by Roxy Wilson
Tasha flicked a glance at Tegan who held an amused look in her eyes. She must have caught her mother’s last sentence. “What mischief did she get up to?”
“She climbed up cupboards. I had to tie her on a leash when we went to the mall or she would run away.”
“Remember the time when the boys couldn’t find me in the garden?” Tegan chuckled.
“How could I forget? Heath was in tears because he thought you were kidnapped or something.”
Tasha laughed at the thought of a teary eyed Heath. He must have been an adorable child. “Where were you?”
“Hiding right up that tree.” Tegan pointed with her hand. “Eventually Dad came out and hollered for me to come out. And I obeyed him like the good, obedient daughter that I am.” Tegan’s eyes danced with merriment.
“The boys were ready to kill her for making them run around like that. She was seven at that time,” Heath’s mother added as she stood. “Your dad is about to set that grill on fire. Let me see if I can rescue it.”
When she left, Tegan took her place.
“You didn’t bring a date,” Tasha asked.
“With that lot?” Tegan shook her head. “Ever wonder what’s it like to be the youngest sister of five brothers? Collectively, they’ve never approved of any guy I brought home to see them.”
Tasha could sympathize with her problem. “Surely, they don’t voice their opinions out loud.”
“Not in front of the poor guy. But they do make it pretty clear to me as to what they find lacking in him.” She sighed. “It’s my cross to bear. I’ll probably have to elope and get married and then bring my husband home. Otherwise, they wouldn’t let any relationship last.”
Tasha laughed. “Sounds like a plan.” She watched as Heath and Myron sauntered over. Myron was a good-looking fellow, but not as handsome as Heath, of course. Heath remained in a league of his own. Tasha thought he was the most gorgeous out of the entire bunch. “Hello.”
“I hope our sister isn’t talking your ear off,” Myron said. His gaze roved over her. “She can be a big pain.”
“Talk about yourself!” Tegan retorted with a loud sniff. “Some people call me the soul of amicability and politeness.”
“Are they deaf, dumb, and blind?” Myron asked with a smile on his lips.
“I don’t know why I bother.” Tegan rolled her eyes. “Good luck with this lot, Tasha. They’re the worst of the group.”
“Don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous because I’m the famous one in the family.”
“And a fat lot of good your fame has done. You haven’t been able to land a single girl.”
“No one has caught my eyes as yet, darling.” His glance moved to Tasha. “But now I may be changing my mind. Heath tells me you’re not dating anyone.”
Nonplussed, she gazed at Heath. Was this his brother’s ploy to discover their true relationship? If so, how was she supposed to reply to that statement? “Not really.”
“Not really? That’s not a no. And it isn’t a yes. It looks like an evasion tactic to me.”
“Stop bothering the girl,” Heath interjected. He punched his brother lightly on the arm. “She’s not interested in the likes of you.”
Myron might have said something but their mother called just at that moment and they all looked in her direction.
“The burgers are ready,” Tegan announced. “Come on, or we’ll have to wait for the next lot.”
“Greedy little pig, aren’t you?” Myron put his arm around his sister’s shoulders.
“Oink oink,” she said as she put an arm around his waist.
Heath laughed. “They’re battering each other one minute and being nice the next.”
Tasha strode over and stepped down the stairs. “It’s—” Her foot slid over the second step and she went flying. If Heath didn’t catch her, she would have fallen face first on the grass.
“Careful! In your condition—” Heath halted. He stopped and immediately stared at his siblings who were still within earshot.
Myron and Tegan were gawking at them as if Christmas just arrived all over again.
“Are you…?” Tegan pointed a finger at Tasha.
“Is it yours?” Myron demanded.
“Guys, please,” Heath begged. “Let’s just eat.”
“But I heard what you just said,” Myron accused. “I’m sure of it. Is she pregnant?”
Tasha’s face and neck grew impossibly hot. How are we going to get out of this situation?
Just then, their mother came along. “Who’s pregnant?”
“I believe—?” Tegan started and then stopped when she saw the look on Heath’s face. “Ah—u-um,” she stammered. “Nothing. Just—we were talking about a friend.”
“Yeah, mom, these idiots were just goofing around,” Heath put in quickly.
Tasha couldn’t allow him to lie to his family on her behalf. She put a hand on Heath’s arm. She inhaled deeply and then released a bit of air through her mouth. “Actually, Mrs. Dawson, Heath and I have an announcement to make.”
He glanced down at her. “Are you sure?” he whispered.
“Yes.” She gazed into his eyes. It felt right. How could she take away this special moment from him? Didn’t she want him to be an equal partner in their venture to raise the baby? Well, he deserved a chance to give the news in the best possible setting. So, what could be better than this moment when everyone was gathered together? “Go on. Tell them.”
His father, Adam, came closer, holding a spatula in his hand. “Tell us what? Who’s holding up the line here? The burgers are getting cold.”
“Tasha is expecting. It’s my child,” Heath blurted out the words.
For a moment, everyone stared at him.
