“You could ask to have the no-compete clause stricken. Or request Tex put in a salary for you to be deducted from your share of the profits.”
“I know.” Emily clamped her lips together.
Dan pulled out a chair and sat opposite her. “But you don’t want to do that.”
“I’ve thought about both things, of course.”
He leaned toward her, forearms on the table. “And?”
She paused, looking even more distressed. “I think I’m just getting cold feet.”
Dan studied the flush of color in her cheeks. “That happens to everyone who’s trying to get a new venture off the ground,” he soothed.
Emily put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her upturned palm. “But what if it’s more than that?” She sighed, looking more miserable than ever. “What if it’s gut instinct telling me that going into partnership with an ex-fiancé is a mistake? What if I fail, the same way my mother did?”
Dan’s instincts told him she would succeed, the way she’d succeeded in everything else on which she’d set her sights. She just needed reassurance, and the best way to do that was to approach it as methodically as she just had. “First of all,” he asked her bluntly, “do you still have feelings for Tex?”
“No.”
“Does he appear to have feelings for you?”
Emily shook her head decisively. “No. Whatever we once had is long over.”
“Then there shouldn’t be any problem going into business together, at least from a romantic standpoint.”
Which made Dan very glad.
“Second, from a grower’s standpoint, you won’t fail. You’ll have Tex there to help you run that aspect of the operation.”
“True. He’s more than proved himself in the orchard business. He’s a success three times over.”
Dan took Emily’s hand in his. The gesture was that of one friend to another, but to him it felt like much more. “The retail and tearoom business might be slower to build, but word of mouth is a powerful thing. So given your talent in the culinary arts, it’s hard to imagine that not being a roaring success, too, especially considering the tourist trade in that part of the state every summer. Everyone needs a refreshing glass of iced tea.”
Emily broke into a smile. “Or a soothing cup of hot.”
He luxuriated in the silky warmth of her skin. “And some freshly churned peach ice cream or a peach sundae.”
“Or peach cobbler or pie. And don’t forget,” Emily said, her eyes sparkling with building enthusiasm, “Tex’s family property now features strawberries and blackberries, too. There are dozens of things we can make and sell, just with those three fruits.”
“See?” Her happiness jump-started his. “You’re already geared for success and you haven’t even signed on the dotted line yet.”
Finally relaxing, Emily kicked back in her seat. She studied him in consternation, then murmured in a tone laced with wonder, “You don’t want me to do this and yet you’re urging me on anyway.”
Dan had promised himself he wouldn’t be chivalrous to a fault again. Wouldn’t accept a woman’s excuses that anything was more important than the two of them—and the family they were trying to raise.
Yet here was Emily, who had one foot out the door, doing pretty much just that. And here he was, more into her than ever, saying, “I want all your dreams to come true, Emily.” He squeezed her hand. Whether they’re my dreams or not. “It’s as simple—and complicated “—as that.”
THE NEXT FEW DAYS LOOKED to be incredibly busy and, Dan feared, a glimpse of the days to come. That evening, he missed his dinner because his consultation with the out-of-town clients went well over the allotted time and could not be rescheduled, as they were leaving the next morning. By the time he got home, the dishes were done and Emily was upstairs giving Ava an impromptu fashion consultation and co-reading a chapter of a Beverly Cleary novel with Kayla. Tommy wanted to talk to him about the praise he’d received from his wrestling coach about his victory in the previous night’s match. By the time he had, Emily was on her way out the door.
Friday, Dan got home early, but Emily was late getting out of a last-minute gig she’d picked up. When she finally did arrive, the kids commanded every bit of her attention, and Dan was tapped to take Kayla to a birthday-party sleepover at the home of one of her friends. By the time he returned, the older kids had gone off to social engagements, and Emily had gone.
Saturday was a little better on his part. He was there when Emily arrived at four, looking incredibly pretty in an autumn-gold chef’s coat, jeans and suede, knee-high boots. She had twisted her hair up in a messy knot on the back of her head. Her cheeks were full of color, her eyes bright and lively.
Once again, the kids preempted her attention the moment she walked in the door, her arms full of groceries for that night’s dinner. They kept her occupied until they thanked her for the wonderful spaghetti supper and took off with Walt to go Christmas shopping for their mom’s presents.
Happy to finally have a moment alone with Emily, Dan rolled up his sleeves. Her cheeks flushed from the heat of the kitchen, Emily lifted a staying hand. She sent him a look when he joined her at the kitchen sink. “Dishes are my job.”
He squirted a dollop of soap into the empty pasta pot and added a stream of warm water. “I can help.”
“The point is, Dan,” Emily retorted gently, “you shouldn’t have to.”
But I want to, Dan thought, turning the warm water off. In fact, given his lack of contact with Emily the past few days, he’d take any reason to get close to her.
He studied her, too. He could see the shadows beneath her eyes. “You look tired.”
Emily’s breath left her body in a ragged sigh. She lounged against the cabinet. “Actually—” she reached up to catch her hair as it started to fall out of its clip “—I am. The past few days have been crazy!”
Dan scrubbed the inside of the pot and rinsed it clean. “What do you mean?”
