsed? Why you got sick?”
“He wasn’t sure. Probably a virus I picked up somewhere.”
Cole was looking at her with suspicion written all over his face. She had to get out of there and go somewhere she could be alone and sort all this out.
“I insist you remain here at least for the night. We can talk about future accommodations later.”
She was torn between wanting to be away from him and wanting to stay in his home. To say it was very comfortable was an understatement. To sleep on fresh, cool, silk sheets atop a mattress as soft as a cloud was beyond tempting. But the longer she remained in his presence, the more tempting it was to come clean about the baby.
“Tallie, it’s the right thing to do and I think you know that.”
“Fine. Okay,” she said. “But just for tonight.”
“Good. No more badgering then, but we are going to discuss this. You need to sleep here from now on.”
“I appreciate the loan of the shirt,” she said, choosing to ignore his other statement.
Later, as she lay in bed inhaling the rich, relaxing scent of the linen spray, she wished she could remain here. But Cole would discover her secret soon enough without pushing it in his face. She would, therefore, remain at the old shack and hope she would find the relics she needed sooner than later.
* * *
She was up early. Dressed in the white sundress, she headed down the stairs. A woman in a maid’s uniform met her in the kitchen.
“Good morning, ma’am. Would you care for a fresh cup of coffee or tea?”
Do bears have hair? “Tea would be wonderful. Is it possible I might also get a piece of dry toast?”
“Certainly, ma’am,” the woman replied as she poured the tea into a large mug.
Tallie slipped onto a bar stool and added sugar and cream to the tea. She took a sip; the tea was amazingly good, better than what she could make for herself. Maybe before she left to return home she could find out the brand. It was definitely worth asking.
“She found the tea.” Cole’s voice came from behind her. She turned in her chair to face him. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Much better, thank you. Cole, I am so sorry that I—”
“Stop. I’m just glad it was nothing serious.”
Tallie swallowed hard and nodded her head. How serious was being pregnant? She knew in that moment she should tell him but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not here. Not now.
Cole slid into the chair next to her and sipped his own tea while Tallie ate her toast. She needed to get back to the dig while the temperature was still cool.
“I need to fly to Houston this morning,” Cole told her. “I’m going to trust that you won’t work so hard that your body overheats again.”
“I won’t.”
“Good.”
“I’ll be back by six or seven. Consider moving into the big house. I don’t wan
t you sleeping out there with no telling what. Raccoons, at the very least.”
“I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him. “I certainly don’t want to intrude in a bachelor’s domain.”
“You would only make it better.” He leaned down for a kiss and, with renewed promises he would see her later, finished the last of his tea and walked with her to his truck.
While Cole was in Houston, she wanted to get back to work. That was the only thing that seemed real and solid.
Half an hour later she had changed into shorts and a T-shirt and was busy mapping out a new grid. She loved working with the soil, the rich scent of the earth a heady reminder of what might be buried below. It was easy to get lost in her work and lose track of time, even when she wasn’t really finding anything. The next thing she knew, when she paused and looked up from the dirt she was sifting, the sun was already low on the horizon.
She’d just stepped inside the old cabin at the end of the day when her cell phone began to ring. Her eyebrows went up in surprise to see Stan Bridger’s name flash across the screen.
“Hey, you,” she said, smiling. “It’s about time you came home.” Stan had been on a dig in central Mexico for the past three months.
“You will get no argument from me,” he replied.
Stan was a good friend who had initially been the deciding factor in her choice to major in archeology. Several years her senior, he had helped her attain her Ph.D., cheered her on when she’d landed a job with the museum and stayed with her during most of her first dig. He’d taught her about all the documents required and the basic day-to-day operation on a dig. She had a sneaking suspicion he’d been partially responsible for her getting the job, but he wouldn’t admit it and she couldn’t prove it. As the months passed she’d let it drop. It no longer mattered. But they would always have that bond of friendship.
“Wondering if you would care to meet me in your little town for dinner?” he asked. “I’m dying to come out to your dig, but Sterling warned me off. A simple, ‘where’s Tallie?’ landed me in the principal’s office. So now I’m more curious than ever.”
Tallie laughed. “I would love to. I’ve been thinking about a trip into town anyway.”
“How about seven?”
“Perfect. I’ve been told there’s a little family-run diner that has great food. Everything from sandwiches to steaks. It’s called Frieda’s Sandwich Shoppe. Apparently there is more on the menu than the name would imply.”
“Sounds great. I’ll see you then.”
Tallie realized her stomach was much better today and she was hungry. That was happening more and more often. She assumed it was because of the pregnancy. There was no sign of Cole. He must have been detained in Houston. She would drive into town and meet Stan for dinner. A steak sounded good. And a piece of coconut pie. Maybe Frieda had that on the menu, as well.
* * *
When Cole arrived at the old cabin, Tallie was nowhere to be found. Only after checking the river and the dig areas did he realize her Ford wagon was missing. Apparently she’d had enough of the heat, the bugs and the rodents. How long would she be away? Cole felt a sinking feeling. Where had she gone?
It would have been nice if she had told him or someone on the ranch that she was leaving. The idea of her disappearing didn’t sit well. He’d become used to her being here every day. He’d driven here with the intention of asking her to come to the house for the night.
On his way back to the estate his cell phone began to ring.
“Hey, little brother.” Wade’s voice came over the phone.
