She actually glanced shyly away. In that instant, he became even more smitten—which meant he was treading further and further into forbidden territory.
To distract himself, Aaron nodded at the foal. With a coat the color of tarnished gold, a wide white blaze down the center of his face and four perfectly matched white stockings, he was striking to say the least. “That’s a nice looking colt. What happened to the mother? Is she sick?”
“She’s gone. She’s one of the missing horses.”
Aaron swore softly, cursing the horse thieves.
“I’m worried we’re going to lose him.” Mel sighed wearily. “He won’t eat.”
“You’ll figure this out. He’s not going to die.”
“No, he’s not.” She straightened. “I still have a trick or two up my sleeve.”
“Like what?” He was truly interested. Aaron had grown up around horses, though his family hadn’t raised any from birth.
“There’s milk pellets. According to Cara, he’s been eating a little solid food. But he’s still going to need the complete nutrition of mare’s milk. I checked around, and there aren’t any lactating mares available to foster him. But there are several tame burros in the sanctuary that could serve as a companion. A large part of this guy’s problem is he misses his mother. His chances of improving increase if he can bond with another horse. Or something close to a horse.”
“If you want some help,” he said, “let me know.”
She searched his face. “Seriously?”
“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious.”
“Thank you.”
Aaron had to look twice. Were those tears in her eyes? “It’s no big deal. Really.”
“What’s your mother-in-law going to say if we’re seen together?”
“I’d like to say I don’t care.”
“Except you do.” Mel wiped off the bottle with a towel and returned it to her medical case.
“Helping you with the foal is business. Not personal.”
“Of course. So why would Nancy care?”
“Okay.” Aaron could have kicked himself. “That didn’t come out right.”
“You think?” Mel’s movements were stiff and jerky as she collected the bucket and closed her medical case.
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded, her mouth drawn into a thin, tight line. “I put you on the spot. That wasn’t fair.”
Aaron should probably leave before he shoved his other foot in his mouth. Only he didn’t. “Things settle down with the family yet?”
Her answer came slowly. “I haven’t talked to my dad or sisters since last night. And before you say anything, I will. I needed to handle this emergency first.”
“You consider Frankie’s plan at all?”
“And some other things.” She pushed her hair back from her face. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”
He just then noticed the dark circles beneath her eyes and reached for her across the stall door. Too quick for him, she retreated a step, her no-touching message broadcasted loud and clear.
Should he tell her he was finding it harder and harder to resist her? Probably not. She’d been the one to set the rules, it was true, but he’d agreed to them, as much for his personal situation as hers.
Robin had made him swear he’d be open to finding someone new someday. At the time, when she’d been lying in a hospital bed, he couldn’t conceive of loving again. Lately, with Mel, the prospects didn’t seem completely impossible.
The pull between them was definitely growing stronger and stronger. But his home life, of which Nancy was a big part, remained unchanged. He’d made commitments to her, too, and Aaron didn’t like going back on his word. Even something as small as missing reading time with Kaylee bothered him.
“You’re an easy person to like, Mel.” It was the closest he could come to expressing his feelings.
She stared, her features stricken.
Aaron wanted to kick himself. Once again, his remark had hurt her rather than ease her unhappiness or uncertainty.
“Let’s meet tonight.” At her arch glance, he added, “For that talk. Nothing else.”
After a moment, she relented. “Is six o’clock too early?”
“Can we make it seven? I’m taking Kaylee to that new aquarium and butterfly exhibit this afternoon.”
The briefest of smiles touched Mel’s face. “That should be fun.”
Aaron thought it might be more fun if Mel went with them. He didn’t dare ask her, though. That was guaranteed to make a muddy situation muddier. He set the fantasy aside, along with the other ones he’d recently been having about him and Mel going to dinner and a movie rather than hiding out in a room at the motel.
“I’d better head to the office. Check in with Shonda and see how the investigation is progressing.”
“And I need to track down a good companion burro.”
Mel bent to retrieve her case, then abruptly straightened, her hand clasped to her middle, her eyes squeezed shut and her lower lip caught between her teeth.
“You okay?” Aaron pushed through the stall door.
She held up a hand. “Stay back.”
Ignoring her, he hurried to her side.
“Please.” She spun sideways. “I’m going to be sick.”
She barely made it to the corner opposite where the foal stood watching them with wide eyes before leaning over and vomiting.
Aaron waited a minute for her to recover. She was breathing hard, as if she’d just run a hundred-yard dash. Averting her head, she wiped her mouth with her forearm, kicking dirt to cover the mess at her feet.
Her acute embarrassment tangible, he said, “Don’t worry. I have a young daughter. I see throw up and a whole lot worse on a regular basis.”
She exhaled slowly. Sweat lined her brow, from the heat and the exertion. “You haven’t seen my throw up.”
“You should call your doctor. This has been going on for days.”
“I’m planning on it. Tomorrow.”
“I could drive you.”
