Hunter had been watching Eve with the seven-month-old baby and she seemed to be enjoying taking care of Amanda to give Emily a break. This morning he’d found Eve rocking her while Emily was taking a shower. The vision of Eve and the baby had caused his chest to tighten, and he’d imagined her holding their child.
“Are you hoping for a boy or girl?” Eve asked softly.
When he looked down at her, he realized he needed something he couldn’t quite name, and he decided it was the birth of their child. “I’d like a boy to carry on the Coleburn name, but…I think about having a little girl, too. So I guess it really doesn’t matter. What about you?”
Eve laid her hand protectively over her stomach. “It doesn’t matter. I’m looking forward to either, to everything about having a child.”
Eve’s eyes were bright with hope, and Hunter stepped closer to her. “Did you take your vitamins today?” He’d driven her to her first doctor’s appointment yesterday.
“I’m taking care of myself, Hunter. This baby means as much to me as it does to you.”
He wondered if that was possible. He wondered if raising a child together was the glue their marriage needed. He hoped and prayed that it was.
Chapter Eight
The party was a success, Eve thought, as she went into the kitchen to fill the warming tray with more hot hors d’oeuvres. Everyone was mingling and talking, and the food was disappearing fast. Larry’s two children and Mark were playing a game in the family room while Amanda napped upstairs. As Eve took the tray of mini-quiches from the oven, she felt suddenly very weary. Since she’d become pregnant, that usually happened this time of day, and this week she hadn’t had much time to rest.
Emily came into the kitchen carrying an empty platter. “I need more sandwich rolls. Do we have some?”
Emily Lawrence Coleburn was a dynamo, and even though she looked soft-spoken and delicate, she was as hardy as a pioneer woman. Still, she was Eve’s guest. “You don’t need to help. Just go enjoy yourself.”
As Emily put more rolls on the platter, she glanced at Eve. “You’ve been cooking for all of us since we arrived. I think you should let us all pitch in. I remember what it’s like being pregnant and having household chores.”
Eve had this idea that she could show Hunter that she loved him through everything she did. Welcoming his family into their house had become a mission for her. “I’m going to miss you when you leave on Tuesday. It’s been nice having you here.”
“You know, I was a little worried when Slade said we were going to stay with you, us being strangers and all. But you never seemed like a stranger.”
Just then, Hunter walked in.
After she picked up the tray of rolls, Emily winked at Eve, and returned to the dining room.
“What are you and Emily cooking up?” he asked with a smile, looking more relaxed than Eve had seen him since she’d come to Denver. Slade seemed to have that effect on him.
“Not a thing. We’re just busy feeding a hungry crowd.”
As she transferred quiches onto the warming tray, he came to stand by her side. “Do you mind if I make an announcement about your pregnancy?”
She looked up at him and could see it was important to him. “No, I don’t mind. I guess Slade and Emily have been keeping it quiet.”
“I asked them to. I didn’t know if you were ready to tell anyone else.” She remembered the conversation about her fears, and the tension that had put between them. It had lessened since Slade and his family had been here. She still had fears, but she had a lot more hope.
“Would you like to do it now?”
Hunter’s smile told her he would.
A short time later, he asked for everyone’s attention as he and Eve stood together in front of the fireplace. “Eve and I have an announcement to make,” he said proudly.
Martha’s eyes grew big and John’s expression looked expectant. Larry looked disinterested, but Jolene was smiling as if she’d guessed what it was.
“Eve and I are going to have a baby.”
After Midge and Jolene congratulated them, Martha and John hugged them, murmuring how happy they were for them. Slade gave Hunter a thumbs-up sign and the two men exchanged a look only twins could share.
“Now the fun really starts,” Larry said cynically. “I don’t quite see Hunter as the changing-diapers kind of guy. Are you going to get a nanny?”
“There won’t be any need for a nanny,” Eve replied.
Slade strode over to stand beside his twin. “Hunter’s been great with Mark and Amanda this week. I imagine he’ll be even better with his own.”
“Eve and I will probably attend childbirth and parenting courses. We’ll be prepared,” Hunter said.
Surprised, Eve looked up at him. “You mean that?”
“Sure. I’m going to give our child all the time he or she needs before, during and after birth.”
Without thinking twice, Eve stood on tiptoe and kissed Hunter’s cheek. He looked startled, then his arm went around her, and he kissed her full on the lips. She blushed until Martha asked, “Have you thought about names?”
“Not yet, but soon,” Hunter said. He kept his arm around her, and Eve wished she could always feel the sense of belonging she felt at this moment.
As the evening wore on, Eve made another pot of coffee and cut the chocolate cake she’d made. She sat on the sofa beside Hunter, and her arm companionably brushed his every now and then. Their gazes caught and met often, and she wondered if he was getting past blaming her for her miscarriage. Neither of them had brought it up again.
Sitting in the rocker by the living-room window, Emily repositioned seven-month-old Amanda when she yawned. “I think this one’s getting sleepy. I’m going to take her upstairs and get her ready for bed.”
Eve asked, “Can I do it?” She’d helped Emily the past couple of nights and loved taking care of the little girl.
