A Baby Under the Tree

by Duarte, Judy

  Was she asleep? Or only pretending to be?

  It was hard to know for sure, but either way, she was tempting as hell. Still, he’d always been able to hold firm when he wanted to, so he climbed into bed, careful not to bounce or jiggle the mattress.

  He lay still beside her for the longest time, tempted to reach out to her—with his words or his arms—and deciding not to do either.

  But, interestingly enough, when dawn broke over downtown Brighton Valley, bringing a faint light to the bedroom, Shane woke to find himself cuddling Jillian as if their bodies had minds of their own.

  They lay spooned together, her back pressing against his chest. One of his arms was under her head, the other lay over her waist.

  He’d awakened like this before—in her suite at the hotel. On that morning in early March, he’d slipped out of bed quietly. So now, given a second chance to sleep with her, he had an almost overwhelming urge to wake her with a kiss and a gentle yet eager caress.

  Just the thought of drawing her closer to him, pressing his growing erection against her bottom, brought a smile to his face.

  As he continued to hold her, relishing her lilac scent, she stretched in his arms, like a waking cat that had been snoozing in the sun. Then she rolled over, facing him. As her eyes opened, as she woke to the reality of where she was and who she was with, her lips parted.

  Shane smiled, but he didn’t move either his arms or his hands. “How’d you sleep?”

  She blinked, and surprise swept across her face, yet she didn’t pull away. “I slept okay. How about you?”

  He’d certainly woken up a lot better than he’d slept, but he wasn’t about to reveal that.

  “Much better than the night before last,” he said.

  She slowly pulled away, as if reluctant to leave his arms.

  He wasn’t ready to let her go, either, and once again, he fought the urge to give her a blood-stirring, heart pounding kiss.

  But he didn’t want to push her. Waking up in a lover’s embrace would have to be good enough for now.

  As the sun stretched high in the East Texas sky, Shane and Jillian drove nearly ten miles outside downtown Brighton Valley to the Walkers’ ranch. He was looking forward to showing her the place where he worked, but he also wanted her to meet the couple who had become his close friends.

  While traveling along the county road, they passed the Sam Houston Elementary School, Roy’s Feed and Grain, and the Flying K Auto Parts Store before reaching open land again.

  “How much farther is it?” Jillian asked.

  “Just another couple of minutes.”

  She nodded, then glanced out the passenger window at the passing scenery.

  “Like I told you before,” Shane said, “Dan and Eva are great people. You’ll really like them. Of course, Eva might ask about our plans for the future, but if she does, she’ll do it gracefully.” He chuckled. “In fact, she’ll be so nice about it that you might not even know that you’re being quizzed.”

  Jillian placed a hand on her distended womb and turned to him, her brow furrowed. “It’s hard enough talking about the future with you. I’m not sure I want to discuss it with anyone else at this point.”

  “I can understand that. But keep in mind that if Eva asks, it’s only because she wants everyone to be as happy as she and Dan are.”

  Of course, Shane had reason to be skeptical of the whole white-picket-fence dream and to be leery about making the same mistakes all over again. And Jillian certainly did, too.

  “Are you sure they’re going to be okay with…things?” she asked.

  “You mean about us staying together in a one-bedroom apartment? Or about you expecting my baby when we’re not married?”

  She nodded. “And maybe for us having a one-night stand.”

  “First of all, that night in Houston was incredible. And it fulfilled a need in both of us that went beyond sex. So it wasn’t a one-night stand, especially with a baby on the way. And even if it was, it’s no one’s business but our own.” He stole a glance across the seat, saw her nod in agreement. Yet her expression remained pensive.

  For a woman who’d once hobnobbed with Houston’s high society, she appeared to be more self-conscious than Shane had expected her to be. But then again, maybe it was her experience with that particular social circle that had her so apprehensive now.

  “What did those people do to you?” he asked.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “What people?”

