HER SECRET, HIS BABY

by Tanya Michaels

  The shock of Arden’s pregnancy had temporarily eclipsed the reason Garrett had escaped to Cielo Peak in the first place. But now thoughts of Will Harlow were bubbling to the surface. Earlier, after navigating a particularly steep part of the trail, Darcy had become winded and asked to pause for water and a chance to catch her breath. She’d remarked that ranch work obviously kept Garrett in tip-top shape.

  Garrett was beginning to realize that he often took his health for granted. He could climb mountains, gallop across a pasture on horseback or go for a spur-of-the-moment jog. Or have really athletic sex with a woman you met at your friend’s wedding reception. Meanwhile, there was a man potentially dying whom Garrett might be able to save.

  The funny thing was, if his mother had simply told him their old friend Will needed a kidney, Garrett probably would have agreed to be tested for compatibility. His driver’s license already had him listed as a willing organ donor. But the way she’d gone about it... What would Garrett tell his dad? How long would recovery from surgery prevent working on the ranch?

  It would be easier for Garrett if his dad knew the truth, if Brandon could give his understanding and approval of the decision.

  “Oh! Warbler.” Darcy’s voice was a delighted whisper. She abandoned what she’d been saying and made her way up the path, reaching for her binoculars as she went. Garrett stayed where he was, drinking in the silence.

  A few minutes later, she returned, holding her cell phone out toward him. “You should see these shots I—” The phone began playing an obnoxiously catchy pop song Garrett dreaded having stuck in his head for the rest of the day.

  “Hello?” Darcy answered. Her eyes widened. “Arden! This is a pleasant surprise. His number? I can do better than that. He’s standing right here. Garrett, it’s for you.”

  Knowing who it was ahead of time didn’t stop him from experiencing an electric jolt at the sound of her voice.

  “I’m so glad I caught you.” Arden’s tone was husky. With nerves, or something else? “I didn’t have your cell number, so I thought maybe your friends could help me track you down. I hope you don’t mind?”

  Aware that Darcy was watching with avid curiosity, he bit back the retort that the only thing he minded was Arden not tracking him down months ago.

  “No, I’m glad you called. Has, um, something else happened?” She’d seemed completely stable when he’d left her house last night, but what did he know about pregnancy?

  “With the baby, you mean? We’re both fine,” she assured him. “It’s just... I was up all night thinking. About us.”

  His heart did an odd somersault in his chest. It was uncomfortable yet not entirely unpleasant.

  “Like you said, we have to decide how this is going to work,” she said, “how involved you’ll be. For better or worse, we’re a part of each other’s futures. I think we owe it to ourselves to get to know each other.”

  His undisciplined thoughts strayed to how intimately he knew her. Clearing his throat, he turned away from Darcy. “Sounds reasonable.”

  “I’d like you to meet my brothers,” she added shyly. “They’re a big part of my life.”

  That half of the proposition sounded a lot less appealing than the first part. “If I have to.”

  He could hear the grin in her voice. “They’re not that bad. Once you get used to them. I know it’s short notice, but do you already have dinner plans?”

  “Nothing concrete.” The Connors would understand his absence—and could point the police in the right direction if the Cade menfolk helped him disappear.

  “Then how about my house, seven o’clock?”

  “I’ll be there.” He disconnected, thinking how bizarre it was that, without having been on a single date, he and Arden had progressed to the meeting-the-family phase. But then, he supposed that wasn’t as unusual as getting a woman pregnant without ever having dated.

  * * *

  “THAT IS NOT LASAGNA!” Arden slammed the oven door in frustration.

  “It isn’t?” Layla asked hesitantly.

  “No, that is soup. I’ve made freaking lasagna soup.” Arden covered her eyes with her hands and battled the urge to cry. Or swear. Or break plates. Any of the three might make her feel better, but none seemed like a productive use of her time with guests arriving in less than an hour.

  “It smells wonderful,” Layla assured her, coming closer to inspect the pan through the oven window.

