"Like people," Joey said, eyeing Colt, then Melanie as if assessing the difference in their stature.
Including Sparky, four puppies were males. Melanie kept pushing her favorite under Colt's nose hoping he'd take the hint.
"Are you trying to tell me something?" he asked, on the verge of laughter.
She held Sparky up and waved one of the dog's paws. "He's by far the cutest one."
Colt examined the panting puppy. "His eyes are two different colors. They're not supposed to be like that, you know. And his ears, besides being crooked, are too big for his head."
Melanie felt compelled to defend Sparky's dignity. She remembered how it felt to be less than perfect. "He's unique."
Colt cocked his head and winced at the lopsided little critter. "From an artist's viewpoint, I suppose."
Melanie kissed the top of Sparky's head and the puppy gazed at her lovingly then licked her chin. Colt picked up a husky red male. "We'll take this one for Shorty."
She studied the other dog while cradling Sparky in her arms. The red pup had brown eyes, even ears, and an attractively shaped head. "What about Sparky?" she asked, wanting to throttle Colt. Since when were looks more important than heart or character?
The handsome cowboy grinned. "Sparky is being adopted by us."
"Us?"
"Yeah, darlin', you and me. I figure we can share him." He glanced over at Joey, then leaned in close. "That dog is about the sorriest-looking creature I've ever seen. But for some strange reason I like him as much as you do."
An hour later Colt and Melanie were on their way home. Instead of heading into the garage, Colt had driven the Suburban around the back of his property and parked it beneath a tall, gnarled tree, far from the main house, cabins or barn.
"What's going on?" she asked
"I thought we could sit under the stars a while."
He hopped out and lowered the tailgate, padding it with a blanket. Melanie followed him, puppies in hand. Sparky and the red Joey had named Rudy sniffed the blanket while arranging it to their liking. Both chose the same corner, curled up together in a tight ball and closed their eyes.
Melanie smiled at the puppies then at Colt. "You want to talk, right?"
"Yeah." Colt's sigh blended into the sounds of the night, with the soft rustle of leaves and quiet buzz of nocturnal insects. "I've been thinking about what Joey said. About all babies needing a mother."
Melanie felt as though she teetered on a live wire. Did Colt want reassurance that he would be a capable mother and father, or was he testing the waters, asking more of his surrogate? The wrong response now could create irreparable damage. Melanie wasn't sure if she was pregnant yet.
"The first time we made love, you asked me if I'd nurse the baby. Do you still want me to?"
He nodded. "Sure I do. I've heard that mother's milk is healthier. And, well, I suppose it would lead to a maternal bond, which is basically what I wanted to talk to you about." He breathed deeply and continued, "I should have made this offer sooner, but I guess it took Joey's influence to shake some sense into me."
Melanie's heartbeat quickened. Thank Heaven for little Joey. Now Colt realized the importance of a traditional family. I should have made this offer sooner? Melanie sat up a little straighter and studied his profile, the gentle tilt of his lips, warmth in his touch as he placed his hand upon her knee.
Oh, God. Colt was going to profess his love, the love he'd been denying. Her heart pounded against her rib cage. He was going to propose.
"Do you think that you'd like to be a part of the baby's life?" he asked. "We could work out some sort of visitation rights for you. You could come back here every so often, maybe a couple times a year." He turned to look at her. "I don't want you to do something you're not comfortable with, but I get the feeling that you'd like to get to know your baby. And I've been trying to store information about you, things the child might wonder about, but no matter what I would tell the little one, it wouldn't be the same as knowing you."
Disappointment tightened her chest, pinching her heart. She realized this news should have eased her in some way, yet it hadn't. She had been expecting a proposal, a vow of love and commitment. Melanie battled a riot of emotions. Had she misjudged Colt? Been fooling herself that he'd fall in love with her? Would her dream ever happen or would this be his only offer?
"So I would visit a couple of times a year?"
Colt leaned closer. "It was selfish of me to think I could deliberately deprive a child of having a mother."
