by Lauren Canan
“How are you feeling?”
His question surprised her. “Good. Well. Thank you. Still having the morning sickness but I should be through it soon. It usually goes away by the second trimester.”
That brought the newspaper down as he looked at her carefully. “I hadn’t realized you’d been sick. I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
“Nope. It’s just part of being pregnant.”
He rose from his chair and walked to her. Catching her chin with his fingers, he raised her face to his. In what seemed like slow motion, he lowered his lips to hers. “I want to be with you through this, Sophie. I want to be there for you to ensure anything you need is at your disposal. I want you to marry me, Sophie. I realize this isn’t the way things should’ve gone down. This is neither the place nor the time to ask for your hand in marriage but I want to take care of you and I want to take care of our son or daughter.”
“You don’t have to be married to take care of your son or your daughter. As I said before, I don’t really want anything from you. Don’t feel you are required to give up your freedom simply because I got pregnant.”
Inside, Sophie’s heart was beating hard against her chest. She couldn’t deny to herself how badly she wanted to tell him yes. She wished this would turn out differently. Yes, she wanted to marry Clay. She wanted to be his wife in every sense of the word. She wanted them to be a family and live on the ranch. But she’d realized long ago people didn’t always get what they wanted. She knew he loved her in his own way but that wasn’t enough. Being her best friend did not make him husband material.
“Make those calls,” she said as she left his office for her own. “They’re important.”
Sophie glanced at her watch. It was almost ten o’clock. She needed to drive down to the local bank and Clay’s attorney’s to pick up the documents he needed to sign pertaining to Everest’s corporate restructuring. She pressed the intercom. “I’ve got to run to the bank. Anything you need me to get while I’m in town?”
“No, thanks.”
The drive from the ranch into downtown Royal took about twenty minutes. First National Bank of Royal was located on Main Street. Clay’s attorney had an office on the second floor. After stopping into the bank, Sophie headed upstairs. Mary Sue, the legal secretary, was waiting for her when she stepped off the elevator.
“Did you come to pick up those papers on the Everest reorganization?”
“Yep.”
“I have them ready for you right over here.”
Sophie followed Mary Sue to a side table with a large stack of paperwork. She placed them in manila envelopes and handed them to Sophie.
“Have you heard Joe Croswell’s business was targeted by what sounds like the same idiot who tried to bring Everest down?”
“No, I didn’t know. That person has got to be caught and stopped.”
“I don’t think you’ll find anyone in this town who would disagree with you there.”
“Well, thanks for the paperwork. I’ll get it to Clay right away.”
After a few more parting words, Sophie made her way out of the bank to her car and headed back to the ranch. As she drove, she contemplated Maverick. She couldn’t understand anyone who had so much hatred that they’d try to bring down every business in Royal. But she wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. Clay had overcome the crisis directed at his company; plus, she would be leaving next week.
She’d made quite a few friends here over the past five years and while she didn’t want to tell people she was leaving for fear of being asked why, she would miss them nonetheless. She hoped their friendship could continue on a long-distance basis.
Once she parked her car in her assigned space, she grabbed the envelope in her purse and hurried inside. Clay’s door was closed, which was unusual unless something was very wrong, but she certainly would respect his privacy. Before she could speculate further, her own phone began to ring. Grabbing the cell phone from her purse, she saw that it was a text from Clay telling her to please return to his office as soon as possible.
Was it possible that Clay had made a decision? Had he finally decided he wanted to be the baby’s father and a true husband to her? Could he have meant it when he’d ask her to marry him? They way he’d said he wanted to take care of her and their baby made it sound like the marriage offer was responsibility talking. Not love. Not a desire to be with her. Had she been wrong? Hope filled her heart as she walked to the closed door. Maybe he would even forgive her when he found out about her past. It hit her with the velocity of a freight train that there was nothing she wanted more. With those thoughts in mind, she knocked twice on Clay’s office door, then she opened it as she had done for years and stepped inside. Only this time Clay wasn’t by himself. Behind his desk—on his lap—was a beautiful blonde woman, her long hair touching her waist as she laughed at something that had just been said. After the initial shock, Sophie couldn’t help but notice the woman sat straddling Clay’s lap, her short skirt riding up almost to her panty line. Clay’s hands were around her waist and his face was covered in lipstick. Sophie could feel the blood drain from her face as she mumbled an apology and backed out of the room.
She knew the woman. She was one of Clay’s mistresses before he had his accident, before he’d become engaged. Carla. Her name was Carla something.
Tears stung Sophie’s eyes as she stumbled over the legs of her chair. Apparently, he couldn’t even wait until she’d left to carry on with his numerous affairs. It smacked of arrogance and the disdain he apparently had for her and their unborn child. After she’d grabbed her purse from under the desk, she ran for the outside door. But when she got inside her car, the engine wouldn’t start. Numbed, she looked around hoping a solution would fall into her lap. It did. Jesse May Holbrook came through the gate that connected the estate grounds with the barn and surrounding paddock areas. She didn’t know Jesse very well. Clay had just hired her as a trainer and ranch hand at the Flying E. Sophie couldn’t see for the tears running down her face, but she got out of the car and ran toward Jesse with sheer desperation urging her on.
