by Kim Loraine
I flinched at the mention of him wanting to marry me out of obligation. “Why don’t you go to supper? I think I just want to stay here. I’ve had just about enough of Tristan Ryker for today. Tell them I’m not feeling well and needed to rest. Just…bring me back some food?”
Rolling her eyes, she gave me a look that said I owed her. “You’re lucky I like you.”
“I know.”
“You’re gonna have to face him. But…I’ll take one for the team. It’ll be a good chance to get to know the family.” She grabbed the keys and headed for the door.
"I love you,” I called after her departing form. She answered me with a wave before closing the door behind her. I heard the car's engine rumble to life, and my stomach gave yet another growl.
Thirty minutes later, there was a knock at my door. Erin must have had her hands full because she never knocked. Getting off the couch where I had deposited myself, I walked to the entrance.
"That was fast,” I said as the door swung open, but instead of my sister standing there before me, I was face-to-face with Tristan Ryker. He gave me those soulful blue eyes and sexy smirk, and I already began melting.
"Sorry to disturb you. Your sister said you weren't feeling well. I needed to come check on you."
I crossed my arms over my chest, very aware that the motion made my already bountiful bosom appear even fuller. "Why? Because you felt obligated? Since you knocked me up and all?"
He let out an exasperated sigh, mixed with a little bit of a laugh. "Lord Almighty, woman, you nastier than a hornet’s nest when you get going. What's wrong with me being concerned about you?”
“I didn't come here for your pity. I didn't come here for your hand in marriage. I came here to tell you that we are having a baby. Take it or leave it. But don't give me some false bit of bravado. Don't pretend you want me just because you knocked me up. This isn’t the 1950s, Tristan."
Shoulders squared, he took a harsh breath. “I never said it was. But the way I was raised, at least, the way I thought my dad would want me to handle something like this, is to do right by you."
“Do right means something completely different now. You can be in this child's life if you want. I'm not gonna stop you. But I'm also not going to force you into something like a marriage."
"Can I… Would you mind if I came inside? I brought you some dinner." The gentleness of his question stirred something inside me. It reminded me of our night together. The first time was hard and rough. The second time was reverent and soft and tender and special.
"I guess so." I backed away from the door, trying hard not to let him see how incredibly hungry I was. From behind his back he pulled out a basket, lovingly packed, likely by Mama. "What's for dinner?"
"Fried chicken, baked beans, fresh cornbread." He grinned.
That sounded amazing, but there was not a single green thing to be found on that plate. "So, what do you suggest we do about this baby?"
I sat down at the table as he placed the basket in the center. He let out a long breath, shoulders slumping. "Well, I suppose we’ll love him or her as best we can. Isn't that all any baby needs?"
I laughed. "That and diapers, food, shelter, clothing, and don't forget the college education in eighteen years."
He blanched. "I know all that. But the first and most important thing is love. Every kid needs their parents to love them. I know I can do that."
Something in me cracked, just a little. He wanted to do this. He wanted to be a father. That was surprising. "I don't live near here. How are we going to deal with that?"
"I suppose… We can take turns visiting. You come see me, and then I go see you. We’ll figure it out."
"I suppose so. I'm not marrying you. I've already been married. I don't want to do it again."
His brow furrowed as he placed a warm plate in front of me and removed the foil covering. Then he took the matching plate for himself and stared down at the food in front of him rather than at me.
We ate in silence, the food delicious and exactly what I needed. Until, just as he was serving up a brownie for dessert, he stared me straight in the eye and said, “What happened with your marriage?"
"I don’t want to talk about that. That part of my life is over, no use looking back at it now. I'm ready to move on.” I pushed my last few baked beans around on my plate. “You were supposed to be the man who helped me do that, a one night, no strings attached roll in the hay with the sexiest cowboy I'd ever met. Now, looks like we’re stuck together."
He smirked. "Being stuck with you is not punishment. Not by a longshot."
That made my belly flip. I remembered him being charming, but this was ridiculous.
The brownie was sinful. I practically moaned the moment the rich, warm chocolate hit my tongue. I think Tristan noticed because he licked his lips, and his gaze sparked with fire. There was no way to deny that we had something between us. I just didn't think that something would ever grow into substance, especially after reading all about his exploits online. He had a new girl every night, breaking hearts all over town. Even some of the guests claimed to have had a tryst with him. I'd been with a man who decided fidelity wasn't for him. I never wanted one like that again. The handsome, charming man who could woo the panties off of just about any woman if he wanted. Quinn was that man. Now, Tristan is the same. Exactly my type.
Tristan stood, packing up the basket and grabbing his hat off the rack before settling it atop his head. "Well, I'm real glad you're all right. I think we need to take this week to get to know each other. You have a problem with that?"
I didn't. He was right. We were going to have a child. We had to know as much as possible about each other if we can make this work. "So, what does that mean exactly?"
He smiled. That heart-stopping, sexy, boyish smile of his. And I melted. "It means I'll be your personal ranch hand for the entirety of your visit. See you tomorrow morning, darlin’.”
