Royal Holiday Baby

by Leanne Banks

  “You really don’t realize the impact you’ve made,” he said in amazement.

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I also don’t know if I will be staying,” she whispered, clearly in agony. “I feel so guilty.”

  Her admission felt like a hot poker in his gut, but he refused to give in to it. This night was about Tina and the baby. Not about him. “What you’ve given to this community has made a huge difference. Even if you left now, we would all be changed for the better.”

  She took another deep breath and flew into his arms. “Oh, Zach, what am I going to do?”

  This once, he wasn’t going to try to tell her, because he was beginning to grasp that Tina had been pressured her entire life. She deserved the opportunity to make her own choices…even if it nearly killed him in the process.

  Zach thanked everyone for coming. Daniel came to his side. “I’m headed out. Taking Chloe home.”

  “She didn’t bring her own car?” Zach asked, gently taunting his brother.

  “Okay, I’m following her home,” Daniel said, shooting him a quelling glance. “Don’t ask because I’m not gonna tell.”

  Zach lifted his hands. “Good luck and Godspeed.”

  Later that night, Tina nestled in Zach’s arms. His strength never ceased to amaze or comfort her. She gazed out the window of his bedroom into a sky full of stars. “Did your parents love each other?” she asked.

  “Huh?” he asked, half asleep.

  “Nothing,” she said, not wanting to bother him.

  He shifted and propped himself on his elbow. “No, what’d you say?”

  “I asked you if your parents loved each other.”

  “Yeah, they did,” he said.

  “How do you know?”

  “They were devoted to each other through thick and thin. He would have protected her with his life. She would have done anything she could for him,” he said.

  “How do you know that?” she asked.

  He sighed. “He worked three extra jobs when the ranch didn’t bring in enough money for food or heat. He traded one of his favorite horses for a diamond anniversary band for their twenty-fifth anniversary.”

  “That’s romantic,” she said.

  “She made him trade it back,” he said.

  Tina gasped. “Was he insulted?”

  Zach chuckled. “No. She was a very practical woman. He bought back the horse and got her a new refrigerator. She was a lot happier with that.”

  Tina smiled and relaxed against him again. “It sounds like they had a deep appreciation for each other.”

  “I think they did. My father held her hand when she died,” he said.

  Tina’s throat closed up tight. “That must have been hard,” she said.

  “Yes, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way,” Zach said. He stroked a strand of her hair from her forehead. “What about your parents? Do you think they loved each other?”

  “Well, they certainly procreated,” she said with a laugh. “Two sons, four daughters,” she said. “I always thought their relationship seemed controlled and proper until she died. Now that I think of it, her passing may have broken his heart. He continued to rule, but then he became ill. He didn’t fight it.”

  “My mother always said to be careful about judging other people. They might be different on the inside than they seem on the outside. Same for relationships. I had to grow up before I started to understand that,” he said.

  Tina thought about Zach’s relationship with his former wife. According to the outside world, he was a devoted husband, she a devoted wife. They had appeared normal, but Hildie had told her the real story had been different.

  She put her hand over Zach’s chest and felt his heartbeat against her palm. “After Jenny, did you decide you would never marry again?”

  He paused a long moment. “Yes,” he said. “But you changed my mind.”

  “Kiki and me,” she corrected. “Would you have changed your mind if I hadn’t gotten pregnant?”

  “That question is irrelevant,” he said. “You got pregnant.”

  “It’s not irrelevant to me,” she said, frowning.

  “Stop thinking about things that don’t matter. You’re with me. You’re safe, and our baby is safe,” he said.

  Tina sighed. For this moment, that was enough. She closed her eyes and snuggled against him, falling asleep.

  The next morning, Tina rose early to have breakfast with Zach’s sister, Sienna. Sienna had already said she needed to leave today, so Tina wanted to maximize her time with her.

