With a spring in her step, Eleanor Forrester pranced into the baby’s room. “Good morning, Reed. How’s our little lamb today?”
He tried to hide his disappointment that it wasn’t Ann, but her mother who’d showed up. He caught the fastening on the diaper and pulled it tight. “I didn’t expect to see you this morning,” he said to Eleanor.
“I heard in town Ann would be going back to work today. I assumed you’d want me—”
“She’s not here.”
“Ann’s not? You mean, she’s already left for—”
“She moved out Friday night. I assume she’s at her own place.” A house she’d mortgaged to the hilt to pay off a loan for Reed so he could keep his ranch. Well, he’d have to make sure that arrangement had been reversed. He didn’t want to owe Ann anything. That hadn’t been part of the deal. And for Bets’s sake, he wanted the title to the land free and clear. It was the one legacy he could give her.
“Ann didn’t call me. Usually, if there’s a problem…” Frowning, Eleanor shook her head, evidently surprised by the news. “You two had a fight?”
“Something like that.” He lifted Bets to his shoulder, finding her much more sweet—smelling now than she had been minutes ago. “You don’t have to stay.”
She reached out to touch Bets’s cheek. “Seems to me I agreed to baby-sit this little lamb, not get embroiled in my daughter’s marital problems. I’m sure you two will work things out.”
“I’m not quite that confident.” Especially since he’d practically shoved her out the door. Better that than let her walk out on her own. A man had to protect his macho image, right? And his fool ego.
“Hmm.” She took Bets from him and kissed her on the cheek. “My daughter can be a stubborn one, can’t she? Takes after her father, I suppose.” She flushed, realizing as an adopted child, genetics was not part of the equation. “Well, learned it from him, at any rate. You know, we’ve offered Jodie Sutherland the use of the guest cottage on the back of our property. She and her son need somewhere safer to stay.”
“You’ve seen her?”
“Richard and I drove over to San Luis Obispo on Saturday to meet her. We both feel so guilty. If we’d known they were twins…” Holding the baby to her shoulder, she stroked Bets’s back. “Well, water under the bridge, as they say. Richard’s going to try to locate a better job for her, too. She’s barely making minimum wage. Such a pity. Of course, she seemed a bit hesitant about accepting Richard’s help. Pride, I suppose.”
“That’s real nice of you, Eleanor. And Richard, too.” Though Reed didn’t have particularly fond feelings for a man who had tried to foreclose on his ranch without giving him a chance to succeed. “Look, under the circumstances, Ann being gone and all, you don’t have to stay with Bets. But if you could for a little while, I’ve got some business in town.”
“Oh, you go ahead, young man. Bets and I will be just fine, won’t we, sweetie?”
Reed counted himself lucky Eleanor hadn’t walked out on him the moment she learned Ann had left. Eventually he’d have to find somebody else. She wouldn’t stick around if Ann wasn’t involved. But for now, Eleanor was a godsend. He couldn’t shove her away—like he had Ann, he thought grimly. Doing business with a baby in tow was damn difficult.
He’d shoved a lot of people out of his life over the years. He’d even tried to with Betsy and Tommy. He was used to being alone. Life was easier without attachments.
Reed left Bets with Eleanor, did his morning chores around the ranch, and was at the bank in town when the doors opened. He went directly to David Emery.
“I want to check on my line of credit.” Reed took a chair opposite the spit—and—polish bank manager and placed his hat on the chair next to him. In contrast to Emery’s suit and carefully knotted tie, Reed was wearing his work jeans and an old blue shirt.
“Of course. Reed Drummond, isn’t it?”
“You got it.”
Emery gave him a faint smile. “Your father—inlaw apparently overstepped his bounds. You’ve been issued a new line of credit.”
“New? What happened to the old one?”
“Ann…that is, your wife paid off the balance owed.”
Reed bristled at Emery’s too—familiar reference to Ann. “I want the loan unpaid off.”