Emily smiled again, although she was now looking slightly pale. She handed him a dish towel and stepped in front of the sink. “I’ve had twelve calls in two days for the not-quite-defunct Chef for Hire.” She leaned over to put a dish in the dishwasher. “Everyone wants something done right away. It’s almost like someone put the word out that I might not be leaving Fort Worth after all.”
Here was his chance to tell her what he had done, Dan thought.
Not sure how she would take his less-than-selfless attempt to get her to reconsider leaving the city, Dan ignored the guilt tugging at him and let the chance to confess slide right on by. If Emily stayed, he reasoned silently, he could always tell her later. “What’d you do?”
“Well—” still leaning down, Emily struggled to fit the colander in the washer so it wouldn’t bang against the plates “—given that no matter what I do I’m going to need a lot more money than I have right now, I accepted every gig, even the ones scheduled for December first and second.”
Looking as if she’d straightened too abruptly, Emily braced one hand against the countertop.
Her cheeks, which had been so pale moments before, now turned a bright pink.
“With some caveats, of course.” Her hand trembled slightly as she wiped down the counter where the stack of cleared plates had been. “I told my clients that I had to be out of my loft by then, so I’d have no cooking space of my own and would have to do absolutely all the prep work in their homes, but they were cool with that.”
Resting a moment, Emily pressed the flat of her palm against her forehead.
“Anyway, between those twelve gigs and the eight nights I’ve got left working for you,” she stated huskily, “I’ll be in a lot better shape financially.”
Wishing he could just order her to sit down, Dan again studied Emily closely. “Should you be working that hard?” he asked, keeping his tone mild.
Seemingly irked, she dropped her hand from her forehead and turned her back to him. Shoulders stiff with d
efiance, she wiped the table. “I’m fine.”
Deciding she needed to sit down and have a glass of ice water whether she wanted one or not, Dan set about making them both one. “How are the partnership negotiations going?” he asked casually.
Emily reached behind her for a chair. “Tex agreed to strike the no-compete clause,” she reported as she started to pull the chair out with a trembling hand.
A little alarmed by the sudden grayish cast to her skin, Dan set the glasses down and circled around to assist. “That’s good.”
Emily took a deep breath and kept talking. “He hasn’t agreed to give me an advance on profits via salary. He thinks he’s taking enough of a risk and compensating me fairly as is.” Her voice was now shaking as badly as her hand.
Dan slid an arm around her waist.
Rather than resist, Emily leaned helplessly into his touch. Another worrisome sign, Dan thought.
“I tried to talk to him about it—get him to see things from my perspective, but….” Emily’s voice trailed off. Her lashes fluttered and her hand came up to touch her forehead again.
“Emily?” Dan said in concern.
And then she went limp.
Chapter Twelve
A gray mist swam in front of Emily’s eyes. She heard Dan’s voice rumble from a great distance away. Gradually it got closer. More distinct. Finally she was able to open her eyes, only to discover she was stretched out on the floor. He was kneeling beside her, cradling her head in his arms, a deeply concerned look on his handsome face. Still struggling to focus on her surroundings, she rasped, “Wh-what happened?”
“You fainted,” Dan said.
The tenderness of his touch sent a river of warmth through her. She moaned, not sure whether she was more distressed or embarrassed. Weakly, she lifted her head and felt another tidal wave of wooziness wash over her. “I never faint,” she told him with a scowl.
Dan’s lips curved upward. “There’s a first time for everything,” he teased.
Grateful for his steady, reassuring presence—she would have been really frightened had he not been there with her—Emily moaned softly again and tried to sit all the way up. To her dismay, although she was feeling increasingly clearheaded in her thinking, she was still dizzy as all get-out.
Dan continued to hold her. “I’m taking you to the emergency room.”
Had she not been pregnant, Emily would have argued. The fact that she was expecting a baby and so wanted to err on the side of safety had her insisting, “Let’s call my obstetrician first.”
Dr. Markham, it turned out, was already at the hospital checking on another patient. She told Dan she would meet the two of them in the emergency room.
When he hung up, Emily looked into Dan’s eyes. Embarrassment heated her cheeks. “We’re all going to feel very silly when we find out I simply fainted,” she complained grumpily.
She trembled as Dan helped her to her feet. How easy it was to depend on him this way! she thought. “Like you said there’s a first time for everything.”
A first time for fainting. A first time for falling completely and hopelessly in love. And she was in love with Dan, Emily realized, as another wave of gratitude washed through her. Head over heels in love.
As they checked her in at the hospital, Dan asked, “Do you want me to go back with you or wait in the reception area?”
That, at least, was a remarkably simple decision. Emily had already had to weather far too much of this pregnancy on her own.
“Stay with me.” She gripped his hand.
He looked into her eyes as if there was no place on earth he’d rather be. “Whatever you need,” he told her quietly.
And Emily knew, in her soul, that he meant it. Just as she would do anything for him.
