“This is Tagg, Callie. We’re waiting for you over at the main house. We had a meeting at eleven. Clay wants to know if you’re coming.”
He’d spoken in his business voice, blunt and to the point. No sense getting Clay suspicious about the two of them. If his brothers got an inkling of what had gone on between Callie and him in Vegas, they’d be riding his case about it.
Clay walked back into the room. “Jed hasn’t seen her. She was supposed to stop by the site this morning and bring some children’s books to the bunkhouse, but she’s a no-show there, too.”
“Well, it’s clear she’s not coming.” Tagg let out a frustrated breath. “I’ve got work to do. No sense waiting any longer.”
“Yeah, so do I. I’ll let you know if she calls.”
Tagg strode to the front door and let himself out. A bad feeling churned in his gut and he didn’t know what to make of it. But if he couldn’t reach Callie by later today, he was going to get to the bottom of it.
One way or another.
By seven that evening after two more unanswered calls, Tagg stood on the doorstep of Big Hawk Ranch—this time without a limousine waiting, this time without anticipation of a weekend fling with his enemy’s daughter. Tagg hated to admit it, but he was genuinely concerned about her welfare.
The housekeeper answered his knock and Tagg felt a measure of disappointment not seeing Callie at the door. “I’m Taggart Worth. I’m looking for Callie. Is she here?”
“Callie is home, Mr. Worth, but she’s not—”
“I’ll take care of this, Antoinette” came a voice from behind her.
Immediately the woman stepped aside for her employer. “Yes, Mr. Sullivan.”
Tagg now found himself face-to-face with The Hawk in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes. “I’m looking for Callie.”
“So I heard.”
“I know she’s here. I’d like to see her.”
The big man shook his head, his gaze raking him over with fire in his dark eyes. “I oughta toss you off my land.”
“You gonna get your shotgun and chase me away?”
“After what you did to my daughter, I’m tempted to do more than chase you away.”
Tagg hesitated. He’d seen Sullivan in a state before, but his reaction went beyond anything he’d ever witnessed. What had Tagg done to Callie? She was an adult. She knew what she was doing when they took that overnight trip. If her daddy disapproved, he’d just have to get over it. “I’d like to speak with her.”
To find out why she won’t answer my calls.
“Well, you’re gonna speak with me first. I got something to say to you.”
Sullivan backed away from the door and Tagg took the opportunity to step inside. The place was massive with dark oak floors and rich wood paneling. As he followed The Hawk through the house, he took in the beautifully restored antique furniture in the anteroom, the parlor and the study. He kept an eye out for Callie, but he suspected she was in another part of the building. Maybe she was up the long winding staircase that led to other rooms.
Sullivan closed the double study doors and didn’t mince words as he sat down behind a rectangular mahogany desk. “You got my daughter pregnant.”
Tagg stared at the older man. Then blinked, speechless.
“That’s right. She’s upstairs right now, sick as a dog. Puking up her guts. Can’t keep anything down. I recognized the signs straightaway. Her mama reacted the same when she was with child.”
This was the last thing Tagg expected to hear. He let Sullivan’s words sink in. Callie was pregnant with his child? A dozen emotions rolled through his system. He wasn’t sure which one would take hold. Denial, anger and disbelief were at the forefront and battled for dominance as he went over the facts. She couldn’t have gotten pregnant in Las Vegas. Even he knew it was too soon for a woman to go through morning sickness after a couple of days. Which meant Callie got pregnant in Reno. Six, seven weeks ago.
Sullivan folded his hands together and set them on the desk as he leaned forward. A knowing smile creased his face. “You seem surprised. She didn’t tell you, did she?”
He shook his head an inch. The older man gloated. Tagg summoned his willpower to stand still and not put a fist in his face. He braced his hands on the edge of the desk and leaned forward, his mouth tight as he finally managed to speak. “How long has she known?”
The man shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it matters,” he gritted out.
