But she did now, he thought, pleased with the change in her. Physically Myrna had been healed for a long time, but it had taken a little extra effort to mend her heart and spirit. He gave his patient a hug, careful to stay clear of her fresh manicure, then he picked up Nora’s tote bag and headed for the car. Five minutes later they pulled out of Myrna’s driveway.
“Thanks for doing that,” he said as he turned onto the main highway leading back to town. “I had a feeling that Myrna needed a little attention to get her back among the living.”
“I was happy to help. People think beauty shops are all about hair and nails, but there’s a lot of psychology going on as well.”
He glanced at her, taking in her elegant profile and the way she was careful not to look at him. “I’m sorry about the matchmaking back there.”
“It’s not your fault. Besides, I’m used to it by now. Once I turned twenty-five, most of the women in town considered it their sacred duty to get me married.”
“Yet here you are, deliciously single.”
She pressed her lips together. “I’m not sure of the appeal of marriage. The chitchat you heard at Myrna’s is nothing compared with what I hear at the shop. I know the details of nearly every marriage in town. The good and the bad, and from what I’ve been told, there’s a whole lot more of the bad.”
“How much of that is because some marriages are in trouble and how much of it is because people tend to talk more about what’s wrong in their lives than what’s right?”
“I hadn’t thought about that.” She adjusted her seat belt. “But you’re right. My clients rarely mention their relationships when things are going well.”
He turned left in front of the medical office and drove around to the rear parking lot. Once there, he turned off the engine but didn’t step out of the car.
The sweet scent of her body drifted to him. He wanted to reach out and touch the loose curls around her face, then pull her to him so he could kiss her. He wanted to slide his hands over her body, holding her close, making her want him as much as he wanted her.
Nora was unlike anyone he’d ever known before. Not just because she hadn’t gone to college or lived anywhere but Lone Star Canyon, but because she was smart and funny and incredibly compassionate. She was a woman who felt things deeply. Unfortunately, most of the men in her life had taught her to feel pain. Nora had just admitted that she knew the details of every failed marriage in the county. No wonder she preferred to be by herself.
Yet for one night she’d let him into her life and into her bed. She’d let him touch her and make her feel all of the possibilities. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to fall in love again or care about a woman the way he’d cared about Courtney, but he couldn’t help wishing that he and Nora could be more than friends. Of course if she was pregnant, they were going to be a whole lot more.
“I need to head over to the shop,” she said, reaching in the back seat and grabbing her tote bag. “I have my first customer in less than a half hour.”
He put his hand on her arm. “Not so fast, young lady. You and I have a date to take a pregnancy test.”
Nora knew she was chattering like a magpie, but she couldn’t seem to stop. Nerves, she thought as her mouth kept flapping away uncontrollably. She was terrified about the results of the test. Afraid she was pregnant and afraid that she wasn’t.
“I can’t believe you had me pee on a stick,” she said, pacing in his office. “This is a medical center. Shouldn’t things be more high tech?”
“I can draw blood if you’d like, but this test is accurate.”
She glanced at the white plastic stick resting on a paper towel at the edge of the desk. Stephen sat in his big leather chair, apparently completely relaxed.
“I wouldn’t let you near me with a needle,” she told him. “And I don’t want your nurse to know what’s going on, so I guess the stick will have to do.”
She crossed the beige carpet to stand by the window. “It’s been pretty clear since the tornado, but I heard that there’s a spring storm coming in tomorrow. I guess we need the rain. At least that’s what they said on the radio this morning.”
She folded her arms over her chest, trying not to think about what they were waiting for as she continued to babble about the weather. She felt so confused by everything about Stephen. She liked him. She liked him more than she’d liked any man in a long time. But he wasn’t for her. She knew that. They didn’t have very much in common. So it made sense to end the affair as quickly and quietly as possible. After all, the theory of a sex-based, no-strings affair had sounded really nice, but the reality was more than she could handle. So as soon as the pregnancy test came back negative, she would—
“It’s done.”
She turned on her heel and stared at him. He was looking at the white plastic stick, but she couldn’t read the expression on his face.
“Stephen?”
He held out the stick to her. She crossed to his desk and stared at the pink plus sign. She was pregnant.
Baby? She was going to have a baby? She pressed a hand to her stomach, as if she could already feel the life growing inside of her. She waited for fear or regret or apprehension, but there was only bright, incredible joy. A child of her own. A wonderful, happy, healthy baby!
Stephen watched the dawning comprehension on Nora’s face. He hadn’t realized he was holding his breath until he allowed himself to exhale slowly. He’d half expected anger or resentment, but her expression held only a light of happiness he’d never seen before. It was as if she’d been granted her most secret wish.
“Aren’t you thrilled?” she breathed, clasping her hands together and turning in a slow circle in the center of the room. “A baby!”
He felt himself smile, although his response was more contained than hers. While a part of him was pleased with the news, he was also concerned. With Courtney he’d had to temper his elation because she’d been so ambivalent. He’d anticipated the birth of a child before, only to have the tiny life lost almost before it had begun. Still, this was a second chance to be a father.
