Conall hated himself for not knowing the right words to ease the grief that was clearly ripping her apart. But he’d learned with Nancy that he wasn’t good at dealing with women’s problems.
“None of us ever wants to consider losing someone we’re close to, Vanessa. But we can’t go around thinking the worst. Where would that get us?”
Where indeed, Vanessa wondered dazedly. Swallowing at the painful lump in her throat, she rose to her feet and wandered aimlessly across the room.
For years now, she’d desperately wanted children. But as she’d struggled to obtain a degree in business management, she’d set aside having a family. Then when she’d finally achieved that goal, she’d slowly begun to work her way off the casino floor and into the business offices. First as a simple file clerk, then on to secretarial assistant, then a jump to office manager, and finally a great leap to personal secretary to the CEO of Lucky Treasures. During that climb, she’d met her now ex-husband, and she’d believed her dreams of having a family of her own were finally going to become a reality. But Jeff had turned out to be nothing but a hanger-on, a man only too happy to let his wife support him while he went his free and fancy way.
Vanessa supposed it was a good thing that children had never come from their short marriage. But since the divorce, she’d grieved long and hard for what hadn’t been and prayed that someday her fate would change. Still, she’d never expected to become a mother in this shocking fashion and the news was almost too much for her to absorb.
“I suppose you’re right, Conall. We can’t dwell on what might go wrong. But I—” She stopped in front of the huge picture window that framed a view of the mountain ridge that ran along the north edge of the massive horse ranch. “Right now I’m…stunned. In the next few days, the lawyer expects me to be in Vegas to pick up the babies! There’s so much I’m going to have to do! I live in my parents’ house. Do you remember it?”
Vaguely, Conall thought. It had been a long time since he’d driven through that mountainous area northeast of the Diamond D, but he did recall the tiny stucco home where the Valdez family had resided for so many years. The place had always needed work. And to give him credit, Mr. Valdez had done the best he could on a carpenter’s salary. But his four sons had been the worthless sort, never lifting a hand to help their parents or themselves. As far as Conall knew, Vanessa’s brothers were all gone from the area now and all he could think was good riddance. She didn’t need any of them trying to mooch her hard-earned money.
“Yes, I remember,” Conall told her. “Are you living there by yourself? I mean, do you have enough extra room to accommodate the babies?”
“It’s just me living there,” she replied, “so there’s enough room. But the place isn’t equipped to handle two infants! You see, I came back to Hondo Valley, so that I’d be around to see after my father’s needs. I know he has great medical care in the nursing home, but he needs my emotional support—especially now that Mama is gone. And since I’m divorced now I never dreamed about raising a family there! Dear heaven, there are so many things I’ll have to change—buy—to make a nursery for the babies!”
She jerked with surprise when she felt his hands fold over the back of her shoulders. She’d not heard him walk up behind her, but even if she’d been warned of his approach, his touch would have been just as jolting to her senses. Conall Donovan was like no man she’d ever known. For a time, when she’d been a sophomore in high school and he a senior, she’d had an enormous crush on him. He’d been one of those rare guys who’d possessed brains and brawn. He’d also been a perfect gentleman, who’d been nothing but nice and polite to his sister’s poor friend. Now after all these years, he was her employer, and she’d done her best to forget about the crush. Until a few minutes ago, when he’d touched her for the very first time.
“Tell me, Vanessa, do you want these babies in your life?”
The question caused her to whirl around to face him and just as quickly she wished she’d kept her back to him. The man’s presence was always overwhelming, but up close like this, it was downright rattling her already ragged senses.
Nearly black hair lay in undisciplined waves about his head, while one errant hank teased a cool gray eye that peered at her beneath a heavy black brow. His features were large, rough and edged with a haggardness that could only come from working long, hard hours without enough rest. His clothes, which ranged from faded jeans to designer suits, always fit his tall, well-honed body as though they’d been tailored for him. And probably had been, she thought wryly. He was certainly rich enough to afford such an extravagance.
