Because of the Baby...

by Cat Schield

  Lark glanced around. She was keeping her voice low, but she worried that Marsha or one of her minions might overhear. The last thing she needed was for that bit of gossip to make its way around the hospital. She’d be the laughingstock of the ICU staff if they thought she had feelings for Keaton. Several times she’d made it completely clear that her relationship with Keaton was strictly about taking care of Grace.

  “I think I’m falling in love with him, Skye.” Lark set her forehead on her sister’s hand and struggled to draw air into her tight lungs. “That makes me some kinda hypocrite, doesn’t it?” With her voice muffled, she continued. “I was so awful to you when I found out you were running away with Jake. I couldn’t understand how you could pick him over our family.”

  Four years later, Lark flushed with shame at the way she’d spoken to Skye. Lark had been convinced her sister was doing the wrong thing. She’d been smugly confident that as the older sister, she knew what was best. What would have happened to Skye if she’d listened to Lark? Grace never would’ve been born. Vera would have continued to hammer at Skye’s spirit, criticizing every choice Skye made because it wasn’t what Vera would have done.

  Lark hadn’t realized how much Vera had focused on Skye until she’d left town. It was once her critical eye had turned to Lark that she’d begun to understand why it hadn’t been a hardship for Skye to leave her family behind.

  But after such a long period with no communication, why had Skye suddenly decided to come back?

  “I wish I knew something about your life these last four years. Are you still a graphic artist? Do you like your job? What was it like to discover you’re pregnant and how did Jake react? I’ll bet he was excited about becoming a father.”

  Lark paused as doubts crept in. If that was true, where was he?

  “Do you have a house or an apartment? I suppose if it’s the latter you’re going to want to move. Grace will need a yard to run around in. Maybe even a dog. She really likes Nicki. It’s funny watching them together. Nicki nudges her with her nose and Grace wriggles like crazy.” The memory made her smile. “I can’t wait until you wake up and can see for yourself.”

  Please wake up.

  A familiar wave of grief swamped her, bringing a sting of tears to her eyes. In the months since Skye reappeared in Royal, Lark had been in an almost constant state of anxiety and sadness. Only in Keaton’s arms did she get any relief. He had a knack for distracting her from her problems and making her exist solely in the moment.

  Feeling safe was something she’d never really known before. Nor had she realized it until she’d surrendered to Keaton being in charge. The peace this brought her was temporary and addictive. Letting someone share her burden hadn’t come easily, but now that she had done so, Lark was dreading being alone again.

  “It’s time for me to start my shift,” she told Skye, clearing her throat a couple times to purge the huskiness from her voice. “I’ll be back to check on you later.”

  “Lark?”

  She jumped at the sound of her name. Turning, she spied Gloria Holt.

  “Hello,” she greeted. “I was just visiting my sister.” Way to state the obvious. Lark’s whole face felt on fire. “What brings you here?”

  “Same as you.”

  “You’re visiting Skye?”

  “I try to come by at least once a week when I’m in town.”

  Lark shook her head. “I’ve never seen you before.”

  “I’ve tried not to come when I know you’re working.” Gloria put out her hands in a calming gesture. “Oh, that didn’t come out right. What I mean is I didn’t want you to be upset that I was visiting your sister.”

  “Why would I be?”

  “There has been tension between our families for a long time.”

  And that tension had ruined a lot of lives.

  “It’s nice of you to visit Skye,” Lark said. “I’m sure she appreciates the company.”

  Vera Taylor would have scoffed and said that Skye was unconscious and incapable of knowing that someone was nearby. Gloria Holt pulled out a book.

  “I’ve been reading to her,” she said.

  “What a great idea. I’ve been telling her about Grace. I’ve heard stories where patients wake up from comas and remember conversations going on around them.”

  “I have a hypnosis tape I listen to as I’m falling asleep at night. It’s for stress. I got it not long after the tornado came through town.” Gloria grimaced. “When the ranch house was hit we lost so much that can’t be replaced.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but at least no one was hurt.” Lark froze as she realized she’d made another of those blunt remarks that some people took the wrong way. She hadn’t meant to irritate Keaton’s mother.

  Fortunately Gloria took no offense. “You’re absolutely right. We were more fortunate than some.” Her expression clouded for a moment. “Anyway, I found that I wasn’t hearing the entire recording because I was falling asleep. My hypnotherapist insisted my brain still processed the message.”

  “Has it helped?”

  “I think so.” Gloria gave her a wry smile. “I know it’s having an effect on David. Despite all our losses, he’s never been so calm. And he’s done a great job of letting Keaton handle things.”

  “Your son is very determined to get things done.”

  Keaton’s organization had impressed Lark. He worked everything on his tablet, from mind-mapping each project to formulating a process to reach his goal to tying the individual tasks to his calendar. She’d always been more comfortable doing things on paper, but after he’d shown her some of the software he used, she was beginning to see the advantages of going electronic.

  “He was that way as a child. Always focused on a goal.”

  Lark found her curiosity aroused. She’d been in school with Jake and remembered him as a noisy, confident kid. But Keaton had been three years older and the only time he registered in her conscious thoughts was when her father complained about the Holt boys. “What was Keaton like as a child?”

