HER SECRET, HIS BABY

by Tanya Michaels

  Garrett snorted. “You were also six feet tall and the team quarterback.” His auburn-haired friend might well have freckles and an interest in superheroes, but he hadn’t spent his teenage years lonely. “As I recall, you went to senior proms at three separate high schools.”

  Hugh grinned. “Did I? Before Darcy, it’s all a blur. What about you, man? You had a pretty active social life, too. I was surprised you didn’t bring anyone to the wedding.”

  Boy, would that night have ended differently. A month prior to the wedding, he’d been dating a woman he’d planned to take to the ceremony, but they’d ended things when she got a job offer that took her to the east coast.

  “Speaking of your wedding,” Garrett said with studied nonchalance, “I never got to see how the photos turned out. Isn’t there an album or something?”

  “Darcy,” he called to his wife, “you have a willing victim here. Garrett asked to see wedding pictures.” Turning back to Garrett, he added, “Narrating our photos is one of her favorite hobbies, up there with bird-watching and snowboarding. I warn you, the collection is massive. There’s the professional album our photographer put together, then the one Darcy crammed full of everything from wedding shower pics to the honeymoon.”

  “I remember the photographer,” Garrett said. Understatement of the year—she was seared into his memory like a brand. “Arden, right?”

  Hugh smirked. “Why, you looking for a photographer? Maybe planning to have some of those glamorized portraits done? You’d look pretty spiffy in a sequined cowboy hat.”

  “I think I ran into her at the grocery store earlier. The woman I saw was pregnant?”

  “That’s her, Arden Cade.” Hugh clucked his tongue. “Poor kid. Being a single mom can’t be easy under the best of circumstances, much less with gossips buzzing about the dad.”

  Garrett leaned forward on the couch. “Why? Who’s the dad?”

  “It’s a big mystery. Far as anyone knew, she wasn’t seeing anyone. Maybe it was a long-distance relationship with an out-of-town guy. People were shocked when she turned up pregnant and even more shocked those two brothers of hers didn’t march the dude responsible into a shotgun wedding.”

  The fear he’d seen on Arden’s face today flashed through his mind, and a completely insane thought struck him. He was an out-of-town guy. They’d used condoms, but those weren’t effective one hundred percent of the time, were they? He’d heard stories.

  “Out of...” His throat was so dry he had to try again. “Out of curiosity, do you know how far along she is?”

  Hugh regarded him suspiciously but didn’t challenge the bizarre question. “Hey, Darce? You have any idea how far along Arden is in her pregnancy?”

  Darcy appeared in the doorway between rooms, drying her hands on a green-and-yellow-checkered towel. “Around six months, maybe? She said she’s due the week of Thanksgiving.”

  Garrett’s blood froze. Six months.

  No, he was crazy to contemplate it. It was unfathomable that the woman who had been so open and expressive beneath him would keep a secret of this magnitude, cruelly excluding him. She knew he was friends with the Connors and could have found him easily. She could have called, emailed, sent a telegram—something! This was just his imagination running wild.

  The unpleasant combination of newfound cynicism and sleepless nights had colored his judgment. The odds that Arden was pregnant by him... They’d used condoms, and they’d only been together one night.

  Then again, Garrett himself was living proof that once was all it took.

  * * *

  “LAYLA, I AM IN trouble.” Arden leaned back in the leather office chair, resenting the way it creaked. She hadn’t gained that much weight. “Deep, deep trouble.”

  “Don’t panic,” her friend counseled over the phone. The words of wisdom were somewhat muffled around a bite of sandwich. In response to Arden’s frantic text that morning, Layla was taking her lunch break in her car, away from the curious ears of students or fellow teachers.

  “But he’s here! Why is he here?”

  “Um, didn’t you say you met him because he was in town for a good friend’s wedding? Makes sense that he’d occasionally visit said friend. The part I can’t believe is that you saw him Sunday, yet waited until Tuesday to let me know.”

