by Leanne Banks
He shook his head. It just didn’t make sense.
Lost in the analyzation of his probable insanity, it took a moment for Tate to realize that someone was calling his name. Rising from the chair, he went into the hall to find Marilou standing by the kitchen doorway.
“What’s up, darlin’? Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine,” Marilou said, nodding. But before she could ask if he’d thought of an excuse why he couldn’t stay, the front door opened and they turned to see what the commotion was about.
To Marilou’s shock, her always impeccably dressed, never-a-hair-out-of-place older sister, Ann Elise, stood there looking for all the world like a very muddy, soaked-to-the-bone mess. The tall, good-looking man standing beside her looked little better. But as she continued to watch her sister, Marilou noticed that Ann Elise’s smile was brighter and there was a definite sparkle in her blue eyes. Marilou didn’t think she’d ever seen her oldest sister look happier.
“Excuse the dirt, I’ll clean up in a minute,” she said, rushing forward to wrap her arms around Marilou. “What happened to you?”
“You don’t know?” Marilou asked, laughing nervously as she hugged her sister back. “Remember all those lectures you used to give me when I started my—”
Tate suddenly put his arm around her shoulders and rested his other hand on her rounded stomach. “What Marilou is trying to tell you is that we have a little cowboy or cowgirl on the way.”
Marilou felt her cheeks turn beet-red, and she prayed for the floor to open up and swallow her. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. No telling what she would have said if Tate hadn’t stopped her.
“This is Tate Carson,” Faith said, hurrying down the hall from the kitchen about the same time Gabriel walked through the open doorway. “He’s going to be spending Christmas with us, and let me tell you, Jason thinks Santa’s already come and gone. First Gabe and now Tate. Joe, you need to stick around and meet my son. He’s really hungry for male role models.”
“Halloran,” Tate said, pointing his finger at Joe. “Didn’t you used to play for A & M? Quarterback, right?”
Joe nodded. “And didn’t you win your third bull-riding championship at the National Finals just a few days ago?”
Marilou listened as everyone caught up on who went to school together and about both of her sisters having a crush on Joe when they were in high school. And the more she heard, the more nervous she became. There was no way she and Tate would be able to carry off the ruse he’d proposed.
Her nerves ready to snap, Marilou gasped when the baby cut loose with a mighty kick right under Tate’s hand.
His arm tightened around her as he stared down at her, his eyes filled with awe. “Are you okay, darlin’?”
Bless her heart, Faith chose that moment to step forward and take charge. “Why don’t we go into the kitchen and I’ll get everyone a cup of cocoa?”
Joe cleared his throat. “I guess I’d better be going. I promised to take the folks to midnight services. Anyone want to come with me?”
Ann Elise gestured at her disheveled appearance. “I need to—well, to, uh…”
Thankful everyone’s attention was on her older sister and not her and Tate, Marilou offered, “I could take you outside and hose you off.”
Ann Elise laughed. “Just point me to a bathtub and turn up that big new water heater.” As Joe turned toward the door, she added. “Call me tomorrow and let me know how the babies are. That is, if you have the time.”
“Babies!” Marilou and Faith said at the same time.
After Ann Elise and Joe explained about the dog and her litter of puppies, Marilou watched her sister follow Joe to the door. She, Tate, Faith and Gabriel discreetly moved into the kitchen.
“Unless I miss my guess, I think we’ll be getting a new brother-in-law in the not too distant future,” Faith said, grinning.
Relieved that the focus of attention was off her and Tate, Marilou smiled. “I think you might be right.”
“I have your dinner in the oven to keep it warm,” Faith said, taking Gabriel by the arm.
“She’s the best cook in the county.” Gabriel sounded proud as any man could be. “Maybe the whole damned state.”
Grinning, Tate nodded. “Almost as good as Marilou.”
Faith looked at him like he’d sprouted another head. “Marilou? Cook? She can barely boil water without scorching it.”
“Oh, I do a little better in the kitchen than I used to,” Marilou said slowly.
Thankful that she’d covered his blunder, Tate put his arm around her and gazed into her emerald eyes. Her expression clearly told him that she wanted him to shut up and not waste time doing it.
“Her specialty is Tex-Mex,” he said, without a second thought.
Her not so subtle elbow to his ribs warned him that he was venturing into a dangerous area. But what the hell? Riding wild horses and rank bulls made him something of an adrenalin junkie, and he thrived on walking that fine line between safe and hazardous.
Smiling, he couldn’t resist adding, “Marilou’s changed a lot since she met me.”
“You mean besides the obvious?” Gabriel asked, grinning and pointing to Marilou’s stomach.
Tate couldn’t resist pushing his luck. “Here lately things have been changing from one minute to the next.”
“One of the biggest changes being how early I get sleepy,” Marilou said, yawning. She gave him a meaningful look. “Why don’t you help me upstairs to our room, Tate?”
Unless he missed his guess, when they got to the bedroom she was going to let him know, in no uncertain terms, just how much she appreciated his sense of humor. Damned if he’d had this much fun in a month of Sundays.