She had to change this somehow, strengthen their bond, make him realize he needed her, and that their future child deserved more than a twice-a-year mom. "I would love to be part of our baby's life, Colt. And yours, too. You're my best friend and the most incredible lover I've ever had."
"I'm the only lover you've ever had," he said with a low chuckle.
Melanie looked into his moonlit eyes. "And the only one I'll ever want."
The tone in Colt's voice tightened. "Exactly what are you saying?"
Oh, God, don't let me blow this. She lifted her chin and tucked her hair behind her ears, trying to look calmer than she felt. "If we're going to remain friends then I don't see why we can't go on being lovers."
"You don't think it would complicate things?"
"It's not complicating things now. Why would it later?"
Silence stretched between them. As Melanie waited anxiously for Colt's response, the puppies slept peacefully and he stared up at the heavens as if deep in thought.
Finally he turned back toward her and smiled, his teeth flashing in the dark. "If we're going to go from being temporary to occasional lovers, then maybe you should visit more than a few times a year. I'd like to have a more active sex life than that."
"Me, too." She bumped his shoulder and sent him a smile of her own. She had increased her place in his life, changed his mind just a little. That proved the possibility still existed for him to fall in love with her. She wouldn't lose faith.
He peered into the Suburban. "What do you say we partake in a little activity right now?"
"In the back seat?" she asked, feeling like a naughty teenager. What she would have given thirteen years ago to have rocked a parked car with him.
Colt nodded toward the puppies. "Think there's any chance of us getting our blanket back?"
"I don't know. Might not be worth the risk. They might wake up."
He began unbuttoning his shirt. "Yeah, we'll let 'em sleep."
They didn't undress all the way. He kept his shirt on but left it open, prompting her to do the same. She even left on her bra and denim skirt. The only thing she slipped off were a pair of red lace panties. Colt unzipped his jeans and led her to the back seat where they kissed and groped.
He rubbed her nipples through the bra, then pushed them up and out of the confinement while she slid her hands into his open fly and made him as hard as she was.
Melanie nudged Colt back onto the seat and lowered her head to his lap. As she kissed the tip of him, he groaned.
"I know I'm supposed to be a gentleman and tell you not to do that," he said, running his hands through her hair, his chest rising and falling anxiously, "but damn it … I want you to."
"Then close your eyes and let me love you," she whispered, snaking her tongue out.
She loved him thoroughly, with her hands and her mouth, with tender kisses and sensuous strokes, with a sliding rhythm that had him chanting her name. The newfound power Melanie felt from giving Colt pleasure urged her to take more of him.
"You'd better stop," he growled, fisting her hair.
She slid her mouth up his body, kissing until they were face-to-face. "Why?"
The rough chuckle that emitted from his throat sounded broken. "Why do you think?"
Rather than answering his question, to which she knew the answer, she asked another one of her own. "Don't you want me to finish what I started?"
He cursed under his breath. "Yes … no. Hell, we're supposed to
be making a baby."
Melanie grinned. Colt appeared to be struggling for control. "Are you sure you're ready?" she asked, lifting her skirt just enough to tease him.
He managed what must have been a painful laugh. "Damn it woman, just kiss me and go for a ride. A rough one."
As she impaled herself, they kissed, over and over. I want him to be mine, she thought, rocking her hips. My friend. Lover. Husband.
Melanie ended the kiss and arched her back. Their gazes locked and they clasped hands. His release was violent and swift. Hers followed moments later as she rode the wave just as he'd requested. Hard, fast and rough.
Thoroughly replete, she hugged him close and rested against his chest.
After an extended period of heavy breathing, he rasped, "The windows are fogged."
She looked up. "Is that good?"
"Uh-huh."
Melanie rubbed her cheek against his chest and listened to the erratic beat of his heart. She assumed Colt's daughter had been conceived in the back seat of a car. He seemed convinced making love in vehicles aided conception.
As Melanie adjusted the position of her face, she caught sight of Sparky and Rudy. "Oh, my God, the dogs are waking up."
