The Cowboy’s Mistake

by Jackson, Mary Sue

  “Are you glad I asked?”

  “Asked about what?” He helped her into the passenger seat.

  “About hanky panky.” Charity leaned down and kissed him.

  “Fine. I’ll admit it—I’m glad.”

  “Gotcha.”

  Charity let him close her door, and he went to his with a smile. He hadn’t admitted that he was pleased because now he knew she was literally counting the hours until she could be intimate with him again. Of course, it felt good to know that. Who could blame him?

  Twenty-Four

  Back at the hotel, Charity yawned the moment they stepped through the door. “I wish we didn’t have to check out in an hour,” she said wistfully.

  “Surprise,” he said, and watched her face light up with a tentative hope that broke his heart.

  “Did you get a late checkout?”

  “I did one better.” He took his phone from his pocket and waved it in the air. “I went on the hotel app and extended our reservation by one night.”

  Charity threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Did you really?”

  “You need to rest. Dr. Atkins made me swear on the Bible that I’d let you rest for a full day.”

  “I don’t remember a bible,” she laughed. “But you seem pretty determined.”

  “I am determined. Now go enjoy that bed.”

  Charity pouted. “I’d enjoy it a lot more if we could—”

  “Don’t you dare.” He leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, even as heat surged through him. He broke off the kiss before it could turn into something hotter and turned her around, his hands on her shoulder. “Rest.”

  She didn’t argue anymore, and Trey watched as she curled up under the comforter. There was something wonderful about pulling back the blanket on a freshly made bed, and he felt validated in his decision to stay an extra night. It was the best choice he’d made in his life…even if they couldn’t use the bed to its full potential. He felt less guilty about staying up late the night before.

  Charity’s even breathing told him she was asleep already, even with the shafts of sunlight coming in through the open curtains. He went into the bedroom and tugged them closed. Then he thought better of it and opened them a few inches. It was disorienting to wake up in the middle of the afternoon in the dark, and if Charity slept that long, he didn’t want her to feel a moment of discomfort.

  He thought about crawling in next to her. She’d been through a procedure, and it was her body that had to heal from it, but he felt a certain ache in the back of his shoulders. It was like he’d worked himself a little too hard with the horses. He stretched. No—if he got into bed now, he thought he might sleep the rest of the day away and into the night.

  That wouldn’t be so bad, but he was a man of habit and routine, and he didn’t want to risk it. Tomorrow afternoon they’d be back at the ranch and he needed to be able to readjust quickly, even if this felt like one of the most momentous days of his life. It was up there with finding out that Charity was pregnant. Or the discovery that she was pregnant with twins.

  And there were more momentous days to come.

  The thought of the babies being born sent a shock of adrenaline through him. He couldn’t fathom what that would be like, as hard as he tried, but it did mean he wasn’t going to be able to nap.

  What did a person do when they weren’t busy working all day?

  Trey wandered back out to the living area and sat on the loveseat, stretching his legs out onto the ottoman. TV didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t want the sound to wake up Charity, and anything good enough to watch, he wanted to watch with her. He took out his phone and sent several text messages, calling in reinforcements. Austin was in town, and he could come put the horses through their paces in the paddock. There were a couple of guys from town who could help with the barn. In a few minutes, he had the next day settled.

  He put his head back against the back of the sofa and his thoughts drifted. Back to the farm, and his house. It would be amazing if she agreed to move in with him permanently. It would make things so much less complicated. After today, he wanted her close to him more than ever. Charity and the babies. They belonged under his roof.

  Trey sank into a brief dream about rocking babies with Charity in the night and woke with a start.

  It hadn’t been very long—only about thirty minutes.

  He waited another hour before he ordered room service for them both. Steak, right off the fancy part of the menu. The hotel was highly rated online, and he had no doubt that the food would be just as good as everything else.

  They’d made it through the appointment. That was cause for celebration.

  Just before the room service was due to arrive, Charity padded out of the bedroom, looking deliciously sleep-rumpled. “Hi,” she said.

  He patted the loveseat next to him. “Have a seat. I ordered food.”

  She sank down into his arms. “You’re the most perfect man on the face of the planet.”

  “That’s all it takes, huh? A couple of steaks?”

  “You ordered steak?”

  “Well, yeah. You had a medical procedure today, and everybody survived. That calls for a fancy lunch. I thought you’d like it better if we could stay in and have it here.”

  Charity sighed happily. “You nailed it.”

  She left it wide open for him—the joke, that is—but he didn’t take it. It wasn’t in his gentlemanly nature. Plus, she’d just woken up from a nap. Was now really the time to—

  There was a knock at the door.

  —act like a horny teenage boy? No. It was not that time. It was time for lunch.

  The attendant wheeled the tray into the room and set out two covered meals on the hotel’s little dining table, followed by silverware and two glasses. He poured ice water into both of them, then left behind cans of soda. Charity liked that detail—Trey could tell by the grin on her face. She’d been avoiding soda, but one can would be a nice treat.