“Oh?” His brows arched slightly. “I’m not sure—”
“Ann and I are splitting, okay? Our prenuptial says she doesn’t have any financial interest in my ranch, and I want it to stay that way.”
“Really? Ann seems like such a charming woman, I’m surprised your marriage was so brief.” Emery’s cool gleam of masculine interest grated on Reed. If they’d been in a bar and he’d looked at Ann that way, Reed would have smashed the guy in the face.
“It happens.” It probably wouldn’t have happened to a guy like Emery, though. He was as smooth as Teflon. Some women went for men like that, particularly classy women like Ann. Now that Reed was out of the picture, Emery would have a clear field if he wanted to hit on Ann. Reed wouldn’t be able to stop him. And damn it, he shouldn’t care. But he did. His fingers ached from clenching them into fists.
“Yes, I suppose that’s unfortunate, but true. I’ll have to review our procedures to determine the most expeditious way of reversing the previous arrangement. It may take me a day or two to get everything in order.”
“Just see that’s it done.” Picking up his hat, Reed stood.
Emery followed suit. “I may have to contact Ann…your wife, to determine how she would like us proceed.”
“Yeah, I’ll just bet you’ll have to.” Reed figured Emery would have a helluva lot more on his mind than a bank loan.
ANN’S STOMACH ROILED. The science class down the hall was doing something awful and the rotten—egg smell had drifted into her classroom. Normally that sort of thing didn’t bother her much. It did now.
Odd smells had bothered her the last time she’d been pregnant too. Early morning queasiness had plagued her almost from the day she’d conceiveduntil she’d lost the baby.
Instinctively, her hand slid across her belly. Dear heaven, she didn’t want to lose Reed’s child.
“Miz Drummond, the substitute didn’t explain all
this X-Y axis stuff. I don’t get it”
Ann would have to tell Reed about the baby, but not just yet. Though he might deny he was the most responsible man in the world—a rolling stone, he’d say, who thought marriage stank—he’d want to do the “right” thing by her and their baby. Ann didn’t want a marriage based on obligation.
She wanted one based on love.
“Miz Drummond, how can you get minus zero to add up to anything? This is dumb.”
She blinked and looked around the classroom. The students were looking at her as if she’d grown a second head. Or she was green around the gills. Which was undoubtedly true. That smell…
“Stay in your seats. I’ll be right—” Her hand covering her mouth, she made a dash for the door and the teachers’ lounge. JASON DRAGGED a bundle of shingles to the spot where Reed was squatting on the roof, hammer in hand. The afternoon sun beat down on him. Under his hatband, he could feel the sweat rising. His palms were damp with it, his shirt sticking to his back.
“So how come she moved out?” Jason asked.
“None of your business, kid.”
“You messed up, didn’t you?”
“I told you—” The hammer struck Reed’s thumb, and he swore. “Just do your work and quit asking so damn many questions.”
“Maybe it’s just her hormones are screwed up.”
Reed cut him a look. “Why would you say a dumb thing like that?”
“‘Cause she’s upchucking all over the place, that’s why.”
The hammer froze in midair. “She’s sick?”
“Naw. She’s pregnant, man. Don’t you know nuthin’?”
Reed lost his balance and his feet slid out from under him. He nearly went flying over the edge of the barn roof. Only by digg
ing his fingers and the toes of his boots into the shingles did he manage to save himself. “How’d you know she’s throwing up?” he asked, after he caught his breath. With his teeth, he yanked at a splinter that had stuck in his finger.
“Man, she went running out the classroom this morning looking like she’d eaten a bunch of bad fish. Everybody saw her.”
Reed’s brain wouldn’t accept the possibility that the kid knew what he was talking about. He and Ann hadn’t been married all that long. And he’d been careful, damn it. Most of the time. “Maybe she had eaten something or she’s got stomach flu. Teachers get exposed to all kinds of—”
“I’m telling you, man. She was back the next period lookin’ fine.” Jason jutted out his chin. “That don’t happen if it’s the stupid flu. I’ve had two foster moms who puked every morning the whole time they were pregnant.”