“Sure,” Emily answered.
Standing, Eve crossed to the rocker and held her arms out to Amanda. Giving her a sleepy smile, the little girl leaned toward her and Eve gathered her up.
Eve had washed Amanda’s face and hands and dressed her in her pj’s by the time Emily came in and murmured, “I can take over now.” Emily’s eyes softened as she picked up her daughter, and Eve realized that though they’d been separated for only a short while, Emily had missed the baby.
When Eve returned downstairs, she went into the dining room to see if they needed more ice or refreshments. After she refilled the ice bucket, she poured herself a glass of lemonade.
Larry came in. “Nice party,” he said with a wave at everything.
“Thank you.”
“It looks as if you and Hunter have everything you could want.”
She could hear a hint of jealousy in Larry’s voice, and she said cautiously, “We’re looking forward to raising a family.”
“Yeah, well, maybe that will keep Hunter busier so he stays out of my affairs.”
“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“So you don’t know he’s trying to mess up my deal of a lifetime?”
Hunter hadn’t said anything on the subject of Larry or his parents. But she knew one thing for certain. “I’m sure Hunter would never do anything intentionally to hurt you.”
With a shake of his head, Larry grimaced. “Maybe you don’t know your husband as well as you think. If you have any influence over him, tell him to stick to law and leave the family business to me.”
Before she could question Larry further, he said, “I’m going to round up my wife and kids. I have a full day tomorrow.”
Larry Morgan puzzled Eve. He was so different from both Hunter and Jolene. She suspected a deep insecurity made him obnoxious at times. No wonder Hunter kept his distance.
After everyone left, Eve loaded the dishwasher, feeling so tired she was almost nauseous. But she still had debris to gather up in the living room and family room.
Hunter came into the kitchen wi
th the ice bucket and dumped the melting ice into the sink. “Slade and Emily have taken Mark upstairs. I think everyone enjoyed themselves.”
“I think they did, too,” Eve agreed absently, running her hand across her brow.
Hunter came over to her and tipped up her chin. “You look beat.”
“I am. I guess parties can be more tiring than I thought.”
“Why don’t you go on up? I’ll take care of the rest of this.”
When she hesitated, he cupped her chin in his palm. “Go on. I’ll be up shortly.”
Too tired now to argue with him, she nodded. “I think I’ll get a bath first, though. Thanks for finishing up for me.”
“We’re in this together, Eve.”
She gazed into his eyes, wondering exactly what that meant to him—commitment, fidelity, loyalty…love?
Upstairs, she filled the sunken tub, adding bath crystals, a wonderful gardenia scent she always used. After the tub was full, she pinned up her hair and lowered herself into it, laying her head back against the edge and closing her eyes, thinking about Hunter and the baby inside her.
Someone was calling her name from a great distance. It sounded like Hunter’s voice.
“Eve?”
Opening her eyes, she could see him crouched beside the tub, his hand in the water. “This is getting cold. I think you fell asleep in here.”
“Mmm, could be,” she murmured, trying to get awake. But then she realized her husband wasn’t wearing his sleeping shorts, and he was looking down at her breasts just under the surface of the water. All of the bubbles had disappeared. Although the water was tepid, it seemed warmer suddenly, and she brought herself to a sitting position, totally aware of Hunter’s naked body as he looked down at her.
He took the fluffy, rose towel from where Eve had laid it on the white-and-gold bench and said, “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”
She and Hunter had explored each other’s bodies many times, but she still felt a little shy with him. Rising, she stepped out of the tub.
He hesitated only a moment before he wrapped the large towel around her and tucked it in at her breasts. Before she realized what he intended, he’d scooped her up into his arms and was carrying her into the bedroom.
“What are you doing?”
“I didn’t want you to slip on the wet tile. You’re not altogether awake.”
She was fast becoming completely awake with her arms around his neck, her breast pressed against his bare chest.
When he laid her down on the bed, he asked, “Is there anything you need before I turn off the lights?”
Yes, she thought to herself. You. But she didn’t say it, she just shook her head.
A few moments later he was in bed beside her. “Aren’t you going to take the towel off?” he teased.
“I thought you might like to do that,” she responded softly.
There was a moment of silence, and she wondered how she dared to be so brazen. It served her right if…
“I thought you were tired.”
“I had a nap in the tub, remember?”
“I remember,” he replied, his voice husky. Rolling to his side, he propped himself on an elbow, then trailed his finger along the edge of the towel. “I want to thank you,” he said.
“For what?”
His finger teasing the edge of the towel distracted her. “For welcoming Slade and Emily into our home, for making their stay enjoyable. It’s a real treat for Emily not to have to cook, or for her and Slade to get breaks from caring for the kids. She said she feels as if she’s on vacation.”
“She is. And she and Slade…they feel like family. Do you know what I mean?”
“Oh, yeah.” He loosened the tuck of the towel. “You did a great job with the party, too.”
“I enjoyed it.” Her breath caught when he flipped the towel back and stared down at her.
“I think your breasts are fuller already.” He bent and brushed a light kiss on one.