  “Your ex-husband, his family and friends.”

  “What makes you think they did something?”

  “Because I don’t see you as normally self-conscious, but I figure your self-esteem probably took a hard blow when that jerk cheated on you.”

  She arched a brow. “What makes you think that?”

  “I have good instincts when it comes to reading people.”

  He reached across the seat, took her hand in his, then gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry about what other people think. You’re ten times the person most of them are.”

  “Maybe you’re right.” Jillian shrugged. “But I’m more to blame than anyone. I got caught up in a fairy tale. And while my life might have appeared to be picture-book-perfect on the outside, it was actually sad and lonely most of the time.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, thinking that he’d actually felt a little better after telling her about Joey.

  She seemed to ponder his question for a moment, then eased back into her seat. “Our wedding was really over-the-top—almost fit for royalty. We took a three-week honeymoon in Europe, and Thomas and I moved into a spacious family-owned estate in Houston. I was given carte blanche to decorate the house any way I wanted to, but after that was done, I had very little to do, other than getting dressed up and going to various charity events.”

  “Were your in-laws good to you?”

  “Outwardly, yes. They were very generous. But they were also very controlling and pushy. They interfered more times than not.”

  Marcia had said the same thing about Shane’s family, and for a moment, he wondered how Jillian would feel about the outspoken Hollisters, but he didn’t dwell on it.

  “So your in-laws created problems in your marriage?”

  “I guess you could say that—although indirectly.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I wanted more out of life than attending social functions, and Thomas couldn’t understand that. Instead, he insisted I get involved with his mother’s philanthropic projects. And he implied that we’d both be miserable if I didn’t yield to her wishes.”

  “So you gave up your dream for his world.”

  “More or less.” Jillian was quiet for a moment. “I’d always been a good girl who’d never given my grandparents a bit of trouble, so rebellion never came easy for me. And as a wife, I fell into the role Thomas—and his mother—expected of me. And it was a lonely, unfulfilling life. I’d hoped having a baby would be the answer, but after a couple of years trying, I wasn’t able to get pregnant.”

  Shane glanced at her swollen belly, then smiled. “I guess it’s safe to say you weren’t the one with the fertility problem.”

  “Apparently not. I’d begged Thomas to go with me to a specialist for testing, but he refused.”

  “Didn’t he want kids?”

  “He said he did. But maybe he was afraid to find out that he was infertile. I don’t know. Either way, things were always tense when he was around. And when he began to travel on business, I was actually relieved to have him gone.”

  “Is that when he started messing around?”

  “I think so. He was gone more often than not. And then one of his girlfriends called him at home, instead of the office. And…well, his secret was out.”

  “He was a fool,” Shane said.

  “Thanks.” As she glanced out at the passing scenery, a smile chased away her pensive expression.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  �
��When I confronted him, I was so angry that I did something completely out of character for me.” Her eyes glimmered, and a pair of the cutest dimples formed on her cheeks. “I called him everything but his given name, then threw an expensive vase against the wall, shattering it into a zillion pieces.”

  “I can’t blame you for that.” Shane chuckled. “It seems to me that he had that and a whole lot more coming.”

  Shane understood only too well how emotion could come into play and make someone want to break something—or hit someone. And he wasn’t just talking about all of the domestic violence calls he’d gone on, when a cop never knew what to expect.

  Shane had lost it once, too. But he wasn’t going to tell Jillian that he’d been enraged to the point of striking a perp several times.

  Instead, he reached out and took her hand. “You won’t meet nicer or more down-to-earth people than the Walkers. So don’t worry about impressing them. They’re going to like you and accept you—just the way you are.”

  She gave his hand a squeeze, letting him know she trusted him and making him feel almost heroic. But unwilling to let it go completely to his head, he focused on the road.

  As they neared the entrance to the ranch, he pointed to the right and then to the left. “See those cattle grazing in the pastures along both sides of the road?”

