Boss Man

by Diana Palmer

  “You’ve been busy,” she exclaimed, when she realized that he’d been investigating the status of the case against Libby.

  “I have, indeed.” He slid his lean hands into his slacks pockets, smiling slowly at Violet in a way that made her toes curl up in her shoes.

  Harley Fowler walked in with Duke Wright, talking about a bull Harley’s boss, Cy Parks, had bought and sent Harley to transport, when they spotted Blake.

  Duke’s big fists curled at his sides. “What are you doing in my house?” he demanded of Blake.

  Blake glanced at him with a rueful smile. “Just talking to the mother of my child,” he said, dropping the bombshell. Just as well, he was thinking, to get two birds with one stone, especially since both men were temporarily single. No way was one of them going to mess around with his Violet.

  Ten

  But if Blake was feeling smug, Violet was trying to rein in a totally different emotion. She glanced from Harley’s amused expression to Duke’s shocked one, back to Blake’s arrogance.

  “How dare you!” she raged at Blake, pushing to her feet.

  It was a mistake. She was already weak from the effects of pregnancy and lack of sleep. She started to fall.

  Blake moved like greased lightning to catch her as she slumped. He hefted her in his arms and cradled her close, smiling. “It’s still the first trimester,” he told her gently. “You have to watch making sudden moves like that. You could fall.”

  She glared at him, furious and with no way to retaliate.

  Duke’s threatening stance had relaxed. He looked at Blake with conflicting emotions. “It’s your baby?” he asked slowly.

  Blake gave him a look that could have started a brushfire. “How dare you!” he repeated Violet’s own earlier statement, and managed to look indignant as well as angry. “What sort of woman do you think she is?”

  Duke cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

  Violet was trying not to smile. It really wasn’t funny. But Blake’s defense of her made her feel warm all over.

  Blake relaxed a little, but he wasn’t putting Violet down. “You have to make sure she gets frequent breaks,” he told Duke. “So that she doesn’t get too tired. I’ll come by at lunchtime every day and take her out to a nice restaurant where she can get plenty of protein.” He looked thoughtful. “Nothing with hormones or antibiotics, of course, we have to think of the baby.”

  “Blake!” Violet gasped, hitting his shoulder.

  “And she positively can’t work late,” Blake added belligerently.

  Duke was smiling now, and trying to hide it. “Okay,” he said agreeably.

  Harley was shell-shocked. He’d really liked Violet. But the way Blake Kemp was looking at her made his feelings almost tangible. And she was pregnant. Harley sighed wistfully. He didn’t have a lot of luck getting women, despite his history for helping crack a major drug ring in the area.

  Blake looked back down at Violet. “Feel okay now?” he asked softly, and smiled at her.

  She wanted to curl into his strong body and kiss him until she stopped aching. That would never do, of course. “I’m much better,” she said primly, and shifted to let him know that she wanted to be put down.

  He eased her onto her feet. “We have to tell your mother.”

  “About the baby?” Duke wondered aloud.

  “About Janet Collins being arrested in San Antonio,” Blake corrected. “She’s being charged with first degree murder in the death of Violet’s father.”

  Duke and Harley both let out a whistle. “I’m sorry, Violet,” Duke said gently. “If you need to leave early, you can. I’ll get a temp out here to fill in for you.”

  “No, it’s better if I don’t upset Mama by altering my routine,” Violet said. “I’ll do it when I get off work.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Blake said easily.

  She met his eyes and it was like lightning striking. She cleared her throat. “Thanks.”

  He nodded, lost in that soft, hungry gaze.

  Duke whacked Harley with a big fist. “Speaking of routines, we’ve got cattle to move.” He glanced at Blake. “I didn’t realize why you were here. Sorry about the reception.”

  Blake shrugged. “No harm done.”

  Duke hesitated. “I’ll make sure she gets enough breaks,” he added. “I remember how my wife was, before our son was born.” His face closed up.

  “We heard she’s coming down for a visit,” Blake said, fishing.

