“You’re getting home pretty late,” he commented as he yanked his hat off and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.
Pepper straightened her back and tipped her chin. “I wasn’t aware you were keeping tabs.”
“My contractor called and said you’d talked to him when you left the shop almost two hours ago.”
She moved farther into the kitchen and stopped at the large center island. “Well, I had something to do after work. I already told you going into this marriage that it was on paper only. I’m still my own boss.”
He propped his hat back on his head and crossed the room, coming to stand across from her. His gaze drifted to the ultrasound images in her hand.
“You were at the doctor?”
Pepper nodded.
“I would’ve gone with you.”
Surprised he’d even mention such a thing, she merely shrugged. “Didn’t cross my mind to mention it. That’s not something you ever wanted to do before.”
The muscles in his jaw ticked as he continued to look at the pictures. “We’ve already established I’m a different man.”
“A man who wants kids in his life?”
Those bright blues came up to meet her gaze as silence surrounded them.
“That’s what I thought,” she finally murmured.
He reached across and slid the pictures from her hand. As he unfolded the long strip of paper, he studied the ultrasound shots.
“A boy,” he muttered. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
He laid the photos back on the counter and looked at her again. “I heard from my lawyer today. We have a meeting set up for tomorrow morning with the Wrights and their attorney.”
Fear clutched her heart. “I was hoping they were going to let this drop.”
Nolan came around the counter and took her hands in his, forcing her to face him. “No matter what you and I have been through, or how we feel now, I won’t let your child get taken away. I’ve got the best attorney in the state on this and I’ll call in a whole damn team if need be. Let me handle this, Pepper. You focus on your baby boy.”
In theory that sounded nice, but in reality this was her battle to fight. Unfortunately, she didn’t have near the impressive bank account that Nolan did. So as much as she wanted to stand on her own two feet, right now she needed his help. She just wished it hadn’t come at such a high price.
Why did he have to seem so caring, so concerned with her emotions? She couldn’t emotionally afford to have him so invested. Financially, she’d take all he could offer in order to keep her child, but anything too intimate or personal could possibly destroy her once all was said and done. Because in the end, they would part ways.
“I just want all of this to be over,” she told him, not caring that she was vulnerable. There was only so long a person could be strong and she was almost at her breaking point.
“It will be soon and then you can get on with your life,” he assured her as he cupped her cheek, stroking his thumb across her skin.
He sounded so confident and she hoped he was right. If she only had an ounce of his certainty, it would go a long way in easing her mind.
But with the impending meeting in the morning, there would be no relaxing until she saw what she was up against. Maybe after talking with Nolan’s attorney herself, she’d get a clearer picture.
She sighed despite herself. As hard as it was to admit, the fact that Nolan insisted on coming with her and sticking by her throughout this entire ordeal filled her with a measure of comfort. She wished she could be angry with him, but how could she? Yes, he’d treated her badly years ago, but he was truly trying to make up for it now. Pepper knew he still cared or he wouldn’t be going to so much trouble. Even with his guilt, there was a level of concern and it warmed her, made her wonder what type of man he was now.
And maybe she wanted to get to know this Nolan a bit better. The prospect seemed terrifying. The risk to all of this temptation was almost more than she could bear. But the intrigue was there...and she’d already been pulled in too far to back out now.
Nine
“I didn’t know you used to live in Montana and Oregon.”
The meeting with the attorneys and the Wrights had gone about as abysmally as he’d thought it would. Nolan had sat by Pepper’s side as everyone discussed the custody of her unborn child. The more he listened, the more he realized the Wrights were indeed going to fight dirty.
Their attorney brought up Pepper’s frequent moves over the past ten years. The only upside to the whole debacle was that Nolan discovered quite a bit about her, courtesy of their extensive background check, and appreciated the insight to her life. Although, he wasn’t too keen on the way they made her sound so unstable. Having known her for years, he understood the way she used the adventure as a way to cope with her grief.
“Both were beautiful states.” She continued to stare out the window of his SUV as he headed toward her shop because she insisted on working. “Other than Texas, I think Oregon was my favorite place to live.”
“You love it here?” he asked, surprised.
Pepper shifted in her seat, smoothing a hand down her pregnant belly. “What’s not to love? The small-town feel with the big-city attractions. All of the farms, the old homes, and the architecture. Not to mention all the little shops and parks. Stone River is a beautiful town.”
He gripped the wheel tighter. “Would you have stayed?”
Silence settled heavy between them. He should’ve kept his mouth shut and not said a word. But he’d always wondered. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant, had a miscarriage...if he hadn’t acted like a jerk because he was overcome with grief, would she have stayed? Would they be living in his house on Pebblebrook for real as a married couple?
“I would’ve done anything for you,” she murmured.
Nolan swallowed the lump of remorse. He believed her. She’d have stayed even though she wanted to go travel the world. He hadn’t been able to see it at the time, but now he knew the truth. She’d have done anything to make him happy, to stay together. He was the one who hadn’t held up his part of the commitment.