Colt lifted his head languorously. "So?"
"So, I don't want them to see me like this."
He squinted. "Like what?"
"This!" She motioned to her rumpled, unbuttoned clothing. "I must look like a harlot."
He laughed and reached out to flick one of her nipples. She slapped his hand away while frantically trying to right her appearance. Her skirt rode up past her hips and her breasts spilled out of her bra like two perky, oversize oranges. And Colt…
"Zip your pants," she ordered, wondering if he could. His virility was still quite evident.
Sparky and Rudy whined just as Colt fastened his jeans and Melanie secured the last button on her blouse. She swept the puppies into her arms. "Boy, that was close."
He laughed again. "I don't think it's possible to corrupt the morals of a dog."
"Well, you never know." Although Rudy had closed his eyes, Sparky appeared to be studying the humans rather curiously.
Colt exaggerated his drawl. "Yeah, we better be careful what we say and do around the young'uns there. Gotta raise 'em right."
She shifted the dogs, freeing her hand so she could pinch Colt's arm. Apparently he found her naiveté amusing. "So I overreacted a little. I'm not accustomed to being caught in the back seat with some wild cowboy."
He grinned. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm sure the puppies still have the utmost respect for you. I know I do."
* * *
Autumn had arrived and with it, golden leaves and cooler temperatures. Melanie slipped on a leather jacket, shoved her feet into Western boots and rushed out of the cabin into the brisk almost-morning air. Three in the morning was an ungodly hour to drop in on someone, but she had to see Colt. Although Colt hadn't asked her to share his home, she felt certain he would welcome her at any hour. Especially tonight.
Sparky chased her, nipping at the silver heel guards on her boots. She swatted him playfully. "You're supposed to do that to cattle, not people."
He barked in response, a high-pitched baby bark that made her laugh. She imagined they were quite a sight: the sleep-deprived, anxious woman, carrying a flashlight almost as big as her equally anxious, crooked-eared dog.
She found Colt's door unlocked. Odd but not entirely unusual. There were occasions when he neglected to lock his door, a living-in-the-country habit most Californians wouldn't comprehend. Of course, Melanie wasn't like most Californians; she still carried Montana in her soul.
Sparky darted past her and raced down the hall, skidding as he turned into Colt's room. She had intended to wake Colt with a kiss, but now Sparky would beat her to it. As Melanie entered the rustic bedroom, the puppy greeted her beside a vacant, unmade bed.
"Where's Daddy?" she asked the dog. The master bathroom was empty, as well.
Melanie searched the house and discovered Colt was nowhere to be seen. Where would he go at this hour? Ranch life started at the crack of dawn, but the sun had yet to rise.
"You'd better stay here," she told Sparky. First she planned on checking to see if Colt's truck was in the garage, and if it was, then she'd look for him in the barn. It was possible one of the horses had taken ill, and if that was the case, Sparky would be underfoot.
Since the Suburban was in the garage, Melanie walked carefully across the ranch, guiding her direct path with the oversize flashlight. The ranch had security light fixtures, but she wasn't taking any chances. As soon as she neared the barn, the white glow spilling from beneath the door told her Colt was probably there. Someone had turned the lights on.
She entered the building and followed male voices to a box stall near the rear of the building. Melanie stood quietly and peered into the enclosure. Colt knelt in a bed of straw, holding a mare's head in his lap, soothing it with gentle strokes and soft words. Shorty was there, too, and Melanie realized the men were assisting the mare with delivering a foal. By the animal's exhausted appearance and the sweat beading across Colt's brow, she assumed the labor had been unusually long and difficult.
She heard Shorty's "That a girl" when two front legs appeared in the bluish-white plastic bag being expelled from the mare.
That's the baby, Melanie thought, raising a hand to her own stomach. She watched the miracle of birth, tears lining her eyes as the foal broke through the water bag. An adorable damp little head could be seen along with the forelimbs.
Immediately, Shorty removed the membrane obstructing the baby's nostrils and allowed the delivery to continue. The mare's position had changed now as she sat up to look at her foal.