He opened the door and left, the scent of him still filling the room. Smoky, woodsy, distinctively Tristan. It was a smell I been trying to forget since our night together. I sighed and laid out across the bed. One hand covering my belly, the other resting on my heart, which was fluttering something fierce. Tristan Ryker didn't understand how much he really affected me.
I might've acted like I hated him, like I wanted nothing to do with him, but the truth was, I wanted as much of him as he would give me. Even if I knew it would all go down in flames.
Tristan
"So. You got something you want to tell me?" Clint stood outside the stable where I was just finishing up putting away Ranger for the night. My older brother could always read me like a damn book. I told Mama we needed to keep it secret for a while. Just until we were sure we had an answer for how things are going to go. But I don't know why I expected my siblings not to talk to each other. Buck had obviously spilled the beans.
"We're trying to feel things out and see how they go."
"It seems to me like you felt things out plenty. By the looks of her, that’s exactly why you’re in this situation in the first place.”
"I know what you're thinking. Why was I not careful? I was. Every time, we used protection. We weren’t supposed to see each other again. It was a no strings attached arrangement," I muttered.
Ranger had enough of me talking. Expecting me to give up the sugar cube in my pocket, he head-butted me hard. I patted him on his back, then fished out the treat, and let them have it.
"That's a pretty big string."
"Yep. I don't know how this is gonna work. She lives six hours away. But, Clint, God, I haven't been with another woman since her. I haven't been able to bring myself to. I think, if things been different, she and I would've been something."
He cocked his head and gave me a quizzical look. "I don't understand why you think it can't be something now. She's here, pregnant with your kid. You two are about as linked as people can get."
"She doesn't want to be an…obligation. She's smart, Clint. R
eal smart. She's a nurse. But she's been hurt real bad. I understand why she’s skittish."
"And how do we handle a skittish filly?”
I snorted. "You do not want her to hear you comparing her to a horse."
He shrugged. "Then don't tell her I said that. But my question still stands. If we let a skittish horse get away, we go back and get her. Make her see that we're not gonna hurt her. We show her being with us is the best thing for her."
"I don't know how to show her."
A little chuckle rumbled from deep in the center of his chest. "Little brother, none of us knew what to do until we had to do it."
Hazel
Sunlight streamed in through the open window in the cabin. It woke me gently, but the cold of the early morning made me shiver. Erin was still sound asleep next to me, her hair spilled across the pillow in a tangled rat’s nest. I, unfortunately, couldn't sleep any longer. My bladder demanded attention.
Getting to my feet, I pattered across the cold wood floor until I found the bathroom. After taking care of my needs, I washed my hands and went to the kitchen in search of my single cup of coffee for the morning. The little kitchenette included a small coffee press, a grinder, and some beans. It was more sophisticated than I expected. But I wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I started the kettle boiling on the stove, then, unable to wait any longer, I ground some beans and laughed as Erin jolted upright in bed.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. How was your night?”
She yawned and stretched before getting out of bed and wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. "It was nice. I guess most of the other guests are leaving today. We’re here for the tail end of their season. They’re going to be closed for the next two weeks to get things ready for winter.”
"Really?" I hadn't realized that. For some reason, I just assumed they'd always be open. "Did you meet the rest of the family?"
"No. I met the ranch hands. A couple of them. Tucker, Justin, and one guy named Clay. Perfect cowboy name. They’re nice enough. And, I did get to talk to Clint. He's kinda surly."
"He's the oldest?"
The kettle started whistling and I took it off the heat. Then I started the brewing process for the coffee. My belly fluttered, a strange sort of bubbly feeling that caused me to press my hand to the outside, willing it to happen again.
"Are you okay?" She rushed around the room, coming close to me. “Is it the baby?"
I grinned like an idiot. And then, when that same fluttering happened again, I laughed. "I think I'm feeling the baby move."
She squealed in delight and pressed her hands to my belly. I laughed again and shook my head. "You're not going to be able to feel it. You won't be able to feel from the outside for a long time."
"Well, that's not fair. You get to have all the fun."
“If you think morning sickness sounds like a lot of fun, why don't you go get pregnant?"
She wrinkled her nose and grabbed two mugs from the cabinet behind me. "No, thanks. I think I'll let you take that one for the team.”
"You do know this isn't your baby, right?”
"What's mine is yours. Besides, I'm going to be the best aunt this kid could ever ask for.”
Smiling, she handed me a cup of coffee.
A sharp knock on the front door had both of us jumping out of our skin.
“It's seven in the morning. Who could possibly be at our door?" She frowned but didn’t make a move to answer.
"I have a feeling I know who." I walked to the door and opened it to see exactly who I thought would be there. Tristan Ryker stood staring at me, his denim jacket and dark felt hat just adding to the sexy smolder he wore almost constantly.
"Morning, darlin’.” He took off his hat and pressed it to his chest. "Hope I didn't wake you."
"Nope. We’re making some coffee. Did you want to come in?"
He nodded, stepping inside and hanging his hat on the rack next to the door almost instinctively. Erin was seated at the table still wrapped in a wool blanket as she nursed her cup of coffee, but Tristan's gaze was locked on me.
