The Night before Baby

by Smith, Karen Rose

  Against his better judgment, he stepped close to her. “If we’re considering marriage, and I was under the impression that was why we were living together, you can’t wear your heart on your sleeve around Stanley Whitcomb!”

  “I don’t.”

  “Oh, yes, you do. I see the looks you give him. I saw you dancing with him, how intimate the conversation was. You two were so intense, a firebomb couldn’t have separated you. What’s it going to take to make you forget about him?”

  When she seemed to be at a loss for words, he decided he knew the answer. With a possessive demand that had plagued him all weekend, he crushed her to him and kissed her as if the world was going to end in the immediate future.

  Kissing Olivia had been a trip to the stars from the first touch of lips on lips. But tonight the explosion shook him in an elemental way that almost frightened him. Why? Because he was fighting to create the family he’d never had? Because she was so sweet and lovely and full of passion? Because she was carrying his child? Because the stakes this time went beyond high risk, beyond satisfying a physical need, beyond the next morning?

  He slid his hands under her suit jacket, stroking up her sides to her breasts. As his tongue thrust into her mouth, he heard her soft moan and felt her melt into his hands. He wanted her naked, under him, in his bed, with a wedding ring on her finger.

  But as he let the vision and desires sweep away the frustration of keeping his distance, she tore her mouth from his and pushed back.

  Her color was high, her eyes sparkling, her lips rosy with that just-kissed look. “Stanley has been my mentor and my friend, and I’m not going to feel guilty about that. I’m not sure what you want from me, Lucas. You can’t just take over my life. Why should you be jealous of my feelings for Stanley when you fly off on weekends to see some woman?”

  Absorbed by the fact that she’d admitted having feelings for her boss, it took him a moment to grasp the rest of what she’d said. She thought he was involved with someone. “Where did you get that idea?”

  “Everyone at Barrington knows—”

  “No one at Barrington knows what I do on weekends. It has nothing to do with a woman.”

  “A woman called here asking for you.” The questions in Olivia’s eyes demanded answers.

  Raking his hand through his hair, he realized he had to let Olivia into the life that he kept private for a multitude of reasons. Even so, he hesitated to get into his background, to spring the enormity of his commitment to the ranch on her.

  “Lucas, I can’t imagine more than being roommates if you won’t let me get to know you.”

  It was an ultimatum of sorts, yet it carried an honesty he couldn’t deny. “The woman who called was Mim Carson. She and her husband, Wyatt, were my foster parents. They have a ranch outside of Flagstaff, and that’s where I go most weekends to help out with the boys who are staying there now.”

  Olivia’s eyes grew wider and greener, then became lit by the smile that curved up her lips. “That’s wonderful, Lucas. Why didn’t you just tell me about it before? Why don’t you want anyone to know?”

  “I don’t intentionally keep it a secret. No one ever asked me outright. It’s just much simpler to say I’m visiting friends.”

  She sank down on the sofa. “That doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me.”

  When he sat beside her, he thought about Celeste. “The ranch means a lot to me. Without Mim and Wyatt, I don’t know where I would have ended cup. I didn’t have a father. My mother got pregnant when she was young, and he wanted nothing to do with us. She was killed in an automobile accident when I was five and I had no living relatives. Mim and Wyatt took me in.”

  Olivia laid her hand on his arm. “I’m so sorry.”

  He shrugged. “I had a good life.”

  “That doesn’t make up for your loss.”

  Her empathy was important but he wasn’t sure she understood. “I feel I need to give something back, to thank Mim and Wyatt for giving me a chance at a successful life. They didn’t laugh when I told them I wanted to be a lawyer. Instead, they encouraged me and discovered a foundation where I applied for a grant. I graduated debt-free, Olivia. I’ve been so fortunate, and I want to teach the boys who are there now that they can reach their dreams, too.”

  Her fingers squeezed his arm. “Why didn’t you want to tell me?”