  “Because I spent yesterday in denial,” Arden mumbled. She’d never been comfortable discussing her night with Garrett. It had felt so private, something meant only to be between them. Maybe if she’d known Layla back then, or if Natalie had still been alive... “Am I being punished for having a one-night stand? Am I a bad person?”

  “Don’t start pinning those scarlet A’s on your maternity clothes just yet. The fact that you’d only been with two men up until then is pretty solid evidence you’re not a tramp.”

  “No, the fact that there had only been two previous lovers in my life is evidence that I have very large, very overprotective brothers,” Arden said without rancor. Her brothers’ local influence had probably helped prevent some impulsive mistakes in her teens. She nervously twisted the cord on the phone. “I think Justin suspects Garrett is the father. What if Garrett suspects as much?” So many emotions had rampaged through her when she’d seen him. She hadn’t exactly maintained a poker face.

  “Did he give you any reason to think that?”

  “Not really. He was making small talk. I was busy freaking out.”

  “Then let’s not borrow trouble,” Layla advised. “Are you going to—”

  “Oops, work beckons,” Arden interrupted as the door to her studio swung open. “Maybe we can meet for dinner?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve got a stack of practice tests I have to grade so I can figure out how much my students forgot over the summer and plan accordingly. But give me a few hours to talk myself into it, and I’ll text you later.”

  Arden disconnected, calling out, “Be with you in a second.”

  Over the summer, Layla had acted briefly as receptionist, but for the most part, Arden had always run a one-woman shop. She didn’t get many random drop-ins. Customers usually called or emailed to schedule an appointment or, in the case of big events, to ask preliminary questions and do price comparisons.

  Coming around the edge of her desk, she steadied herself with her hand. She was constantly readjusting to her ever-changing center of gravity.

  “Hope I’m not interrupting your work.” That smooth deep voice was exactly the same as it had been the first time he’d spoken to her, sending tremors through her body. Garrett Frost stood in the center of her reception area, cowboy hat in hand, an unreadable expression on his face.

  Adrenaline surged, making her head swim. “Garrett.” Her hands moved reflexively to cover the baby bump. That happened a lot lately when she was apprehensive.

  He misinterpreted the protective gesture. “If you’re trying to hide that you’re expecting, it’s a little late.”

  “I...I...” Say something. Preferably something intelligent. “Can I get you a cup of coffee?”

  It wasn’t until he shook his head that she realized she hadn’t brewed any. She’d given it up during the pregnancy and hadn’t been expecting clients for another few hours. Thank goodness he hadn’t taken her up on the offer—her pride balked at the idea of making herself seem more ridiculous. She hadn’t exactly been articulate at the grocery store.

  “I’m sorry I was rude the other day,” she said. “You took me by surprise. It was a shock, running in to you there.”

  “You weren’t the only one stunned,” he said pointedly. His gaze dropped before returning to her face.

  “So, uh, how’d you find my office? Did your friend Hugh mention I was in this shopping center? I hope he and his wife are doing well.” Her pulse was racing, and she heard her babbled words as though from a distance.

  “Ac
tually, I looked you up myself. Knowing your name and that you owned a photography studio was enough. It’s not difficult to find someone, if you bother to look.” His gray eyes were like thunderclouds. “If, for instance, a woman needed to locate a man, even one in a different town. I don’t think there are many Garrett Frosts who are part owners of Colorado cattle ranches, but maybe I’m wrong. What do you think, Arden?”

  She swallowed, knowing that his real question had nothing to do with addresses or phone books. He was asking if his suspicions were accurate, and she couldn’t bring herself to answer. There was a huge difference between not tracking down a man to deliver life-altering news he probably didn’t want to hear and actually lying to his face.

  He took a step closer. “You seemed so startled to see me the other day. Terrified, as a matter of fact.”

  Feeling cornered, she took deep breaths, trying to lower her elevated blood pressure.