Relationships weren’t always fifty-fifty, with each person giving fully of themselves—a life fact he’d discovered the hard way. At least, that was what his father had always said, and Nolan’s parents had had an extremely successful marriage.
He didn’t even think before he reached across and slid his hand over hers. “I’m sorry that was difficult back there.”
“Not your fault.” Pepper blew out a sigh and changed the subject. “I think we stunned them with the marriage announcement.”
Nolan smiled. “That was the idea.”
They’d explained that Pepper had come back to her hometown because she and Nolan had reconnected. Not a total lie. Nolan had stayed by her side, offering her support and comfort as she was given the third degree on why she moved so much, why she held so many jobs and why she thought this new venture into entrepreneurship would be the thing to keep her grounded.
The fact that he was a doctor didn’t seem to impress the Wrights. If anything, they looked ready to attack him, too. Nolan didn’t care what they did. His record as a surgeon was impeccable. He was the top general surgeon in the entire state and if they had the balls to dig into his financial records, they’d find he could buy them out five times over if he wanted.
So, no, he wasn’t afraid of them and he hoped like hell they knew who they were up against, because they were going to lose.
“I have to go into the hospital,” he told her as he turned into the lot behind Painted Pansies. “The next three days will be busy. I have twelve-hour shifts, so don’t look for me at home during normal hours.”
Pepper gathered up her purse from the floorboard. “Does a doctor even have such a t
hing as normal hours?”
“Not at all,” he chuckled. “I’ll have a couple of the ranch hands drop your car off to you so you can get back home.”
He pulled up to the back door and before she could get out, he squeezed her hand to get her attention. “I wasn’t lying when I told you everything would be all right.”
Her dark eyes met his. “I want to believe that.”
The way she looked at him, with so much hope, twisted something deep inside him. Yeah, he’d slay all her dragons, but then he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d be battling himself. His hands were dirty, too, when it came to hurting Pepper.
“Will you be okay at the house alone? You remember how the alarm system works?”
Pepper nodded. “I’ll be fine.”
Damn it. For the first time since he became a doctor, he actually dreaded going into work. But he knew he had a full schedule of surgeries and there were always emergencies that occurred with patients.
“I don’t like leaving you.”
That revelation came as quick as the words spilled from his mouth. He wanted to spend more time with her, and that was a dangerous thought.
Pepper’s brows rose. Yeah, he caught the irony in that statement, too, but he meant it.
“Promise me you’ll eat regular meals,” he ordered.
“I can take care of myself, Nolan.”
She tugged her hand free, and he hated the lost connection. He didn’t want her to withdraw. He wanted her to hold on to him, to allow him to gather her close and soothe her worries away. How could he continue to help her if she insisted on guarding her heart? He couldn’t blame her, but damn it, he was trying. He wasn’t going to stop reaching for her, touching her, kissing her.
“Pepper...”
She gripped her purse in her lap. “I really need to get the shop open. I promise everything will be fine.”
Unable to stop himself, he leaned across the console, curled his fingers around the back of her neck, and brought her mouth to his. He brushed his lips over hers, shocked when she parted for him.
Threading his fingers through the hair at the nape of her neck, Nolan tipped his head to capture more of her.
The kiss was quick yet left him wanting more as he eased back just slightly. Part of him wanted to keep kissing her, but he refrained. Maybe if he kept giving her a taste of what they could have, she’d come to him of her own accord. He knew he could have her begging.
“What was that for?” she breathed against his mouth.
“I won’t deny myself what I want anymore.”
Her body trembled beneath his touch. “And that includes me?”
He nipped at her lips once more before releasing her. “Have a good day at work and don’t hesitate to call Colt if you need something. He knows I’m working and he’s right there on the property.”
Pepper stared at him. No, he wasn’t answering her question; she already knew what he’d say. Hell, yes, she was included in that statement. He wanted her—he knew it was unsettling, risky, but he’d eventually have her in his bed...or wherever else he could take her.
Both times he’d kissed her, she’d melted against him and kissed right back. There was no reason they had to deny themselves what they both wanted.
“You’re making this difficult for me,” she stated as she opened her door. “If you want to kiss me, fine. But don’t push, Nolan. I’m not strong enough to fight for my baby and resist you, too.”
She hopped out of the SUV and headed to the back door of Painted Pansies.
Well, damn. If that didn’t give him hope, nothing would. She was just as achy as he was. He knew Pepper and there was no way a woman that passionate would be able to resist him. Not that he was God’s gift to women—he wasn’t that arrogant. But he wasn’t naive, either. They had unfinished business between them whether she was willing to admit it or not.
A smile played on his lips. Pepper had no clue that after these three days were over, he’d be home for a bit. He never took vacation and with Hayes coming home, Nolan wanted to be there.
Maybe he’d just surprise her.
Nolan pulled away as soon as Pepper was safely inside. Yeah, he’d surprise her. Wouldn’t she just love that?
