“You promised me home-cooked meals and hot sex.”
He was teasing. She knew that. But suddenly, she couldn’t make light of their situation. Tears clogged her throat. Creating a home with a baby on the way should be something a man and a woman did that was almost sacred. Brooke and Austin were making a mockery of marriage and family. “I need to visit the restroom,” she muttered. “Will you see how long we can wait to give them an answer?”
She locked herself in the nearest bathroom, sat on the closed commode lid and cried. Not long. Three minutes, max. But it was enough to make her eyes puffy. Afterward, she splashed water on her face and tried to repair the damage with her compact.
In the mirror over the sink, she looked haggard and scared. Poor Austin hadn’t signed on for all this drama. She used a tissue to wipe away a smudge of mascara and dried her hands on her pants.
Then—because she quite literally had no other choice—she unlocked the door and went in search of her cowboy.
Austin and the rental agent, an attractive woman in her early forties, were chatting comfortably when Brooke emerged onto the front porch. The other woman gave her a searching look. “Everything okay? I have bottled water in my car.”
Brooke nodded. “I’m fine.”
Austin curled an arm around Brooke’s waist, drawing her close. She leaned into his warmth and strength unashamedly. He smelled good, though his nearness made her knees wobble. She couldn’t seem to stop wanting him despite everything that had happened.
The agent eyed them both with a practiced smile. “I was telling Mr. Bradshaw that there are three other couples on the books to see this unit today, two this afternoon and one tonight. As you probably know, decent rental property is hard to come by in Royal. This new development is very popular, and this particular condo was only finished two days ago. This one is outfitted as a model, though you certainly don’t have to take the furniture if it’s not your taste. If you’re interested, though, I wouldn’t wait too long.”
Austin tightened his arm around Brooke. “Give us a few minutes, would you?”
The woman walked down the steps and out to her car.
“Well,” he said. “What do you think?”
Brooke wriggled free, needing a clear head. She couldn’t get that standing so close to the man who made her breathe faster. He rattled her. “You know it’s perfect. Of course, it’s perfect. But that’s not really the point. Aren’t we rushing into this?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “You’re already pregnant. The clock is ticking. You’re the one who asked for marriage. I’m happy for the both of us to move in here either way. I’m already imagining all the ways we can use that big Jacuzzi tub.”
So could she. The intensity of her need for him made her shiver.
She licked her lips. “I don’t think pregnant women are supposed to use hot tubs.”
“Then we’ll improvise in the shower.”
The heat in his gaze threatened to melt her on the spot.
“How can you be so cavalier about the situation?” she cried. There was absolutely nothing she could do about the panic in her voice. The fact that Austin was cool and unruffled told her his emotional involvement was nil. It was Brooke who was unraveling bit by bit.
Austin shook his head slowly. “Take it easy. I didn’t mean to pressure you. But it made me so damn mad to see your parents play the bully. Sit, honey. Breathe.”
He summoned the agent with a crook of his finger. Brooke sank onto the porch swing, half numb, half scared.
Austin gave the woman a blinding smile. “I’ll take it,” he said.
The agent faltered. “You?” She glanced at Brooke. “But I thought...”
“The contract will be in my name only,” Austin said cheerfully. “Just mine. I asked Ms. Goodman to come along and give me advice. She likes all those flopping and flipping shows, don’t you, sweetheart?”
Brooke nodded. Austin was giving her a way out. Was she being a coward? Maybe so. But his gesture touched her deeply, because it told her he understood her fears.
While Austin wrote a check for first and last month’s rent and signed a dozen pages of an official-looking contract, Brooke moved the swing lazily, pushing her foot against the crisply painted boards of the porch. Halloween was only a few days away. This house would need a smiling jack-o’-lantern.
Was she going to live here? For real? Or was this some kind of bizarre fantasy?
She tried to imagine it. Coming home each night to Austin Bradshaw. Sharing his bed.
Every scenario that played in her head was more delicious and tempting than the last. Under this roof, she and Austin would be alone. She could indulge her lust for his magnificent body over and over and over again. Intimate candlelit dinners for two. Watching movies on the couch and pausing the action on the screen when they couldn’t resist touching each other. Lazy Saturday morning sex when neither of them had responsibilities. It would be one long, sizzling affair.
She blinked and came back to reality with a mental thud.
In one blinding instant, she saw the impossibility of her situation. She did need Austin. Marrying him would free up her inheritance and thus finance her dreams of owning an art studio in Royal...of training and inspiring the next generation of artists and dreamers.
Marrying him would make her child legitimate in the eyes of the law, an outdated concept no doubt, but one that was nevertheless appealing. Marrying Austin would give her the freedom to finally be her own person.
But at what cost? Living with him would end up breaking her heart.
She watched him as he talked and laughed with the rental agent. He was making a concerted effort to charm the woman, to keep her from spending too much time wondering why Brooke was not signing on the dotted line, as well. Hoping, perhaps, to deflect the inevitable gossip.
Everything about this man was dangerous. From the very first moment Brooke saw him in that crowded bar in Joplin, something about him had spoken to her deepest needs. She was already half in love with him. The only remedy was to stay far, far away.
