by Helen Lacey
The Child Between Them
Helen Lacey
Men of Mulhany Crossing
Book 2
Title: The Child Between Them
Copyright © 2018 by Helen Lacey
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, HJL Imprints.
All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to all my readers who have been asking for Marshall and Holly’s story, The Child Between Them. I promise the next Men of Mulhany Crossing book, Her One and Only, isn’t too far away either!
And a big thank you to promotional whizz, editor extraordinaire, dragon slayer and wonderful friend, Nas Dean…who always gives one hundred percent to the authors she works with.
Dedication
For Robert—Because no one gets my crazy like you do.
Table of Contents
About the Author
Coming Soon
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Excerpt: The Cattleman’s Proposal (Men of Mulhany Crossing, Book 1)
Excerpt: Her One and Only (Men of Mulhany Crossing, Book 3)
Chapter One
It was a one-night stand…
That’s all it was, Marshall Harris kept reminding himself as he closed up the shop, locked the door and headed for his truck. He whistled to his black Labrador Reggie to hop into the back and clipped the dog’s lead to a hook on the utility tray.
Yep…just a one-night stand.
And something he had to forget about. Which should have been easy since it had been over six weeks ago. Easy? Yeah, right. Maybe if he didn’t keep seeing Holly Berrigan in town he might have a chance to get her out of his system. But Mulhany Crossing was a small place. Everybody knew everybody. And way too many people knew that he’d hooked up with the pretty red head the night of the rodeo dance.
He should have had more sense. He shouldn’t have let his libido do his thinking.
It didn’t help that his good friends Nate and Sam were constantly extolling Holly’s many virtues. And yeah, she had virtues by the bucket load. She was pretty as hell. She was funny and spirited and set his blood on fire.
But it was too soon…
He wasn’t done grieving yet. He still missed Lynette. It had been eighteen months since he’d buried his wife. No time at all. Not long enough to start something else with someone new.
Marshall got into his truck and took a long breath. No one understood. No one could. The only person he figured would get what he was feeling was Lynette…because she knew him better than anyone. They’d been together since they were teenagers. She was his best friend. She was kind and loyal and understood him. He’d loved her for nearly twenty years in life and planned to honor her in death for as long as he needed to.
And everything was going along fine.
Until Holly came to town.
She moved into the old Reynolds place six months ago and started working as a nursing assistant at the veterinary practice with his good buddy Sam. She was in town for another six months before she headed back to the city and resumed her place with her two older brothers and father at their successful real estate business in Brisbane. She’d told him about it that night, once they were spent and exhausted from hours of incredible sex. He’d held her for a while and listened silently as she talked about her father and siblings and how she’d decided to take a break from the family business and study animal husbandry and then use her skills and gain some independence and life experience. Marshall admired her commitment and determination.
But that didn’t mean he liked her.
Not anymore than he liked anyone.
He started the ignition and pulled out from the parking space. His house was a few minutes away and he drove the truck quickly down the narrow driveway. He turned off the engine, gripped the steering wheel and dragged in a long breath. The small cottage had belonged to a great aunt who’d passed away several years ago. He spent most of his nights at the place now, preferring to bunk in the comfy house than make the forty-minute drive from Mulhany Crossing to the farm that had been in his family for three generations. And since he spent his days at the store and several nights a week working on orders, Marshall didn’t want to waste time on the commute. His foreman ran the place in his absence and since there was only a few head of cattle and half a dozen horses left there, the position was more of a caretaker role. It had been different when Lynette was alive. He hadn’t minded the commute when he was coming home to a house filled with laughter and love. He used to close the shop on Fridays and spend time in the workshop out by the stables at the farm. But that was when life had been normal. When he had a place that felt like home. Now, nothing felt right. The farm house was filled with rooms and every single one felt empty. Like his arms. Like his heart.
So he stayed at the cottage and tried to forget how everything had been great for a while.
Once he was inside, Marshall fed the dog, took a shower and changed into fresh jeans and a blue shirt. He’d promised Sam he’d meet him at Lola’s for a drink. Lola hadn’t owned the tavern for several years—not since she’d run off with her sister’s husband—but the name of the place had remained. Mulhany Crossing had several pubs and taverns, but Lola’s had been his regular hangout since he and his friends had left school and were of drinking age.
It was Wednesday night and the place was quieter than usual. Marshall parked the truck outside, got out and headed through the wide doorway. A three-man band was playing on the small stage and he waved to the barman as he weaved through the tables toward the same booth he’d sat at for the last fifteen years. Sam was there, cradling a beer he knew his friend barely touched. And another man sat opposite him. Levi Miller…another friend Marshall had known since high school.