He dropped the stick onto the paper towel and thought how in less than nine months he would hold his child in his arms. Son or daughter, he didn’t care.
“Isn’t it amazing?” Nora practically danced over to the desk. Her entire face glowed. “I can’t wait. I don’t know the first thing about being pregnant. I guess I need to buy some of those books and I’ll have to eat better, but, oh, isn’t it wonderful?” She pressed her hands to his arm. “If you’ve changed your mind, I’m okay with that, too. I mean, I could be a great single mom. I have brothers and sisters to provide support, and my mom is going to be thrilled when I tell her.”
He cupped her face in his hand. “Not in this lifetime, Nora. I meant what I said before. This child is as much mine as it is yours. We’re getting married and we’re going to be raising our baby together.”
Even as he spoke the words, he couldn’t believe he was saying them. But he knew he meant every syllable. He would marry her because it was the right thing to do. He wanted his child to have a stable home. He and Nora might not be wildly in love, but he figured they liked and respected each other. They could build a working relationship from that.
“But we don’t have to get married,” she told him. “If you want to be a part of things, we can co-parent or whatever. I’m not after your money. I don’t need it or you. If you’re doing this because you feel you have to—don’t. Please. I’ll be fine.”
“But I won’t be fine. I need my child and I won’t let you deny me that.” He wondered if it was possible for him to ever learn to need her as well. Courtney had taught him not to depend on a woman to make him happy—that she was more focused on her career than on their relationship. Would Nora be any different?
“You’re being very backward,” she protested, pulling away from his touch. “We don’t have to decide anything right now.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. If not
hing else, you have to consider where we are. Lone Star Canyon is a small town. People will talk. I don’t want that for you or for the baby.”
She opened her mouth, no doubt to argue, then closed it. Nora had had enough gossip to last her a lifetime. He doubted she would willingly sign up for more.
“As for time, we don’t have as much as you think,” he said. “People can count backward and figure out about when all this started. So we need to get moving on getting married fairly quickly.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You’re trying to make this about me, but it isn’t, is it? You’re really concerned about your own reputation.”
“If you think so little of me, why did you make love with me?”
Their gazes locked in steady combat. She looked away first. “I didn’t think that…exactly.”
“Then what did you think?”
She sighed. “Why are you being so difficult?”
“I could ask you the same question.” He moved close and rested his hands on her shoulders. “We have some time, but not as much as either of us would like. The bottom line is I’m going to be involved in my child’s life and I want to be a real, full-time father, legally and otherwise. The only way I can do that is to live with my child. I doubt you’re willing to give up custody to me, so the compromise is that we share the responsibility. Culturally that means getting married.”
“That’s not my first choice,” she said.
“Do you have a better suggestion?”
She was silent for a long time, which for Nora, was fairly rare. As she thought, he continued to rest his hands on her shoulders, enjoying the warmth of her so close to him. If nothing else they were going to have a great sex life, he thought, anticipating long nights of sharing a bed.
She stepped back. “I’m not saying yes.”
“You don’t have to…for now. But I’m not taking no for an answer.”
She glanced at her watch. “I have to go. I have a customer due in any second.”
“Promise me you’ll think about my proposal.”
Her mouth twisted in a wry smile. “It’ll be hard to think about anything else.” She headed for the door.
“Nora? I received an invitation to your brother’s wedding. Would you go with me?”
She paused by the door, then nodded once before letting herself out. Stephen watched her go. She could fight him all she wanted, but the bottom line was they would be married long before the baby was born.
He told himself it was little more than a business transaction, to be completed for the sake of an unborn child. But a part of him was secretly pleased at the turn of events, and he had a sense of anticipation—as if he’d just been given an incredible and unexpected gift.
Chapter Twelve
N ora drove onto Darby land shortly after seven that night. She told herself that she was coming to see her mother because it had been more than a week since they’d had a chance to talk. But even as she pulled up in front of the familiar house, she found herself nearly bursting with the need to share what had happened in her life. Hattie was neither judgmental nor overbearing. She knew how to listen and advise with loving concern. Nora couldn’t think of anything she needed more.
She turned off her engine and stepped out of the car. When she’d phoned earlier her mother had told her that Jack, Katie and Shane were spending the evening in town—having dinner, then going to a movie together. So she and her mother would have the house to themselves. Not that she was going to be able to keep her condition a secret from the rest of her family for very long. Soon there would be the physical manifestation of her pregnancy.
Nora jogged up the front steps and opened the door. “It’s me,” she called as she walked inside.
Her mother appeared from the direction of the kitchen and gave her a warm smile. “I’m so happy to have you over tonight, Nora,” she said, holding open her arms to give her eldest daughter a hug. “I always enjoy seeing you and spending time with you.”