“A month. Maybe more.”
“And why should I believe you?”
“Callie likes to have a glass of wine with dinner. She stopped drinking weeks ago. Asking for lemonade, claiming the wine’s been upsetting her stomach lately.”
“Maybe it’s true.” Tagg voiced his thoughts aloud.
“It’s bull. And you know it. Fact is, she ran off to Reno to see her cousin because I’d riled her. She was damn irritated at me for interfering with her love life with some low-life carpenter and what does she go and do? She takes you in her bed! A Worth. She did it out of spite. To get back at me. To show me that I couldn’t dictate her life anymore. She knows how I feel about you Worths.”
Tagg plagued his memory for accuracy. What had Callie said to him about that night? Then it came back to him with near haunting clarity. “When I saw you sitting on that bar stool, you looked how I felt. Lonely, disappointed, wishing things in your life were different.”
It all made sense now. Callie had thrown herself at him that night for a reason—to get back at her father. He’d meddled in her love life and she wanted retribution. She’d come on to Tagg like her life depended on it.
Any red-blooded male would have given in to temptation, especially when she’d looked at him with pure sin in her eyes and she’d fit her body into his like they were two halves of a whole. She’d seduced him, plain and simple.
To spite her father.
She’d used him for payback. And now an innocent baby’s life was at stake.
A surge of white-hot anger raged inside. Tagg had been played, and this time he couldn’t blame the old man. It wasn’t The Hawk’s fault, though he had to hand it to Sullivan. He’d taught his daughter how to manipulate well.
“Where is she?” Tagg turned and headed for the door.
“Not so fast!” Sullivan’s coarse voice stopped him cold.
Tagg turned and glared at him, his nerves ready to burst through his skin. “What?”
“Sit down, Worth. You’re gonna listen to me.” He pointed to the seat in front of his desk. Tagg walked closer, but didn’t sit.
“Say it and be quick.”
Sullivan opened the top drawer in his desk and pulled out a thick manila folder. He glanced at it for a moment, then tossed it toward him. The file spun and landed on the desk facing him. “Look at it.”
Tagg humored him, though he wasn’t keen on doing any of Sullivan’s bidding. He opened the file and raised his brows. “It’s the Bender contract.”
“That’s right,” Sullivan said, smug.
“So? You rubbing my nose in it?”
“No, I’m offering it to you. If you see there, the contract isn’t signed. I’m holding off.”
Confused, Tagg glanced at the man. “For what?”
“It’s worth a small fortune. More than three million over two years, I’d say. If current beef prices hold and the cattle sale goes through without a hitch.”
“Hell, I know that.”
“I’ll back out and Worth Enterprises can step in with your offer. All you have to do is walk away right now. Leave Callie to me. Let her have the baby and I’ll find her someone suitable to marry. She doesn’t need your money. You know that. Just tell her you want out of any obligation to the child.”
Tagg stared at him. Was he a madman? Had he had one too many unscrupulous dealings in his past to believe Tagg would agree to this?
Tagg gripped the folder, his fingers curling around the edges. He spoke through clenched teeth. “Let me get
this straight. You’re offering me the Bender deal if I walk away from my child? I give him up? Lose all rights to him or her, and I get the contract?”
“That’s the deal I’m offering.”
“So, to put it another way, you’re using your grandchild as a…a bargaining chip?”
“That’s just one way of looking at it.”
Tagg hissed through tight lips, “I don’t believe this.”
Sullivan’s mouth turned into a grim line. “You don’t want my daughter. Or the child she’s carrying. And we have no use for Worths around here.”
Tagg shook his head in disgust. “You think everyone’s a ruthless bastard like you?”
Sullivan didn’t back down. He gestured to the contract. “It’s a damn good offer.”