What little color remained in her cheeks promptly drained. “No, that’s all right. I can manage.”
Before he could say more, she doubled over and vomited again. This, he decided, was getting serious.
“Go home, Mel. Forget about the burro. You’re sick.”
“No, I’m not.” She wiped at her mouth again.
“Do I have to toss you over my shoulder and kidnap you?”
“You’d better be joking.”
“I’m not, Mel. You’re really worrying me.”
Drawing in a long breath, she blurted, “I’m pregnant. I was going to tell you tonight, but there’s no point in waiting.”
Pregnant? Aaron struggled to absorb the news, but his mind kept throwing up barriers.
“You’re...on the Pill,” he stammered.
“It obviously failed.”
Her tone implied she was mad, though Aaron wasn’t sure at what. Him or the situation.
A beep, a crackle and then a distorted version of Shonda’s voice erupted from his radio. “Aaron. Are you here yet? We’re waiting on you. Over.”
He responded automatically, pressing the button on the transmitter clipped to his shirtfront. “Be right there.”
To Mel, he said, “I don’t want to go.”
“I understand. You’re here on official business. I should have waited to tell you.”
“I don’t know how long I’ll be tied up with the investigation. Then I have plans with Kaylee. Can this wait until tonight?”
“Sure.” She stared at him. If she was attempting to gauge his reaction, he didn’t think she was getting much other than surprise and disbelief.
What did she expect? She had just pulled the rug out from under him.
&nb
sp; He knew he should reassure her. Tell her everything would be okay. That they’d figure this out, and she could rely on him.
All he could muster at the moment was, “All right. See you then.”
He could only guess at the depths of her disappointment in him.
Chapter Seven
Mel waited until she reached the four-way stop before grabbing her phone off the passenger seat and reading the text. It was from Aaron, as she’d suspected.
#22 Be there shortly
He was giving her the number for their room at the Desert Oasis Motel. This was the extent of their texts, a room number and a few token words.
Returning her phone to the passenger seat, she accelerated though the quiet rural intersection and continued on the road toward Rio Verde. For some ridiculous reason, she thought Aaron might say something different tonight. Like, hurry up, can’t wait to see you or I’ve missed you followed by a heart emoji.
She was being stupid. Ten hours ago she’d delivered the bombshell of the century. Did she really think the subtle changes she’d noticed in him lately would carry over to a text when he was probably still reeling?
Neither would tonight be a typical hookup. No falling into bed after a few minutes of small talk.
On the plus side, her morning sickness had all but disappeared since this morning’s disastrous encounter in the horse stall.
An hour researching online, as well as reading pamphlets a nurse at the medical clinic had provided that afternoon, had taught Mel this particular pregnancy symptom often came and went. With luck, her stomach would behave. Hard to have a conversation when one person was bent over the toilet.
She didn’t return Aaron’s text and not because it was unsafe to do so while driving. She simply didn’t know what to say. Her usual reply of On my way seemed trite under the circumstances.
Aaron’s SUV was easy to spot in the small parking area behind the motel. He hadn’t driven his official sheriff’s department vehicle. Too risky. What if someone spotted him? Rather, he drove his personal SUV, a smaller, “friendlier” and completely unremarkable version that garnered no attention.
Mel parked in the next space over, noting the child’s car seat through the window. She was struck with a sudden pang. Would he have a second car seat for their baby? Or, not want anything to do with Mel anymore?
Her father had given up all parental rights to Samantha without a single objection. Aaron could easily want that too. He already had a family, one he’d sacrificed a great deal for. A baby and baby mama on the side could endanger their security.
A heavy lump formed in the pit of her stomach that had nothing to do with the physical aspects of her pregnancy and everything to do with her emotional state. She could well be facing motherhood alone. Not the future she’d envisioned for herself.
Standing in front of the door to room 22, she raised her hand to knock, then paused, a sense of indecency heating her cheeks. She hadn’t been embarrassed since the first time she and Aaron came here. They’d met in the lobby, and she’d been convinced the clerk pegged them right off the bat as having an affair.
By their third rendezvous at the motel, Mel hadn’t cared about proprieties. She and Aaron weren’t doing anything wrong. So why, then, had those old feelings suddenly resurfaced?
She fought the urge to turn and flee. Aaron was expecting her. And besides, they really did need to talk.
Rapping soundly on the door, she waited, every nerve in her body stretched to its limit. He answered almost immediately, as if he’d been standing directly on the other side of the door.
“Hi.” The smile he flashed paled in comparison to its usual brilliance.
Mel worried it was a bad sign. “Sorry I’m late.”
She entered the room when he swung the door wide and gave a cursory glance around. The two dozen rooms at the small motel were identically furnished and decorated. Realizing she and Aaron had occupied over half of them, she nearly laughed. From tension, not because she found the idea funny.
He didn’t pull her into a hug or kiss her, which was how most of their evenings together started and ended. It was a definite highlight of their time together and one she usually looked forward to.