  “Thanks. But I screwed up. Normally I buy oven-ready lasagna noodles. You don’t have to boil them first.” Arden’s words grew more rapid as she recounted her mistake. “You just add some water to the pan before baking, but the store was out of my preferred kind and I had to get regular noodles, only I was distracted so I added extra water even though I didn’t need it, and it doesn’t look as if the extra liquid is absorbing so now—”

  “Breathe!” Layla gently squeezed Arden’s shoulder. “In case you haven’t heard, four out of five doctors are now saying oxygen is important.”

  Arden rolled her eyes, momentarily abandoning the pasta diatribe. “Oh, good. Make jokes.”

  The petite redhead grinned. “Well, it seemed like a better way to fix your hysteria than slapping you.” She took a peek at the lasagna. “That’s not too bad. Worst-case scenario, your sauce is slightly runnier than usual, but I bet it’ll still taste great. You know your brothers will eat anything you serve them.”

  True. They’d been her test subjects in the early years, when she’d first been learning to cook. But Garrett...

  “I wanted to impress him,” she admitted. “At first, I looked up fancy recipes online, but that felt pretentious. I also considered a steak dinner, which I rejected because it seemed too on-the-nose for a cattle rancher.” And those were only the food deliberations. She didn’t want to admit how much thought she’d put into her appearance. After changing three times, she’d settled on a silky, oversize deep purple blouse with a pair of stretchy black leggings—her feminine pride had balked at pants with built-in maternity panels. Thankful that pregnancy was making her hair so full and shiny, she’d pulled it into a high ponytail.

  “Honestly,” Layla said, “I doubt Garrett will pay much attention to the food, not with everything else you’ve given him to think about. You yourself hardly ate for months, until the surprise wore off.”

  “You’re confusing surprise with nausea. I couldn’t hold down a damn thing.” But she understood her friend’s point. No matter what she served, one dinner would not magically solve the problems she and Garrett faced. “Did I remember to thank you for stopping by? You’re a lifesaver.”

  Layla had brought a loaf of fresh bread from the bakery to go with the lasagna and salad. She’d also lent a hand with setting the table and chopping vegetables, doing her cheerful best to keep Arden calm. A tall order, since the two brothers who’d never fully approved of any man in her life were about to meet the stranger who’d fathered her baby.

  “I don’t suppose you want to stay for dinner?” Arden asked a bit desperately.

  “Can’t. I have a PTA thing, remember? But I will call and check on you tonight. Partly because I care and partly because your life is way more engrossing than mine.” An only child, Layla was always fascinated by stories of Arden’s brothers. Now that Garrett had been added to the mix, Layla said talking to Arden was better than watching television.

  They both stiffened when the doorbell rang. Arden glanced at the digital clock over the stove. “It’s not even close to time! None of them should be here yet.”

  “Relax,” Layla advised. “For all you know, it’s the mailman dropping off a package.”

  But when Arden followed her friend to the foyer, they saw Garrett through the wedges of decorative glass that framed the front door. He was striking in head-to-toe black that started with his cowboy hat and stopped with his boots.<
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  “Whoa,” Layla whispered, her hushed voice filled with awe. “Is that him?”

  “Yep.”

  “A man that virile can probably get a girl pregnant just by smiling at her. You didn’t stand a chance.”

  Arden opened the door, trying to look welcoming instead of exasperated by his untimely arrival. “H-hi.”

  “I’m early,” he said without preamble. “I thought maybe I could help. And that if I arrived before your brothers, I’d be less likely to walk into some kind of ambush.”

  Layla laughed, and Arden shot her a look.

  “This is my friend, Layla Green. She dropped by to assist, too. Great minds thinking alike and all that.” She moved out of the way, allowing Garrett to step inside and shake Layla’s hand.