He was right. They were. And soon her waistline would change, too. In bed was the one place she and Hunter really connected. What would happen when her body was different? Would he still enjoy looking at her, touching her? The thoughts hung suspended in her mind as his lips continued to tease and taunt.
“Hunter?” she asked.
He lifted his head.
“Will you still want me when I’m…bigger?”
A moment passed, and then she could feel his blue eyes scanning her body even in the shadows. “I’ll still want you, Eve.”
Each time they made love, there were new discoveries, new sounds, new types of caresses, and now as Hunter tasted her body and stroked her skin, she ran her fingers through his hair, loving the feel of it, loving the feel of him. Should she tell him she loved him? Should she ask him if he’d forgiven her refusal of his proposal five years ago?
But just as something kept him guarded, she was afraid to say the words aloud. Sometimes it seemed as if they walked a tightrope, with desire acting as their umbrella and giving them balance. She didn’t want to bring up the past when she was hoping they could forget it, and she couldn’t tell him of her love until she knew he was ready to believe in love and to believe in her.
So as he gave her pleasure, she gave him pleasure, and afterward she lay by his side wanting to prolong the intimacy between them. But it wasn’t long before Hunter shifted away from her and sat up on the edge of the bed. “I’m going to get a drink of water. Would you like anything?”
Sometimes after they made love, he got up and worked. Sometimes he went for a walk. Sometimes he was still awake when she fell asleep. It was as if making love made him restless.
“I’m fine.”
Tonight she wasn’t asleep when he slipped back into bed. She had the feeling that he wouldn’t let himself get close and stay close to her, that it all had something to do with his family. He never wanted to talk about them in any detail. He never wanted to talk about his childhood. Eve remembered what Martha had told her about Larry shutting Hunter out, and from the way he acted now, not much had changed.
“It was good having your family here tonight,” she said.
He remained silent.
“Jolene told me she’s gotten a promotion.”
“She has a good head on her shoulders and she’s good with people.”
“Midge and Larry’s boys got along well with Mark.”
“Yes, they did.”
“Larry said something to me that puzzled me.”
Hunter turned toward her. “What?”
“He said he wished you’d stay out of his affairs.”
After a few moments, he asked, “Were you supposed to give me that message?”
“I don’t know. I do know he’s jealous of you.” She’d become certain of that.
“Jealous?” Hunter sounded surprised at the observation. “Larry has no reason to be jealous of me.”
Moving closer to her husband, Eve felt her elbow brush his. “That’s not true. I think he sees you as the one who made good—out on your own, traveling wherever you want to go, an exciting career.”
“He’s going to be running the family business. What more does he want?” There was a tinge of bitterness in the question.
“Did you want to run the family business?” She knew she might be treading into dangerous territory, but it was time they talked about these things.
“That wasn’t in the cards for me.”
“But did you want it?” she pressed.
“What I wanted was to be a Morgan, and I wasn’t.” His clipped tone more than told her this wasn’t an area for discussion, and she realized there was a lot of pain underlying his words.
“So why does Larry think you’re meddling in his affairs?”
In the ensuing silence she wasn’t sure Hunter would answer her. But finally he did. “Because Dad asked me to get him some information, and Larry didn’t want to hear what I found.”
“John asked for your help?”
“Yes.
”
“Then he must trust you a lot.”
Hunter seemed to mull that over. “Maybe he does.”
As they lay there side by side, Eve wondered if John was trying to show Hunter that he and Martha loved him as much as they did Larry and Jolene. Eve laid her hand on top of Hunter’s and, although there was still space between them, he intertwined their fingers, and they fell asleep that way.
When Eve awakened the following morning, sun was streaming into the bedroom through the partially open blinds, and she knew she’d overslept. She had to make breakfast. She had to get dressed so she could take Slade and Emily sight-seeing as she’d promised. She had to—
The bedroom door opened and Hunter came in carrying a breakfast tray. He was wearing navy shorts and a white polo shirt and looked as sexy as always. Smiling, he brought the tray over to the bed. There was a red rose in a juice glass, not quite opened.
“What’s this?” she asked, all remnants of sleep now gone.
“It’s breakfast in bed. Emily and I decided you needed a break.”
She looked at the bedside clock. It was ten o’clock. “Why did you let me sleep so late?”
“Because you needed it. Now, I want to see those scrambled eggs and toast disappear.” Sitting on the bed, he pushed the tray toward her.
“You expect me to sit here and eat while our company’s downstairs?”
His voice was gentle but firm. “Yes, I do. Emily and Slade are going to take Mark sight-seeing today, and I told them we’d watch Amanda.”
She took a piece of the toast and had a bite. “You’re not going in to work?”
“No. It’s their last day here. I’ll get caught up tomorrow after I take them to the airport.”
“So we’re going to watch Amanda?” she asked with a smile.
“Yep. I thought it would be good practice.”
“And Emily and Slade trust us?”
“They trust you. You’ve been spending a lot of time with her. But I’ll watch and take notes.”
His smile and tone made her laugh, and it felt so good to laugh. They needed more laughter between them. “I probably should clean up a little today.”
“That’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Just the Husband She Chose Page 11