“You do?”
She nodded. Alexi walked to the chair and hunkered down so they were eye-to-eye. “When I found out I was pregnant,” she said, her eyes suspiciously bright, “I was scared and thrilled and excited and just about every other emotion. I knew the timing was all wrong. I knew the situation was all wrong. But I wanted this child just the same.”
She paused, looking down at her folded hands. “When you left, I knew I’d never see you again. And then when I realized I carried your child, it’s like a part of you would be with me forever.”
Alexi enfolded her in his arms, pressing his cheek against her soft curls. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you then. Let me be with you the rest of the journey.”
She pulled back slightly to look into his eyes. “Part of me wants to lean against you, hold your hand and let you support me. That’s the part of me that gets morning sickness, mood swings and indigestion,” she admitted with a smile. “Another part of me wants to stand up tall and say this is my baby and I’ll make all the decisions. Thump my chest and say I’m in charge of my body.”
“I rather like the first one better,” he said, tipping up her chin.
“I know you do. But the problem is, neither one of them is practical. Neither one is right.”
“Then what do we do, Kerry? Very soon you must tell your family, your boss, your friends. And you know I want to be acknowledged as the father.”
She sighed again. “I suppose I want to know that you will be around for me if I need to lean on you. That this sudden desire to marry me and proclaim this child a royal heir isn’t just a whim.”
“What can I do to show you I’m completely serious?”
“Stay here in Ranger Springs. Show me that you can be a regular guy, not just a prince.”
“You want me to pretend to be ‘Mack’ again?”
“No,” she said softly. “I just want a chance to know the real Alexi Ladislas.”
KERRY LEFT ALEXI at the Robin’s Nest B and B, then returned to her apartment. She needed a nap, but her brain wouldn’t shut down long enough to sleep. She lay in her double bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering if she was doing the right thing.
Tonight, she and Alexi were going to tell her family that they were expecting a baby next February.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Mom. You’re going to be a grandmother again.
The afternoon sun slanted through her blinds, warming the room and casting shadows on the white walls. She’d been so excited when she’d moved into her first apartment. For the first time ever, she’d been alone. No one to bother her if she wanted to sleep late, or stay up to watch old reruns of Family Ties or The Cosby Show.
She’d been so stir-crazy after one week that she’d shown up on a Saturday night at her family home, ready for a hamburger skillet dinner, refrigerator dinner rolls and brownies from a mix. She’d never tasted such good food or been so glad to be overwhelmed by the noise of three other women and one child all talking at once.
Of course, after dinner her mother had regaled her with stories of Alexi’s return to Belegovia following the economic summit. Pictures of him from several Internet Web sites showed a smiling, designer-dressed prince at the opera in Vienna, the opening of a visitor’s bureau in Belegovia and escorting a beautiful, tall brunette to a reception at the palace.
The contessa. The woman his father wanted him to marry. They sure hadn’t wasted any time getting together. Kerry still remembered how jealous she’d been when she’d seen the couple. Her mother hadn’t realized, of course, how much it hurt for her daughter to see the man she secretly loved with another woman.
So in the weeks that followed, Kerry endured news and photos from Belegovia until one day, she’d simply run from the room in tears. She’d flung herself on her old bed and held a pity party. Finally, her mother had interrupted the tears with apologies for her inconsiderate obsession with royalty, especially Alexi. She’d eventually confined her Alexi-worship to the framed autograph in the living room and, Kerry was sure, private viewings of Royalty magazine and her favorite online sites.
Now Kerry and Alexi were going to show up for Saturday-night dinner with the family. They were going to share news that would shake up their world. Nothing would ever be the same for the Jacks family again, no matter what decision Kerry made about her baby’s father.
Rolling to her side, she looked out the open doorway of her bedroom into the living room. Her apartment wasn’t luxurious, but it was hers. She’d furnished it with a new couch and chair, coffee and side tables, a breakfast set, television and entertainment center. It must appear very plain and ordinary to Alexi, but it suited her. She could relax after work, read a book and dream about the future in this space.
She was happy here. Well, mostly happy. Sometimes she was a little lonely. Sometimes she longed for Alexi’s strong arms and powerful loving. And sometimes she worried about what the future held for her baby. Whether he or she would be happy in a modest home in Ranger Springs rather than a palace in Belegovia. Whether her child would drive a used car instead of being driven in a chauffeured limousine.
How did a mother know what to do? Was there a crystal ball someplace she could use? None of the alternatives were perfect, but there had to be a way to weigh her options. She didn’t know what to do; she wasn’t even sure how she felt about Alexi right now, except she was pretty sure she’d never fallen out of love with him, despite his high-handed reaction to the unexpected news.
But he was right about one thing—they needed to tell her family. Putting off the inevitable would only hurt everyone’s feelings.
WHILE HER NIECE, Jennifer, played on the back porch with the family cat, Kerry nervously asked everyone to have a seat in the living room.
“Alexi and I have something to tell you,” she said as she sank into one of the dining chairs they’d pulled into the living room for additional seating. Alexi took the chair beside her, pulling it close.