“Didn’t know you were back in town,” Marshall said as he slid into the booth.
“Just got back this morning,” Levi said and shook his hand. “Came back to see my sister.”
“How’s she doing?”
Levi shrugged. “As well as expected.”
Levi’s twin sister Lara had just gone through a nasty divorce and had the ex-husband from hell. Marshall knew Levi worried about his sister’s well-being.
“No sign of Altman?”
Ken Altman was her ex and the meanest SOB imaginable when he hit the liquor.
“Not so far,” Levi said and shrugged. “But he won’t show his face if he knows I’m in town.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for him,” Marshall promised.
“Me too,” Sam said and then flipped the subject. “So, did Holly reach you today?”
Holly…
“No.”
Sam frowned a little. “She said it was important. You should call her.”
Marshall would do no such thing. “Sure…whatever.”
“I’m serious,” Sam said, the frown between his brows deepening. “She said she really needed to speak to you. And I know Holly…when she’s says something is important it is always—”
“Okay,” Marshall said quickly, irritation weaving up his spine. “I’ll call her.”
“Who’s Holly?” Levi asked, grinning.
Marshall was pretty sure his friend had already been told exactly who Holly Berrigan was. “No one,” he replied and drank some beer. “I heard you came second at the state championships?”
Levi followed the rodeo circuit and had more wins behind him than years.
His friend shrugged. “Yeah…but I think I’m getting too old for this gig. I don’t bounce like I used to.”
Sam laughed. “You thinking about retiring?”
“Maybe,” Levi replied. “Gonna have to think of some other way to earn a living though. I’ve been bronc riding since I was seventeen, so I’m not exactly qualified to do anything else.”
“What about your dad’s place?” Marshall asked, thinking of the old farm laying empty about twenty miles out of town. “With a bit of time and money you could run cattle again.”
Levi shrugged. “Maybe. Not sure I’d make much of a cattle rancher though. Too sedate. So…about this Holly?”
Marshall frowned. “Give it a rest. I’m not talking about her.”
“Hit a nerve?”
“There’s no point riding him,” Sam said and grinned. “He’s as closed up as a clam when it concerns Holly.”
Marshall was in the middle of giving his friend a death-stare when Sam let out a low whistle.
“What?” he barked out.
“Speak of the devil.”
Marshall snapped his neck around. And sure enough, there she was, framing the doorway of the tavern, her red hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. Marshall’s nerves twitched instantly. It was his usual reaction when Holly was close. She was looking around the room.
Looking for him…
She frowned when she spotted him and made a beeline for their table.
“Uh-oh,” Levi said and grinned. “She doesn’t look happy. What did you do?”
“Nothing,” Marshall muttered. “I just don’t want to make more out of something that happened over six weeks ago. And when she gets here try not to make things worse for me, will you?”
Levi laughed loudly. “Sure thing.”
By the time Holly reached their booth he could barely breathe. She looked beautiful. Memories of the night they’d spent together bombarded his thoughts with the speed of a freight train. He’d been unable to resist her…despite months of trying.
“Hi Sam. Hello, Marshall,” she said and crossed her arms. Her blue eyes were flashing. She was mad. And most likely with him.
He quickly introduced her to Levi.
She smiled fractionally and then spoke. “Can we talk?”
Marshall felt the scrutiny from his two friends down to his bones. “Ah—sure.”
He got up and ushered her towards the front of the tavern. But his heart was pounding and his palms were sweating. He was careful not to touch her or get too close. The scent of her perfume assaulted his senses and he swallowed hard. Just being near her made him crazy. It wasn’t a feeling he liked. Not one bit.
When they were outside he found a spot at the rear of the beer garden and motioned for her to sit. Once she was seated, Marshall took the spot opposite and took a long breath. She didn’t say anything for a moment, but stared at him, like she had something heavy and important on her mind.
“I called you today,” she said finally and quietly, her hands linked together, her knuckles white. “And I left a message.”
“Ah—yeah,” he said and felt heat rise up his collar. “Sorry…I’ve had a busy day at the store. Time got away with me.”
She didn’t look convinced. Not one bit. And he was lying to her. He’d replayed the message several times and still had resisted contacting her. He didn’t want a scene. And he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Holly was a nice woman…and she was better off spending her time chasing someone else. If that’s what she was doing. Because just thinking it made Marshall feel like a conceited jerk.
