“Rogue? What in the world?” She sat down close to him and looked over his shoulder as he removed some slips of paper.
Unfolding them, Rogue quickly verified that they were indeed what he expected. “Here, Kit. Your father was taking care of you. These are bearer bonds worth almost half of a million dollars issued by the Rogue Angel Gas Field.”
She took them from his grasp, handling them like they were made of tissue paper. “I don’t believe it. How?”
Rogue tried to explain. “All of my life, I’ve hated my name. I thought it was my father’s way of ridiculing me, of hampering me with a name that would either make me stronger or do me in. When I made a comment about it to Dusty’s housekeeper, she informed me that my name was a celebration of a huge profitable venture that my father had made, the Rogue Angel Gas Field. After talking to you, it hit me that all of this was just too weird to be a mere coincidence. So, I investigated the records in Walker Mineral’s storage closet. Imagine my shock when I read that both my father and yours accepted bearer bonds to pay off their investment. I kept remembering what you said your father told you, how Rogue Angel would always take care of you and this horse,” he patted it, “being a Trojan horse. So, I called my lawyer and had him ask Aron McCoy if there was a secret compartment—and here it is.”
Kit was flabbergasted. “This solves everything, doesn’t it?” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him over and over again.
“Yea, I guess you won’t be needing me anymore.”
He said the words almost sadly and it hit Kit that it sounded an awful lot like he was telling her goodbye.
* * *
As promised, he had stayed with her. She’d slept in his arms and he’d made love to her gently. And it hit her that her Rogue Angel had taken care of her, in more ways than one. He had walked in at just the right moment to keep Dave Parker from killing her and it was Rogue who’d figured out what her father had meant and led her to the answer to her prayers.
But he’d gone home the next morning and she was left still not really knowing what the future held for them. Were they just friends? Were they still business partners? Did he want more from her than just sex? She knew what she wanted from Rogue—everything. But we don’t always get what we want.
The hard part had come when she’d had to break it to her mother than the man she’d married was a liar, a cheat and a murderer. Her mother had wept in Kit’s arms. She’d felt better when Kit informed her about their windfall and that their financial woes were over.
Everything would be perfect if it weren’t for two things. She wasn’t sure where she stood with the man she loved and two—Kit felt like crap. What she was going to do about Rogue, she didn’t know. She’d thought about confronting him, just flat out asking. When he’d left this morning, he’d given her those words that could mean something or nothing. He’d said, “I’ll call you.” Didn’t he know a woman needed more than that?
As far as her physical well-being was concerned, Kit was heading to the doctor. She had an eleven o’clock appointment and soon would know if she’d picked up a virus or just needed a big dose of vitamins.
Across town, Rogue sat at Dusty’s desk and stared at the calendar. His week was almost over. Soon, his brothers would be coming to town. He’d received emails from each one of them. They were reaching out to him. What was he going to do?
Rising, he picked up his Stetson and walked out to where Abby was working at her desk. “I think I’m going to take a walk. Can I bring you anything?”
“No, I’m good,” she told him with a smile. “Before your week is over, I want to tell you that I’ve enjoyed getting to know you. It’s been a little strange getting to know all of you Walker boys and seeing how you’re the same and how you’re different. But I do know that this can work. You and the others can step into Dusty’s shoes and make Walker Mineral even bigger and better.”
“Thanks for saying that.” Rogue tipped his hat to the lady and left the office. At the moment, he didn’t really know what else to say. He set off down the street of the small town, taking it all in. The businesses were all family owned and operated. People knew one another, they spoke, they asked about their kin folk. There was a down-home, earthy feeling to the place. Nature seemed closer here. Red Creek ran right behind his father’s office and there wasn’t so much concrete that it made you feel claustrophobic with urban sprawl. Could he be happy here?
As Rogue meandered down the street, he saw families strolling, couples holding hands, people meeting and greeting one another with a smile on their face. For years, he’d kept to himself, running his company but staying aloof from everyone but Elijah. Even with Eli, he’d never really let him in. Only his mother had been his confidant.