Her mother’s eyes lit up like gray-green Christmas bulbs. Carole appeared calm, as usual, and Cheryl looked as if she wanted to jump off the couch. Kerry felt the silence stretch on until Alexi took her hand.
“Mom, you’ve known the truth all along, that I was really with Alexi when I drove down to Galveston.”
“What?” Cheryl said, perched on the edge of the sofa as if she was going to use the springs inside to propel her forward. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Please, don’t be angry at Kerry,” Alexi said. “I made her promise not to tell anyone else. I thought it best for everyone involved.”
“But we’re your family, Kerry,” Carole said. “I don’t understand.”
Kerry tensed, but continued. “What’s done is done, and we did what we thought was best at the time. That’s not the only thing we need to tell you. You see, Alexi had to hide from the paparazzi that were hanging around town, so we went to the vacant apartment over the café.”
“I’m not sure your family needs to know all the details,” Alexi advised, giving her hand a little squeeze.
“I’m not going to tell them all the details,” she whispered, squeezing back harder.
He laced his fingers through hers and held tightly. “It sounds as though you’re very close.”
She tugged her hand away and continued. “So, one thing led to another, and we spent the night there.”
Three gasps filled the silence of the living room.
Before her sisters could start questioning her again, Kerry surged forward with the news. “And that leads to what we have to tell you tonight.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I’m, er, well, that is, we’re going to have a baby.”
Her mother emitted a strangled, gurgling sound. Everyone turned to help her, but she waved them away. “I’m going to be a grandmother again?” she asked when she caught her breath.
“That’s right, Mom. I’m sorry to tell you this way, but—”
“And you’re going to be a princess!”
“Well, no, not ex
actly. That is—”
“I have asked Kerry to do me the honor of becoming my bride. She has yet to affirm, but I am still hopeful.”
“Kerry Lynn Jacks, you’d better say yes!” her mother exclaimed, jumping up so fast, Kerry eased back against her chair. “You need to get married as soon as possible. Do you have any idea how hard it will be to find a maternity wedding dress?”
“Mom, the decision’s not that simple.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You just want a prince for a son-in-law!” she shot back, then realized how that sounded. Okay, her mother was royalty obsessed, but she loved all three of her daughters. She’d never insist on something that wasn’t in their best interests. Or what she thought was in their best interests.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean it that way. I just need some time to think this through. I have a great job, and I love my apartment and—”
“And none of that is important when it comes to raising a child. Kerry Lynn, this is different than when your sister Carole ran off.” Charlene turned to her middle daughter. “Pardon me for saying this, sweetie, but that was just poor, teenage judgment.”
“No, you’re right,” Carole said, turning to her older sister. “Kerry, this is different. I did marry Jennifer’s dad before I got pregnant, but there was no way that marriage would have lasted. He didn’t want to be a father. I assume Prince Alexi does?”
“Absolutely. I’m very excited about the prospect.”
“Right. And, Kerry, you’re what, eleven years older than I was when I ran off? The situation is totally different.”
“Still, there’s a lot to consider beside the fact that I’m having a baby.”
“That’s a huge consideration,” her mother advised in her practical parent voice, “and it’s not going to get any smaller in the next six months.”
“Thanks for reminding me that I’ll be waddling around soon enough,” Kerry said, throwing up her hands. “Does anyone understand why I might not want to marry a prince from a foreign country?”
Three pairs of nearly identical eyes stared back at her as if she’d just spoken in tongues.
“Kerry, they just want what’s best for you and our child,” Alexi said gently.
“So do I, but obviously no one else understands.”
“What would be so bad about marrying Alexi?” her mother asked. “Beside the fact he’s a prince, he’s a really nice man.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Jacks.”
“He’s also impulsive and irresponsible…well, sometimes,” Kerry said, rising from her chair. “He ran off with me on the spur of the moment, and he ran back here just as fast when he eavesdropped on my conversation with Gwendolyn and found out before I was ready to tell him.”
“Thankfully, yes, I was on the phone when you burst into her house and told her the truth,” he said, almost growling. “Something, I might add, you should have told me first.”
Kerry folded her arms under her breasts and glared at him. “And what were you supposed to be doing this weekend? I think I heard from someone,” she said, glancing at her mother, “that you were going to announce your engagement to the beautiful, cultured and tall Contessa di Giovanni!”
He placed his hands on his hips and glared back. “I thought it was more important to ask the mother of my child to marry me!”
“You demanded—you didn’t ask—and I still think you’re too impulsive.”
“Children, quit bickering,” her mother said. “This is getting us nowhere.” She gave Kerry a pointed look. “What will it take for you to believe Alexi?”
“I already told him I needed to know he was a regular guy.”
“Excuse me,” Cheryl piped in, “but he’s single, gorgeous, probably rich and a prince. And you want him to be a regular guy? What’s wrong with this picture!”
“You don’t understand. I need to know he’s reliable. That he won’t go off and leave me on a whim if he gets tired of being a married man. Or a daddy.”
Kerry’s mother walked across the room and put her arms around her oldest daughter. “Oh, sweetie, Alexi isn’t like your father. Don’t refuse to marry him just because you’re scared.”