  They sat down on opposite sides of the table after they’d been left alone.

  “So, I was thinking—” Charity cut into her steak. “It’s perfect. Oh, my god, it looks so good.”

  “You were thinking about what? Did you have a dream?”

  “Not a dream, really, but while I was drifting off, I was thinking about the nursery. Nurseries.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Trey was ready to hear whatever plan she’d come up with for two nurseries and counter it with his own superior plan for them all to live under his roof.

  “I think we should outfit both of them fully. But we’ll have to have a bit of a stripped-down design for the one at my place. My spare room is a lot smaller than the bedrooms at yours.”

  “Okay.” Trey reached behind him and grabbed a notepad and pen off the TV stand. “Let’s draw this out. What things fit at my place, and what fits at yours? Are you thinking a three-quarter- sized room at your place?”

  “Maybe we should do this the other way around. What are the absolute necessities? We’ll need those in both places.”

  Trey looked at her in silence.

  “The necessities, Trey,” she said, a smile spreading across her face. “Don’t you remember the list of necessities from the store yesterday?”

  “That list was six hundred items long. You want me to narrow it down to four hundred?”

  “Not four hundred,” Charity laughed. “Maybe three hundred.”

  “Three hundred. Okay.” He pretended to scribble the figure down on the notepad.

  “I mean—we’re talking about—” Charity took another bite of her steak. “This is really good. I’m talking about a crib. That’s the first necessity. Then maybe a changing table, although I could always keep the changing table out in the living room, where there’s more space.”

  “Out in the living room? Do you want to be walking all over your house in the middle of the night?”

  “No, but what’s my alternative? Walk outside?”

  “You’re
also forgetting something.”

  “What?”

  “You need two cribs in that tiny room.”

  Charity burst out laughing. “You’re right.”

  “That’s why—”

  “I should buy a new house,” she joked.

  “That’s why you should move in with me.”

  She rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. “Is that your only solution to the problem?”

  “Hear me out,” said Trey. “It’s the best solution.”

  “How do you figure?”

  “Because otherwise, we’re not really looking at two nurseries. We’re looking at three.”

  “Three?”

  “You know your mom is going to want a nursery at her house. You know. For when the twins stay overnight.”

  Charity scoffed. “I do know that. We’ve talked about it. But that’s not going to happen for a long time.”

  “You never know. But you do know she’ll want the option.”

  Charity pursed her lips. “I guess you’re right about that.”

  “I’m also right about this—we need optimal lighting and paint colors.”

  “What?”

  “While you were sleeping, I did some research on baby nurseries.”

  Charity’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t.”

  “I did. And now I know that we need to choose a calming color, otherwise they won’t sleep until they’re eighteen. They’ll need some negative space in the room, otherwise they’ll become hoarders. We’re talking about a lot of smaller decisions, Charity. Those kinds of things could really add up if we’re decorating three nurseries.”

  “I’m just—” She shook her head, her fork hovering over her plate. “I’m impressed. You’ve done a lot of research.”

  “I had the time, and I want to make the best decisions possible. I want us to make them together.”

  Charity gave him a grin. “I’m proud of you. I’m really proud. You’ve…honestly, Trey, you’ve been great. Thanks for being here for me and the girls. Even when I make it hard.”

  “You never make it hard.”

  “That’s a lie, and you know it.”

  “You don’t. I’m the one who makes it hard. You deserve a huge thank-you for putting up with me.”

  “I really do. And a medal.”

  They laughed together until both of them got distracted by their meals.

  They spent most of the afternoon relaxing in the hotel room, then went into the city to see the sights. Mostly, Trey insisted that they see them from the inside of the car, but they did find a gorgeous park where Charity sat on a bench at the edge of an enormous pond and watched ducks swim across the surface. It was so peaceful. And with his arm around her, Trey was completely at peace. Everything was going according to plan. Everything was going to work out.

  Later, as they both lay in bed, he wrapped his arms around her and cupped his hands over the curve of her belly.

  “I’m glad there’s not a second bedroom in this suite,” said Charity softly.

  “I’ve never been gladder of anything in my life.”

  “I think…you know, I think I’d like it if you were this close all the time.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  That’s when he felt it.

  “What was that?”

  Charity laughed, her shoulders shaking. “Wait, and you might feel it again.”

  He waited, holding his breath.

  And then it happened again.

  The slightest pressure against his palm, a little, glancing blow.

  “They’re kicking,” he said, awe filling his voice. He didn’t care what he sounded like. This was the most incredible moment of his life. When would these moments stop coming? Never, he realized. As long as he was with Charity, he would be blown away for the rest of his life.

  “I’m glad we’re having these babies,” he said into her ear, breathing her in.

  “Me, too,” Charity said. “I really am. It wasn’t the right time, and it wasn’t in the plan I had for my life, but I’m not sorry that this is the way things have turned out. Especially because…” Her voice trailed off.

  “What?” He prompted.