  “Good morning,” Tina said as she carefully descended the stairs. Sienna was already seated in the den with her suitcase packed beside her. “You don’t have to rush away.”

  “Work,” Sienna said. “How are you this morning?”

  “Feeling my largesse,” Tina said with a laugh. “Eat breakfast with me. I’m sure Hildie has already fixed something with enough calories to feed a family of bears.”

  Sienna smiled. “She always did when I lived here. I’m sure she’ll turn up her nose when I tell her I’m on a low-carb diet.”

  “I think so,” Tina said as the two women walked into the breakfast room. “Morning, Hildie, you devil for deceiving me about the shower.”

  Hildie tossed her a look of defiance. “As if you didn’t love every minute,” she said.

  “All of you did too much,” Tina insisted.

  “If you say that one more time…” Hildie said in a warning tone.

  “I’m going to throw up,” Sienna finished.

  Tina blinked.

  Hildie gave a nod of approval. “Well said, Sienna. Good to see you again. You’re about five years overdue. Have a seat. Scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, crisp bacon and fresh fruit coming up.”

  Sienna groaned. “Do you know how long I’ll have to do the elliptical for this?”

  “Get in line. I’ve been doing this for months,” Tina said.

  Despite their protests, the two women enjoyed the sumptuous breakfast. Sienna leaned back and gestured at Tina’s plate. “You didn’t eat nearly as much as I would have expected with a little parasite in your belly.”

  Tina laughed. “Charming way of looking at pregnancy. I have to eat small meals. She keeps kicking me in my diaphragm. Little bugger.”

  “Ah,” Sienna said with a nod. “I like the way Zach acts with you. He treats you like fine china he wants to keep from breaking. Very sweet.”

  Tina’s smile fell. “He does that because of his first wife and how she lost the baby.”

  Sienna gave a slow nod. “I wasn’t around for that. I tried to reach out to him afterward, but he pretty much shut me out. It looks to me like things have changed with you around.”

  Tina was reluctant to disclose much more. “We’ll see. Tell me about your life. What made you leave Logan country?”

  Sienna shrugged. “I needed to get away. Made a few mistakes along the way, but I’m better now. The city suits me. I like the anonymity.”

  “Is there anyone special in your life?” Tina asked.

  Sienna shook her head. “Just my cat and my job, and I’m okay with that. I don’t want to lose touch with you, Zach and Daniel now. I’m too busy to come home for Christmas, but maybe I can visit afterward.”

  “That would be great,” Tina said. “I haven’t made definite plans about what I’ll be doing once the baby is born, but—”

  “You won’t be staying?” Sienna interjected, clearly shocked.

  “It’s a complicated situation,” she said.

  “Zach would die if he couldn’t be near his child,” Sienna said.

  Tina sighed. “I respect that. I truly do, but I also want my child to see an overwhelming love between her parents. I’m not sure Zach can do that with all the loss he has experienced.”

  Sienna reached toward her and took her hand. “Don’t count him out. You haven’t seen the way he looks at you. Promise me,” she said.

  “I promise,” Tina said. “I promise I will l
isten to my heart and Zach’s heart if he can open up to me.”

  “Good,” Sienna said with a nod. “I’m glad I came.”

  “I am too,” Tina said, but she didn’t want to make promises she couldn’t keep.

  Tina was thrilled with the success of the holiday project. Now that all the donations had been collected, invitations had been sent to the families in need of help to pick up their gifts at a community center about thirty miles from the ranch.

  Zach absolutely did not want her to go, but Tina insisted. Part of the reward of the project was seeing the happiness on the faces of those who received the gifts. Plus several other people in the community had worked hard and Tina wanted to personally thank each of them.

  Hildie was charged with transporting her and making sure she didn’t work too hard. Joining the other volunteers gave Tina a rush of excitement. She could tell she was more than ready to get out again.

  “You’re doing too much,” Hildie warned.

