by Sara Orwig
He gave her another hug and stepped away. “I have to go back, darlin’. Afraid I won’t see you tonight unless you want me to just tiptoe in and slip into bed with you.”
She smiled at him. “You might try and see what happens.”
“Then I just might be back earlier this evening.”
Seven
The party drew even more people than they had expected. But they had enough food because Henry and Mike had planned for hundreds. After all, Slade had worked at the Tumbling T for sixty years, first for Thane’s grandfather and then Thane. He’d been just eighteen when he’d started working for the Warners.
It was three in the morning when the last guest finally left and Vivian lay in bed in Mike’s arms.
“The party was a success, darlin’.”
“Thanks for all you did. Slade and his family had a good time and that idea of presenting him with a stuffed Longhorn head to mount on the wall—that was a masterful touch, Mike. His little grandson’s eyes were enormous. They loved those big horns. The best part was that bull died of old age so it wasn’t killed for its horns.”
“Those horns will give the old man some memories and he can tell his friends some of the cattle stories.”
“Another nice thing—neither Leon nor Clint Woodson was there.”
“I noticed. I wondered about Woodson and I’m glad he stayed away. I guess you got your message across.”
“I think you did. They think I’m your woman.”
“At this point in life, I’d say they’re right,” he said, nuzzling her ear and sending chills down her spine.
She rolled over on top of him, looking down at him. Before she could say or do anything, he reached out and straddled her face in his hands.
“C’mere, my woman,” he said, pulling her closer so he could kiss her.
She held him tightly, closing her eyes and kissing him in return.
It was daylight when they stopped.
They’d made love all night long, which was a good thing, she later reasoned, because all the next week—his first as the official Tumbling T foreman—she didn’t see any sign of Mike. But she had a new worry looming in her life.
She had missed a period.
She didn’t think she could possibly be pregnant because she and Thane had tried so many times and she hadn’t gotten pregnant. Besides, she and Mike had always used protection. She couldn’t imagine that was it, but to eliminate the possibility, she got a test kit.
It was the next day when she used it. She followed the directions then waited the allotted minutes. They seemed to be more like years as she anticipated the results. When the timer dinged, she looked down at the stick—unable to believe what she was seeing.
She laid it aside and immediately called her doctor to make an appointment to go to Dallas tomorrow.
She was pregnant with Mike’s baby.
Stunned, she first felt a huge rush of joy. She was going to have a baby.
“Oh, Thane,” she whispered. “Why couldn’t it have been yours? A baby we both would have loved.” A baby that might have kept him from going into the service.
Instead, she was going to have Mike’s baby. She stiffened and sat up, blinking and turning cold. Mike was an alpha male through and through, and he would have all the coinciding typical attitudes toward an unexpected pregnancy and a baby. A baby born to an unwed mother. A baby born to a widowed mom. Mike would absolutely insist on marriage and it wouldn’t make an iota of difference to him that love wasn’t in his equation.
She didn’t want to marry when he didn’t love her. She loved him and he could be so much fun, but marriage needed love on both sides. Love was the stuff that got couples through when things were rough. Mike wasn’t in this affair for love and her wealth might cause problems.
She put her head in her hands, trying to think of how to deal with him. She couldn’t come up with any happy solution. Nor did she have anyone she could trust for advice—she wasn’t that close to anyone. No one except Millie. She worked with Millie and they had a good relationship. Millie would be infinitely better than her mother that thought made her shake her head and laugh sarcastically. Her mother would be aghast and want to marry her off to the first possible candidate who would fit her mother’s qualifications—good job, old money, right contacts, right country clubs. No, there was no hope there. She couldn’t bear to be locked into a marriage without love on Mike’s part. She’d marry him in a second if she believed he loved her, but she didn’t think he would change and fall in love. If they married, he would worry about her inheritance for the rest of his life—unless she gave it to charity and lived on his income. If he didn’t like it today, she felt certain he wouldn’t like it tomorrow or the next year or the year after that. She’d give that fortune to charity if Mike would really love her, but she didn’t think he was falling in love at all.
When and how was she going to tell him? She groaned and locked her fingers together. She didn’t want to tell him because from that moment on, he would try to get her to marry him, probably until she gave in and did so. She’d better get her plans made because he would be taking charge as soon as she made the announcement.
That night she ate early and shut herself in her room. She didn’t want to encounter Mike until she had an agenda for herself and was ready to deal with him.