As far as Vanessa was concerned, she always thought of Conall Donovan as dark, dangerous and delicious. And something totally beyond her reach. And standing only inches away from him like this only reinforced those descriptions of the man.
Nervously licking her lips, she attempted to answer his question. “Of course I want the babies! There’s nothing I want more.” She didn’t tell him that during her short marriage she’d wanted children, but her husband had insisted he loved her too much to want to share her with a child. Now Vanessa very nearly gagged when she thought of how phony those words had been. Jeff hadn’t loved her. He’d only loved himself. But Conall didn’t want to hear about the personal mistakes she’d made. Besides, they were far too humiliating to share with a man like him.
“I’ve always wanted children. And I want Hope’s twins to be loved. I’m positive that I can give them that love and raise them as if I gave birth to them myself. But I’m not sure how I can handle all the changes I need to make right now. I have very little time and—”
“Whoa! Slow down, Vanessa. Let’s take one thing at a time,” he said. “What do you need to do first?”
Behind her, the phone began to ring again, but the subtle change in his expression was telling her to, once again, forget the telephone.
Turning her palms upward, she tried to breathe normally and assure herself that this man’s sexual aura wasn’t going to suffocate her. “I suppose the first thing is to go to Vegas and collect the babies. They’ve already been released from the hospital and placed in temporary care at a Catholic orphanage.”
With a dour frown, he turned away from her and began to pace back and forth in front of her desk. Momentarily relieved by the space between them, Vanessa drew in a much-needed breath.
“I’m sure they’re being well cared for,” he said suddenly. “But I’m certain you’ll feel better once we fetch the children back here as soon as possible.”
We? Where had that come from? This was her problem. Not his. But that wasn’t entirely true, she reminded herself. Conall was depending on her to keep his office running smoothly. Bringing two infants all the way from Vegas and getting them settled was going to chop into her work time. Naturally, this whole thing was going to affect him, too, she thought sickly. And what was that going to do to her job? A job that she’d quickly come to love, and now, more than ever, desperately needed.
“I’m sorry, Conall. I suppose I’ll have to ask for time off while I make arrangements to fly out and collect the twins. If you feel you need to let me go permanently,” she added ruefully, “then I’ll understand.”
Stopping in his tracks, he scowled at her. “Let you go? What the hell, Vanessa? Do you think Donovans fire our employees whenever they need help?”
Seeing she’d offended him, she drew in a deep breath and blew it out. “I didn’t mean it like that. You obviously have tons of work to deal with. You can’t do it alone and you put your trust in me to be here every day. I can’t expect you to suffer just because I have a problem.”
He waved a dismissive hand through the air. “This isn’t like you’re asking for time off to go on a shopping binge or some other frivolous excursion,” he barked, then resumed pacing. “I’ll deal with the problems here in the office. Mother will step in your place for the time being. As for me, I suppose I could ask Dad to deal with my most pressing obligations. He doesn’t know an
ything about the mining business. But he can always call me with questions,” he went on, more to himself than to her. “I’ll discuss this with my parents tonight. In the meantime, you get on the phone and buy plane tickets for tomorrow. You can be ready by then, can’t you?”
Vanessa was accustomed to his rapid-fire orders. Some days he rattled them off as though she were a tape recorder. But this afternoon, she’d been knocked off-kilter and the sudden personal attention Conall was giving her wasn’t helping her brain snap into action. She stared at him with confusion.
“Tickets? Pardon me, Conall, but I only need one round-trip ticket.”
Walking back to her, he held up two fingers. “You need to purchase two tickets. I’m going with you.”
She gasped and he smiled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Afraid you’ll fall asleep on the plane and I’ll see you with your mouth open?”
Was he saying something about her mouth? she wondered fuzzily. And had something gone wrong with the room’s thermostat? Sweat was popping out on her forehead and upper lip. Her legs felt oddly weak and there was a loud rushing noise in her ears.