Kerry hugged her mother tight and burst into tears.
“I’M SORRY I fell apart like that,” Kerry said as they drove back to Robin’s Nest B and B. “I suppose my hormones are going crazy.”
“I’m sure that’s part of it.” Alexi watched her drawn face from the dashboard lights. She looked tired and tense. He wished he hadn’t put her in that situation, but her family needed to know first. Now they could tell the world. Perhaps he could get Gwendolyn to write the press release.
After a while, Kerry said, “I’m just a little sensitive about my father.”
“I imagine so, since he walked out on your family. You’ve never seen him? Even as an adult?”
She shook her head. “He died about five years ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He was driving back to Texas from California and must have fallen asleep at the wheel. The strange thing is that we never did know if he was just passing through, on his way home, or going someplace else.” She shrugged. “There’s no way to find out what was in his mind.”
He reached over and covered her hand on the steering wheel. “Perhaps he was coming home.”
“I’d like to think so, but I’m still angry at him.” She pulled the car to a stop in back of the B and B, since the front door was locked after hours. “I don’t ever want to feel that way about you, Alexi,” she said softly.
“I’ll never let you down. I’ll be there for you and the baby.”
“I want to believe you, but—”
“I know. You want proof.” He leaned closer. “I’m going to show you I’m a regular guy, Kerry.”
She briefly leaned against his arm, then blinked and sat up straighter. “Can you really stay here in Ranger Springs?”
“For a short time. Not forever, but you know that.”
She nodded.
“Everything will be fine. You’ll see.”
“I hope so, Alexi. I want things to work out for the best.”
And he knew what was best. Marrying her. Being a father to their baby. “We’ve had a busy day. Things will look better tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Do you have any plans?”
“No, but I would like to see Gwendolyn. I’ll call her tonight and see if she and Hank are available. Is there someplace we could go for lunch?”
“Bretford House. It’s the only upscale local place.”
“Good,” he said, leaning closer. “I don’t suppose you’d like to come up to my room and play cowboys and Indians. Or perhaps I should say cowgirl and Native American. The vintage decorations are spurring my imagination.”
Kerry smiled for just about the first time tonight. “No thanks.”
“May I kiss you good-night?”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea.”
“Why?”
“Because,” she said rather breathlessly, “you might take advantage of me.”
“Only if you want me to,” he said, just a few inches away from her lips.
“That’s the problem, Alexi.” She leaned away from him and put the car into gear. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Alexi shook his head and laughed. “Until then, Princess.”
“Don’t call me that!”
He grinned. “You’d better get used to it.”
As soon as she drove away, he went up the back steps and unlocked the door to the upstairs. He had several phone calls and arrangements to make. First, he needed to reach Gwendolyn and arrange lunch tomorrow.
Settling into the denim chair, he dialed her number from memory. Hank answered on the second ring.
“Alexi here. How are things at the ranch?”
“Couldn’t be better, as long as I keep Wendy out of the barn.”
Alexi laughed. Wendy was Hank’s pet name for Gwendolyn, given to her as an irritant. H
owever, over the period of time when Alexi and Kerry had been off on their road trip, Gwendolyn had apparently morphed into Wendy.
“I suppose you heard I was in town.”
“Word reached me, yes. We were expecting your call.”
“Kerry and I would like to invite you to lunch at Bretford House tomorrow. Are you available about noon?”
“I’m sure we can arrange that. Do you want to talk to my lady?”
Alexi smiled. Gwendolyn was indeed a British lady, the daughter of an earl, but Hank made the phrase sound endearing rather than formal. “Yes, please.”
Gwendolyn came on the line after a bit of shuffling and what sounded like a lingering kiss. Alexi certainly didn’t want to think about the love life of his former public-relations director and his cowboy double since he wasn’t getting any kisses yet.
“So, you had the jet filled with petrol and came to Texas posthaste.”
“I thought that was the right thing to do, yes.”
“Is that what this is about? Doing the right thing?”
“You know I would never do anything I didn’t really want to, even if the world considered it right.”
“Yes, I know you’re a notorious free spirit. But in this case, the people who are most important to you may think you’re making a mistake. Not to mention the press. They will be brutal to Kerry when word gets out.”
“I know, and I’m going to warn her again, but first I have to get her to agree. So far, I’ve only heard no and maybe.”
“Then perhaps you are making progress.”
“I hope so, although right now I am definitely alone at Robin’s Nest B and B. Hank said you could meet us at noon at Bretford House. Does he know about the pregnancy?”
“Yes, although I’m afraid I made him extremely nervous. My wording wasn’t too clear, it seems—or perhaps it lost something in translation from proper English to Texan—but in any case, he believed I was the one who was expecting.”
Alexi laughed, imagining Hank’s surprise. “Are you still planning on an autumn wedding?”
“Yes, we’re waiting until the temperatures lower so we can follow in the Ranger Springs tradition and have an outdoor wedding. You’ll see the place tomorrow—Bretford House. The gardens are lovely. Not proper English gardens, mind you, but very fitting for Texas. Lots of wildflowers. And my family will be flying over to see where I’ll be living. I hope you can come back also.”
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