* * *
After having the ranch to herself for a few days, Pepper had completed and sold several paintings with six to spare and had a few rather profitable days at the shop. With each customer who came through, she had to explain the noises overhead. All of the hammering and sawing was music to her ears, however. Most of the townsfolk knew of the fire and were quite sympathetic, which added to sales.
As soon as she got out of this awkward marriage, Pepper planned to be back in her building, where she could live and work while raising her baby. Because she would be the one to raise her son—there was no other option as far as she was concerned. Having strangers get custody wasn’t even a possibility she wanted to entertain.
For now, she needed to remain as calm as possible if she wanted to keep her blood pressure under control. Her son’s health came first. Everything she was doing was for him. Through each step of this pregnancy, she’d had fears. So many memories of her first pregnancy swirled around in her mind, the roller coaster of emotions from the excitement to the anger, then the loss and the emptiness—the broken heart.
Pepper stepped back and tipped her head to the side as she examined the new painting she’d done last night when she couldn’t sleep. Between her demanding pregnancy bladder and all the worries of the future, she’d barely gotten a few hours. And that wasn’t even touching on all the swirling thoughts in her head regarding her new husband.
Once she’d started painting, she’d become lost in the moment. The soft strokes of coral and pale gray looked so much better in Nolan’s living room of navy and white. That old ugly black-and-white picture he had really needed to go. He might be a bachelor—or he used to be—but that didn’t mean he had to live in a constant state of bore.
Pepper had already put a bright watercolor painting in her bedroom. She needed the yellows and oranges to brighten up all the beige. Beige. Who the hell chose that color to decorate with? Why be so mundane?
So far she’d added three paintings to his home, and the third one was propped on his dresser in his bedroom. Also a dark, somber room done in navy and dark wood, so she went with something bold and bright to spruce things up. Various shades of reds and golds ought to make his domain a happier place.
Not that she figured he’d say anything. A man like Nolan didn’t care about decor, because she knew him well enough to know he’d hired interior designers to have his home done but he’d most likely told them to keep it neutral.
Neutral. Just the word made her cringe. If she’d lived here from the beginning, the words beige and gray wouldn’t even have been in the mix. Each room would’ve been its own showpiece. There was so much possibility to liven things up, but this wasn’t really her house and she couldn’t exactly transform everything. But a few of her one-of-a-kind paintings couldn’t hurt.
The furniture and decor all over the house had been chosen with a man in mind—dominant, bold, rich.
From the automatic lights and blinds to the indoor-and-outdoor pool and even a megatheater room, everything was so grand. He had deviated slightly from their master plans years ago, but only to make this place even more larger-than-life. Because when they’d first tinkered around with house plans, they’d still been in that dreamy stage of their love affair. Pepper never actually thought she’d have a master suite with a sweeping balcony to overlook the land but it sure had been fun fantasizing about it.
Dreaming with Nolan had been her favorite hobby when she was twenty years old. Making love by the brook that ran through the ranch had been another of their favorite pastimes. With an estate this vast, there were plenty of areas to find privacy for yo
ung lovers.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine her life here. Had she not miscarried, she and Nolan would’ve still built this amazing home on his family’s estate. She wondered how he lived here all alone, though. Did he even go in half the rooms of this massive home? Had he thought of her as he built this place? As he designed the master suite?
No. She wasn’t going to get caught up in the fantasy life she could’ve had or the fact that she still craved Nolan. He may be different than the boy she left behind, but he was also very much the same. And try as she might, she still wanted his touch, even if it was only temporary.
Pepper padded barefoot back through the house, the dark hardwood floor smooth beneath her feet. A gentle kick in her belly had her rubbing a hand over her tank top and smiling. She loved every moment of feeling her little boy move. Every time he shifted, she wanted to freeze that moment. As excited as she was to hold him, she would miss this wondrous feeling.
She headed back to the living room and surveyed the three paintings still waiting to find a home. She could put them in the shop, but she already had so many and she didn’t want the small retail space to look cluttered.
“What the hell are you doing?”
Pepper swiveled around, her hand over her chest as her heart quickened at the intrusion. Nolan stood behind her with his hands on his hips. Dark hair all disheveled, lips set in a thin, hard line and jaw clenched, he was clearly pissed about something.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” she stated breathlessly. “Care to tell me why you’re angry with me?”
His hand gestured toward the painting over his fireplace, then to the ones resting to the side. “Are you redecorating?”
So much for him not noticing. “I, uh, thought—”
“Did you think about the paint chemicals?” he added, his voice rising.
Pepper had no idea what had put him in this mood, but she didn’t have to stick around to listen. “I use the best paints and in a ventilated area. I also have a mask I wear, not that it’s any of your concern,” she huffed. “And if you hate it so much, I can easily take down the paintings and put your boring, lifeless art back in place. It’s clear some things never change. Whatever Nolan wants, Nolan gets.”
Claimed by the Rancher--A scandalous story of passion and romance Page 8