He looked at her and a familiar feeling snaked its way through his blood. It was desire, unlike any he’d known before. Holly Berrigan got him hot and hard with barely a look and it was damned annoying. Her skin was like moonstone and combined with her red hair and pale pink lips she was just about the most desirable woman he’d ever met. She was small of stature but had curves—full breasts and hips and a slender waist—and he never failed to notice the way she swayed when she walked. The night of the rodeo he’d had enough of trying to not be attracted to her. He bought her a drink, asked her to dance and later offered to drive her home. She invited him in for coffee and once they were inside the house he’d kissed her like he’d been wanting to do for months. And she’d kissed him back. It hadn’t taken long before they were in her bedroom, tearing off clothes and having sex. It had been hot and wild and like nothing he’d ever experienced before.
But he hadn’t called her since. He hadn’t promised to. Because he wasn’t ready.
Making love to Holly had been incredible. But for Marshall it had been simply sex. Satiation. Need followed by release. But for Holly…afterwards there had been something in her expression…a wanting…a longing…and it had scared the hell out of him.
So he’d bailed. Ungallantly. But it was for the best. And he wasn’t about to have a repeat performance. She might think they had things to talk about. Hell, maybe she wanted to start some kind of serious relationship. But he wasn’t going there. He couldn’t. She was too young for him, for starters. The eleven-year age difference was like a red flag. One he wasn’t going to ignore. He was thirty-seven years old…too old to get involved with a woman barely out of her mid-twenties.
He tried to look casual and gave a kind of indifferent half-shrug. “So, what did you want to see me about?”
Her eyes glittered brilliantly and she raised her chin a little higher. But Marshall wasn’t fooled by her bravado. She was nervous. On edge. Uncomfortable. Not the usual Holly he knew.
“I’m pregnant.”
Marshall stilled. Then swallowed. Then felt all the blood rush from his face. “Huh?”
She tilted her delicate chin. “Pregnant,” she said again. “Knocked up. In the family way. A bun in the oven. You know…pregnant.”
He stared at her. Through her. Into her. And still he didn’t believe what he had heard.
And when he realized he’d heard her right, he could think only one thing.
I’m so screwed…
*****
There, Holly thought and sat back a little in her chair, I’ve said it. Better to get it over and done with. Like pulling off a Band-Aid. He needed to know and there was no point in delaying the inevitable. It had taken the two of them to make the baby growing inside her, and she had an ethical and moral responsibility to make sure Marshall knew before she started to show.
“What?”
He looked a little dumbstruck. But gorgeous. As always. His brown hair, dark brown eyes the color of Belgian chocolate and square jaw was a riveting combination. And she’d been riveted the first time she’d walked into his store to purchase a new bridle for her old Palouse gelding. His work was known throughout the country. An M.K. Harris hand crafted saddle was said to be the best around. Holly could never have afforded one—they cost thousands—but the horsewoman in her liked to dream. So she’d gone into his store and looked around, only to be confronted by him coming out from the stockroom, an ornate western saddle resting against one hip. She knew who he was—there was a photograph of him behind the bar at Lola’s pub. A photo of him shaking hands with a member of some
European royal family—because he’d made a saddle for a particular Nordic prince who had represented his country in the Olympic Games.
Not that there was anything showy or flamboyant about Marshall Harris. He was about as low-key as a man could get. He didn’t like flattery. He didn’t like fuss. He didn’t seem to like anything much at all. Not that he was grim…but he was quiet and kind of mysterious.
Idiot…that kind of stupid romanticizing is what got me into this predicament in the first place.
But that day in the store he’d met her gaze and she experienced a jolt of awareness that hit her way down low. She’d smiled at him and for a second she thought he’d smiled back. But then he was gone, across the store and out the door, while the young salesman behind the counter asked her if she needed help.
After that she was hooked. She wasn’t quite sure why. She usually wasn’t attracted to men who barely glanced in her direction. But she couldn’t get Marshall Harris out of her thoughts. When he came into the vet clinic with his dog a week later she got so tongue tied she could barely speak. Sam had been there to attend to the dog so she’d been able to slink away and pull herself together. By the time she was back out in reception she’d managed to gather her composure a little and tally the account. Sam had waved off his friend’s intention to pay for the veterinary services, but Marshall had insisted. Holly liked that he did that. And she then stuttered her way through the transaction. But she saw something in his eyes. A look. A spark. An acknowledgment. Awareness. He left quickly and she managed a foolish smile as he muttered a vague goodbye…but it was enough to stir her…enough to get her heart racing at a galloping speed.
Her heart was racing right now, too. But for a different reason. He was staring at her incredulously. Stunned. Like he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“I’m having a baby,” she managed to say, swallowing hard. “Your baby.”
“My baby?” He echoed the words like they were the last he wanted to hear. Then he took a breath. “But we used a—”