Her spirits soared as Dan took on the husband role as if they’d been married for years. He helped her undress and put on a hospital gown. Adjusted her pillows and drew the sheet over her. Then he stood by while Emily’s obstetrician talked with Emily, checked her vitals and listened for the baby’s heartbeat—which, to everyone’s relief, came through strong and clear.
Happily, Dr. Markham agreed with Emily’s assessment—she’d simply fainted. “It happens sometimes with pregnant women,” Dr. Markham assured them both.
“Any particular reason why?” Dan asked, sounding more like an expectant father than a friend.
Dr. Markham looped her stethoscope around her neck. “When you’re pregnant, your cardiovascular system undergoes significant changes. Sometimes that can leave you light-headed or a bit dizzy. These symptoms could be exacerbated if you stand up too quickly, haven’t had enough food or drink or get overheated. Or even overdo things physically or feel anxious.”
Well, that made sense, Emily thought, thinking she was guilty of not just one but all of the aforementioned causes.
Dr. Markham paused, pen poised over Emily’s chart. “What were you doing when this happened?”
Emily swallowed. “I was working in the kitchen, talking with Dan.”
Dr. Markham focused on the sudden tension in Emily’s demeanor. “About what?” she asked.
Emily knew if her physician was to help her, she had to be completely honest. “Whether I should take on a business partnership with an old friend and move to Fredericksburg next month.”
Dr. Markham and Emily had already discussed at length her situation and the decisions facing her. “Well, you know my feeling about that,” the obstetrician said.
Emily nodded and repeated the gist of the aforementioned medical opinion. “Pregnancy and birth are momentous enough without adding the stress of a move or a job change. My being single makes that doubly so. I shouldn’t do anything that isn’t absolutely necessary until after the baby is born and I’ve adjusted to being a mom.”
Until she’d become involved with Dan, Emily had felt buying the orchard was absolutely crucial to her happiness. Now she wasn’t so sure. She still wanted to go home. But going back to the place where she’d grown up meant being without Dan and his family, and the challenge and comfort they brought to her life.
“Of course, it’s not always possible to avoid such changes. But anytime a person can avoid making life harder than it needs to be…” Dr. Markham said with the practicality that had prompted Emily to choose her in the first place.
“They should.” Emily smiled, taking the medical advice with the kindness and care with which it was given.
“But that said, if you decide you want to go ahead and move now, my staff and I will do everything we can to make sure the transition is a smooth one. Meantime—” Dr. Markham looked over Emily’s chart “—you’re due for an ultrasound soon, aren’t you?”
Incredibly excited about that, Emily grinned. “I’ve got one scheduled for next week.”
The doctor made a note. “Why don’t we go ahead and do it now, since you’re here.”
It sounded good to Emily. And Dan would be here to see it, too. This pleased her more than she cared to admit.
Dr. Markham switched on the machine and smeared Emily’s tummy with gel. As she moved the transducer over Emily’s midriff, a black-and-white image of a baby appeared on the screen. The head and body were clearly visible. Dr. Markham showed them the baby’s strongly pumping heart…the arms and legs…one tiny kicking foot, then another.
“Do you want to know the sex of the baby?” Dr. Markham said.
Too overcome with emotion to speak, Emily nodded.
“Congratulations, Mom. You’re having a little girl.”
The tears Emily had been holding back spilled over her cheeks and ran down her face. She was touched to see that Dan was just as choked up. Once again, it seemed they were sharing the joy of this pregnancy and the baby to come.
Dr. Markham took some measurements, noted them on the chart. “Everything looks great.” She printed out a photo for Emily to take with her and handed it to her.
Emily stared at the filmy image of her baby, cozily curled up in her womb. She could
see the side of her little girl’s face and her tiny little body. She had a fist pressed nearly to her mouth, as if she was trying to figure out how to suck her thumb.
Dan stood next to Emily, studying the image, appearing equally transfixed. Instinctively he leaned closer, wrapping a protective arm about Emily’s shoulders, drawing her even closer to his side.
Emily was suffused with warmth, inside and out. Overcome with feelings of love. This was her baby! Living, breathing, kicking inside her, evidence of the wonder of life.
Of hope.
Of love.
Of the beauty of the future.
Dr. Markham murmured something about discharge instructions, then ducked out of the exam room.
Emily and Dan exchanged emotional glances. Dan stroked her hair and looked into her eyes. Emily began to cry again. And this time, Dan didn’t hesitate. He took her in his arms and held her close. “Congratulations, Mom,” he said, sounding every bit as overcome with bliss as she was.
More than anything, Emily wished she could say, “Congratulations, Dad,” to Dan. Her baby needed a daddy. Her baby needed Dan in her life, as much as Emily did. The question was, could that happen?
And how could it happen…if Emily were living a good four hours’ drive away?
As if sensing something was wrong, Dan drew back. He cupped her face in his hand and tenderly wiped away her tears. His thumb stroking her cheek, he studied her expression. And in that second, as she felt the love and understanding simmering between them, Emily felt as if they were on the verge of an even bigger change. One that would transform both their lives.
But whatever Dan was about to say was cut off by the nurse who walked into the room and announced cheerfully, “Good news! Your posse has arrived!”
A Baby for Mommy Page 14