Expecting His Brother's Baby (Baby Bonds #3)

by Karen Rose Smith

  “You’ve already made that decision. I saw Wanda yesterday and she said the two of you were going to practice breathing techniques next week before you and I work together. I still think you’re crazy that you want to give birth naturally. Believe me, when Garrett and I have a baby, I’m getting an epidural.”

  “Practicing, are we?” Kylie asked with a mischievous grin.

  “As much as we can, and don’t change the subject.”

  Kylie went to the upholstered chair that sat by the full-length mirror and lowered herself into it. With a month to go until her due date, she seemed to be tiring more easily. “Uh-oh,” she murmured. “Maybe I’d better not sit. I don’t want to get wrinkled.”

  “That material doesn’t wrinkle. Sit if you need to sit, and tell me the truth about what’s going on with you.”

  Finally Kylie accepted the inevitable, giving Gwen what she wanted. “I love Brock.”

  “Oh, honey,” Gwen murmured, coming over to crouch down beside her, her gown swishing around her. “Do you have any idea how he feels?”

  “I think he cares about me. I think he might even be attracted to me, as crazy as that seems with me being pregnant.” She thought about what happened when they kissed. What happened when they touched. “But he can’t wait to leave. He has meetings in Alaska in March. He’s going back to the life that he wants, and it doesn’t include Saddle Ridge. Or me.”

  “Or memories of Jack Warner,” Gwen added. “We were kids when all of that went on. But even I remember the talk. One time I went to Clementine’s looking for my dad, afraid he was on a binge again. It was the day after high school graduation—Brock’s high school graduation. Two men were sitting at the bar, talking to the bartender about how the high and mighty Jack Warner hadn’t attended his older son’s graduation. They bet money on the fact that in five years he’d be front and center at Alex’s graduation.”

  “Brock never told me Jack didn’t go.” Her fingers automatically went to the chain around her neck, hidden by the high collar of her dress. She pulled it out and slid her fingers under the mustang charm. “Brock gave me this the night Alex and I graduated. It must have really hurt him to be there that night with Jack, watching Alex getting his diploma…watching his father being so proud of Alex.”

  “I remember that necklace. You used to wear it all the time until…”

  “Until Jack’s funeral when Brock attended it with his wife.”

  “Has he told you why his marriage broke up?”

  “He and his wife wanted different things.”

  “There could be another reason he’s determined to leave. Some men can’t accept another man’s child.”

  “I know. I almost think it would be better if he left before the baby’s born. But he has a misguided sense of responsibility where I’m concerned. The thing is, I want every day I can have with him before he does leave.”

  The door to the dressing room burst open then, and Shaye came inside carrying a box with Gwen’s bouquet, as well as hers and Kylie’s. Gwen had asked Tiffany to be a member of the wedding party, too, but the young mother had insisted Kylie and Shaye should share that honor because they had been friends for so long. Besides, Tiffany wanted to watch the wedding ceremony with Amy and keep her baby happy.

  “Does Garrett ever look handsome in that Western-cut tuxedo!” Shaye remarked.

  She stopped when she saw Gwen crouched down next to Kylie. “Is everything okay?”

  Kylie pushed herself up out of the chair. “Our very best friend is getting married to the man she loves. Everything is more than okay. Come on, Gwen, you can primp one last time before you take your dad’s arm.” Her father was sober now, had been for the past few years. Everything was right in her friend’s world.

  No matter what was going on in Kylie’s life, this night belonged to Gwen. She would do everything in her power to make sure the ceremony went off without a hitch.

  Brock’s shirt collar felt tight as the wedding march began to play, and he didn’t know why he was so damned uncomfortable. Was it because the music reminded him of his own wedding day? He hadn’t attended Alex and Kylie’s ceremony. He and Marta had been consulting on a project in the Middle East.