  Duke’s poker face was hard to read. “We’re discussing a revision of the custody rights. She’s spending a lot of time in the air, and the boy stays in a day care center or with a sitter most of the week.” His eyes flashed angrily. “I want to bring him here to live.”

  “Will she do it, do you think?” Violet asked gently.

  “It was a messy divorce,” he replied. “But I’m just beginning to realize how much of it was my own fault. I ran her off.” He shrugged. “Maybe we can work things out better now.” He stared at Blake. “You tried to tell me that, and I punched you.”

  Blake chuckled. “No harm done. I punched back.”

  Duke managed a smile. “He was a captain in the special forces, did you know?” he asked Violet. “He and Cag Hart served together.”

  “I don’t talk about that,” Blake said curtly.

  “Well, excuse me,” Duke said easily. “It wasn’t as if you hid in a foxhole and looked for ways out of combat, you know.”

  Violet was looking at Blake curiously.

  Duke grinned. “He’ll tell you one day, I suppose,” he said. “Or show you the medals, if he’s in a good mood.”

  Blake’s eyes were blazing.

  “I’m going!” Duke said, palms out. “Come on, Harley, we’ll go load up that bull your boss wants.”

  “Yes, sir,” Harley replied, with a wink at Violet. Blake glared at him. He held his palms out, too, chuckling, and followed Duke out the door.

  Violet stared after them, then at Blake. He didn’t look guilty. He looked smug, standing there with a grin on his face and his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t a man who smiled often. He seemed to do it a lot with Violet, she noticed. It eased her embarrassment.

  “Now you’ll marry me, won’t you?” he mused with pursed lips.

  Her eyes narrowed as she sat back down. “That wasn’t fair.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Neither is walking around town with my baby under your heart, smiling at other men. Especially Harley Fowler,” he added, just to make it clear.

  She blinked. “I’m not interested in Harley, that way.”

  “Well, he’s interested in you. Or he was.”

  “You’re not serious.”

  “I am.” The smile faded as he looked at her, and felt a new and tender protectiveness for her. “You don’t have much of a self-image. I’ve been a bad influence on you, and I haven’t given you the support you need. That’s going to change.”

  “Do you feel all right?” she asked warily.

  “Maybe Duke isn’t the only one who’d done some soul-searching lately,” he replied. “I spent weeks putting you down, when you came to work for me. You’d never given me anything except concern and kindness. I resented it. I suppose I knew even that long ago that you were under my skin. I fought it, of course.”

  “It might just be the baby,” she began.

  “It might not.”

  She smiled at him, her eyes softening. “Well, well.”

  He smiled back. “I’ll come by when you get off work and follow you home. We’ll both break the news to Mrs. Hardy.”

  “Mama’s tough,” she told him. “She seems very frail, but she’s got grit.”

  “So have you. I’m afraid you’ll need it, too, when this case goes to trial. It will bring back some painful memories for both of you.”

  “We faced all that when Daddy died,” she said sadly. “Including the loss of his money and our home. At least we’ll get some satisfaction at seeing her brought to account for killing him. I hope
she’ll go to jail.”

  “So do I, but you can’t second-guess a jury. We’ll have to supply the prosecutor with as much ammunition as we can get,” he added. “I don’t want her to slip out of this.”

  “Neither do I,” Violet agreed. She smiled at him. “Thanks.”

  “I’ll see you at five.” He winked before he went out the door. Violet sat staring after him, sighing, until she realized that she had work to get done.

  Mrs. Hardy knew something was wrong when she heard two cars pull up in the driveway, and especially when she saw Blake and Violet come in together looking somber.

  She sat up straight in her chair and folded her hands on her lap. “Okay. What’s going on?”

  They both started.

  “Two cars? Both of you here just after work? It’s something big.”

  “Well…” Violet began.

  Blake moved closer. “They caught Janet Collins. She’s in jail in San Antonio.”

  “Hallelujah!” Mrs. Hardy burst out, grinning.