Damn! Could it be true? “Come on. Get yourself off this roof.” He lifted the kid by the back of his shirt, hauling him to his feet.
“Hey, man, I didn’t do nuthin’ wrong. You can’t send me home now without paying me my whole shift. It’s union rules.”
“You’re not in any damn union. And I’m not leaving you up here on the roof by yourself where you can fall off and break your fool neck after I’m gone. I’ve got business in town.” He half shoved him toward the ladder.
“But you’ll pay me anyways?”
“I’ll pay you. Now, get down the ladder before I throw you off the roof myself.”
Ann would be at home now, he thought, taking only enough time to tell Eleanor he’d be gone for a while. If Ann was pregnant, her mother sure didn’t know—or hadn’t let on. Sure as hell, Ann would want to stay married if she was having a baby. It only made sense. After all the mess of mistaken identity, her spotless reputation had been restored. She wouldn’t want to risk losing that again. And Reed would have her back—at least for a while.
But first he had to find out if what Jason had said was true.
SHE’D WAITED all weekend for him to come to her, to come to his senses. Maybe she’d left too hastily last Friday, but she’d been too hurt and humiliated by his words to stay a moment longer.
And now he was here standing in her doorway looking worn and weary and wonderfully masculine in his sweat—dampened shirt and worn jeans. Ann wanted to leap into his arms; she wanted to cry in relief. She wanted to punch him for making her so miserable for three whole days.
“Hi,” she said, opening the door more widely for him.
He didn’t budge. “There’s only one thing I want to know, and I want the truth.”
She frowned.
“Are you pregnant?”
All the blood drained from her face. “How did you know?”
“Are you sure? We were careful—”
“Except the night after I got out of jail, if you’ll recall.”
He seemed to acknowledge that one critical exception when he’d finally lost the tight hold on his control.
“Were you planning to tell me anytime soon?” he asked bitterly.
“I only just realized this weekend. It’s really too early—”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll take your word for it. Get what you need. You’re coming back home with me.”
Ann dug in her mental heels. One of the youngsters at school had probably suspected what was wrong when she’d run out of the room that morning. Jason, she thought with grim certainty, knowing the youngster was more worldly—wise than most his age. He’d no doubt been the one to break the news to Reed.
“I asked you the other night to come up with a good reason for me to stay. You couldn’t come up with one then. Why is now any different?”
“Damn it, because you’re pregnant with my kid. What better reason could there be for us to stick it out together? At least until after the baby is born.”
Time tables. Everything with this man had a time limit—ta temporary arrangement—as though he couldn’t bring himself to believe in forever.
She turned and walked into the living room, leaving the door open behind her. She didn’t want him to see the hurt that must be apparent in her eyes. “Lots of women have babies outside the bonds of matrimony. You’ll have to come up with a much better reason than that if you want me to come home with you.”
“Be reasonable, sugar. You lost one baby. You don’t want to lose another one. Let me take care of you.”
She placed her hand on the mantel right near the spot where the Dream Man miniature used to rest, an artifact she’d left at Reed’s ranch. Her real—life cowboy had broken her heart, and now he was reminding her of one of the worst moments of her life. “You play dirty, Drummond.”
“I only want you back home with me.”
“Why?”
“I told you. You’re going to have my baby. Isn’t that good enough?”
“No.”
“Come on, sugar Annie. This isn’t right.”
“I want you to leave. Now.”
He tried to object further but she didn’t respond. Finally the silence dragged out. She heard the click of the door as he closed it behind him, then his footsteps on her walkway. Moments later she heard the truck engine start. He was gone.
She would not stay in a marriage without love, would not raise her child in a household without love. Reed, more than most men, ought to understand that. His loveless childhood had scarred him. She would not allow that to happen to their child.