He opened his mouth as if to say something but stopped. Then he looked away and returned his gaze to me. "If you're cold, you should use the fire."
Cold? I glanced down and saw that my nipples were hard little points pushing against my very thin tank top. Rushing to the couch, I grabbed the other blanket that was on the back and wrapped myself in it just like my sister had done with hers. Tristan's boots clanked on the floor as he strode to the fireplace and began lighting a fire for us.
"I can do that." I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want him to think I was helpless.
He shrugged as the fire started blazing. "I'm sure you can. But I'm here, so I'm gonna do it. I'll do whatever you need."
“Hazel, he said he'll do whatever you need. Right now, you need to ask him about the interviews." Apparently, Erin expected me to get her the interviews rather than her.
Tristan cocked his eyebrow. "Interviews?"
“I mentioned Erin has a YouTube channel. She reviews reality TV while she does her makeup. It's a whole big thing. Lots of people do that kind of thing. Some just do regular makeup tutorials. There is this one girl who talks about true crime as she does amazing makeup looks…" I trailed off when I saw his eyes had gone glassy. He didn't need to know a lot about every single YouTube star I knew about. "Anyway, she started watching Saddle Up, and that's how I found you. So her idea was to come here and tell you about…the baby, and she could have some personal experience to share with her subscribers. We thought maybe having a couple interviews with some of you guys would be helpful."
"I think we could probably do that. I'm sure I have to check with the network. They're weird about that stuff."
Erin raised her coffee cup in a sort of salute. "Thank you, Tristan. You won't regret it."
Tristan stared at Erin for a moment, then chuckled. "You're not gonna learn anything sitting there wrapped up in a blanket. Work started an hour ago, and that's for the ones who were late."
"Work?"
He laughed. "Yeah, work. That's what you do when you come to a guest ranch. Sure, you can get some relaxation in. But you come here for the experience of working a real ranch. Not for sitting on your ass drinking coffee. So if I were you, and I wanted some interviews, I'd go make sure that every single one of my family members sees you working your butt off, so they decide that they will give you exactly what you want."
Erin stood, folded her blanket and laid it neatly on the chair, then stomped over to her suitcase. She grabbed a pair of jeans and boots and a long sleeve shirt before heading into the bathroom to change without another word.
"So what kind of work do I get to do?" I asked.
"You get to come with me. We’re gonna check the fences."
"On a horse?"
He shook his head. "We also use trucks here. You and me are gonna ride in my truck and check all the fence that goes along the edge of our property. If there's any broken, I'll teach you how to fix it."
"And just how long are we going to spend together in this truck?"
"All damn day, darlin'."
That didn’t sound awkward at all.
Tristan
Hazel smelled like flowers and something sweet. In fact, it was the exact same scent I’d been dreaming of since she left my bed months ago. It was fucking torture in the truck. I was already painfully hard behind my fly from the sight of her tight nipples under that shirt this morning and the husky, sexy sound of her voice.
The weather was cold enough that I had to turn the heater on, but that made her scent fill the cab of the truck, and memories overwhelmed me. Memories of her naked, warm, soft, and tasting like heaven. Shit, I needed to pull myself together.
“Are you okay?” she asked, and I forced myself to unclench my hands on the steering wheel.
“Yeah, fine. Just got a lot on my mind.”
“Me too.”
“You know, I think about that night all the t
ime.”
A low throaty laugh escaped her. “Me too. It’s hard to forget with the souvenir you left me.”
“I expect so.”
She didn’t say anything else as we drove down the long dirt driveway that led out of the ranch, but I caught myself stealing glances at her. Too many glances. One hand rested on her swollen belly, the other played with a strand of her hair as she stared out the window.
"It's really beautiful." Something about the way she said that made my chest tight. I wanted her to like the ranch. I needed her to.
"Yeah, every season changes, but my favorite is winter. It’s cold and still and everything is just…peaceful.”
“I’ve never spent a winter on a ranch. We only went to visit in the summer."
"Your grandpa's ranch." She looked at me with surprise in her eyes. "Yeah, I remember things."
"Does your family all know now? About us…the baby?”
I swallowed hard, not knowing what the right choice was here. I supposed it was the truth. "They do. Buck overheard me talking with Mama. He told Clint…and I'm sure, by now, Sera knows. I'm actually surprised I haven't seen her yet. She loves babies.”
“She’s your little sister?”
"Yep. Although, if you call her my little sister, she won’t be happy with you. Being the only girl, she got treated like the princess she is for years. But she has a lot of big brothers to teach her how to take care of herself. She don’t take kindly to being called little."
She went quiet again as we drove down the property line, her eyes scanning the fence just like I explained she needed to. I could've been doing this on my horse. Gettin’ in some exercise. Not that I needed exercise after all the work I regularly do. But I wanted to be near her, and I didn't want her doing anything stupid, like trying to keep up with her sister.
"So, tell me a little bit about you. Aside from what I found out on Google, I don't know anything about you, Tristan.”
"Well, I guess you need to tell me what Google says about me first."
She bit her lip, as though she was holding back something she wanted to say but was afraid of. "Google says you are a bit of a player."