  “Maybe I’m completely off base,” he continued, “but extenuating circumstances have made me more distrustful than I used to be. If I’m wrong, you can laugh at me or indignantly cuss me out. But tell me the truth, Arden. Are you carrying my child?”

  Chapter Four

  Garrett had mentally rehearsed different ways this confrontation could play out—from her scoffing at his ludicrous accusation to her tearfully confessing all and begging his forgiveness. But he hadn’t imagined her collapsing.

  Her eyes rolled upward and she crumpled in on herself.

  “Arden!”

  He bolted toward her with just enough time to get his arms around her before she fell. What was he thinking, intimidating a pregnant woman? What if he’d caused harm to her or the baby? He lowered himself to the floor awkwardly, supporting her weight as he cradled her against his chest.

  She blinked up at him, and it was such a relief to see those blue-green eyes open. At least she was conscious, although her chest rose and fell with alarmingly rapid exhalations. “G-Gar—”

  “Shhh. Catch your breath first.” He stroked her hair back from her pale face, feeling like an ogre. If he was right about the baby, then Arden owed him a major apology, but no matter how angry he was, he never would have deliberately hurt her.

  She raised one shaky hand to press against her heart, her expression pained. “Water?”

  He shrugged out of the lightweight denim jacket he’d been wearing, rolling it up as a makeshift pillow beneath her head. There was a water dispenser in the corner of the room, and he half filled a paper cup. “You have a history of fainting?” he asked. Maybe if this was something that happened routinely, he wouldn’t feel like such a bastard.

  “Only twice.” She sipped her water, her words halting. “Overheated camping. Blacked out another time. When...I got bad news.”

  He wasn’t sure whether this technically counted as fainting—had she lost consciousness completely? Was there a chance it would happen again when she was alone? “Should we get you to a doctor?”

  She bit her lip, still struggling to breathe normally. “Probab— Probably overkill, but... The baby.” Her eyes filled with tears, the palpable fear in her gaze knifing through him.

  “Better safe than sorry.” He helped her to her feet, noting her rocky balance.

  “We have to lock up,” she said. “Keys in my purse. Second desk drawer.”

  He got everything she asked for, then helped her out to the truck. She leaned against the seat, eyes closed. There was a lot they needed to say to each other, but it was challenge enough for her to give him rudimentary directions to the hospital.

  The emergency room was fairly empty on a Tuesday afternoon. A mother sat in the far corner trying to coax a little girl to stop crying, and a burly man watched a daytime talk show with one eye while holding some kind of compress over the other. The blonde nurse working the admissions counter gasped softly when she spotted Garrett and Arden.

  “Arden! You okay, hon?”

  “Probably. I feel silly being here, but I think I fainted. Heart beating too fast, got dizzy...”

  “Then you did the right thing by coming in.” The blonde eyed Garrett with blatant curiosity but didn’t ask who he was. “You two have a seat and fill out the forms on this clipboard. Oh, and this one for Obstetrics.” She passed over a pale green sheet of paper.

  Garrett caught sight of a long list of questions. None seemed as crucial as the one looming in his mind. Who the hell is the father?

  “Need any help with those?” he offered.

  “No!” Arden clutched the paperwork to her chest, not meeting his eyes. “I got it.”

  They sat down and she fumbled through her purse, retrieving her license and insurance card. Her hands were shaky as she muttered, “Damn, I hate hospitals.”

  He’d never thought much about them one way or the other. It occurred to him that Will Harlow could be in a hospital bed at this very moment, praying that his biological son agreed to give up a kidney.

  Fury filled him, resentment at the secrets that had been kept. He struggled to keep his voice soft, nonthreatening. “Arden, you owe me an answer.” At least here, if she became overwrought by his questioning, there were medical professionals twenty feet away.

  “I know.” She turned to him, the tears shimmering in her apologetic gaze an unmistakable reply. Still, he couldn’t quite force himself to accept the truth until she added out loud, “It’s you. You’re the baby’s father.”