  “Because I’m committed to them. I didn’t know how you’d feel about that.”

  After studying him for a few moments, she asked, “When are you going to the ranch again?”

  “That depends. Would you like to come along?”

  “Very much,” she said softly.

  If he played his cards right, he could prove to her she didn’t need Whitcomb in her life...even as a mentor. “I’ll stay home this weekend, and we’ll make sure you’re prepared for the bar exam. Next weekend we can both go to the ranch. What do you think?”

  “Are you sure you want to help me? You could be in the mountains doing whatever you do—”

  “Let me be your coach. It will be good practice for when you’re in labor.”

  She laughed. “I’m not sure we should compare the two. But if you’re sure...”

  “I’m sure.”

  Keeping her gaze on his, she said, “Lucas, Stanley is...a friend. He helped me with studying tonight. That’s all.”

  Lucas wished he could believe that but wondered if she was denying her feelings for her boss because of the pregnancy.

  Only time would tell.

  Just as next weekend would tell whether or not Olivia could accept his commitment to the ranch.

  Deep coral and shades of pink streaked the sky as dusk enveloped the McDowell Mountains on Sunday evening. Out on Lucas’s terrace, Olivia answered a question he had posed to her on constitutional law. As she finished, he snapped shut the study guide.

  “That’s it, lady. You’re ready. No more studying.”

  The past week, they had settled into a routine. Most nights they’d gotten home from work at the same time and cooked supper together. They’d even eaten in the dining room—Lucas had admitted that was the first he’d used it—and they’d discussed mainly their work, but other aspects of their lives, too. She’d revealed that her parents were divorced. He’d given her background on the boys at the ranch in Flagstaff. Although he was more open to her questions now, she still felt his guardedness when he talked about the ranch. When he’d settled with work, TV or the newspaper, she’d studied in her room.

  Since their explosive kiss on Monday, he hadn’t touched her. Because when they kissed, she’d pushed away? Because he thought she loved Stanley? Because if they kissed again, they wouldn’t stop with a kiss?

  Now watching the breeze ruffle Lucas’s hair, she said, “Thank you. You’ve been a terrific help.”

  Leaning forward, he asked, “Do you feel confident?”

  “Mainly I feel scared. I can’t tell if the butterflies in my stomach are because of the baby or the exam!”

  He laughed. “Probably both.”

  When the telephone rang, Lucas said, “I’ll get it.”

  But Olivia followed him inside. The temperature was dropping and her sweater wasn’t enough protection.

  Lucas answered the phone, then frowned and handed it to her. “It’s Whitcomb.”

  Thankful for call-forwarding, she took the phone and noticed Lucas didn’t move into the other room, but casually lounged at the counter watching her.

  “Hi, Stanley,”

  “Was that Lucas?” her boss asked.

  “Yes, it was.”

  “I see. I was calling, thinking I’d bring over some fried chicken in case you’d buried yourself in preparation for the bar and forgotten to eat.”

  “That’s so thoughtful of you. But I already ate.”

  “You did study?”

  She knew what he was thinking since Lucas had answered. “Most of the weekend. I won’t let you or Barrington down.”

  “I have every confidence
in you, Olivia. Do you need time off tomorrow?”

  “No. It’s better if I stay busy. I’ll work my usual hours then check in at the motel tomorrow evening.”

  “Olivia, remember what I told you about Lucas.”

  “I will. Thanks for thinking about me.”

  When she hung up, Lucas hadn’t moved. “He wanted to take you to dinner?”

  “He was going to bring something by if I hadn’t taken time to eat.”

  “He knows you pretty well.”

  “I’ve been working with him a while. Part-time when I was in school, full-time since.”

  “You didn’t tell him you’re living with me or even that I helped you study.”

  It seemed like an accusation rather than a comment. “Why should I? It’s my business, not his.”

  “What else is going on?”