“Conall— I—”
The remainder of her words were never uttered as she slumped forward and straight into his arms.
Chapter Two
“Poor little thing. The shock must have gotten to her.”
From somewhere above her, Vanessa could hear Fiona Donovan’s concerned voice, but try as she might, she couldn’t open her eyes or form one word.
“Her pulse is getting stronger. She’s coming around.”
This statement came from Bridget Donovan, the doctor of the family. Vanessa could feel the pressure of the young woman’s fingers wrapped around her wrist.
“Well, if the truth be known, Conall probably forced her to work through lunch,” Fiona continued in an accusing tone. “She probably hasn’t had a bite to eat all day.”
“Mom, I don’t force Vanessa to do anything,” Conall said brusquely. “She probably stopped long enough to eat a sandwich or some of that gooey stuff from a carton that she seems to favor.”
“You don’t know whether she ate or not?” Fiona shot back at her son.
“Hell, no! I’ve been in my office since before daylight and didn’t come out until a few minutes ago when I found her crying. I don’t know about her lunch! But you can see she’s not starving. She has plenty of meat on her bones.”
His last remark was enough to spike Vanessa’s blood pressure and with a weak groan, she slowly opened her eyes to see she was lying on the couch in her office. Bridget was kneeling over her, while Conall and his mother stood just behind the young doctor.
“Hello, pretty lady,” Bridget said with a bright smile. “Glad to see you’re back with the living.”
Vanessa’s fuzzy eyesight darted over the redheaded doctor and then slowly progressed up to Conall’s dour face. Next to him, Fiona was smiling with happy relief.
“What…happened?” Vanessa asked weakly. “I was talking to Conall and the next thing I knew there was a strange rushing noise in my ears.”
“You fainted,” Bridget explained. “Thankfully Conall caught you before you hit your head on the desk or the floor. When he called over to the house for help, I happened to be home on a break from the clinic. How are you feeling now?”
“Weak and groggy,” Vanessa admitted. “But better.”
“Good. Your color is returning,” she said. “Conall tells me you received a bit of a shock about your friend.”
“Yes. I was feeling a bit shaky, but I never dreamed I’d do anything like…faint! This is so embarrassing.” She glanced back at Conall to see his expression was still grim and she figured he had to be terribly annoyed for all this interference in his work schedule. Over the past couple of months, she’d learned his work was his life and he didn’t appreciate anything or anyone intervening. “I’m sorry, Conall. I’ve disrupted the whole office and your family.”
“Nonsense!” Fiona blurted out before her son had a chance to utter a word. “You had every right to have a little fainting spell. Most women have nine months to prepare to be a mother. From what Conall tells us, you didn’t have nine minutes.”
“I’m just glad I happened to be home,” Bridget quickly added. “Conall feared you were having a heart attack.” She clamped a strong hand on Vanessa’s shoulder. “Sit up for me and let’s see how you do now.”
With the young woman’s help, Vanessa rose to a sitting position. “I’m fine. Really,” she told the doctor. “I feel much stronger now and my head isn’t whirling.”
“Well, from what I can see, you had a simple, garden-variety faint. It happens to the best of us sometimes,” Bridget assured her. “But if you have any more trouble—weakness, dizziness or anything like that—please get to your doctor for a checkup. Okay?”
“Yes. I promise. Thank you, Bridget.”
“No problem,” she said, then with a broad smile, she rose to a standing position and pointed a direct look at her brother. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic, so I’m leaving the patient in your hands, Conall. You might go lightly on her the remainder of the day.”
“Vanna is going to get the rest of the afternoon off,” Fiona spoke up, using the shortened name that Maura had given Vanessa many years ago when the two had been teenagers. “In fact, Conall is going to drive her home.”