Feeling like he needed to talk, Rogue made his way to a bench and sat down. First he phoned Elijah. “Hey, how’s everything going?”
“Just fine. The oil should be flowing soon. I’ve got the crews working steadily and all of the contracts with the distributors and the refineries seem to be in order. Lone Wolf Oil is about to hit the big time.”
“Sounds like you have everything in line,” Rogue said, not knowing whether he was relieved or disappointed.
“When are you coming home?”
Ah, the question of the day. “I don’t know. Soon.”
Before Elijah could ask more questions, Rogue told him he had another call—and he did. Like always, his mother seemed to know when he needed her. “Hello?”
“How’s my boy?”
Rogue had to smile. Her ‘boy’ was six-four, weighed two hundred-forty pounds, could grow a full beard and wrestle a bear if necessary. Still, he’d always be her ‘boy’, he knew that. “I’m good, Mom. How are you?”
“I’m great. When can I come to Kansas and see your new business?”
Her request shouldn’t have surprised him, but it did. She didn’t usually like to travel. “Well, I’m trying to decide if I’m going to get involved with Walker Mineral and my brothers or if I’m going to do just what I have to do to sell when the time comes.”
“Oh, I don’t think you should do that,” his mother began. “This is your inheritance, it’s your right, it’s your connection to a big part of who you are.”
She wasn’t saying anything he didn’t already know. “I just don’t want to give up what I have.”
“You aren’t giving up anything, Rogue. You’ll still have Lone Wolf and Elijah and God knows, you’re not getting rid of me. If you settle part time in Kansas, I’ll find my way up there part of the time too. You’re not getting rid of me that easy.”
“I can’t let that happen.”
“Rogue, listen.” His mother’s voice grew serious. “You’ve got to look at what you’d be gaining. Your heart and your life are big enough for more. Family isn’t defined by a number. We’ve been a family of two, three sometimes when Dusty was around. But who’s to say it can’t be six with your brothers and even more when they marry and have children. And you, one day you’re going to meet a woman who’ll be everything to you, a woman you’re going to want to have children with.”
At the talk of family, a wife and children, Rogue felt all of his past insecurities and doubts come roaring to the forefront. “You and others have said that I’m more like Dusty than I realize. And I may be, I seem to have inherited some of his interests and talents. But what if I’m like him in other ways? What if I can’t be true? What if I put other things in front of my family?”
Rogue heard his mother sigh. “Let me tell you something, something I should have said a long time ago. Yes, I wish things had been different, that it had been me, you and Dusty living together and being a family – but it wasn’t. What I had of him, the time I spent with him was worth so much. I’d rather have had that than not have him at all. Your father was a good man and he loved you, he provided for you. Will you make the same choices he did? No, you’ll make better choices – but there’s one thing he did right. He gave me the most wonderful son in th
e world, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”
When his mother finished, Rogue got up and continued walking. Could he do it? Could he redraw the circle of his world and let more people in? He smiled. There was one thing for certain—whether he lived in Texas or Kansas, whether he ran Lone Wolf or Walker Mineral – there was one person he couldn’t live without. When he’d seen Dave Parker choking the life out of Kit, he’d known she was more important to him than all of the other things in his life put together. He couldn’t live without her, he didn’t want to live without her. Being with her, making love to her, planning a future with her – that’s what he wanted. He’d almost bared his soul last night, but he’d waited because he wanted to make sure what he could offer her. Rogue wanted to be able to tell her his plans and where they’d live and where they’d make their home. And now, now he felt like he had the answer.
Rogue wanted it all. He didn’t have to choose. He could live in Texas and he could live in Kansas. He could be a part of Walker Mineral and keep Lone Wolf Oil. He could cherish his mother and still accept Dylan, Killian and Jackson as family. But most importantly—wherever he lived, no matter who he called brother—Rogue wanted Kit by his side.