  Garrett hadn’t thought he could ever be more shocked than when he’d learned about his mother and Will. He’d been wrong. I’m a dad? If he hadn’t retreated to Cielo Peak to cope with the last bombshell a lying woman had dropped on him, he never would have known.

  He clenched his fists against his thighs. “What were you planning to tell the kid? Children should know who their fathers are!”

  The clipboard trembled in her grasp. “To be honest, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. I was already a couple of months pregnant by the time I realized what had happened, and the discovery was mind-blowing. I needed time to adjust.”

  He knew the feeling. But he was too angry to sympathize.

  “Garrett, I—”

  “Someone from Obstetrics is on the way down with a wheelchair.” The blonde admissions nurse walked toward them. “They’ll get you in a real room instead of one of these E.R. cubicles, probably put you on a fetal monitor for an hour or so to make sure the baby’s not in distress. Ask you some questions, maybe take some blood, check for anemia. You want me to contact either of your brothers, hon?”

  “No! The last thing Colin needs is another phone call from a hospital E.R.,” Arden said adamantly. “And I figure calling Justin would be awkward for you.”

  “You mean because he dumped me?” the woman asked with a wry smile. She seemed more amused than heartbroken. “Don’t worry, I knew what I was getting into with that one. It was fun while it lasted. Talking to him won’t upset me, I promise. Would you like him to be here?”

  “Not unless I’m going to need the ride.” Arden slid a questioning glance in Garrett’s direction. “Are you planning to stick around?”

  He folded his arms over his chest, smiling for the nurse’s benefit. “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, sweetheart.”

  * * *

  ARDEN STUDIED THE ceiling intently, as if the answers to her problems might magically be found in the speckled tiles overhead. She’d gained a momentary reprieve when Garrett stepped out of the room so she could change, but he’d be knocking on the door any second. She hadn’t missed his smirk when she’d asked for the privacy—after all, he’d already seen her naked. That was how they’d landed in this mess.

  “Not that I think you’re making a mess of my life,” she whispered guiltily, as if the baby had heard her tormented thoughts. Arden was plenty grateful for her child. She was just second-guessing her decision t
o raise the child alone, Garrett none the wiser. But I am alone. She and Garrett had no real history or future. How was she going to share the most precious thing in her life with a man she barely knew?

  Instead of knocking, Garrett cracked the door open a quarter of an inch, calling out before entering. “You decent in there?”

  In a thin piece of fabric that tied behind her and left most of her back exposed? Hardly. “Close enough, I guess.”

  He strolled into the room, filling it with his size. Having grown up with brothers, she normally found the presence of a strong man comfortingly familiar. But now trepidation rippled through her. Her brothers had never been as furious with her as Garrett seemed.

  She expected him to interrogate her about the baby, but he surprised her. “That nurse downstairs—” he began.

  “Sonja.”

  “She asked about your brothers. Not your parents?”

  Arden kneaded the hospital blanket that covered her lap. “They’re both dead. My brothers are pretty much all I have.”

  “Two of them, right? Colin and Justin?” At her nod, he continued. “Is this why Justin looked like he wanted to put his fist through my face at the grocery store—because I got you pregnant?”

  “I think...” She averted her gaze. “I’m not sure what he picked up on between us, but I think he suspects you’re the dad. He couldn’t know for sure, though. I never told anyone who the father was.”

  “No kidding.” Despite his soft tone, the biting sarcasm in his voice made her flinch.

  “Garrett, I’m sorry. I—”

  “Don’t!” This time, he wasn’t soft-spoken at all. Even he looked taken aback by the vehement outburst. He cleared his throat. “I’ve heard that particular phrase far more than any man should in one week. Enough already.”

  She frowned. Someone besides her had reason to apologize to him? Whoever it was should feel grateful to Arden—it was doubtful anyone else’s transgression topped hers.

  Garrett paced the room. Although he might have regained verbal control, forcing himself to sound calm, he couldn’t mask the tension radiating from his body. “So is there a specific reason you hate hospitals? You mentioned Colin and emergency rooms. Did—”