  “Nonsense,” Tina said as she packed donated groceries into bags for the families. “I’m loving every minute of it. Look at how happy that mother is over there.”

  Hildie also helped load groceries and shook her head. “I never would have expected we’d see so much donated this year since it’s been a rough one for just about everyone.”

  “The idea is to make it easy,” Tina said. “If you make it easy, then people feel successful about giving and then they want to do even more.” She glanced at the clock. “Look at the time. The next group will be coming in just twenty minutes. Do you mind telling Charlene to urge people to finish with their selections?”

  “As long as you get something to eat and drink,” Hildie said firmly, wagging her finger at Tina.

  “I’m fine,” Tina insisted, exhilarated by the success of their efforts. “I’m a grown woman. I know when to eat and drink. I’ll get something soon.”

  Somehow soon turned into later, and everything turned into a blur after four o’clock. In the back of her mind, she noticed her back beginning to hurt. She was very thirsty, but with everyone working so hard, it was easy for her to procrastinate taking a break. Tina was so busy she barely noticed when a local news team entered the distribution room.

  Suddenly a microphone was pushed in her face. “Princess Valentina, how do you feel about your holiday gift campaign?”

  “Tina or Ms. Devereaux is fine,” she said, glancing up from her task and suddenly feeling very tired and thirsty. “It’s not my holiday gift campaign. It’s the community’s gift campaign, and everyone has done a brilliant job.”

  “How’s the pregnancy coming?”

  “My watermelon seed has grown,” she said, frustrated by her sudden feeling of weakness.

  “Any chance for an upcoming wedding?”

  “One thing at a time,” she said. “Thank you for stopping by. Did you talk to Charlene Kendricks? You really should. She’s kept everything moving today.”

  Tina’s stomach turned and she felt her knees go rubbery. “Excuse me,” she murmured to the reporter. “I’m going to get a drink of water,” she said, moving toward the back of the room.

  The room began to tilt and sway. “All I need is water and a chair,” she coached herself.

  “Tina,” she heard Hildie call and then she collapsed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Tina awakened to a crowd of people standing over her, including a cameraman, of course. Covering her face, she groaned. Of all the things she didn’t want to make the news…“Oh, please.”

  “She said she needed some water,” a male voice said.

  “We’ll get that,” Hildie said. “Now back off so she can breathe. You, with the camera, stop that or I’ll break it. Don’t you doubt for a minute that I will,” she said.

  “Here’s some water, Ms. Devereaux,” a different female voice said. “Can we find a pillow?”

  “How about a stuffed animal?” someone else said.

  Willing the room to stop spinning, Tina rose to her elbows. A stuffed animal was stuffed behind her back and she took a sip of the bottled water. “Thank you, Chloe,” she said to the woman helping her. “I really didn’t want to make a scene. I’m sure I’ll catch blue blazes for this from Zach.”

  Chloe shot her a look of sympathy. “Those Logan men are tough as nails,” she said, catching sight of Hildie giving the cameraman a piece of her mind. “Would you like some crackers?”

  “What I would like is to get away from this crowd,” she said.

  Chloe glanced around and waved over a few men. “Can you guys help her to the back room?”

  “We can carry her if you like,” one of the three men offered.

  “No,” Tina said. “If you could just help me stand. I’m a bit like a beached whale in my current state.”

  “Honored to assist, ma’am,” one of the men said, and Tina prayed she didn’t give any of them an injury. After she took another sip of water, they helped her to her feet and led her to a chair in an adjoining room with a door, thank goodness.

  “Thank you very much,” she said to the men. Chloe remained with Tina while she sipped on the bottle of water.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you something to eat?” Chloe asked.

  Tina shook her head. “I just need to get my equilibrium back. I should have paid more attention to the signs my body was giving me, but I got caught up in the excitement. Zach is going to kill me.”

  “If it helps any, I fainted when I was pregnant,” Chloe said.

  “Really?” Tina said.

  “More than once,” she said.