  “Nothing is going on.” She couldn’t tell him Stanley disapproved of her seeing him, that he had only voiced her own doubts aloud. No, Lucas wasn’t seeing another woman. But she still didn’t know if he wanted the same permanency she did.

  As Lucas straightened, the nerve in his jaw worked. “You’re hiding your head in the sand, Olivia. You have decisions to make. Don’t delude yourself into thinking your life is the same as it was before Christmas Eve.”

  “Nobody knows better than I do what happened Christmas Eve. But I don’t make a decision until I’m sure I’m making the right decision. And I don’t appreciate being grilled every time Stanley’s name comes up.”

  “Fine,” Lucas snapped. “No more grilling. Just remember that’s my baby you’re carrying.”

  After Lucas strode away from her, she wanted to call him back. But she didn’t. Maybe after she took the bar, the road would seem straighter, maybe she could relax, maybe she could understand her feelings for Lucas that had seemed to spring up in the blink of an eye.

  Or in a moment of making love.

  Frustrated desire was no reason to lose patience with Olivia, Lucas reminded himself for the umpteenth time as he carried the basket to the second floor of the modest motel where she was staying. Sometimes he wanted to shake or kiss the caution right out of her.

  Definitely kiss.

  After Stanley’s call, they’d gone their separate ways. He still remembered the scent of her bubble bath lingering in the bathroom before he’d turned in. Tempted to knock on her door, he’d decided against it. This morning they’d awkwardly skittered around each other. He’d left first, and he was sure she’d breathed a sigh of relief. Not a good way to prove they were compatible... that she should forget about Whitcomb.

  Lucas had never been the jealous type, but where Olivia was concerned...

  The explanation was simple. She was the mother of his child.

  Rapping on her motel room door, he didn’t like the idea that a bribe had convinced the desk clerk to give him her room number. Though he’d wanted to reserve her a room at a four-star hotel and pay for it himself, he’d known Olivia would never accept it.

  It took her a minute to open the door, and he guessed she had looked through the peephole first. He hoped she had.

  “Lucas! What are you doing here?”

  He couldn’t tell if she was pleased to see him or not. But she was definitely pale, and he suspected the stress of waiting and anticipating was getting to her. That’s why he’d come.

  “I brought you something,” he said with a smile, lifting the basket. “Can I come in?”

  “Sure,” she replied, opening the door wide and letting him inside.

  He set the basket on the bed and motioned to it. “Open it.”

  Still looking perplexed, Olivia untied the pink ribbon holding the paper in a bunch at the top. As she brushed the wrap aside, she stared at the contents.

  Lucas explained. “It’s a bar exam survival kit. Crackers for the butterflies in your stomach, bubble bath to help you relax, writing paper in case there’s someone you want to write to, those square things are supposed to make your drawers smell good and last but not least—a book I thought you’d enjoy.”

  When Olivia picked up the book with a child on the cover, entitled Your Child’s First Year, her chin quivered and tears spilled down her cheeks.

  Clasping her shoulders, he turned her toward him. “What’s wrong? I thought this might help—”

  “Oh, Lucas, it’s so sweet. I can’t believe you did this.”

  Sliding his hand under her hair, he tipped her chin up. “Then why the tears?”

  “I don’t know! I just...” Her breath caught in a sob.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her tight. “Let it out, Olivia. It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  While she cried, he held her close and stroked her hair. He’d bought two books last week on women and pregnancy, and he’d bet her mood had as much to do with the chemical changes in her body as with stress. As he’d read, he’d been amazed at the changes a woman’s body goes through as she prepares to give birth. To his surprise he’d also read that a pregnant woman shouldn’t fly in an airplane cabin that wasn’t pressurized. Since his wasn’t, oxygen deprivation could be a problem for her and the baby. They’d have to drive to Flagstaff over the weekend. He’d been disappointed he couldn’t take her flying until after the baby was born. But her safety and his child’s was more important than a thrill she could experience in the future.

  After a few minutes, she pushed away, looking totally embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. It must be hormones.”