“Hey, man. Haven’t talked with you in almost a month. How was the trip? Or are you still in London?” Wade had been negotiating the acquisition of a boutique hotel chain to expand Masters Corporation’s presence in Europe.
“Nope. Got home last night,” Wade explained. “There have been some changes. Thought you might like to have an update and I need your signature on a couple of documents.”
“How about steaks and a couple of cold ones at Frieda’s?”
“Done. Give me an hour and I’ll be there.”
When Cole got to town an hour later, the small eatery was packed. Not surprising for Frieda’s on a Saturday night. Cole spotted Wade at a table along the wall and headed in that direction. The diner was a laid-back kind of place but served the best food in three counties. After each of them gave their order Wade asked, “So, how’s it going with your archeologist? Have you been able to reclaim the land where Tallie is digging and move forward with construction?”
Cole shook his head. “No. Tallie is going to be here for a while. I’ve done all I dare do to entice her to leave. I’m just going to let it play out. She had Tom Mitchell call me.”
“I was there the day he called, remember?” The grin on Wade’s face said he was not above teasing Cole about the entire ordeal, somewhere Cole didn’t want to go. Circumstances had changed but he didn’t intend to enlighten Wade tonight.
“I don’t think it’s that damn funny.”
“Do you honestly think she doesn’t know who was behind all the shenanigans?”
“She does. But she is as good at giving back as she is at taking.”
“Really?” Wade tilted his head for a harder look at his brother. “I’ve always wanted to meet the girl who brought Cole Masters to his knees.” He chuckled again. “She must be one hell of a woman minus the mud pack.”
Before Cole could answer, the small bell above the door tinkled, indicating a new customer had entered the diner.
“You’re about to get your chance to find out.”
Cole watched his brother turn and gaze at the sexy woman who’d just come in, her long black hair swinging against her shoulders and down past her waist. She responded to the wave from a man at a table not far away. A man several years her senior.
“Brother—” Wade leaned toward Cole “—I’d have to say you have a bigger problem than putting up with an archeology dig. Damn. She is hot. I’ll trade places with you anytime. Just say the word.”
“I don’t think there is a word,” Cole responded, suddenly overwhelmed with a protective instinct. He wasn’t sure what brought it on or what triggered it but his love-’em-and-leave-’em brother could stay the hell away from Tallie. And another quick glance at Tallie with the older man clearly showed they had a close rapport. Dr. Tallie Finley might be taken, anyway. And didn’t that set well? Small wonder she didn’t want to stay at Cole’s house.
* * *
Tallie immediately spotted Stan as he waved to her from a table. When she drew closer she was surprised to see David Sloan sitting with him. They were all employees of the museum and all great friends. After hugs all around, they sat and barely stopped talking long enough to look at a menu. After ordering, the two men wanted to know the focus of her dig—why she was here.
“Sterling is tight-lipped,” Stan said. “We didn’t think he was even going to tell us where you were. So, what’s the deal?”
“There isn’t one,” Tallie replied. Seeing the skepticism on their faces she added, “There really isn’t. When my grandmother died she left me a map, supposedly marking the spot of the original village of our ancestors, and asked me to see if I could find it.” She shrugged. “So that’s what I’m doing. I had some leave time before the Brazil trip so Sterling said if I wanted to do this...do it.”
“And here I was imagining the find of the decade and getting jealous as hell,” Stan admitted and everyone laughed.
“Dr. Sterling did say something about your host, the guy who owns the land. Is he really that bad or is Sterling making mountains out of molehills again?”
“He really is that bad,” came a deep voice from behind Tallie. “I can guarantee it. Wouldn’t you agree, Dr. Finley?”
Tallie tensed as she realized Cole Masters was standing directly behind
her. Her dinner partners’ eyes were focused above her head; their mouths hung open. She turned partially around in her seat so she could answer him.
“Absolutely. Without any doubt whatsoever he is, by far, the worst landowner I’ve ever had the bad luck to work with.” She forced a broad smile.
“See, I told you,” he addressed the group.
“Cole, these are my friends and coworkers, Doctors Stan Bridger and David Sloan.”
“And, like Dr. Finley, both of you dig up bones for a living?”
His eyes sparkled. He was so handsome, so charming. He would undoubtedly have her associates eating out of his hand in no time.
“We confess.” Stan laughed. “Would you care to join us?”
Had Stan just invited him to sit at their table? She didn’t want Cole sitting with them. He wouldn’t understand half of their dialogue and she, at least, wouldn’t understand his. They were so different. He dealt with blueprints and erecting skyscrapers; she with old maps and digging up the past. She felt the warmth of his large hands on her shoulders as though he was ensuring his claim was known by all. She might be carrying his child but that didn’t mean she had become his property.
“Thank you, but I’m here with my brother. We have some business to discuss. Maybe another time?”
Tallie looked to her left toward the table where Wade was sitting. Their gazes met and he smiled and nodded.
Wade stood and made his way over to their table. Cole seemed surprised but made the introductions. Wade seemed keen on holding Tallie’s hand far longer than the norm. She couldn’t miss the sparkle of interest in his eyes.
“I hope all of you have a nice dinner,” Cole said, stepping between Tallie and his brother. “I can vouch for Frieda. Everything on the menu is delicious. It was good to meet you all.”
“You, as well,” Stan and David chimed in.
Cole and Wade returned to their seats just as a waitress set their plates on the table.
“Don’t say it,” Cole warned his brother.