“Yeah, that would probably be best,” he said, placing his hand at the small of her back to guide her toward the stairs. For some reason that he couldn’t explain, and probably wouldn’t want to analyze too closely, he liked touching her. “We’ll see you all in the morning.”
Marilou was ready to explode by the time she reached her room—their room. If she hadn’t thought to fake that yawn and ask him to help her up the stairs, no telling what kind of trouble Tate would have gotten them into.
As soon as he closed the door, she turned on him. “What were you thinking?” Shaking her head, she held up her hand. “Don’t answer that. There couldn’t possibly have been anything running through your mind.”
“Not true, darlin’.” His charming grin caused her heart to skip a beat, and she had no doubt he’d used that expression many times before to extricate himself from trouble. “I was just having a little fun. And it made us appear to know more about each other in the process.”
She stopped pacing and closed her eyes as she tried for patience. Counting to ten, she finally felt in control enough to speak in a normal tone. “You don’t understand, Tate. My sister deemed me a hopeless case in the kitchen years ago. Faith has been trying to teach me to cook for as long as I can remember and I failed miserably every time.”
He frowned. “Surely you can’t be that bad at it.”
“Wanna bet?” Marilou walked over to lower her bulk onto the window seat. Rubbing her throbbing temples, she shook her head. “I still can’t make anything more complicated than canned soup. And most of the time I manage to scorch that.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No, I’m not. Give me columns of numbers and I can crunch them with the best. Put me in a kitchen and you’re asking for the fire department to show up.”
Walking over, he sat down beside her. “It’s not a big deal, Marilou. Unless your sister asks you to cook something, she’ll never know the difference.” He took her hand in his, and at the touch of his skin against hers, a shiver coursed through her. “You’ve got to lighten up, darlin’. Otherwise, they’re going to figure out that we aren’t what we’re supposed to be.”
Overwhelmingly exhausted from the emotional roller coaster she’d been riding all day, she yawned for real this t
ime. “I guess you’re right.”
“Why don’t you stop worrying so much and get ready to go to bed?” The gentleness in his voice warmed her all the way to her soul.
But as she thought about changing into her gown and snuggling under the patchwork quilt Aunt Beth had given her on her tenth birthday, a sudden tension gripped her. She’d used the excuse that she was tired to get Tate away from Faith and Gabriel. But she really hadn’t thought about what would happen once they got to her room and faced having to sleep in the same bed.
Tate apparently picked up on her apprehension. “Don’t worry, darlin’. I don’t bite.” He gave her a grin that caused her heart to skip several beats. “Much.”
The visual that ran through her mind from that one little word sent a jolt of electric impulses to places that had no business tingling. Unable to think of a thing to say, she nodded, then rising to her feet as gracefully as her protruding stomach would allow, she poked around in the dresser drawer where she’d put her things earlier. Gathering what she needed, she waddled into the adjoining bathroom as quickly, and with as much dignity as she could muster.
After a quick shower, she pulled on her long, flannel granny gown and stuffed her arms into her purple chenille robe. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she nodded her approval at the image staring back at her. She knew it was utterly ridiculous to think that any man could be attracted to her in her current condition, but there was nothing wrong with a little insurance. If her advanced pregnancy wasn’t enough to keep Tate Carson on his side of the bed, her choice of nightclothes certainly would.
Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. “Your turn. I put a—”
She’d started to tell him that she put out a fresh towel for him, but the sight of Tate standing in her bedroom in nothing but low slung jeans, rendered her speechless.
“Think you’ll be warm enough there, Marilou?” he asked, his grin teasing as he strolled past her on his way to take a shower.
She glanced down at her long robe and gown. “I…uh, yes.”
Once the door closed behind him, she sank down on the side of the bed and barely resisted the urge to fan herself. Good Lord, the man had a gorgeous body. His muscular shoulders were impossibly wide, his pectoral muscles thick and his flat stomach sported enough ridges to make a bodybuilder proud.
When she’d lived with Harlan, he’d made a habit of lounging around the apartment without his shirt. She’d always suspected that he was trying to impress her with his physique. But never in Harlan’s wildest dreams had he ever looked as good as Tate.
Removing her robe, she pulled the quilt and top sheet back, then got into bed. Her granny gown might keep Tate on his side, but what was going to keep her on her side?
The baby gave a mighty kick as if to remind her. “Okay, okay,” she said, rubbing her taut belly. “It was just a thought.”
“Did you say something?” Tate asked, opening the bathroom door.
Marilou’s mouth went completely dry and she did her best to keep from staring as he walked into the room in a pair of boxer-briefs. He didn’t look the least bit self-conscious. What he looked was fantastic.
“Is that what you’re wearing to bed?” she asked, when she finally found her voice.
She watched him glance down at the navy blue cotton hugging him like a second skin. “Yeah, I figured…” His voice trailed off as an amused expression replaced his frown. “I could wear what I usually sleep in.”
The mischievous light in his chocolate-brown eyes should have warned her, but before she could stop herself, she asked, “And that would be?”
“Skin and a big old smile.”
If she’d gotten a visual before when he said he didn’t bite much, it couldn’t compare to the image dancing through her mind now. She swallowed hard and shook her head. “Those are good.”