Vanessa opened her mouth to argue, but quickly decided not to make the effort. Fiona could be just as formidable as her son and with Bridget agreeing that Vanessa could clearly use some rest, she had no choice but to go along with the family’s wishes.
Once Bridget had departed the small office, Conall said to Vanessa, “I’ll get your things and we’ll be on our way.”
While Conall collected her sweater and handbag from a tiny closet located in the short hallway separating her office from his, Fiona was already taking a seat at Vanessa’s desk.
“While you two are gone,” she said to Conall, “I’ll take care of the plane tickets and see to organizing anything else you might need for the trip to Vegas. If there are still empty seats, do you want the first flight out?”
“That would be great, Mom. See what you can do.”
With her things thrown over his arm, he walked over to the couch and slipped a hand beneath Vanessa’s elbow.
“Think you can stand okay now?” he asked gently.
Since she’d gone to work for this tall, dark power-house of a man, he’d been polite enough to her, but mostly he was all business. It felt more than strange to have him addressing her about personal things and even more unsettling to have him touching her.
“Yes,” she assured him, then feeling her cheeks warm with an embarrassed flush, added, “I don’t think you need worry about having to catch me again.”
Not bothering to make a reply, he began to guide her toward the door. Across the room, Fiona flung a parting question at her son.
“Conall, the hotel rooms. How many nights do you need reserved? Or do you have any idea about that?”
“No idea,” he said. “Better leave that open.”
“Right,” she replied, then tossed a reassuring smile at Vanessa. “Don’t worry, Vanna. Everything is going to be just fine. Why, in no time you’ll have those little babies of yours home and in your arms.”
Vanessa thanked the woman for her kind thoughts and then Conall ushered her out to a shiny black pickup truck with the Diamond D brand emblazoned on the doors.
After he’d helped her into the cab and they were barreling past a fenced paddock filled with a row of busy mechanical horse walkers, he said, “You gave me a fright back there when you fainted. Are you sure you’re okay?”
He was staring straight ahead and Vanessa could read little from his granite-etched profile. For the most part, she’d always thought of him as an unfeeling man, but maybe that was because he didn’t allow his feelings to show on his face. He was certainly going out of his way to help her. Which created an even bigg
er question in her mind. Why? Even if she was his one and only secretary, her personal problems were none of his responsibility.
“I’m okay, Conall. Really. I just feel…silly for causing you and your family so much trouble.” Her gaze turned toward the passenger window as they curved away from the Donovan ranch house. The structure’s stalwart appearance hadn’t changed since she’d left the Hondo Valley more than fifteen years ago. And she liked to think the big Irish family that lived inside hadn’t changed, either—that if she stepped inside, she’d still feel like Cinderella visiting the castle.
“Forget it,” he practically snapped.
She looked at him. “But you—”
He interrupted before she could say more. “Let it rest, Vanessa.”
Sighing, she smoothed the hem of her skirt over her knees and stared ahead. One minute everything had been going along fine. As fine as it could be for a divorced woman with her family split in all directions and an aging father too debilitated from a stroke to leave the nursing home. Yet those problems seemed small in comparison to what she was facing now.
Still, Vanessa realized she couldn’t give in to the overwhelming shock. She had to straighten her shoulders and take up the reins of her life again. But taking them out of Conall’s hands was not going to be an easy task. He was a man who was all about using his power to bend operations to his liking. And she was all about independence. She didn’t want to be beholden to anyone and that included her boss. Yet this was one time that agreeing to a little help might be the sensible thing for her to do. Especially for the babies’ sake.
“You don’t like accepting help from anyone, do you?” he asked as he steered the truck off Diamond D ranch land and onto the main highway.
The man must be a mind reader, she thought. “I like taking care of myself,” she answered truthfully, then realizing how ungrateful that probably sounded to him, she glanced over and added, “But this is one time I can’t take care of things entirely on my own. And I am grateful to you, Conall. Please know that.”
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