  Standing along with everyone else, he noticed Shaye walk down the aisle first. Beside Dylan, he saw the look of pride on the man’s face as his wife, carrying a bouquet of pink roses intertwined with lace and ribbons, began the procession. Although Brock knew Kylie would be next, he wasn’t prepared for the impact of seeing her in the pinkish velvet gown, some of her hair braided with ribbons, a glow on her face because she was happy for her friend. Pregnant or not, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  A whisper in his head asked, What if she’d be willing to leave Saddle Ridge? What if she’d give it all up for you?

  Kylie will never leave Saddle Ridge, he answered back. The ranch and the horses and the Painted Peaks are in her blood. Any money she’d receive from selling it would never replace the emptiness she’d feel if she left it. He knew her that well. He also knew more than the ranch was standing between them. Alex’s baby. He felt like a jerk for thinking it, but the only way he wanted Kylie was free and clear of Warner ties.

  But you’re a Warner, that whispery voice insisted.

  He’d spent his whole life fighting against that fact.

  When Kylie drifted past him, they made eye contact. Her smile was tremulous. His was forced.

  After she passed by him, he still watched her. When she took her place beside Shaye, they both waited for the bride. He waited, too, knowing the ceremony would be over soon…knowing his time at Saddle Ridge was coming to an end.

  The real estate agent’s office was an eight-by-eight cubicle that made Kylie feel claustrophobic. Her chair was against the wall, Brock’s chair close beside her. Linda Torrence, a pretty blonde, sat across from them at a large desk. If the desk had been smaller, they all might have had some breathing space.

  “I’m so glad you decided to use our agency,” Linda said. “This is a first for me, signing a client before the First Night celebration begins.” She looked at Kylie now. “But Mr. Warner said it would be convenient for you since you were coming to town anyway.”

  It was true, Brock had set everything up. Together they’d studied agents’ credentials and had chosen one. Brock asked if Kylie could sign the papers tonight, deciding it would be convenient to have their meeting before they met Shaye and Dylan for the concert in the town hall. After the concert they’d go to the Silver Dollar for the dessert bar several establishments were sponsoring. The object of Wild Horse’s First Night Celebration was to give residents several places to gather until everyone lined the streets at midnight to watch the mustang run through town.

  Linda had already given them a presentation on what she thought she could do for them, showing them similar properties and acreage and how much they sold for, calculating comparison values in Wild Horse Junction and in nearby Cody.

  Now she slipped all the computer generated printouts into a folder and laid it before them. “I think I’ve covered everything.”

  Although Kylie knew that Linda was a top-selling agent, she wanted to know more about her. “How long have you lived in Wild Horse?” Kylie asked her.

  “Eight years now. Each year I fall more in love with it.”

  “You sold real estate before you moved here?”

  “Oh, yes. I’ve been selling since I was twenty-one. I grew up in the Chicago area.”

  “What made you move here?”

  “Your husband didn’t tell you?”

  Kylie’s gaze jerked to Brock’s and then back to Linda’s. “My husband?”

  “Yes. Isn’t that why you came to me? Because Alex mentioned me before he…before he died?”

  This was a turn Kylie had never expected the conversation to take. When she glanced at Brock again, she saw he was just as surprised as she was.

  In fact, he interjected now, “I didn’t know Alex had come to you. I made
comparisons of agents in the area on the computer, and you were one of the top three. After asking around, I learned you had a good reputation. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  “When did Alex consult with you?” Kylie asked.

  “About a year ago. The beginning of last December, it was. You didn’t know about that?”

  “No, I didn’t,” Kylie admitted.

  “We didn’t go further than preliminary talks. He wanted to find out what he could get for Saddle Ridge.”

  “He was going to sell the entire ranch?” Kylie absolutely couldn’t imagine it. She couldn’t imagine Alex thinking about doing it, let alone doing it and not telling her. Well, she was learning that had come to be the norm.

  Brock leaned forward, his arm brushing hers. “Did Alex have his eye on someplace a little smaller?” he asked now.