And it was time to tell her. With that decision under his belt, he made his way to the jewelry store. He had a little shopping to do.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“You’re pregnant.”
At first the doctor’s words didn’t make sense. Kit was floored, shocked beyond words. “But I’m on the pill. There must be some mistake.”
The doctor shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes they don’t work. No form of birth control is a hundred percent effective. It’s rare, but sometimes your metabolism or your diet or some medication you take can cause the pill not to work.”
He spoke so casually, but to Kit, the bottom had just fallen out of her world. She bent her head and covered her eyes, not knowing whether she wanted to laugh or cry. Complete and total elation filled her. She was going to have a baby! Rogue’s baby! There was honestly no more wonderful thought in the whole world—unless it was the idea he could love her. That realization led her down another road where immense anxiety and despair lived. How was she going to tell him? He’d made no secret about his desire to stay unencumbered, uncommitted and single. She couldn’t say she hadn’t been warned.
“I see,” Kit murmured, accepting his prescription for prenatal vitamins and a card for her next appointment.
Picking up on her confusion, Dr. Reed stared hard at her. He’d known her most of her life. “You don’t intend to terminate this child, do you?” Obviously he knew of her unwed state, the whole town would know of her unwed state.
“No, no.” Kit shook her head. Another wave of uncertainty nearly knocked her over. How could she stay here and be the constant subject of gossip and speculation? Even if she and Rogue came to some peaceful agreement about sharing custody, how could she subject him to the talk? Memories of what he’d said about his mother and their experience growing up in a small town without benefit of marriage came roiling back to her. “I’m just surprised.”
Dr. Reed helped her up. “I understand. Well, you’ll be fine. Just think how happy you’ll be when it comes.”
Kit realized this was his standard speech, one he always gave to new, nervous mothers. “Thank you,” she murmured as she left, avoiding the receptionist. She considered—for about a split second—going by Walker Mineral to see Rogue. But she quickly nixed that plan. Before she saw him—if she saw him—she had to do some thinking.
As she drove home, Kit played one scenario after another over in her mind. Should she leave? How could she do that? She hadn’t even considered leaving when they’d almost lost the ranch or when her father had died. Been murdered, she now knew. Her life was here. Her mother, her home, her horses. Could she withstand the talk? Could she face Rogue and confess that her assurance she wouldn’t get pregnant was false?
Good God! “What a mess.” Immediately, she felt bad. Laying a protective hand across her middle, she mentally apologized to her child.
When she pulled up at White-Wing, she was momentarily distracted by the sight of all the cars and activity. Things were looking up. The ads Rogue had placed were working. Would he want to continue their partnership? “I have so many questions,” she whined.
Parking, she got out of her car, straightened her skirt and went in search of her mother. There was no use keeping it a secret, they needed to clear the air about a few things anyway. On the way into the lodge, she stopped to speak to several people and to note how good the flower beds looked. Every step she took, she had to concentrate on not freaking out. All she could think was how wonderful this could be if Rogue were by her side and how scary it felt because he wasn’t.
When she opened the big front doors and walked in, the difference in the temperature was startling. She rubbed her upper arms, it was too cool. Their electric bill would be astronomical. She stepped into the office and adjusted the thermostat, seeing that their part-time help was manning the desk. “Where’s my mother?” she asked.
“She’s setting up for a meeting in the...dance hall?” It was obvious the girl didn’t know what to call the large room.
“Okay.” She nodded and started that way. As she moved down the hall, she rehearsed what she was going to say. As usual with her mother, nothing went the way she planned. The moment she walked into the hall, it was to find her mother sitting behind the control board of the new sound system crying her eyes out. “What’s wrong, Mother?”
“Nothing, I was just dusting.” Sheila dried her eyes.
Her mother’s sad mood didn’t surprise her. “You’ve had quite a shock.” Going to the older woman, she hugged her. “We’re going to be okay, I promise. We’re going to be better than okay.”
“I know.” Sheila stroked her daughter’s hair.