  “That must have terrified your husband,” Tina said.

  “Different situation. We weren’t married.” Chloe paused. “I was very young. He wasn’t really in—” She broke off and waved her hand. “Water under the bridge now. We need to make sure you’re feeling better.”

  Tina racked her brain for what she’d heard about the lovely woman. “Your husband passed away, didn’t he? I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Chloe lifted her slim shoulder. “Thank you. We were separated at the time.”

  “Oh, that just makes it all the more difficult,” she said.

  Chloe gave a wry smile. “Exactly. Now what—”

  “I taught that cameraman the meaning of respect,” Hildie said as she marched into the room, carrying the camera with her. Her cheeks were flushed with anger, clearly invigorated from the fight.

  “Oh, Hildie, he could charge you with stealing,” Tina said.

  “Let him try,” Hildie said. “I’ll give it back. I just need to erase the memory thingy. In the meantime, we need to get you to the doctor before Zach hears about this.”

  “But I’m fine,” Tina said.

  “That’s what you said earlier when I told you to eat a snack, take a break and drink some water,” Hildie said in a stern voice.

  “But—”

  “No buts. A record number of people in this community will be having Christmas because of you. You’ve done enough. Now you need to take care of yourself and the baby. I’ve already called the doctor.”

  Zach walked into the ob-gyn clinic, swearing under his breath and sweating blood. If only Tina had listened to him. If only she hadn’t gone to the community center. She simply didn’t understand her fragility. It was past office hours. Thank goodness Hildie had insisted on getting Tina and the baby checked.

  He knocked on the door to the inner office and waited, counting to ten then twenty. Finally, Hildie opened the door. “The doctor just finished the ultrasound. Your little bugger is kicking up a storm as usual.”

  His lips twitched at Hildie’s enthusiasm. “Do you know how this happened?”

  “It’s my fault,” Hildie said. “I asked her to take food and water twice, then everything got busy. I’m sorry, Zachary.”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t force-feed her. She just got busy and ignored her own needs. Where is she?”

  Hildie pointed in the direction of a clo
sed door and Zach knocked. The doctor opened the door. “Come in. No complications. Our mother just stretched herself a little further than she should have.”

  Zach met Tina’s sheepish gaze. “We covered this subject this morning.”

  “I know,” she said. “I was fine until the late afternoon crowd. I started working and forgot about taking a break or drinking some water.”

  Zach took a quick breath, but held his tongue. He looked at the doctor. “Any professional advice?”

  “She’s in excellent health, but she shouldn’t run a marathon or oversee a holiday Christmas charity event without breaks.”

  “Please tell him the rest of the story,” Tina said to the doctor. “That it’s not unusual for a pregnant woman to faint and that it’s not necessarily a sign of anything bad.”

  “True,” the doctor said. “Pregnancy produces a tremendous strain on the body, especially during the later months. It’s not unusual for a pregnant woman to faint every now and then.”

  “Not my woman,” Zach said and met Tina’s gaze again. “I’m taking you home and making sure you get the rest you need.”

  Five minutes later, he helped her into his SUV. His gut was still twisting. From the moment Hildie had called him, he’d feared the worst. He slammed her door closed and climbed into the driver’s side.

  Zach wasn’t sure what to say. He was still terrified that something would happen to Tina or the baby.

  “It could have been much worse,” Zach said as he drove out of the parking lot. “You could have fallen in a way that hurt the baby.”

  “The amniotic fluid is supposed to cushion the baby. With all the swelling I’ve had, trust me, I’ve got plenty of fluid,” Tina retorted.

  “I told you that you shouldn’t go. I knew you would overdo it, but you ignored me,” he said.

  “This was one of the happiest days of my life,” she said. “Seeing all those people accept the gifts from the community…”

  “Was it worth risking your health? The baby’s?” he demanded. “What if you had been permanently injured? Or the baby? Would you have been able to live with that?”