  “No, not at all.” Linda’s gaze fell on Kylie. “He just said the ranch was becoming a burden for the both of you. With the money you could get for it, you could travel with him from rodeo to rodeo for a long time, and not have to worry about taxes or expenses or the price of beef. He was very honest about it.” Linda continued, “That’s why I was a bit disappointed when you said you were only interested in selling part of the back acreage. But that is prime property, and as I told you, we should do quite well.”

  After that, Kylie concentrated hard on every form Linda put before her to sign. She read every word, made sure she understood what kind of advertising the agency was going to do on her behalf. Although Brock watched over her, posed a question of his own now and then, for the most part he didn’t interfere and let her handle the transaction.

  Finally as Linda gathered all the papers together, though, he said, “So why did you move to Wild Horse Junction?”

  “Because I heard that rodeo cowboys still lived here. A little fantasy of mine, but I always wanted to date a cowboy.”

  Kylie couldn’t help but wonder if Alex had made a pass at Linda, maybe offered to date her himself. But there was nothing in Linda’s demeanor that would suggest that.

  Brock was the one who asked, “Did you date a cowboy?”

  “Actually, Alex introduced me to one of his friends. He’s a calf-roper and has a place outside of town. Jeff Mitchell. We’re still dating.”

  Kylie knew Jeff. He and Alex sometimes traveled the circuit together. Older than Alex, he’d always been quiet around her. So Alex had been a matchmaker, too?

  Brock checked his watch. “Finished. With time to spare before the concert.”

  “Listing with us is pretty cut-and-dried,” Linda said, standing. “But when offers start coming in, that might require some negotiation. On the other hand, we can hope for two at the same time and let them bid against each other.”

  Five minutes later, Brock had helped Kylie with her cape and they were walking along the street to the town hall, both of them silent.

  Finally, Kylie said, “I don’t know whether to laugh at the idea that Alex thought I would follow him from rodeo to rodeo, or to be furious with him for it.”

  “It was probably his fantasy.”

  She gave Brock a sharp look. “Some fantasy, driving from city to city, never having a home. How could he even think about doing something like that?”

  “Saddle Ridge is simply a house, barns, outbuildings and some land. Apparently, Alex wasn’t sentimentally attached to it.”

  “You mean like I am?” she asked defensively, feeling as if he were attacking all she held dear. “Saddle Ridge became my home when I didn’t have one. I had to sell my pop’s place. Do you know how hard that was to do? Do you know how many tears I shed going through room after room, time after time, wishing I didn’t have to sell it yet knowing I did? I felt my dad there. I felt my mom there. I had to sell all the horses except Caramel. When my mom came back here those couple of months to oversee everything, even she cried, and she couldn’t wait to leave the place. It had been home to her, too. She and Pop were newlyweds there. She was pregnant with me there. It’s more than sentimentality, Brock, and if you don’t understand it, I can’t explain it.”

  “Oh, I understand it. But you’ve got to realize something. Your mother left because she wanted a different life. Alex thought about selling because he apparently did, too. Saddle Ridge was a burden to him because he didn’t know how to handle it.”

  Actually sounding as if he would have approved, she was totally frustrated with Brock. Her turmoil pushed her to walk faster.

  He caught her arm. “We have plenty of time. You don’t have to rush.”

  “Always the practical one,” she said, almost angrily.

  He released her arm. “Somebody has to be.”

  That was the end of their conversation until they found Shaye and Dylan outside of the town hall waiting for them.

  In the town hall’s reception room, where everything from town meetings to dances were held throughout the year, the residents of Wild Horse Junction were serenaded by a choir, solo artists and talented town musicians. When there was an intermission, Kylie was glad for the opportunity to stand up and walk around a bit. She wandered toward the historic building’s vestibule, intending to peek outside to see if crowds were congregated yet for the midnight mustang run. All ages gathered because it was simply an exciting event.

  Sidestepping around a group of concert-goers, Kylie came face-to-face with Trish Hammond.

  At first, Kylie froze. Trish was the last person she wanted to see anywhere…ever. Then, with a sudden surge of face-the-world courage, she realized she wasn’t the one who should be ashamed of anything. She wasn’t the one who should be embarrassed. She wasn’t the one who had done anything wrong.