“Keep your friggin’ deal.” Tagg tossed the file down so hard, the papers caught flight and several sheets hit Sullivan smack in the face. Tagg found no enjoyment in that. He was beyond rage. “Go to hell, old man.” He turned on his heels and strode out of the study. He took the steps two at a time as he raced up the staircase. “Callie!” he called out. “Callie!”
He saw her before he reached the top of the stairs. She was standing by a window, dressed in a long light beige nightgown with the fading sunshine behind her back. She would have looked angelic but for her pale drawn face and the lack of luster in her eyes. They stared at each other for several long seconds. Tagg thought he knew Callie. Thought he liked her. But he found he didn’t know her at all and right now he detested anyone named Sullivan. “Get dressed. You’re taking a drive with me.”
She nodded, not saying a word. He glanced at her stomach, then met her eyes again. There was no need to ask about the pregnancy. Though her flat belly showed no signs yet, her guilty expression gave her away. She was carrying his child.
He didn’t want Hawkins Sullivan anywhere near his kid. There was no way he’d allow his child to be influenced by him, much less grow up in his household. And there was only one way to ensure that. Callie had to agree. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Don’t say anything, Callie. Not one word. Not until we’re off this damn ranch.”
He wouldn’t look at her. He stared straight ahead, peering out the Jeep’s windshield, shifted into gear and hit the gas pedal.
Callie’s stomach churned at Tagg’s tone. She didn’t want it to be like this. She didn’t want Tagg to find out about his child until she was sure he had feelings for her.
He does have feelings for you. He hates you.
Callie closed her eyes. She’d had a rough few days. The doctor said the morning sickness would subside but there was no telling when. She’d been sick for three days straight, almost from the minute the plane had landed back from Las Vegas. Initially, she had thought she’d picked up a virus, but her doctor confirmed what she was experiencing was first trimester morning sickness. For some women, it lasted only days, others weeks, and the really lucky ones were blessed with emptying their stomach contents for the majority of their gestation.
Please, no.
She laid a hand to her belly.
Tagg noticed. He turned his head and peered at her stomach. The hard glare in his eyes softened for a millisecond before his jaw set tight and his lips pursed again.
Callie leaned against the side of the cab and drew oxygen into her lungs. She felt better being out of the house and off the ranch. And crazy as it seemed, she felt better being with Tagg, even with him being as angry as he was.
She should have told him about the baby right away. She should have been honest and let the chips fall where they may. She’d experienced enough guilt over this to last her a lifetime. It had all been so clear in her head when she made the decision to wait before telling Tagg about the baby. She’d wanted time. She’d wanted a courtship, to have a real relationship with him. She’d wanted a chance.
Instead, her father had witnessed her morning sickness and had instantly known that she was with child. He’d demanded to know whose child she carried and Callie hadn’t any more deception left in her. Her body physically ached and she had little strength. In a weak moment, she’d confessed everything to her father, including blaming him for making her so darn angry that she felt she needed to defy him with Tagg.
But she never expected that Tagg would come over, and when she’d heard him arguing with her father from her bedroom upstairs, she was shocked. Then she’d taken one look at Tagg racing up the steps like it was an Olympic sport and knew he’d learned the truth and was furious with her.
After a ten-minute drive at seventy miles an hour on the open highway, Tagg slowed down and turned down a long winding road. They drove through a cropping of tall cottonwoods and farther on to where green meadows filled the panorama with colorful wildflowers nurtured by spring rain. Elizabeth Lake came into view, and as they approached Callie saw the reflection of dark blue waters glistening under diminishing sunlight.
Tagg parked by a shallow embankment. His mood seemed calmer now, the planes of his face more relaxed. She hoped her optimism wasn’t merely wishful thinking. He bounded out of the cab and strode around the front of the vehicle to open the passenger side door. “Take a walk with me.” She slipped her hand in his and he helped her climb down.
Her fingers tingled from his touch. But Tagg dropped her hand as soon as she was on solid ground. She’d been wrong. His anger hadn’t subsided—he’d just masked it better now. A tic worked in his jaw. His eyes on her were cold and hard. A bad sign.