  “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

  Ever since Arden had seen him at the supermarket, she’d been assailed by trepidation, viewing him through the eyes of a woman with reason to avoid him. But seeing him now, through Layla’s openly appreciative gaze, she remembered how she’d felt that first night, how drawn she’d been to the handsome wedding guest with his slow, beckoning grin and silvery eyes that made all kinds of mysterious promises. In his hotel room with her that night, he’d fulfilled every one of those unspoken promises.

  Heat suffused Arden. Her body had been so hypersensitive lately that the idea of him touching her skin now—

  “Arden?” Garrett’s voice was strangled.

  “Y-yes?” She guiltily met his gaze, wondering if her thoughts had been clear on her face for everyone to see.

  “I should be going,” Layla said brightly. “You kids...have fun.” Her car keys jingled as she pulled them from her cardigan pocket, and she scampered out of the house.

  Come back, Arden wanted to call after her. Save me from myself.

  Garrett reached over and pushed the front door shut without ever taking his eyes off her, then slowly advanced toward her. With the wall at her back, she had nowhere to go. Not that she had the willpower to make an escape, anyway. “You have to promise me something, Arden.”

  Anything.

  “Do not look at me like that in front of your brothers. They’ll have me run out of town before dessert.”

  “I, ah...” She wished she could feign confusion. It was so undignified to be caught mentally undressing him. “Sorry. Pregnancy hormones are— Words fail me.”

  Seeming intrigued by her explanation, he raised his hand, brushing the back of his knuckles over her jaw. “You think it’s because of the pregnancy?”

  “Yes.” That and his return to Cielo Peak. “S-something to do with increased blood flow. The books say it’s perfectly normal.” Like swollen hands. Or heartburn. But she couldn’t find her voice to mention those less charged symptoms.

  “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head all day,” he said hoarsely. “Maybe that’s the real reason I’m here early. After you called this morning, I started with platonic intentions, trying to think about what happens once the baby comes. But the longer my thoughts lingered on you, the more I couldn’t help remembering...”

  Her lips parted. Oh, God. Was he going to kiss her?

  If he didn’t, did she possess the self-discipline not to kiss him?

  Somewhere in the furthest reaches of her desire-fogged brain, a small voice reminded her that her brothers would be here eventually. The last thing she wanted was for them to walk into her house and catch her seducing Garrett.

  She held up both her hands, theoretically to ward him off, but when her palms met the hard wall of his chest, need spiraled through her. “We can’t do this now.”

  “Now?” His eyebrows rose, and he grinned down at her.

  “Er...it’s probably not a great idea for later, either, but— Can I get you a drink? I could use some ice water. You heard what Dr. Wallace said about staying hydrated.” She tried to duck away nonchalantly, putting a safe distance between them, but given the current proportions of her body, it was difficult to move casually. She waddled toward the kitchen, suddenly neurotic about what she looked like from behind.

  “Whatever’s cooking smells delicious,” he said.

  “Fingers crossed. I’m, uh, not sure the sauce is going to be the consistency I wanted. Guess we can always order take-out,” she joked wanly.

  “After you, the woman carrying my child, slaved over a home-cooked meal? No, ma’am. I don’t care what comes out of that oven, we’re eating it. My momma raised me better...” His expression, which had matched the protective warmth in his voice, grew shuttered as he trailed off.

  She recalled when she’d asked him the other day if he and his mother were close. He’d said “not currently.” Were they fighting? Estranged? A pang of melancholy stabbed her. She hoped he didn’t let some argument or difference of opinion deprive him of a relationship with his mother. Life was short.

  “Garrett, this may be out of line, but—oomf.” She pressed a hand to her midsection, where her unborn child had taken up soccer. Or was possibly auditioning for the Rockettes.

  “You okay?” Garrett was at her side in a heartbeat.

  “Fine. The baby’s just kicking.”

  How was it possible to look ecstatic and apprehensive at the same time? His gray eyes flickered with both emotions. “Can I... Would you mind if—”

  Instead of waiting for him to finish floundering through the request, she took his hand and settled it over her tummy. Another dramatic jab occurred, and while the high-kick routine being performed among her internal organs wasn’t exactly comfortable, she was glad the movements were forceful enough for Garrett to feel them.