  The question surprised Gloria. “He was quiet. When he wasn’t working around the ranch, he spent a lot of time reading and studying. Everything fascinated him, but math was his true passion.”

  “I remember that he graduated top of his class.”

  “When Keaton went off to college, David and I wondered if he’d want to come back to Texas and ranch. Or if he even should.”

  “But he came back to Royal.” As she had. Lark knew she belonged here. She wondered if Keaton felt the same way or if he felt obligated to take over the family business.

  “Ranching is what he wants to do.” Gloria gave a “who would have guessed?” shrug.

  Lark glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going. My shift starts in a little bit.”

  “It was nice talking to you,” Gloria said.

  “It was nice talking to you too.” Lark gave Keaton’s mom a genuine smile as she started past. “And thanks again for visiting my sister.”

  “She’s family.” Gloria’s next words caught Lark by surprise. “You are too. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Sure.” What else could Lark say? Despite the animosity between their families, Lark had nothing bad to say against Gloria. Besides, with the birth of Grace, the Taylors and Holts were forever connected to each other whether any of them liked it or not. “Of course.”

  “Good. I know it’s a lot of change for all of us, but I hope we can set aside the past and start fresh. It’s what’s good for Grace, and she needs to be our top priority.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Before she checked in at the nurses’ station, she went to the visitors’ lounge and dialed Keaton. “How are things going?”

  It wasn’t odd for her to check in with him, but it didn’t usually happen until partway through her shift.

  “Fine.” His deep voice was steady and reassuring. A life preserver for her to cling to. “Are you okay?” His perceptiveness never ceased to a
maze her.

  “Everything’s fine. Nothing has changed with Skye. I told her about Nicki and how cute she and Grace are together.” What she should tell him was how hearing his voice calmed her. But he probably already suspected that. “I’m getting ready to start my shift and wasn’t sure I’d have the chance to call before you went to bed.”

  “You didn’t answer my question. How are you?”

  “Sad. Skye’s been in her coma so long. I’m worried that she might not ever wake.” There. She’d said it. This was where she needed him to reassure her that everything would be okay.

  “I know it’s hard, but you need to stay strong. Skye will come out of this just fine.”

  Lark’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you.”

  “No need for that. I’m not just here for Grace. I care about you and I know how stressed you’ve been.” The deep note of concern in his tone was exactly what she needed to rally. “Why don’t you call me as you’re leaving the hospital? I’ll have a hot bath and a cup of tea waiting.”

  She’d never lived with a man before, but she knew Keaton’s thoughtfulness wasn’t the norm. “You know I like coming home to you, right?”

  “I’m glad because I like coming home to you, as well.”

  Silence followed their mutual confessions.

  “And you know there’s room enough for two in my tub.”

  “Won’t you be too tired?”

  “To take a hot bath with you?” She chuckled, feeling much better than she had ten minutes ago. “Never.”

  Eleven

  Keaton cradled Lark’s left foot in his hand and pressed his thumb into her arch. The low moan she made was almost sexual and caused his temperature to climb.

  “That’s amazing,” she murmured, her head thrown back, eyes closed.

  The water lapped against her chest, pushing a crest of bubbles almost to her throat. It was a little after nine in the evening. As promised, Keaton had drawn her a bath for her arrival home, but before she could slide into the heated water, she’d fallen upon him with determined vigor. They’d made love in slow, silent appreciation of each other and the passion between them.

  Her bath had cooled by the time sweat coated their bodies, but lovemaking had done more to relax her than a dozen hours of soaking in hot water. Later, she’d watched him from the doorway that separated bedroom and bathroom, her eyes lazy with contentment as he emptied and refilled the tub. Naked and completely at home in her skin, she bore little resemblance to the shy, self-contained woman she became outside her home. A tigress lurked beneath her skin. He loved being the only one who got to feel her claws.

  “My parents came by today to see Grace and have dinner,” he remarked, switching his attention to her other foot. “Mom made her famous lasagna. There’s leftovers if you’re interested.”

  “As much as I’ve been dying to try your mom’s lasagna,” Lark said. “I’m way too comfortable to move at the moment.”

  The sound of her cell phone came from her bedroom. Keaton recognized the caller because Lark had set Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” as her mother’s ring tone. There was little love lost between mother and daughter, yet Lark remained unwilling to make waves with her parents.

  “She’s been calling me for the last three days.” Lark’s huge sigh spoke volumes. “I’m guessing she or my dad heard that you and I showed up at the Richardson party together and she wants to tell me how stupid I am for associating with you.”

  “You haven’t spoken with her yet?”

  “Why bother when I know what she’s going to say?”

  The support Keaton wanted to offer would only cause Lark more grief with her parents. This was a battle she had to face on her own, and that frustrated him.

  “My parents found a condo they like on the beach in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and put in an offer. It’s on the tenth floor and has great views.” Keaton couldn’t imagine his active father settling into beach life, but his mother had been thrilled by the four bedrooms. “I guess each floor is a single unit, and there are three-hundred-and-sixty-degree views.”

  The conversation was mundane enough to allow Lark to relax. “Sounds fantastic, but it’s a long way from here.”