His father dropped the spatula.
His mother whooped.
Tegan and Myron grinned.
Then Tasha found herself getting hugged. One after another, every member of his family came forward to hug and kiss her. Telling her how excited they were that she would be bringing forth the first grandchild of the family.
Behind her, she heard Heath’s mother whisper, “You’re not even going out with her?”
“Mom! I’ll explain later,” he said.
“But she’s so nice,” Tegan whispered.
“Be quiet!” he ordered.
Just then, his father smothered Tasha in the warmest hug.
It was a while later when everyone finally gathered to eat the burgers that were cold by now. Excited as they all were, perhaps they sensed her discomfort because no one asked anything personal about her relationship with Heath. It did seem kind of them to do so. She appreciated the restraint.
Later on, Heath dropped her home. At her door, he sighed. “I’m sorry about the whole confession. It just—”
“It was the best way to tell the family. I’m glad we told them.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
She wasn’t sure who made the first move, but the next moment—they were kissing. His lips were soft, yet firm, just like she remembered…his mouth as sweet as before. The electricity that zinged down her spine spread through every cell of her body. Nothing prepared her for the straight lance of lust that hit her in the gut. His breath felt hot against her mouth, his body hard against hers. She never wanted to let go. Her arms wound themselves around his neck and she cuddled closer.
When they stepped away, she was hot and breathless. Tasha resisted the urge to invite him inside her apartment. Things were already complicated. She didn’t want to add to the confusion in her head by sleeping with him again. Yet, she realized that moment wasn’t too far in the future. She could feel it creeping in on them with persistence.
Sooner or later, she would end up in bed with Heath. “I think you should go.”
He held her hand.
His touch was enough to make her delirious with desire.
“Go out with me.”
“Heath, if anything goes wrong—”
“Nothing will
go wrong. We’re meant to be together. I can feel it. Can’t you?”
She could. That was the problem. Dare she take the risk? What happened if he broke her heart? Would she able to continue her relationship with him as the mother of his child? Tasha wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable with this move. But matters were already out of her control. Certainly, he could read the desire in her eyes. How long could she keep on denying her most basic urges? “All right. One date.”
He gave a little jump while beaming with happiness. “You won’t regret it. When?”
She couldn’t help but laugh at his enthusiasm. Tasha had never been pursued with so much excitement before. It was obvious he liked and respected her. Maybe they could build something on it. After they fixed the time and place, she went inside and he left. As she dumped her things on the counter, Tasha accepted that the reason for her hesitance to date Heath wasn’t because she felt afraid about what would happen if she took the risk and things didn’t work out with Heath.
What scared her most was the fear that she might end up falling in love with Heath. If that happened, her life would change forever. She just wasn’t ready for something as drastic as that right now.
Chapter Eight
As they sat together in the restaurant, Heath had an empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. The last time he felt this anxious was during his high school dance. Although he slept with Tasha and even went out with her causally, this time it would be different. He could sense this could be the path breaking moment of their relationship. Both of them were taking a chance today. It wasn’t an ordinary date where if things went wrong, he would have the luxury of not calling the woman the next day. The fact was that she would soon be the mother of his child. She would be a part of his life forever.
The very reason why it was important not to mess it up to a point where he couldn’t pick up the pieces. Relax! He ordered in the privacy of his mind. The waiter came with the menus and with a sigh of relief, Heath took it. He busied himself with placing an order. Say something, man! He could hear his ego screaming in his mind when the waiter left. If I bore her to death, I might never see her again. “What do you do in your spare time? I mean, other than hiking and camping.” Shit! What kind of a lame question was that?
Much to his relief, Tasha smiled. “I like to knit.”
“That’s a lost art,” he replied. “My mother used to knit. In fact, we would be jumping around her like hellions and she would continue knitting as if she was sitting all alone. She said it calmed her nerves. Are you knitting anything special now?”
Tasha cleared her throat. “Actually, I’m making a layette for the baby. I thought it would be nice for him or her to have something handmade.”
“That’s a wonderful idea.” Maybe he should also consider doing something special for the baby. Perhaps he could capture all their baby’s ‘firsts’ in photos: first bath, first smile, first steps…Heath’s heart warmed at the thought. It would be something the baby might appreciate when he or she grew up.
“My mother did the same for me before I was born. I still have it. Of course, your mother might have some things she might want to pass on.”
He could listen to her sweet voice forever.
“Does she?”
He realized that she was asking a question. “If you give her a chance, she’ll drop off an entire truck load into your apartment.”
Tasha chuckled. “She couldn’t have kept everything of yours. Out of six kids, she must have saved something for everyone but not so much.”
“There’s an attic in our house that my father refuses to step into. It’s full of trunks and boxes that contain our childhood memories.”
“Your mother is an amazing woman,” she said in an admiring voice.