  He tenderly wiped a few tears from her cheek with his thumb. “Taking the bar exam is stressful when nothing else is going on in your life, let alone when your plate is full. There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  Going to the nightstand, she plucked a tissue from the box and blew her nose. Then her gaze shyly met his. “I probably look a sight.”

  Her nose was red and so were her cheeks. But her green eyes sparkled and she looked more relaxed. “You’re beautiful as always. And just perfect for dinner in a quiet restaurant and a walk that will help you sleep.”

  “I am a little hungry. I was trying to decide what to do about dinner before you knocked.”

  “Now we can do it together.”

  Lucas waited while Olivia washed her face and brushed her hair. As he helped her with her sweater coat, he struggled against his desire to kiss her. They ate at the small restaurant attached to the motel, their gazes connecting often, their knees grazing each other now and then. Her jeans against his created a friction that made him take a drink of cold water more than once. He told her what he’d read about flying during pregnancy, explaining the difference between riding in a small plane that didn’t have a pressurized cabin and a commercial jet that did. They agreed not to take any chances and to drive to Flagstaff.

  After supper they walked, picking out constellations, glancing at each other under the streetlights, listening to the palm fronds shift in the breeze. When they returned to the motel, they climbed the steps to her room.

  After she unlocked her door, she asked, “Do you want to come in?”

  He wanted to take her in his arms and put one of those double beds in her room to good use. But this wasn’t the night to recreate the passion they’d shared on Christmas Eve. “I’d better let you get to bed. You’ll probably have your alarm set for dawn to make sure you’re there in plenty of time.”

  “And a wake-up call soon after,” she admitted with a wide smile. Then she did something he absolutely did not expect. Linking her arms around his neck, she kissed him on the cheek with a gentle passion that made his heart race.

  But before he could react, she settled back on her sneakers and smiled. “Thank you for tonight, Lucas. You are a very nice man.”

  To keep in the mood, he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t tell anyone. You’ll blow my cover.” Kissing her full on the lips quickly, he backed away. “Good luck tomorrow.”

  With another smile and a nod, she went inside. Right
before she crossed the threshold, he called, “Don’t forget the chain lock.”

  Making a face at him, she closed the door.

  A moment later he heard the rattle of the chain.

  He smiled and then felt it slip away as he realized he didn’t like the idea of going back to his town house knowing Olivia wouldn’t be there.

  What in the world was happening to him?

  In less than nine months he’d be a father. That was enough to rattle anyone.

  Chapter Six

  From the passenger’s seat in Lucas’s Jeep, Olivia watched the desert colors slip by as they drove from Phoenix to Flagstaff. She’d brought soda and crackers for the two-hour drive and offered both to Lucas. With a smile, he’d taken the soda.

  He’d met her at the motel again on Tuesday after the first day of testing. As they’d eaten and walked, they’d discussed the questions and her answers. He’d kissed her at the door and left her tingling with desire that had invaded her dreams. And on Wednesday when she’d returned home from the second day of exams, he’d bought her a bouquet of pink sweetheart roses and made dinner!

  He was courting her and she loved it. But was he doing it because of the baby or because he had genuine feelings for her?

  After taking a few swallows of soda, he set the can in the holder. “If you want to stop and stretch anytime, just say so.”

  “I’m fine. But I’ll let you know if I need to move around.”

  They’d driven to Barrington together this morning and left together. But no one had seemed to notice. As the road curved before them, Olivia decided she should tell Lucas about the most exciting part of her day—up until the moment she’d left with him.

  “Mr. Barrington called me this afternoon.”

  Lucas glanced at her. “Rex? What did he want?”

  “He must keep close tabs on all his employees. He said that he’d heard I’d taken the bar exam and he wanted to remind me that after I receive notification that I’ve passed, there would be a position for me at Barrington. Stanley had handed in my evaluations and Mr. Barrington assured me they were both pleased with my work. Isn’t that terrific?”