  He gazed at her with such reverence it was humbling. “We really did make a baby.” He said it like a blessing rather than an accident, and she felt closer to him in that instant than she ever had to anyone else.

  Her eyes welled. “We really did.”

  He grazed the side of her face with his thumb, wiping away a tear. Then he bent and kissed the spot.

  “Garrett.” It was a plea, and they both knew it. She was already stretching up to meet him, anticipation sizzling through her veins. She inhaled his clean masculine scent, which triggered a cascade of sense memories from their night together. It had been six and a half months since this man had kissed her. If she had to wait another six and a half seconds, she’d spontaneously combust. His lips brushed over hers, barely making contact, more tease than touch, and a small sound of need escaped her. Then he kissed her for real, taking possession of her mouth.

  Sensation shot through her, igniting every nerve ending in her body. Her skin tingled, her breasts ached, her nipples tightened. She met his tongue with her own, gripping his shoulder with one hand and plunging the other through his hair. She was dimly aware of his hat hitting the floor. He tightened his hold on her hips, tugging her closer. While her shape made it difficult for them to be as perfectly aligned as she would have liked, he was near enough for her to feel his erection. She moaned, shifting restlessly in her attempts to nestle against him.

  Abruptly, Garrett straightened, his breathing ragged. “I heard a car door.”

  No, no, no. Not now! She could barely form a coherent thought.

  He leaned down and bit her bottom lip. “Rain check, sweetheart.”

  She was still leaning against the wall trying to catch her breath when the front door opened. Justin called out, “Hey, sis. I see we already have company?”

  In addition to putting his hat back on, Garrett had grabbed a dishtowel and a bowl from the rack next to the sink, making it look as if he’d been helping in the kitchen rather than ravishing her. Holding the towel casually in front of him, he extended his free hand. “We didn’t formally meet the other day. I’m Garrett Frost.”

  Her brother hesitated, and Arden cleared her throat to remind him of his promise to behave. �
�Justin Cade.” He turned to her. “I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be here yet. Thought I’d show up a few minutes early and see if you needed any help.”

  “Garrett and Layla both had the same idea—you just missed her,” Arden added innocently, as if she and Garrett had been chaperoned rather than making out in her kitchen.

  “Well, I can take over where she left off. You don’t need to be on your feet.”

  She knew from a lifetime of experience that arguing never stopped either of her brothers from fussing over her. “I’ll sit, but get the lasagna out of the oven for me, okay? It’s got enough problems without the edges burning.”

  “Problems?” Justin scoffed. “Your lasagna is kick-ass.” He shot Garrett a suspicious glance, as if the cowboy were to blame for Arden’s uncharacteristic lack of culinary confidence. Both men reached to pull a chair out for her at the same time, nearly colliding. Justin took a step back, his expression mulish. “Hell, Arden, you could drop it on the floor first, and I’d still eat it.”

  Was that supposed to be flattering?

  Garrett squared his shoulders, rising to the challenge. “Same here. I already told her we’d be eating anything she served, no matter how bad it is.”

  Arden smacked her forehead with her palm. She’d expected some blatant displays of testosterone tonight, but she wished they’d leave her food out of it. Nonetheless, she knew how tough her brothers could be on other males in her life, so she offered Garrett an encouraging smile. He responded with a wicked grin that made her think he was mentally replaying their kiss. She blushed, earning a frown from her brother. Justin stepped between them to place salad dressing on the table, jostling Garrett in the process.

  Why had she thought this dinner would be a good idea?

  In an attempt to keep the men occupied with something other than sizing each other up, she almost asked for a volunteer to slice the bread. Then she decided she didn’t want either alpha male holding a knife until they’d decided to play nice. When she heard Colin’s motorcycle roar into the driveway, she barely stifled a groan. Oh, goody. Because he excels at lightening the mood.