  “Yes.”

  “They’re part of Dan’s spread.”

  Moments later, they reached the entrance to the ranch, which was marked by a big green mailbox—a plastic replica of a John Deere tractor.

  Shane turned in, drove through the open gate and followed the tree-lined driveway until he reached the house and the outbuildings. Then he parked by the barn, next to Dan’s white flatbed truck.

  He shut off the ignition and turned to Jillian with a smile. “This is it. What do you think so far?”

  “It’s nice.” Jillian scanned the yard, turning to the yellow clapboard house with white trim, where Dan’s uncle, the man who’d raised him, sat on the porch in a rocker.

  “Who’s that?” she asked.

  “That’s Hank Walker. He can be a little cantankerous at times, but don’t let his gruff exterior scare you. He’s actually as gentle as a spring lamb.”

  Before they could open the pickup doors, Jack and Jill, the cattle dogs, ran out of the barn, barking to announce the arrival of guests.

  As Shane and Jillian climbed out of the truck, Kaylee and Kevin came out of the barn, following the dogs.

  Shane introduced the twins to Jillian, then while she greeted the kids, he gave the dogs each a rub behind the ears.

  It had taken him a while to warm up to the Walker twins, but not nearly as long as he’d thought it would. He wasn’t sure why that was, but he’d been giving it some thought lately and had come up with an interesting possibility.

  Marcia had never met the Walkers, and she’d never blamed them for her unhappiness.

  “I’ve never visited a ranch before,” Jillian told Kevin, “so this is a real treat for me. Thanks for letting me come see it.”

  “No problem,” Kevin said. “We like having company and showing them around. Do you want to ride one of the horses? I can saddle it for you.”

  Shane stroked the back of the eight-year-old cowboy’s head. “Kevin is a good hand with the horses. And he’s learning how to rope and cut cattle, too.”

  “That’s really impressive.” Jillian rested her hand on top of her pregnant tummy. “And thanks for the offer, but I don’t want to ride today. Maybe you can take me out the next time I come to the ranch.”

  When the front door swung open, two-year-old Sofia stepped out on the porch, followed by her brother Steven. Together they ran toward Shane.

  About that time, Hank got to his feet and grabbed his cane. Then he shuffled across the porch, his gait a bit unsteady. As he approached, he reached out an arthritic hand to Jillian. “Shane told us you’d be coming. When’s the baby due?”

  Jillian blessed the old man with a smile. “December third.”

  Hank whistled. “Before you know it, this place is going to be bursting at the seams with little ones.”

  Apparently, he was assuming that Jillian would be a permanent fixture on the ranch, although the jury was still out on that. Either way, Shane didn’t correct him.

  Hank gave Shane a nudge with his arm. “Did you know Eva’s expecting again, too?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  Hank chuckled. “I’m not sure how they’re going to handle another little rug rat around here. The baby will make five. ’Course, they got me to help ’em.”

  About that time, Dan and Eva Walker came out of the house, crossed the porch, walked down the steps and approached Shane and Jillian with welcoming smiles. Shane introduced them as his friends, rather than his employers, since they’d become like family to him in the past six months.

  “And this is Jillian Wilkes,” Shane said, turning to the woman who was pregnant with his child.

  Jillian didn’t usually like to be the focus of so much attention, but when Dan reached out, she took his hand and gave it a warm shake. He was a ruggedly handsome man with light brown hair and blue eyes. Yet there was a gentleness about him.

  “It’s nice to meet you,” Jillian said, before turning to his wife.

  Eva Walker, whose olive complexion and long dark hair suggested she might be Latina, was a beautiful woman, in spite of a rather ugly burn scar that ran from the underside of her chin down to her throat. Yet it was the sincerity in her warm brown eyes that drew Jillian’s attention and set her mind at ease.

  “We’re glad you came,” Eva said.

  “If you don’t mind,” Shane told Dan, “I’d like to show Jillian around the ranch.”