  Feeling a presence beside her, she knew it was Brock. She did not need his protection. “Go away,” she murmured.

  But, of course, he didn’t.

  Trish’s surprise soon turned her smile into a coy one. “If you don’t want him, I’ll take him. I suppose one Warner’s as good as another.”

  Everything inside of Kylie turned red. Her anger couldn’t even be described. She knew Alex was as responsible for his part in the affair as Trish, and they were both to blame. But the woman had no right to put into words the one thing that was between her and Brock and might always be between them.

  “I’ll settle this,” Kylie said, looking up at Brock.

  “We both have something to settle.”

  Trish looked from one of them to the other. “You told her, didn’t you?”

  “I’m here, Miss Hammond,” Kylie stated firmly. “Don’t talk around me. Yes, Brock told me that Alex broke off his relationship with you to come back to me. Why are you so surprised? Aren’t the very qualities you hooked onto with Alex the ones that made him turn away from you? Although he was reckless and impulsive and danger seeking, he cared. He cared about people and he cared about me.”

  “He cared about you so much he wanted to be with me any chance he could,” Trish answered boldly.

  Kylie realized this encounter wasn’t worth the stress to her and her baby. “I don’t know what has made you the vindictive woman you are. Maybe you just need some maturity. If you had been mature enough, maybe you would have seen that Alex was running. Not running from me and our marriage, but all the responsibility it entailed. He’d never learned how to deal with responsibility, and you were just a fix that let him avoid it.”

  This time Kylie could see that she’d struck home and now all of her anger deflated. She did not want to be like Trish. She didn’t want to hurt this woman, even though Trish had hurt her. She simply wanted it all to end. “We live in the same town. We’re going to run into each other from time to time, just like tonight. I surely won’t be able to smile at you as if I mean it. Not for a long time. But I don’t want to have this kind of conversation again, either. Do you?”

  After studying Kylie for a long time, Trish shook her head. “No. But I can’t just forget about everything, either. You’re going to have his baby. You’
ll be coming into town—” She turned away and Kylie guessed Trish’s eyes had filled with sudden tears. “Anyway,” she went on, taking a deep breath, “I’m thinking about leaving Wild Horse. I have a friend in Billings who said I could make more money up there. So you won’t have to worry about running into me much longer.”

  After a last, quick look at Brock, Trish exited the town hall and hurried up the street.

  “You shouldn’t have followed me out here.” If Brock had stayed inside, Trish wouldn’t have made the comment she had.

  His answer was quick in coming. “You’re not that far from your due date. Anything could happen.”

  “And you hope it will, don’t you? So that you can take me to the hospital. So this baby will be born and you can leave that much sooner.”

  “Kylie…”

  “Don’t.” She held up her hand. “I’ve had enough of a roller-coaster ride tonight. I just want to see the mustang—because when he runs through town I’ll know it’s a new year and a new beginning for me. The rest won’t matter anymore.”

  A half hour later Kylie stood beside Brock in the shelter of the feed store’s awning so aware of the man she loved she could hardly keep her attention on the New Year’s celebration.

  The high school band marched down Wild Horse Way and found their place by the town hall where it had been cleared for them. The mayor came next, driving his pickup, leaning out the window with his megaphone, wishing everyone a happy New Year. Finally, a minute before midnight, the band launched into their rendition of “Auld Lang Syne” as the sheriff and his deputies made sure the crowd was off the street and on the sidewalk.

  Then the starter pistol went off, and Kylie listened for the thudding of hooves. Cora Wilke, one of Wild Horse Junction’s barrel racers, sped down Wild Horse Way on a galloping chestnut mustang with a black mane. Church chimes sounded above the music. The mustang’s thudding hooves faded away, and Kylie prepared herself to face the New Year. Soon she would be a mother and she just couldn’t wait. Brock would leave…and she had to make peace with that.