He led her to where long grass cushioned the lake bank. “Let’s sit.”
Tagg waited for her to drop onto the grass, then he lowered himself down beside her. He stared out across the lake. “The baby’s mine?”
Callie might have expected this. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, hurt that he’d even asked. “Yes. You’re the only man I’ve been with since Boston.”
“What about that carpenter? The one you’d been seeing?”
Callie winced. It seemed her father had told him everything. She shook her head. “The relationship never got that far. I…Troy was…it never got physical,” she said quietly.
Tagg inhaled sharply. “You were ticked at your father and you what? Seduced me in order to defy him?” He turned to her then, his eyes black with fury. “He never let you near a Worth. You weren’t allowed to talk to any of us. So, you saw me that night, looking…lonely and vulnerable, and you thought to yourself, if I hook up with Tagg, I’ll finally get payback. Even if your father never found out, you’d know. You’d have that satisfaction. You settled the score by screwing my brains out. It was a hell of a ride, Callie.”
“No! It wasn’t like that.”
“Defying your father must have been so damn sweet.”
“Tagg, listen. You’re wrong. I can explain.”
“I don’t think so. It all makes sense now.” He spoke firmly, with conviction, as if nothing in the world could change his mind.
“I mean that was only part of the reason.” What could she say now, explain that she’d come face-to-face with her fantasy man? That she’d seen an opportunity to finally take something she wanted, to go for broke, to do something wild and so out of character for her? How could she tell him that? How could she tell him she loved him?
It wouldn’t matter. He wouldn’t believe her.
The darkness in his eyes went deeper. “You got pregnant on purpose, Callie. The ultimate revenge. To have a Worth bastard. When were you going to tell me?”
“No! Tagg, I didn’t. You can’t believe that.”
“Hell, I don’t know what to believe.” He turned away from her, his face contorted with disgust.
“Please. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I was waiting for the right moment. I never thought I’d get pregnant. Never. You have to believe me. I’m not…ruthless.”
Tagg shot her a look. “You’re a Sullivan.”
And that said it all. Callie’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m not my father, Tagg.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me? Vegas would have been a good time. We were alone together, going at it all night long. You might have slipped in, ‘oh, by the way, Tagg, I’m carrying your baby.’”
“I…couldn’t.” She felt drained and exhausted. As if she’d been in a fistfight and had gotten worked over pretty good. Her body sagged in defeat. She had no energy for this battle. Not tonight. “I should have. I’m sorry.”
“You deceived me. I’ve got to admit you sure had me fooled. I’ve never been this blindsided by anyone. Not even by your unprincipled father. But you,” he said, jabbing his finger toward her, “you didn’t feel any compunction about lying to me. You played me, Callie.”
“Tagg, please—”
“Doesn’t matter. None of it. Because I don’t want my child anywhere near Hawkins Sullivan. That man will have no influence over our baby. None.”
“Why are you so angry at my father?”
“He’s truly a bastard, Callie. I never knew how much until today.”
Tagg picked up a large pebble and hurled it into the lake. The stone slid over the smooth water, dimpling the surface several times before making its descent. Both of them watched until the last wrinkle in the water smoothed out.
“He offered me the Bender contract, a multimillion-dollar deal he’d stolen right out from under me, if I’d give up all rights to the baby. He tried to bribe me to stay away from you and my child. Claimed he’d find you a suitable husband to marry.”
Callie’s mouth dropped open. A tiny moan of mortification slipped out. “Oh, no.”
“Oh, yeah. It turns my stomach that he used an innocent child as a bargaining chip. My child. Did he really think I’d give up my own flesh and blood for a contract? He made it clear he doesn’t want you to have anything to do with me.”
Callie’s stomach, already going through a war zone this week, turned over again. “Tagg, I didn’t know he’d react this way.”
Carrying the Rancher's Heir Page 8