“Are you sure?” He hooked his thumbs in the waistband. “I don’t want you to be unhappy with what I sleep in, darlin’.”
“No. Please. What you’re wearing is fine,” she said hurriedly, lying back against the pillow. She pulled the quilt up to her chin and forced herself to keep her eyes on the ceiling.
If someone had told her this morning that she would be sharing the same bed with Tate Carson that very night, she’d have told them to seek help. Now, she was the one wondering if she might not need a little psychiatric help in order to make it through the night and still maintain a scrap of her sanity.
The bedside lamp was switched off and she felt the opposite side of the mattress dip as Tate sat down on the side, then stretched out beside her. Her whole body tensed and she scrunched her eyes shut. Why hadn’t she ever noticed before how crowded a double bed was with two people in it? With Tate’s wide shoulders, and her pregnant bulk, there was no more than an inch or two between them.
“This was your bed when you grew up here?” he asked, sounding far more relaxed than she was.
“Y-yes.” She slowly opened her eyes, thankful that the room was dark and he couldn’t see the heat she was sure colored her cheeks.
“It’s pretty comfortable.”
“I always thought…oooh.”
She’d started to agree, but the sudden tightness in her calf had her moaning in pain. Apparently she’d been so tense it had caused a muscle spasm.
“What’s wrong, Marilou?” He immediately switched on the lamp. “Is it the baby?”
“L-leg…c-cramp,” she moaned.
“Which one?”
“L-left…oow.”
Before she knew what was happening, he threw the covers back, jerked her long gown up above her knees and reached for her left leg. If she’d been able to do anything besides moan, she might have told him not to touch her. But his strong fingers felt like magic as he worked the tightness from the convulsing muscle, and as the pain eased, she found she didn’t want him to stop.
“Is that better?”
She nodded. “Y-yes, thank you.”
“What caused your calf to cramp?” he asked, the concern in his voice evident as he pulled her gown back down and the quilt up over them.
Staring up at him, she decided there was no way she’d tell him that it was his body a scant two inches from hers that caused her to tense.
“In the past few months I’ve had to start sleeping on my side with a pillow behind me and another one in front for support,” she answered, settling on a half truth.
She did have to sleep with the pillows in order to keep her lower back from bothering her while she slept, so she hadn’t lied. It just wasn’t the reason for the muscle spasm. And as humiliating as it was to admit that her stomach was so big she needed something to help prop it up, it was far less embarrassing than telling him that being in the same bed with him made her a nervous wreck.
“There’s only two pillows here,” he said, frowning. “Are there more in the closet?”
“I looked earlier, but there weren’t any,” she said shaking her head.
She watched him look around the room, then smile as he got out of bed and crossed the room to the quilt stand in the corner. Once he’d removed the colorful coverlet, he got back in bed.
“Turn on your side facing away from me.”
“What are you going to do?”
He smiled. “Just do it, okay?”
Marilou wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but when she did as he instructed, Tate handed her the quilt. “It’s not as soft as a pillow, but it should help support the baby.”
Touched by his thoughtfulness, she positioned the cover. “It does feel better. Thank you.”
He switched off the lamp, then she felt the mattress move as he got comfortable. Sighing contentedly, she closed her eyes and started to relax.
But a split second later, her eyelids flew wide open and her startled squeak echoed through the dark room at the feel of his body aligning with hers. “Wh-what—”
“Shh, darlin’.” Putting his arm over her belly, he snuggled against her. “I’m going to support your back.”
Chapter 4
When Tate positioned himself behind Marilou, he hadn’t thought much beyond helping her sleep comfortably. But the feel of her soft feminine backside pressed against him from shoulders to knees, quickly had him thinking of other things they could be doing in bed and none of them involved sleep.
His mouth went as dry as a desert in a yearlong drought and he had to take several deep breaths to calm himself. He couldn’t believe his thoughts were straying in that direction. Marilou was expecting a baby for God’s sake. Since when did he find himself attracted to pregnant women?
But regardless of how insane the idea was, he found that it was all too true. He did find Marilou irresistible. He also knew her pregnancy didn’t have a thing to do with it. He would have been drawn to her no matter what.
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Tate,” she said, sounding breathless.
Unable to resist, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Hush, darlin’. I’m just trying to help you get comfortable.”
He gave himself a mental pat on the back for sounding practical and unaffected. Unfortunately, his lower body stirring against hers made a complete liar out of him. Her sharp intake of breath let him know she felt it, too.
Before she could pitch a full-fledged hissy fit, and bring everyone in the house running to see what was going on, he whispered close to her ear, “Just relax, Marilou. I can’t hide the fact that I’m attracted to you, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to act on it.”
“You’re attracted to me?” She sounded like she didn’t believe him.
“You bet.” He pressed his rapidly changing body closer to hers. “I wouldn’t be this hard if I wasn’t. Now, go to sleep, darlin’.”
“Tate?” The sound of her soft voice saying his name sent a surge of longing straight to the part of him that he was trying desperately to bring under control.
Closing his eyes, he barely managed to keep from groaning as he willed himself to calm down. “What, Marilou?”