Instead, she was about to do the exact opposite.
With a sigh, she pulled out her phone and tried to distract herself with emails while she waited for Austin to finish up. At last, the formalities were done. The agent locked up the property and drove away.
Austin sat down beside Brooke and stretched his long arms along the back of the swing. Yawning hugely, he dropped his head back and sighed. “She’s going to meet me here at 8:00 a.m. on Monday to pick up the keys. I’ll pack my stuff at Gus’s this weekend, so I can move in after work that afternoon.”
“And me?”
He curled one hand around her shoulder and caressed her bare arm below the sleeve of her top. His fingers were warm against her chilled skin, eliciting delicious shivers. She’d left her jacket in the car, so she snuggled closer, welcoming his body heat.
“Well,” he said slowly. “I suppose that’s up to you. I hate the thought of you going back to that house.”
“It’s my home, Austin. They’re not going to poison my soup or lock me in my room.”
“Don’t be too sure. I wouldn’t put anything past your mother.” He shuddered theatrically. “She scares me.”
His nonsense lightened the mood. “Do you really think we can make this work?”
“I do. We’re reasonable adults with busy schedules, so we won’t be together 24/7. We both have plenty of work ahead of us at the club, not to mention the fact that we have to get ready for a baby. And when it comes to that, by the way, I can be involved as much or as little as you want me to...”
“Okay.” She was feeling weepy again. Lost and unsure of herself. Not an auspicious start to a convenient relationship. She swallowed. “Are you still willing to marry me?”
His gaze remained fixed out on the street where two delivery trucks were wrangling about parking priv
ileges. “Yes.” The word was low but firm.
“Not a church wedding,” she said. “Something small. And very simple.”
“The courthouse?”
“Yes.” Sadness curled in her stomach. If she were marrying the love of her life, even a courthouse wedding would be romantic. However, under these circumstances, it seemed sad and a bit tawdry.
“I have one requirement.”
She stiffened. “Oh?”
He shifted finally, half turning so he could see her face. “I want you to buy a special dress. It’s doesn’t have to be a traditional gown. But something to mark the day as an occasion. Will you do that for me?”
He leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his thumb. Suddenly, her heart thudded so loudly in her chest she was sure he could hear the ragged thumps. “Yes,” she croaked. “I’ll go tomorrow.”
“Brooke?” He leaned in as he said her name, his lips brushing hers once...twice. “I care about you. I’ll never do anything to hurt you, I swear. And I will protect you and this baby with my life.”
It was as solemn and sacred a vow as any she had ever heard. Even without the word love, it would have to be enough. Austin had already made that other vow on another day with another woman. Brooke would have to be satisfied with these very special promises he had given to her as the father of her baby.
She kissed him softly. “Yes,” she said. “I will marry you, and I will live with you. For this one year. And I will do everything in my power to make sure that you don’t regret your decision. Thank you, Austin.” Curling her arms around his neck, she let herself go, gave herself permission to lower her defenses and simply enjoy the moment.
He wrapped her in his arms tenderly, as if she were breakable...as if all the passion between them had to be kept in check, muted, held at bay to keep from crushing her. Paradoxically, his gentleness made the moment all the more arousing. Their heartbeats, their longing clashed, and like an almost palpable force, the wanting grew and multiplied.
Emboldened, she slid a hand beneath his shirt and caressed the hard, warm planes of his back.
They were outside. In public. Only the confines of the porch gave them any privacy at all.
Austin groaned.
“What?” she whispered, pressing into him, needing him so badly she shook with it.
“I should have written her a check for three more days and taken the keys right now.”
Brooke pulled back and stared at him. “That was an option?”
His sheepish smile softened the moment, though not the intensity of her desire for him. On the other side of the door lay at least two brand-new, fully serviceable beds. “I wasn’t thinking too clearly. It’s not every day a man buys a house for his wife and child.”
“Rents,” she corrected, reminding herself of the tenuous nature of their agreement.
“Whatever.” He glanced at his watch and muttered a curse. His disgruntled expression was almost amusing.
“I take it we’re through here?”
He stood and stretched. “I have to meet someone at the club. It’s important. Or I wouldn’t leave you.”
The odd choice of words gave her pause. “I have to go, too. I want to finish up the last outdoor mural so I can start on the daycare walls next week. The weather is supposed to turn dreary.”
Austin tugged her to her feet. He rested his forehead on hers. “Will you be here with me Monday night?”
Her heart beat faster. Moving out of her parents’ house would be no picnic. “Yes,” she said clearly. “You can count on it.”
Eleven
They wasted no time in heading for the Texas Cattleman’s Club. Austin found a prime parking spot, gave Brooke a quick kiss and ran off for his appointment. She stopped by her own car—still parked where it had been overnight—grabbed a couple of items she needed out of the trunk and went inside to change into her work clothes, engulfed in a haze of giddy anticipation and cautious optimism.