Hattie, a vivacious brunette, with only a small amount of gray in her long hair, had the energy and figure of a much younger woman. She was shorter than Nora, but they had similar dark eyes and easy smiles. Tonight Hattie was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. The only evidence of her riding accident a few months before was a slight limp.
Nora walked into her embrace and held her mother close. The familiar strength and warmth made her feel safe. “Hey, Mom,” she said, closing her eyes and wishing she were young again. Life had been so much easier then. “What’s for dinner?”
“Meat loaf and mashed potatoes. Your favorite. When you called me earlier, you sounded as if you needed a little pick-me-up.”
Nora stepped back, intent on saying that she was fine, but those words wouldn’t come. Instead, she found herself brushing tears from her cheeks and trying to hold in the sobs. “I really messed up, Mom.”
Hattie didn’t say anything. Instead she led her daughter into the living room. When they were seated next to each other on the sofa, Hattie took Nora’s hand in hers and squeezed gently. “Start at the beginning and tell me what’s wrong.”
Nora sniffed, then wiped her face with the fingers of her free hand. What was she supposed to say? But she desperately needed advice, so she was going to have to figure out something and fast.
“I’ve been seeing Stephen Remington,” she said slowly, staring at her lap. She sniffed again. “Well, not exactly seeing. We’re not a couple or anything. I mean, I guess we’ve dated a few times, but…” Her voice trailed off.
Hattie leaned toward her. “Honey, are you talking about sex? I have seven children of my own, so I’m familiar with the process.”
Nora squeezed her eyes shut, then forced herself to look at her mother. Hattie’s smile was supportive and understanding. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. You would know a thing or two, wouldn’t you?”
“I might.” Her mother gazed at her. “So you and Stephen are lovers. As you’re both single adults, I don’t see the problem.”
How to explain? “It’s not that simple. You see, he said that he wasn’t interested in getting involved. Romantically.” She pulled her hand free of her mother’s and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. She had a bad feeling this was all going to sound really awful.
“You’re saying he didn’t want a commitment but he was interested in being intimate.”
“Something like that. It wasn’t supposed to be a one-night stand. We agreed to be monogamous. Sort of really, really close friends.”
“All right. So where’s the problem? Are you concerned that your feelings for him have changed? That you want to be more than friends and he doesn’t?”
If only it were that simple, Nora thought. “Not exactly. The condom broke. I’m pregnant.”
She risked glancing at her mother, half afraid of the censure she might see in Hattie’s dark eyes. But when the older woman shrieked with pleasure and pulled her into a bear hug, Nora reminded herself that her mother had always been the kind of woman who gave with a full heart and rarely judged anyone.
“A baby!” Hattie crowed, holding Nora close. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for grandchildren. You’d think with seven kids of my own that one of you might have figured out how to procreate, but no. I had to raise an independent lot. At least with Jack marrying Katie I have Shane, but he’s almost ten. I don’t think he’s going to let me hold him and rock him to sleep very much.”
Nora straightened and looked at her mother. “You’re sure you’re not mad?”
“Oh, honey, I know this isn’t what you wanted or expected, but I can’t be sorry. Babies are miracles from God. You always said you wanted children. Have you changed your mind?”
“Not at all. I’m excited about the baby. The problem is Stephen.”
Hattie lowered her arms to her side. “So he doesn’t want the child. Is he pressuring you to terminate the pregnancy?”
Nora shook her head. “Just the opposite. He swears he wants
to get involved from the beginning. He—” She cleared her throat because she barely believed what she was about to say. Actually speaking the words out loud might make them real enough to terrify her. “He says we should get married.”
Her mother reacted calmly to the bombshell. Hattie leaned back against the sofa and studied her oldest daughter. “I take it you’re resisting his suggestion.”
“Of course. It’s crazy. Marriage? We barely know each other. This isn’t the nineteenth century. We don’t have to get married. I’m perfectly capable of supporting myself and my child. If he wants to be a part of the baby’s life, then I guess we’ll work something out. Couples do that all the time.”
“I suspect he wants more than biweekly visits.”
“Tell me about it. He’s insisting that the only way he can truly share in the experience is for us to get married. Unless I’m willing to give him custody, which I’m not.” She rested her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. “It’s just crazy. I want the child. What I don’t want is a husband.”
Her mother sighed softly. “Not every man is like your father or even David Fitzgerald. They don’t all leave.”
Nora winced. She hadn’t meant to open old wounds. Not for herself and not for Hattie. “I know that. There are good men out there.”
“I think you have intellectual knowledge, but I don’t think you believe it in your heart. When your dad left, we all felt it, but as the oldest daughter, your perspective was different from everyone else’s. I think Russell walking out on us taught you to be wary. If David had done what he’d promised, you would have realized that some relationships fail but others succeed. Unfortunately his leaving only reinforced what you’d already learned. From what I can tell, Stephen is one of the good guys. Maybe he deserves a chance.”
Nora spun to face her. “You can’t be serious. You’re not telling me I should marry him.”
“I’m saying you should think about it.”
Unexpectedly Expecting! Page 14