Taking a deep breath, Kit unburdened her soul. “Mother, I’m going to have a baby.”
As if she grabbed onto something else to focus on, her mother exploded. “What? A baby? Who’s the father?”
Kit backed up. “You know who the father is, I haven’t been with anyone else.”
“Rogue Walker will never marry you! He’ll be just like his father!”
Sometimes moments of clarity come unexpectedly. This was one of those moments for Kit. She stood straight and proud and spoke to her mother. “I’m not asking Rogue to marry me. Although, I believe if I did, he would. He’s an honorable man. I promised him I wouldn’t get pregnant. I don’t know what happened. The doctor doesn’t know what happened, it was just one of those unexplained things. I went into this relationship with my eyes open. He has just lost his father, his world has been turned upside down. Even then, there has been no one kinder or more supportive than him. He has been my protector. He saved me from your husband who was trying to take my life. I love him with my whole heart and I refuse to ask him for more than he would willingly give me.”
“Ask me, Kit. See what I’m willing to give you.”
The voice from behind her almost caused her to faint. She whirled around, then to her horror she realized they had come full circle. She’d overheard things he hadn’t meant for her to hear, and now he had overheard her. “Oh my God.” She turned and—too late—flipped off the speakers.
“I guess the cat’s out of the bag now.” Her mother sighed. “Hello, Rogue.”
“Hello, Mrs. Parker. If you’ll excuse us, I need to speak to your daughter. Alone.”
Before she could protest, Rogue had Kit by the hand and he led her to the front desk.
“Why are we stopping here?”
“We need to be alone. Get the key to cabin #6 if it’s free,” he said, his touch gentle, one arm around her waist.
She followed his instruction and then let him guide her outside. “I’m sorry,” was all she could think to say.
“I’m not,” Rogue said flatly. When they were at the right cabin, he took the key from her and opened the door. Th
en before she could say a word, he backed her up against it and covered her mouth with his, stealing Kit’s ability to think. Her eyelids fluttered closed. His lips were warm and demanding, moving slowly and gently. With a low moan, he moved closer, both hands framing her throat. She knew he could feel her heart pounding beneath his fingers. Kit whimpered and surrendered to his kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. His tongue slipped in and teased her, stroking with a sensuality that sent frissons of desire dancing across her skin.
Kit knew they needed to talk, she wanted to talk. But this was too good. She felt cherished—and right now she could pretend this kiss meant they would be together forever. Her nipples tingled and puckered as he pressed his chest against her breasts. Finally, she had to breathe. “Rogue, please…”
“Please what, Kit-Kat?”” She was so tiny and helpless…and pregnant with his child. He wanted to pick her up, wrap her in cotton wool and keep her safe at all costs.
“We need to talk.” She pulled from his grasp and turned away from him. “God, I can’t believe you heard me.”
“I’m glad I did, I’m not sure you were going to tell me.” He stepped closer, placed his hand on her cheek and made her look at him. “Were you?”
“I don’t know,” Kit admitted. “This is too new.”
“You said you loved me.” Rogue pressed. “Do you? Love me?”
Kit hugged herself, powerful emotions rocking her body. Finally she whispered, “You know I do.” To her utter amazement, big bold brash Rogue Walker sank to his knees.
“Marry me.”
Kit gasped, staring at him in amazement, tears welling in her eyes. “What?” She placed her hands on his shoulders. “No. Not like this.”
“Why?” Rogue asked, his face tender with feeling. “How do you want me to propose?”
“You don’t mean it. You overheard me and now you’re trying to do the right thing.”
Rogue clasped her hand. “Listen to me.” He turned it over in his and raised her hand to his mouth, gently kissing the palm. “When you overheard what I said that day at the rodeo arena that was me being jealous and petty. Now, let me tell you what I heard today. You defended me. You stood up for me. You gave me the two greatest gifts I’ll ever receive.”
Rogue: The Sons of Dusty Walker Page 21