  “Not at all.” The rancher slipped his arm around his wife’s waist and drew her to his side.

  “We’ll have lunch when you get back,” Eva said.

  With that, Shane took Jillian by the hand, and they were off.

  After checking out the stalls, the horses and the office, they walked along the outside corral that fenced a couple of mares. Shane explained that they were working horses—trained to cut cattle out of the herd.

  Next they continued on to the pasture, following a path that led to the creek.

  The sun was especially bright, the temperature warm, the breeze light. And after a tour that took more than an hour, Shane brought Jillian back to the house and into the kitchen, where Eva was making lunch.

  She had bread spread upon the countertops, as well as apple slices and oatmeal cookies. And when she spotted Jillian and Shane, she brightened and gave them her full attention—at least until the kids came running.

  “Kaylee, will you and Kevin take the little ones into the bathroom and wash up? I’ll have your lunch ready in a few minutes.”

  The older girl nodded, then helped her brother herd the younger twins out of the room.

  About that time, Dan opened the back door and entered the mudroom. “Shane, I’ve got something I’d like you to see. Do you mind coming out to the barn?”

  “Sure.” Shane turned to Jillian. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Take your time. I’ll help make lunch.”

  Moments later, Eva opened up the fridge and pulled out lunch meat, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce and tomatoes. Then she placed them on the countertop.

  “You have beautiful children,” Jillian said.

  “Thanks. Things can get awfully hectic around here, and they can be a lot of work, but I can’t imagine my life without them. I’m sure you’ll find that to be the case, too.” She glanced at Jillian’s baby bump, then smiled. “Do you know if you’re going to have a girl or a boy?”

  “I’d told the doctor I wanted to be surprised when I had my last sonogram, but that’s no longer true. I’m really curious now. And since I’d like to set up a nursery, it would be nice to know whether I should focus on trucks and cars or butterflies and kittens.”

  Before Eva could comment, Kevin dashed int
o the kitchen. “Mom, can we watch that new SpongeBob movie until lunch is ready?”

  “Why don’t you watch that Mickey Mouse DVD until I put Sofia and Steven down for a nap. Then you and Kaylee will be able to watch TV without them bothering you.”

  He seemed to think about her suggestion, then said, “Okay” and dashed out of the room.

  Eva reached for the peanut butter and jelly. “I’d better get the little ones fed first.”

  “I see that there’s a lot of careful orchestrating that goes on around here.”

  Eva grinned. “That’s for sure. Dan and I try to stay a step ahead of them whenever we can, but every once in a while, something unexpected happens to really throw us off stride.”

  “Like what?” Jillian asked.

  “Well, a couple of months ago, Kaylee came home from school sick with the intestinal flu.” Eva blew out a sigh. “It wasn’t more than an hour later when Kevin’s stomach began to bother him, too. And by morning, both Sofia and Steven had it.”

  “That must have been awful. Passing germs around has got to be the downside of having a big family.”

  Eva chuckled. “You can’t believe what that day was like. Dan and I were moving from one sick kid to the next. And when Shane stopped by the house to check on us, he felt so sorry for us that he spent the morning helping us clean up after the kids and doing tons of laundry. He was amazing. And a real blessing.”

  “I can see how having a second pair of hands would be helpful in a family with two sets of twins.”

  It was also nice to know Shane had gone above and beyond. And that he hadn’t been scared off by sick kids. That had to be a plus, didn’t it?

  “What can I do to help?” Jillian asked.

  “You can peel and slice the apples, if you’d like.”

  Jillian reached for a knife from the wooden butcher block on the counter, then carried the fruit to the sink. Before turning on the water, she said, “Hank mentioned that you and Dan are expecting again.”

  Eva smiled, and her eyes brightened. “We haven’t made an official announcement yet, but it’s true. We hadn’t planned on having another child, but I guess God had other ideas.”