Heath felt that shiver in his spine and it told him something amazing just happened. His mother repeated the same words to him during their last phone conversation. Then of course, his mother was talking about Tasha. It appeared the two women hit it off, a rarity in his experience. Even his ex-wife never seemed to get along well with his mother. The fact that the two important women in his life appeared to like each other should have filled him with joy but instead, he felt slightly uneasy. Something major was happening in his life and he couldn’t be sure what it was. Heath dated a lot of woman during his hay days, but he never felt as besotted with anyone like he did now. What would happen if they actually started dating each other in earnest? What would happen when his baby was born and he remained around Tasha constantly? He wouldn’t be able to mask his emotions successfully.
His life was fast spiraling out of control and he couldn’t seem to do anything about it.
His cell phone rang, jarring him out of his deep thoughts. Heath nearly groaned when he saw the name of his caller. It was from his lawyer. “Sorry,” he told her. “I have to take this call.” He picked up the call. “Hey, Stephen.”
“Heath, we’ve got a problem.”
“I know. But I’m trying to sort it out as fast as I can.”
“You need to work faster. The deal is going to fall through if you don’t present the paperwork on time.”
“Stephen, I can’t seem to find an accountant at such a short notice. Especially, when they discover the state of my current paperwork, they all refuse to take me on. One of them agreed but at such an exorbitant fee that I nearly fell out of my chair.”
“You’re cutting it close. We don’t have more than a fortnight left to present the papers,” Stephen replied in a clipped tone.
“Yeah, I’ll get right to it.” Heath chewed his bottom lip as he cut the call and put the phone back in his pocket. “Sorry about that. Work! Can’t seem to get rid of it.”
Tasha raised an eyebrow. The waiter brought their food and she waited until he left. “Trouble?”
“Sort of. I want to buy the land adjacent to my farm, because I have plans for growth in the near future. It’s up for sale, but we need to submit some papers and put my tax forms in order, before I can close the deal. And ever since my accountant quit, I can’t find someone who’s willing to take me on. It’s a real mess. I have to admit that I’m responsible for it. If only I kept an accountant right from the beginning, but I was trying to save on expenses initially...” He sighed and waved a hand. “Don’t let me bore you with the details.”
“I could help you.”
He stared at her, his food lying forgotten in front of him. “You?”
“Have you forgotten I’m a practicing accountant? I could take a look at your papers and try to put things in order.”
“You’d take me on as a client?”
She shook her head, her black hair gleaming in the low lights. “I’ve got my hands full at work. But I could do this over the weekend. Surely, it wouldn’t take me that long.”
“I’m afraid you’re underestimating my problems.” He considered her offer. It was kind of her. But he didn’t want to give her too much trouble. “Thank you. I’m sure I’ll find someone soon.”
“You don’t think I’m good enough?”
“That isn’t what I meant. I’m hardly qualified to pass a judgment on your work.”
“Is it because I’m a woman?”
His mouth gaped open. How did she come to that conclusion? Why would he refuse for that insane reason? He was about to deny the accusation when he caught the amused gleam in her eyes. She was teasing him. “No. Actually, it’s because you’re too beautiful. I don’t think I would be able to concentrate if I was working with you.”
She laughed. “You’re quite the flatterer.”
“On the contrary, I speak from my heart.” His gaze pinned her. It was about time she understood what she meant to him. “You’re the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met. In fact, I haven’t been able to think of much else ever since I met you. After our first meeting, during the Christmas party, I considered tracking you down many times. But I was scared.”
“Scared?”
“I knew even then
that if I ever met you again, my life would change forever.”
Her eyelashes fluttered. She glanced away, but the fact that she broke into a sweat, gave her away. She was taken aback by his frank admission. “I felt the same way.”
“It was a good thing you got pregnant, otherwise we might have made the biggest mistake of our lives by not meeting each other again.”
Her lips lifted in a smile. “We had a rocky start.”
“Most good, solid relationships do,” he insisted. “We’re on to something pretty amazing here.”
She cleared her throat. “My offer to help you is still on the table.”
Heath considered it with care. On the one hand, it would solve all his problems. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to tolerate such close proximity to her over a couple of days without acting on his basic impulses. But that might not be a bad thing. He wanted her. She wanted him. They would be working closely together. It might just be the thing he needed to push him out of her just-a-friend zone and into the I-am-your-man zone. He was tired of their platonic relationship. The time had come to up the ante.
He wouldn’t get a better opportunity than this. “I’ll take it. Do you want me to bring all the papers to your apartment?”
“How many boxes are there?”
He winced. “Six.”
“Oh, dear!”
“Rethinking your offer already?”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. It won’t take as long as you think. I’ve dealt with very messy situations before. It would be better if we worked in your office. That way, if I needed to lay my hand on some other information, it would be right there. I could come over Saturday morning.”
“Actually, why don’t you come on Friday evening after work? Bring a bag of clothes with you, stay with me, and start in the morning.” When he saw the look on her face, Heath felt totally amused. “I promise I’ll set up the guest room for you. I just thought it might be a good idea to have dinner today and go over the papers. I could then pull everything you wanted out, so you could start first thing in the morning.”