“Sophie? What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Your truck. May I please borrow your truck?”
“Sure.” Frowning, Jesse pushed her hand down deep inside her jeans pocket and pulled out a key fob with several keys. Selecting one, she handed it to Sophie and pointed. “It’s the green Dodge over there. Is there anything I can do?”
“No. This is good enough. I’ll arrange to have it back to you as fast as I possibly can.” With that she ran for the green pickup. What a total and complete fool she had been.
As she pulled out of the parking lot, she saw Clay running around the corner of the building toward her and she floored it, almost spinning out of control. The last thing she needed or wanted were a bunch of excuses from Clay. I didn’t know she would be here. It didn’t mean anything. The hell it didn’t. It meant everything. This wasn’t some surprise birthday party full of strippers and gags. It was real. And the sooner she got away from here, the better.
How she made it to the small cottage, she would never know. It was pure luck that she didn’t rear-end someone or get broadsided. If there were red lights, she never saw them. Stop signs didn’t exist. All she had was one single thought: How could he do this to her? Over the years she’d thought a lot of things both good and bad about him. His past had made him hard, moody and arrogant, but never cruel. At least never to her. Their time together flashed through her mind. The bond they’d formed when he’d struggled to overcome his injuries. The camaraderie in the new office. Watching the new foals. Long horseback rides in the wild country where she always felt safe with Clay near her. More recently, the romantic interludes where she had melted into his strong, powerful arms. The feeling he’d given her that she was the only woman in the world for him. The realization that they had creat
ed a new life. Had it all been a ruse? Had it all been a dream? Surely he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble just to take her to his bed, especially when he could have practically any woman he wanted and with a lot less effort.
Once she’d arrived at the cottage, she lost no time throwing things into a suitcase. What she didn’t take with her today she could always send for.
She grabbed her cell and punched the number for her landlord, Whit Daltry.
“Whit? This is Sophie.”
“Hey there. How’s it going?”
“Actually, not so good.” It took a few minutes to explain about her father’s illness, having to stop periodically and restrain her emotions.
“I’ve got to go home. I can arrange for you to receive the remaining rent. I think there are about four months left on the lease.”
“Forget it, Sophie. Don’t give it another thought. You do what you have to do. Family comes first.”
His words brought the tears to her eyes once again. He really was such a nice man. It was too bad Clay couldn’t be more like him.
“Good luck to you, Sophie. Look, I’m going to hold the cottage for a couple of months in case things work out and you want to come back.”
“I won’t be coming back, Whit. But thanks for the offer.”
“Not my business, but does Clay know?”
“Yeah. I just told him.”
And he told me. Loud and clear.
* * *
The look on Sophie’s face when she’d stepped into his office was something that would haunt Clay for the rest of his life. He pushed Carla Maxwell off his lap and stood up, not really caring if she made it to her feet or fell on the floor. She actually had the audacity to look shocked that he had pushed out of her arms.
He was furious. If anything had ever been a setup, this was it. It was too perfectly timed to be anything else.
“What in the hell are you doing here?”
“Excuse me? I don’t know what you mean,” she said in an angry tone as she straightened her dress.
“You know exactly what I mean. My only question is who put you up to it.”
“Nobody put me up to anything! I received your email and I thought... You made it clear you wanted us to get back together,” she snapped. “I assume you’ve changed your mind.”
“I never sent you any email.”
When Clay continued to glare, she walked to a chair next to the office door and pulled her cell phone out of her purse. After searching for a few seconds, she held out the phone to Clay.
True to her word, there was an email to Carla sent from his account. Only Clay didn’t know anything about this. Months ago Clay would have taken the temptation but the thought of Sophie carrying his child had awakened feelings of protectiveness and possessiveness. He wanted nothing to do with another woman.
But how was this possible? The answer came to him immediately. Someone had hacked into his system. He couldn’t help but speculate what else they’d done. And could this somehow be related to the attack on Everest?
His cell phone began to ring. When he gazed at the display, he saw it was Whit Daltry.
“Yeah,” he answered, turning away from a still-sulking Carla. “How’s it going?”
“Clay, this isn’t any of my business, but are you aware Sophie has left?”
“I know she left here.”
“She’s gone. She called me to arrange to pay out the last months of her lease. Of course, I told her not to worry about it. She was packed and on her way to the airport.”
“What?”
“She said she’d told you. I decided to call and butt in just in case she hadn’t, seeing how close the two of you are. Is there anything I can do?”
“No, but thanks anyway. Oh, and, Whit? Someone hacked my phone. I think they might have Sophie’s, too.”
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That it’s the same SOB who has systemically targeted people here in Royal? Yeah, it has Maverick’s fingerprints all over it.”
“I’ll call a meeting for tomorrow at the TCC. We need to know if anything has gone on with anybody else and share your latest info.”
“I’ll try and make it. Just send me the time.”
“Will do.”