  Blake and Violet exchanged puzzled stares.

  “Am I supposed to faint or something?” Mrs. Hardy asked. “Sorry. I’m very happy they got her, and I’ll be more than happy to testify to everything I know.”

  “It will be stressful,” Violet began, sitting down on the sofa across from her mother.

  “Letting her get away with it would be more stressful.” She looked at Blake solemnly. “And speaking of stress, when are you two getting married?”

  Blake’s lips fell open.

  “It had better be soon,” she added firmly. “I do not want my daughter waddling down the aisle in maternity clothes.”

  “Mama!” Violet exclaimed, horrified.

  “She thinks I’m deaf,” Mrs. Hardy told Blake. “I’d have to be, not to hear her throwing up every morning.” She studied him belligerently. “Well?”

  Blake actually laughed. “I just told her new boss about the baby.”

  “It will be a scandal,” Mrs. Hardy wailed.

  “It will be a baby,” Blake corrected, smiling tenderly at Violet. “With two parents who’ll love and want him very much.”

  “Indeed they will,” Violet agreed, smiling back at him.

  “So?” Mrs. Hardy persisted. “When?”

  “I suppose if we hurry, we can manage next week,” Blake said. “Under the circumstances, the sooner the better. But it won’t be a big wedding. I’ve got cases I can’t postpone, so there won’t be time for a honeymoon just yet.”

  “Never mind the honeymoon, you have to legalize my grandchild,” Mrs. Hardy continued.

  “I’ll get right to the arrangements,” Blake said. “She can go shopping for a dress and I’ll arrange the flowers and the reception.”

  “What about the minister?” Mrs. Hardy asked.

  “We could have a civil service,” Violet began, worried.

  “We will not,” Blake interrupted. “We’re having a church wedding. Violet,” he continued softly when he saw her face, “it’s not as if we’re being forced into it.” He glanced at Mrs. Hardy and cleared his throat. “Well, we’re sort of being forced into it, and we did jump the gun. But we’re going to have a good marriage, and it needs a good foundation.”

  “I’d be self-conscious in church,” she murmured.

  “Even the Puritans crossed the line when they were engaged,” Blake said. “God doesn’t expect people to be perfect. Luckily for us all.”

  “I suppose so,” Violet replied.

  “People will talk,” Mrs. Hardy murmured unhappily.

  “They’re already talking, and smiling, and laughing,” Blake told her with a grin. “It’s an open secret all over town. The only thing they’re curious about is where we’re being married.”

  “I suppose that’s the beauty of small towns,” Violet agreed, smiling back. “There are no real secrets. We’re all family.”

  “Exactly,” Blake replied. “Now to the next important issue.” He watched their faces grow attentive. “Who wants Chinese take-out?” he asked, chuckling.

  He went to get the order and brought it back to Mrs. Hardy’s. She and Violet already had the places set at the table and they were all hungry. They talked over the potential case against Janet Collins, and the forthcoming wedding. By the time Blake was ready to leave, Mrs. Hardy was smiling and seemed to have no more misgivings.

  Violet walked him out to his car, noticing how bright and clear the night sky was. The stars were brilliant. All around there was the fragrance of the old-fashioned roses Mrs. Hardy grew in her small garden.

  Mrs. Hardy had already announced her opinion of living with the newlyweds—and especially Blake’s delinquent Siamese. She said she’d prefer torture. So they’d compromised on having a nurse-companion stay with her. Blake would call an agency and have them send over people for Mrs. Hardy’s approval.

  “She’ll be much happier here, I know,” Violet told him on the porch. “She loves puttering in her roses. We can visit her a lot.”

  “We’ll come over often and bring supper, too,” he said. “She’ll have someone qualified to look after her, so you don’t have to worry about that.” He looked at her curiously. “See how easily things work out, when they’re meant to happen?”

  She nodded. She moved a step closer to him. It was chilly, despite the usually warm spring nights. She looked up at him quietly. “You won’t end up resenting the baby because it forced us into marriage?”