  “I always wanted to be with you.” There was longing in her voice, even though she was in his arms, even though their children were kicking and turning underneath their palms. “I always wanted you. And I thought there was nothing on earth that could bring us together. Now I know that wasn’t true.”

  His heart beat hard and fast, and the truth overwhelmed him. There was a long silence while he gathered the nerve to say the words. She hadn’t wanted him to earlier, but now…how could he help himself? It was his life. She was his life. “I love you.” He didn’t say it loudly, because he had the insane thought that it might startle her.

  The only reply was a little snore.

  He chuckled to himself, then eased her down onto the pillows. He would tell her again when she was awake.

  And he might just propose, too.

  Twenty-Five

  For a while, when Charity woke up, she felt swathed in pure joy. That was the phrase that went through her mind—swathed in pure joy. It helped that she was also swathed in clean, white sheets and a comforter that she wanted for her own house. Or…Trey’s house, she supposed.

  He was right. It made the most sense, financially and logistically, for them to live together with the girls. Maybe if they were having one baby, they could go back and forth and still have breathing room. But with two? Just thinking about the amount of diapers she’d need to store in her little house gave her pause. And…if they fell in love and got married, what would be so bad about that?

  Nothing, she decided. Nothing.

  She stretched her arms over her head. Trey slept next to her in the enormous bed. The moment he woke up, she planned to tell him that if they were going to move in to his house, he needed to upgrade his queen-sized bed to one of these. Preferably with the same comforter. After all, there were going to be times when both the girls would want to sleep with them. Try that in a queen. She laughed softly, watching him sleep there. He was even manly about the act of sleeping. Seriously…how did he sleep with his muscles flexed? She put out a tentative hand and touched one of his biceps. Maybe they weren’t flexed. Maybe he was simply just that ripped from all his work on the ranch.

  Desire surged through her. How long was it going to be until the twenty-four hours were up? Not soon enough. She was already heated from the inside out, and could feel that want for him collecting between her legs. Charity slapped a hand over her eyes. Who was she kidding? She wanted him so badly, so furiously, that if he proposed to her one more time, she’d never be able to say no. And why should she? She was in love with Trey Cantor. And she had been in love with him for years.

  That was the truth.

  Charity got up and went into the bathroom. She had to do something other than lay next to his sleeping body, or else she’d attack him right now. She turned on the sink and splashed some water on her face, drying her skin with a fluffy towel. A shower would help. She’d taken a shower last night, but it was a hotel—there was no water bill to worry about.

  But first she had to pee.

  She hopped over the cool tiles of the floor and caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. That was a woman who was happy. That was a woman who had successfully defended herself against a school bully and won. And she looked sexy, too, in nothing but Trey’s t-shirt and panties.

  It was when she sat down that she saw the blood.

  Charity stared down into her underwear, the bright red color making her feel faint. There was more than a little. This was more than light spotting. A cold fear froze out her chest, followed by a hot flash of shame. She was an idiot. She was such an idiot. She’d thought everything was fine, and now…

  “Trey?” Her voice shook as she called his name. So much for her plan to let him sleep in. “Trey, I need you—”

  She heard his feet hit the f
loor a moment later, and then he was at the sliding door to the bathroom. He didn’t flinch at the sight of her sitting on the toilet, only came in and knelt down next to her, taking in the sight of the blood. He went instantly pale, but she saw him set his shoulders with determination.

  “Okay,” he said, without her having to say a word. “Rinse off in the shower. I’m going to call Dr. Atkins. We can leave as soon as you’re ready, okay?”

  Tears gathered in Charity’s eyes, and a shudder moved through her. “But where are we going to go? I don’t know what to do.”

  “We’ll go to the hospital,” Trey said, helping her stand up. “Do you have any pads with you?”

  “No,” she cried. “I didn’t bring any—I haven’t bought any—”

  “I’ll have some by the time you get out of the shower. Okay? It’s all right.” He gathered her to his chest, and for the first time something released, allowing her to relax a little bit. “I’ll be right back—unless you need me to stay while you step into the shower.”

  “No,” Charity said. They both needed to do separate things if they wanted to get to the hospital. “Go. I’ll…I’ll be okay.”

  He leaned down and kissed her, and then he was out in the other room. She started the shower and Trey’s voice drifted over the sound of the stream. “—need to speak with Dr. Atkins right away. Yes, now. It’s an emergency. No—” Then the hotel room door shut. How had he possibly gotten dressed that fast?

  Fifteen minutes later, they were in Trey’s truck. He reached for her hand. “It’s going to be all right, Charity. Tex is meeting us at Mercy Hospital. It’s a five-minute drive.”

  “I had no idea there was a hospital that close,” she said, her voice strange and numb.

  “It’ll be all right,” he said again.

  “How do you know that?” Charity whispered.

  “Because I love you. And it has to be all right.” He squeezed her hand.

  They parked in the emergency lot and went in. A nurse showed them the way to labor and delivery, and Charity’s throat began to close. It was way too early to deliver the babies, and she didn’t want to be in labor. “Are you sure this is where we should be going?” she asked the nurse.