“You want some water?” He came prepared with two chilled bottles, which now sat on the spindly legged desk.
“Thanks.” She might need an outlet for her pent-up energy. Sipping water would serve the purpose.
After a moment, he planted himself in the equally spindly chair, his long jeans-clad legs fighting for space in the cramped area between the desk and the bed. “How’s the foal doing?”
Apparently, they were going to start with small talk.
“Putting the burro in with him hasn’t helped.” She sighed dejectedly. “He did finally drink milk from a bucket and nibbled on a few pellets.”
“You think he’ll make it?”
“Too early to say. The next few days, few hours, really, are critical. Cara’s keeping an eye on him.”
“You’ll pull him through.”
Aaron had said something similar to her this morning, and it pleased her that his confidence hadn’t wavered in light of recent events.
“I hope.”
Silence followed. Sipping at her water, Mel perched on the bed. The mattress, as hard as an ironing board, barely budged. On past evenings, when their moods were lighter, they’d joked about the motel’s lousy accommodations.
“Who wants to start?” she asked, forcing a smile.
“How about you, seeing as you have the most at stake?”
Did she? Mel tended to disagree. Unless he was planning on leaving her to raise the baby alone.
“I went to the medical clinic in town today and had the pregnancy confirmed.” Since early pregnancy tests could be wrong, and there was a lot riding on their talk tonight, she’d decided to make absolutely sure by visiting the clinic. “I’m calling my regular doctor tomorrow for an appointment.”
“Want me to drive you?”
His offer initially took her aback. She hadn’t thought about him going with her. Then again, he’d probably accompanied his late wife on all her appointments, considering she’d spent the majority of her pregnancy battling a brain tumor.
“That’s not necessary,” Mel said. “Maybe when I’m further along.”
“How far are you?”
“Five weeks, give or take.” She hesitated, her certainty waning. “You do believe me when I say this was entirely an accident?”
“Of course.”
“Really?” Doubts still plagued her.
“Mel, I know you pretty well. We’ve been seeing each other for over eight months. You’re not a liar. The Pill can fail. It did with Robin.”
“Oh!” He hadn’t mentioned that before. “I always had the impression you and she were trying for a baby.”
“We were when we had Kaylee. The year before, Robin conceived while on the Pill. Unfortunately, she miscarried. I always wondered if she was so determined to have Kaylee because she’d lost one baby.”
Mel had no idea what she would do if she were terminally ill. Maybe the same as Robin. Oddly enough, the thought made her feel a tiny connection to Aaron’s late wife. While disconcerting, it was also comforting in a way.
“Since this wasn’t what either of us planned,” Mel began, “I completely understand if you want no part of the baby.”
He stared at her. “You’re kidding.”
“Actually, no.”
“I’m the baby’s father, Mel. Trust me, I’ll be an involved father.”
He sounded completely committed. Not a trace of hesitancy or uncertainty colored his voice.
Mel wanted to be glad. Relieved. Aaron was willing to step up. But something held her back.
“I just wanted to put it out there. I have no expectations.”
; “You should,” he said. “High expectations. And I promise to meet them. I was thrown today when you told me, and I apologize for that. Please don’t think too badly of me.”
“I didn’t. Honestly. You were caught off guard.”
“It was a lot to process. But I’ve been thinking about you, about us, all day.”
As she looked at him, her hesitancy wavered. Aaron was the kind of man Mel had always dreamed of meeting—someday, when she was ready to settle down. His intentions were clearly good.
“I suppose we have a decision or two to make.”
“Let’s not try to figure everything out tonight,” he said. “We have time.”
She thought it interesting that he hadn’t asked her if she wanted the baby or not. Had he assumed or—and this was irksome if true—did he know her as well as he’d claimed?
“I’m going to support you,” he continued, “financially and in every way you need.”
“What about your family? Will you tell them?”
“Yes. Eventually.”
She supposed Aaron had a valid reason to wait. She wasn’t very far along and, as she’d learned tonight, his late wife had miscarried.
“What about you?” he asked. “Telling anyone?”
“Dolores knows, but only because she found me being sick in the café restroom and figured it out. But she won’t say anything until I’m ready.”
“You sure? Not even your dad?”
“I trust Dolores.”
“That says a lot about her character. You must be close.”
His remark prompted Mel to stop and think. “I guess we are.”
“I’m glad. You can use a friend right now. Someone besides me.”
Mel studied him, noting the rugged good looks and strong physique that had first attracted her. He appeared capable of taking down the burliest of criminal offenders. Yet, she’d seen his gentler side many times, with her and, from a distance, with his daughter.
“Are you my friend, Aaron?”
“I’d like to think so.” He sat up, causing the old chair to creak. “More, if you’ll let me.”
What was he implying?
Nothing, apparently, for he continued with, “We’re having a baby together. Better for everyone involved if we get along.”
A Baby for the Deputy Page 9