When the call ended, Clay again turned to face Carla.
“My apologies to you,” he said, his hands on his hips. “Apparently someone hacked my phone and thought they would have some fun at our expense. I didn’t send that email to you.”
“Well, isn’t this just my luck.” She walked toward the door, giving Clay a wink as she passed. “If you ever change your mind, you know how to reach me.”
Clay ran his fingers through his dark hair. Sophie was gone. He should go after her. Every cell in his body was on high alert to do just that. But he could talk himself blue in the face and he wouldn’t be able to convince her to come back. Maybe he would have had a chance—if he hadn’t screwed it up when she’d first told him about the baby. But her two simple words, I’m pregnant, had struck him dumb. He had always been so careful. Even back in the day when he’d landed in bed with a hot lady, drunk on his ass after a rodeo celebration in some bar, he’d always remembered to use protection. It had become as automatic as breathing.
Clay couldn’t specifically remember if he’d used condoms that first night he’d taken Sophie to his bed. But then, actually getting to make love to the prim and proper Ms. Sophie had had him in so many knots, and he hadn’t been able to get enough of her. Usually he was good for one, maybe two times in a night. With Sophie, his hunger had been insatiable and he’d taken her over and over and over. Apparently, at least one of those times he’d failed to grab a condom, which resulted in the pregnancy.
Clearly he had made a mistake. Now the question was, what to do about it? Maybe Whit was wrong. Maybe she hadn’t left as yet. In a dead run, he jumped into his pickup truck and spun gravel as he headed to the cottage. He didn’t have a clue what to say. He would have to wing it. Groveling would definitely be on the list. Just let him be in time to catch her before she disappeared from his life forever.
* * *
Sophie was in the process of placing suitcases into Jesse May’s pickup when Clay rounded the corner and pulled up behind her. Her face, she knew, was still red from the tears she’d shed over Clay. But it was his problem. Someday he would regret it but that was on him to discover.
“Sophie,” Clay said as he approached her. “Where are you going?”
She refused to look at him. Why waste her breath answering stupid questions?
“Just please go away and leave me alone. You’ve done quite enough.”
“Sophie, I did not want that woman in my office. She is ancient history. Carla received an email from my account asking her to come to my office. I didn’t send it. I wouldn’t know how to contact her, so I couldn’t have sent it. And if I was going to see her again, it wouldn’t be in the office.”
“Your office is in your house. Very convenient.”
Sophie finished stowing her luggage and walked to the driver’s side door.
“So that’s it? You’re going to believe some woman I haven’t seen in ten years over me.” It sounded like a statement rather than a question.
“It wasn’t what I heard—it was what I saw.” She turned to face him. “Explain how a woman you didn’t invite to your office and didn’t want to see again managed to straddle your lap and kiss you all over your face. How did that transpire, Clay?”
“She caught me off guard...”
“Off guard. Clay, you’re wearing that excuse out. I don’t know why you insist on using it. You need to come up with something new.”
“What I can say? I don’t know what you expect from me anymore. You keep catching me off guard, too. I had no idea yo
u were going to tell me you were pregnant. You kept me in the dark for weeks. How did you feel when you first suspected it? Were you shocked? Were you initially frightened? Were you concerned about what would happen next? What was your reaction when your mother first called about your father’s heart condition? You can’t have prepared for such a thing. I definitely wasn’t prepared for any of this. Yet you think the worst of me. It isn’t fair. And you expect me to behave a certain way without giving me the chance to figure out what’s going on with you.”
“I don’t expect anything from you, Clay. I’ve already told you that. But you could have waited until I left before you started dating again. Especially in consideration of the fact I’m carrying your child. I really don’t think that is too much to ask.”
Even if nothing had happened with that blonde, Clay was not the type to settle down. She needed to return to Indiana—her parents needed her at home—and she would have the baby there.
When he started to object again, she interrupted him. “I’ll let you know when the baby is born. It should be sometime in January. And don’t worry, you can have all the visitation you want.” Her voice broke on the last words, as she struggled not to show weakness.
She had to leave. She had to get into the truck and head to the airport. She had to get as far away from Clay Everett as she possibly could. She was barely holding it together. Her anger gave her what strength she had. At the very least she had thought Clay was her friend. But friends wouldn’t do what he’d done and come forward with a basket full of excuses instead of apologies. But then again, how sincere would his apologies have been?
This had gone so wrong. All of it. Everything. Clay’s bull-riding accident had been the beginning. It set into motion things that should have never happened. He should never have taken up permanent residence at his ranch. His office should have never moved there. Everest wouldn’t exist and the easy-going cowboy would never have shucked his jeans, cowboy hat and boots for a suit and tie. And she never would have moved to Royal, Texas.
The what-ifs spun around in her head like a whirlwind on the dry desert floor. What if she’d never let herself be seduced by Clay? What if she’d just left when she found out she was pregnant and moved back home without a word? What if she were a different type of person whose strength and resilience to say no would have superseded a yes when he made his intentions known at the masked ball in May? What if she didn’t love him? Would it make this easier?