  “My mother has always been fond of the beach.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “He likes making my mom happy. Says he’s going to work harder on his golf game.” In the years since Keaton took over supervision of the ranch business, David Holt had begun playing a round or two a week. “And they have friends that bought in the same building several years ago.”

  “Is this a full-time move?”

  “At this point I don’t think so.” Keaton recalled his mother’s glowing descriptions of the town and the unit. “But I think they were leaning that way before the tornado hit.”

  Of course, that was before Skye had shown up and Grace had been born. Lark picked up his train of thought.

  “We don’t know that anything has changed really. Jake hasn’t shown up yet and there’s no reason to believe Skye has any intention of staying in Royal.”

  “My mother is afraid that she’s never going to see Grace again after Jake and Skye take over as parents.”

  Lark looked worried. “Surely the fact that Skye was coming back to Royal is a good indication that she was ending four years of silence.”

  “Is that what you think?”

  “Why else?”

  “It still bothers me that she was alone.” Keaton turned his attention toward the baby monitor set up on the sink. A faint cry rose from the speaker. “That she didn’t contact anyone and let them know she was coming.”

  They both stopped speaking when they heard another cry. Sometimes Grace made noises in her sleep and then subsided. In silence they waited to determine what would happen next. It was quiet for several seconds, so Keaton spoke again.

  “You’d think she’d want Jake with her when she came to tell everyone she was pregnant.”

  “Or maybe that would have made things so much worse?” Lark sighed. They’d speculated on every sort of scenario and hadn’t settled on a single one.

  Another cry pierced the silence. This time both adults jumped into action. Keaton waved Lark back into the water as he stood and grabbed a towel.

  “I’ll get her. Stay and relax.”

  She shook her head. “I’m already feeling like a prune. Besides, I should probably call my mother back.”

  Water ran down her body as she stood. Soap bubbles clung to her nipples and dotted her midsection and thighs. Keaton stared at her in absolute fascination, only half-aware that Grace’s unhappiness was escalating.

  “Keaton?” Lark caught him staring at her as she turned from releasing the tub drain.

  “Have I mentioned how gorgeous you are?”

  Her face, already flushed from the hot water, grew even rosier. “Several times today.” She let her gaze rake down his body in slow deliberation. “And right back at you. I’m not sure I’d ever get tired of looking at you.”

  “We should institute naked Sundays.”

  Seeing he was completely serious, she laughed. “It’s January.”

  “True.”

  Instead of handing her the towel she pointed to, he wrapped it around her. The kiss he gave her was hard and quick. Mostly he’d wanted a second to enjoy the softness of her breasts crushed against his chest. He kept his hands away from any naked skin. Touching her silky wet skin would only delay getting to Grace.

  “I guess I can wait until it warms up in April.” And with a provocative pat on her towel-clad backside, he exited the bathroom.

  * * *

  Lark stared at Keaton’s retreating form while his words played over and over in her mind. April? He was thinking they would still be living together three months from now? Surely he didn’t believe that Skye would still be in a coma or Jake would continue to be missing. That meant he expected to still be together even after they no longer had Grace’s welfare to look after.

  A shiver rais
ed goose bumps on her arms. She grabbed a quick shower and washed her hair, then dressed in a pair of her new silky pajamas. Keaton enjoyed running his hands over the slippery material, and she adored having every inch of her curves caressed by him. The thought made her smile. Even though her desire had been sated by their earlier lovemaking, it took very little to rouse the ache between her thighs.

  Telling her body to behave, Lark headed into the kitchen to find Gloria’s lasagna and open a bottle of red wine. Another perk of having Keaton living with her was that she’d learned to appreciate the finer vintages. Luckily the Holts’ wine cellar hadn’t been damaged during the storm and he enjoyed sharing his favorites with her.

  While she heated up the lasagna, she kept one ear tuned to the nursery. Grace had calmed. Keaton certainly had the magic touch with her. The baby had probably woken wet or messy. She was very particular where her diaper was concerned. Someday she’d probably be equally determined about her fashion. Something that might make her acceptable to her grandmother.

  From the time Skye was a toddler, she’d been thrust onto the pageant circuit by their mother, whose obsession with appearance and winning had been extreme. Lark remembered visiting Skye’s room when she and their mother were gone for the weekend and trying on her sister’s massive crowns or whatever sequined, tulle-enriched dress had been left behind. There’d been dozens in Skye’s closet, some of them for the pageants that required specialty routines.

  One time her father had caught her and paddled her backside hard. She wasn’t sure which had hurt more, the spanking or his disappointment. Fortunately he’d kept the tale from his wife or Lark might have been punished worse than she had. In later years, when she’d begun to understand the value of things, she’d discovered those silly, overembellished dresses cost between five hundred and a thousand dollars apiece.

  Keaton carried a very wide-awake Grace to the infant gym and laid her beneath the arches. He then joined Lark in the kitchen, where she offered him a lingering kiss. The microwave dinged before they got too carried away and Lark fetched her dinner. She decided to break her rule against eating on the sofa so she could join Keaton while he watched another one of those educational shows he’d introduced her to.