The sun was shining, and the temps were balmy. It was a perfect day to paint, though she missed Austin already. In the distance, she could see the stage addition taking shape. It was going to be a push, but Austin swore he would have everything ready in time for the auction. Already, the landscapers were putting down sod and laying out string and markers for the plants, both temporary and permanent, that would turn the gardens into a fall foliage paradise.
The whole thing was exciting. Not that Brooke would attend the auction itself. At least she didn’t think so. She certainly wasn’t going to bid on a bachelor. She would, however, make an extremely modest donation to the charity, despite her financial woes. This event was important to Alexis, and Brooke wanted to support her friend in every way she could.
Because she was so close to finishing the entire outdoor project, she opted for peanut butter crackers at lunch. To appease her conscience, she resolved to have a healthy dinner when she got home.
The day flew by. She was in the zone. Anytime her heart was in the midst of a painting, it was as if the brush moved on its own. At four o’clock, she was limp with exhaustion but filled with elation. Two huge outdoor walls now burst with life and color.
As she cleaned up her supplies and packed everything away, she kept an eye out for Austin, but he was nowhere to be found. She told herself not to be silly. Going home to face her parents was something she could do on her own. She didn’t need a man to help with that.
In the end, the expected confrontation never materialized. She had completely forgotten that her mother had a huge real estate conference in Las Vegas. Her father had gone along to play golf. Brooke glanced at the calendar in the pantry. They had flown out at 3:00 p.m. Wouldn’t be back until Monday night.
She stood in the empty kitchen with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach. Instead of facing an unpleasant weekend of arguments and emotional upheaval, all she had to do was pack her things and say goodbye to her childhood home. This time when she walked out, it would be for good.
There were sweet memories in the huge house. Not everything had been a struggle. But unfortunately, the lovelier moments of her childhood had been somewhat obliterated by events in recent years.
The cook had left two different casseroles in the fridge. Brooke picked the one with carrots and other veggies. She needed to eat well. Unfortunately, the smell of the food heating in the microwave made her stomach heave. She rushed outside and leaned against the house, breathing in the night air. No one had ever told her that morning sickness could last all day.
On a whim, she sent a text to Alexis...
Are you busy? Want to come over? I haven’t seen you in ages...
Alexis’s response was almost immediate.
Sounds great. Are your parents home?
Brooke grinned. Alexis was no more a fan of Simon and Margaret Goodman than Austin was. She typed a single-word reply and threw in a few happy-face emojis for good measure...
NO!
Alexis replied quickly.
See you soon.
While Brooke cleaned up the kitchen and waited for her friend, she debated how much of the truth to share. She could trust Alexis with her secrets. She had no doubts about that. But she didn’t want to feel disloyal to Austin. The confusion was a dilemma she hadn’t expected.
Alexis arrived barely half an hour later. After the two women hugged, Brooke led the way into the comfy den. “You want something to drink?” she asked. “A glass of wine, maybe?”
The other woman plopped down on the sofa with a sigh. “What are you having?”
Brooke felt her cheeks get hot. “Just water. Trying to be healthier. You know.”
“Yeah. Probably a good idea. This whole bachelor auction may turn me into a raving alcoholic before it’s over anyway.”
Brooke curled up in an adjoining chair. “How are things going?”
Alexis shrugged. “I
suppose you could say we’re on schedule. Still, I’m putting out new fires every day. I can’t imagine why there are people who want to do event planning for a living.”
Brooke laughed, but she sympathized with her friend’s frustration. Gus Slade, Alexis’s grandfather, had insisted his granddaughter be in charge of the bachelor auction. No one ever said no to Gus, least of all his beleaguered family members.
Alexis was similar in height and build to Brooke, though Alexis was a bit taller, and her eyes were blue, not gray. The two women had been friends since childhood. Alexis was the same age as Brooke, but unlike Brooke, Alexis had been sent away to school at a young age and had developed a sophistication and confidence Brooke wondered if she herself would ever match.
Brooke studied the lines of exhaustion on her friend’s face. “Sounds like you need a break. Have you seen Daniel lately?”
“No,” Alexis said sharply. “Daniel and I are history. End of story.”
“Sorry for bringing him up,” Brooke muttered.
“No, I’m sorry,” Alexis said quickly. Her guilty smile was apologetic. “But let’s talk about you.”
“Okay.” Brooke paused, struggling for words. There really was no way to dance around the subject. “I’m pregnant.”
Alexis’s jaw dropped. She sat up straight and stared. “You’re joking.”
“No.” Brooke shook her head.
“But who?” Her friend was understandably bewildered.
“Austin Bradshaw. The architect your grandfather hired to design and oversee the new club addition.”
“I’ve run into him. Briefly.” Alexis frowned. “He only arrived two weeks ago. Maybe not even that long.”
“We met in Joplin just before Labor Day. It was never supposed to be anything more than a...” The words stuck in her throat.
“A one-night stand?” Alexis winced.
“Yes. The pregnancy was an accident.”
“Are you okay, Brookie?”
The childhood nickname suddenly made Brooke want to bawl, but at the same time, it was comforting in an odd way. This woman had known her forever. They had been through a lot.
Million Dollar Baby Page 10