IT TOOK REED two days to finish the roofing job. He worked on it from dawn to dusk while Eleanor babysat Bets. He wanted to be exhausted so he could sleep. All his efforts didn’t do him much good. He spent most of the night staring up at the ceiling, every muscle in his body aching, missing Ann so much he thought he would go crazy.
The next afternoon Reed spotted Ann’s car in the grocery store parking lot. He’d driven by the school first. When he hadn’t seen her car there and she hadn’t been at home, he went cruising through town.
He parked, slid out of the truck and went around to the passenger side to get Bets. If he couldn’t get Ann to come home because she was going to have their baby, maybe Bets could lure her back. Desperate, Reed was ready to try anything.
He put the baby into one of the store’s carts with a built—in infant seat and shoved it up and down the aisles until he spotted Ann in the meat department. To make his ploy look good, he randomly grabbed a few cans from the shelves and tossed them in the cart.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
Her head snapped up and her radiant smile nearly curled his toes before her welcome evaporated in recognition. She gazed at him warily. “I’m fine, thank you.”
“You eating okay?” His gaze slid to her stomach, which was as flat as it had ever been. He remembered the soft feel of her skin, her fading tan line where she’d worn a two—piece suit last summer, and the paler shade of milky white that had been hidden from the sun.
“Breakfasts don’t sit too well, but other than that I’m doing fine.”
“That’s good.” He stroked Bets’s head and watched as Ann followed his gesture, her expression softening. “Bets has been a little cranky lately.”
“Is something wrong with her?” Instinctively, she caressed Bets’s cheek, her fingers brushing Reed’s in the process. Bets gurgled happily and tried for a lopsided smile. Reed wanted to grab hold of Ann’s hand and never let go. “Have you talked to the doctor?” she asked.
“I don’t think it’s anything serious. Mostly I think she misses you.”
“I miss her, too.” Ann’s whisper was barely audible and her green eyes glistened as she looked up at Reed. “Very much.”
“Then come home, sugar.”
“Because of Bets?”
“I’d say she was a pretty damn good reason. Wouldn’t you?”
She gave him a sad shake of her head that nearly broke his heart. “Not good enough, Reed.”
His throat practically closed shut. “If not Bets, then what will bring you back?”
REED DIDN’T have a clue. With grim awareness, he admitted that the next afternoon as he and Jason were changing the straw in Fiero’s stall.
Sure, he might be a little dense but what Ann was doing didn’t make any sense. Not that he had a prayer of ever understanding a woman. She’d married him in exchange for his mentoring a snot—nosed kid who didn’t have an ounce of quit in him no matter what kind of miserable job Reed tossed in his direction. Then she’d gone and paid off his loan, which he couldn’t seem to get unpaid. When he’d gotten angry about that she’d blurted out that she loved him. He hadn’t believed her. He wasn’t that loveable a guy.
But Ann did love Betina. He’d seen that in her eyes. Somehow Bets wasn’t enough to make Ann come home.
Sure as hell, Ann must love the baby that was growing in her belly, too. She was that kind of woman.
His kid.
The thought of raising Bets had been daunting enough. Now he was going to have a kid of his own.
Masculine pride warred with the empty spot in his chest. He hadn’t meant to get her pregnant. Now that she was, it was easy to picture her body thickening, her breasts growing heavy with milk.
“Are you just gonna stand there all day lookin’ goofy or are we gonna get some work done?”
Reed snared Jason with a look that was meant to make his knees rattle. It didn’t faze the kid. “You need to develop a little more respect for your elders.”
“Yeah, sure. But I don’t get paid if I don’t work.” He snatched the pitchfork away from Reed. “Besides, seems to me you ain’t so smart if you can’t get your old lady to come back.”
“I tried.”
“What’d you do? Yell at her like you do me?”
“No. Not that it’s any of your business.” So what if he had raised his voice just a little. Ann wasn’t any more afraid of him than Jason was. She never backed down. I love you, she’d said.
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