By the time the new mother examined her baby, Colt noticed Melanie. He came toward her with an exhausted but happy smile.
"Hi," she whispered, watching the mare enjoy her role as a parent.
He leaned across the stall opening and kissed her cheek. "We were worried there for a while, but everything turned out fine." Colt looked back at the foal. "The little guy'll be on his feet soon."
Melanie studied the gangly foal. Still damp, its ears pasted to its head, she thought it was the most adorable creature she'd ever seen.
Shorty spoke in a low voice. "Go ahead and get yourself some sleep, Colt. I'll keep an eye on things here."
"Thanks," Colt responded just as quietly.
He left the stall and joined Melanie. "Want a cup of hot chocolate?"
She nodded and followed him to his office, where he slipped into the adjoining rest room to wash his hands, then returned and placed a glass pitcher in the microwave. "What brought you out here at this hour?" he asked, shoving some papers aside and seating himself on the edge of his desk.
She smiled, remembering the last conversation they'd had in his office. "You. I went to your house but you weren't there, so I assumed you were in the barn."
The bell on the microwave sounded and Colt hopped up. He removed two coffee cups from an overhead cabinet and sprinkled the powdered chocolate into them, then poured the water and stirred. "You must be feeling pretty frisky to come looking for me in the middle of the night," he said, handing her a cup.
She smiled. Typical male response. He thought she wanted to make love. "Colt, I'm pregnant."
He nearly spilled his steaming drink. "Are you sure?"
Melanie nodded. "I had planned to take the test this morning, but I couldn't sleep, so I figured the result would be the same at 3:00 a.m. as it would be at 7:00 or 8:00. It was a plus sign, a very distinct plus sign."
He threw back his head and let out a high yelp before sweeping her into his arms. "I'm going to be a dad," he exclaimed, a grin splitting from ear to ear.
"And me a mom," Melanie squealed as he spun her in a small circle.
When Colt stopped spinning her, he opened her jacket and slid his hand under her sweatshirt. The masculine hand warmed her stomach.
His
dark eyes sparkled. "How many weeks along are you?"
"Five or so, I think."
Colt removed his hand and formed a tiny space between his thumb and index finger. "The baby is about this big, and its heart is already beating."
She smiled and stroked his cheek. "How do you know that?"
He grinned. "Just something I memorized from a book. In three more weeks it will be about an inch long and weigh a gram. And its little facial features will already be shaped, along with elbows, knees, fingers, toes, even buds for the first baby teeth."
Tears misted Melanie's eyes. "That's amazing."
He kissed her. "So are you, Mom."
They held each other and swayed together, luxuriating in life. He rubbed her tummy, and she cradled her head against his broad shoulder, thinking about the tiny being they had created.
I love you, little one, she said mentally. You and your Daddy. Time passed, but neither noticed. They were where they belonged, in each other's arms, celebrating their miracle.
Finally Colt spoke. "Do you want to go back and see the foal? He should be on his feet by now."
"I'd love to."
Melanie decided Colt's horses had become significant in their union. Prior to making love with Colt for the first time, she had witnessed Outlaw serving a mare. And now, on the day she confirmed her pregnancy, a healthy foal was born. A male. A colt.
As they walked to the new mother's stall, Melanie spoke her thoughts out loud. "I think we're going to have a son."
The man next to her stopped. "Why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know, just a feeling."
He grinned and spouted off more of his book knowledge. "At this point in time, the sex organs haven't formed, but I suppose there's always mother's intuition."
As they approached the stall, Shorty was exiting. "Everything's fine," he said, smiling at both Colt and Melanie.
She noticed the older cowboy smiled more often and suspected that Rudy, the sturdy little Queensland Heeler pup, was the cause. Shorty had taken to the dog like a dolphin to the sea.
Colt squeezed Melanie's hand. "We just wanted to check out the little guy."
The older man nodded, and Colt broke out in a big anxious grin.
WARRIOR'S BABY Page 14