  He caught her by the waist and pulled her close. “If I didn’t care about you, I’d make provisions for you and the baby and we wouldn’t get married,” he said surprisingly. “I don’t like the idea of divorce. It’s messy and it leaves a trail of sorrow behind it. You and I have a lot in common. We’re basically the same sort of people. We have the same attitudes. We both love children and animals. There’s enough there to start with, and a physical compatibility that I never expected in a million years. I want to marry you. The baby is going to be a bonus.”

  Tears stung her eyes. “You’ve thought about this a lot.”

  “I have. That’s why I’m sorry you overheard me talking to Dr. Lou Coltrain,” he added, identifying his confidant for the first time. “I wasn’t choosing my words, and I was confused. I’m not anymore.”

  “You’re sure about that?” she asked gently.

  He nodded. He traced a line down her soft cheek. “I’ve been alone for a long time. I’m tired of it. I’ll adjust, and so will you.”

  She nodded, but she still looked worried.

  “What now?” he asked.

  “I’m scared.”

  “Of getting married?” he asked with a quizzical smile.

  “Of the baby,” she replied. “They don’t come with instruction manuals. They’re so tiny, and so fragile…”

  He drew her close, laughing softly. “Everybody’s afraid of being parents,” he said easily. “But babies are tougher than they seem, and there’s always Dr. Lou. She’s had lots of experience with pregnant people, and she knows a very good obstetrician.”

  “So I heard.”

  “Stop worrying,” he told her. “We’re in this together.”

  “I suppose we are, at that,” she conceded. “We’ll have company, too—well, about marriage. Libby and Jordan Powell are getting married.”

  He grinned. “That’s no surprise. He’s been in and out of the office several times trying to get her to forgive him.”

  “Serves him right that she took her time about it,” she pointed out. “He and Julie Merrill were a venomous pair. Will Julie go to prison for that arson charge, do you think?”

  “She’ll probably try to let her employee swing in her place. Don’t worry. Chief Grier has another pending charge, one that she won’t escape so easily.”

  “Are you going to tell me what it is?” she fished.

  He chuckled. “Not now.” He bent and kissed her gently, tugging her close into his arms. They were warm and safe against the chill of the evening. She sighed and kissed him back.
His mouth felt as warm as his arms. He was perfect to her.

  “Go back in,” he said after a minute, running his lean hands over her arms. “You’re freezing out here.”

  “It’s supposed to be spring already,” she pointed out, shivering.

  “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,” he repeated the standing local joke.

  “I believe that.” She smiled. “Are we really getting married next week, or was that just to placate Mama?”

  “It was to placate me, too,” he replied somberly. “I don’t want people making snide remarks about you, the way they’re talking about Tippy Moore moving in with Chief Grier.”

  “She was badly hurt,” she stated. “Nobody sane is going to think anything of it. Besides, Mrs. Jewell is staying there around the clock. So is Tippy’s little brother. There are too many chaperones for much to go on.”

  “Still, there’s talk,” he countered. “And they’ll have more ammunition with you than they did with Tippy, even considering her miscarriage. It won’t take long for someone to notice that you had prenatal vitamins filled up in Victoria.”

  She gasped. “How did you know that?”

  “Lou told me,” he said simply, and he smiled. “Well, I am a concerned party,” he reminded her. “It’s my baby, too.” He hesitated, frowning as he looked down at Violet and then at her flat stomach. He felt…odd. He’d never thought about children, except once, long ago, with Shannon. Since then, since the fatal poisoning that had claimed her and her unborn child, he’d been belligerent about not wanting children. But now…

  “You’re upset,” Violet said softly, moving a step closer. “What is it?”

  He looked worried. “You know that I’ve been adamant about never wanting children. I’m not sure you know why.”

  She’d forgotten that, and it made her heart sink. She knew he was making the most of a bad situation, but she hadn’t wanted to remember how he felt about children. “Some men just don’t like them,” she began.