In fact, she didn’t see him for the next week and she no longer was making an effort to avoid him. She didn’t need to because he didn’t come home early enough for them to see each other. She wondered if they were growing apart. Then she realized he had a lot more to do with Slade gone and after a time things would settle into a routine.
Late in the afternoon she was in her studio when she glanced outside, looking at the landscaped yard that took lots of money to maintain and keep watered. Maybe she should sell the ranch and move back to Dallas and then work out with Mike how they would deal with both of them having their child in their lives.
Tears started and she wiped her eyes. Crying wouldn’t be good for her or for her baby. She heard a light knock on her open door and turned to see Henry.
“Come in, Henry.”
He walked into the studio and strolled around, looking at the paintings she had lined up against the wall and on her easel. “You’re a good artist, Vivian.”
She set aside her brush, wiped her hands and sat in a nearby chair. “Sit down, Henry. I know you didn’t come up here to look at my art. What’s up?”
Sitting in a maroon leather chair, he turned to face her. “Millie will tell you our news today, too, but I wanted to talk to you myself. We’re expecting our first child.”
“Congratulations! That’s wonderful. I’m sure you’re both happy.”
“Yes, we are,” he said, grinning. “Millie feels good and the doc said everything is fine. I know you want your bodyguard nearby, so if this isn’t going to work, we’ll do something else, but we’d like to move out of this house into a house here on the ranch. We’ll be happy still living here on the ranch, but we want our own house and our own yard.”
She nodded. “I can understand that. Maybe we can get you an assistant who would stay in the house at night. What do you think?”
“I think that would be a good solution. In fact, I have a friend who I’d recommend for the job.”
“Well, that was easy,” she said smiling. She wished she could solve her problems as quickly.
Henry stood and walked toward the door, turning to face her. “I’ll talk to my friend if you’d like and tell him if he is interested to call you.”
“Thank you. That’d be good. And tell Millie to come in here when she’s finished working on those expense sheets for me.” She gave him a sincere grin. “I’m so happy for both of you. That’s wonderful news.”
“We think so,” he said with a big smile and she felt a
wistful pang, knowing Mike was not going to be so happy with her news. She had no idea how or when she would tell him.
She didn’t see Millie for another hour until she had put away her paints and was getting ready to go to the kitchen and eat an early dinner.
Millie knocked on the open door and came inside with papers in her hand. She was a willowy blonde and her pregnancy definitely didn’t show.
“Millie, please close the door,” Vivian said, standing and crossing the room. “Henry told me your news and I’m so happy for you. Congratulations,” she said and hugged Millie lightly.
Millie smiled. “Thank you. We’re so excited. We’ve wanted to have a baby and I had about given up and—surprise, we’re going to have one! We’re both thrilled. Henry is kind of silly about it, he’s so excited.”
“Sit down, please. That’s wonderful. Be thankful you have Henry.”
She laughed. “I’ve very thankful I have Henry.” She glanced down at the papers in her hand, almost as if she just remembered them. “Here are your expense reports,” she said, holding them out.
Vivian scanned them then put them on the table. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel great. I have a doctor in Dallas I like and when I’m in my last month, we’ll probably move to the city. But we’ll be back after the baby is born and my mom is coming to stay with us for a week.”
“That’s something you’ll never hear me say. My mom would never come. She’d send someone. Partly because she can’t imagine anyone taking care of a newborn unaided. I don’t know what she thinks women do all over the world. Not everyone can hire a nurse or nanny,” she said and they both laughed.
“Millie, I want to talk to you. We’ve been friends now for the past three years. I haven’t told anyone this and I’m going to have to figure out how to deal with it, but...I’m pregnant.”
Millie squealed and hugged Vivian. “Congratulations, yourself!
“Well, you’re the only one who knows and you may tell Henry, but the dad doesn’t know, so tell Henry to keep my news quiet.”
“I won’t tell another soul.” She placed a hand over her heart as if swearing an oath. “Would you like one of my baby books? I have a bunch and I’ve already read a couple that I thought were good.”
“Thanks, I would love to look at them.” Vivian looked away a moment. “I hate to tell someone else first before I tell the father, but I don’t think it’s going to work out so well when I tell him.”
“He doesn’t like children?”
“Oh, no, that’s not it. He doesn’t like my money.”
“Oh,” she repeated.
I’m trying to get in mind what I want to do. I haven’t known this long myself.”
“Well, I hope you work it out and I’m sorry, because this should be the happiest time. Maybe your money will be more welcome now that there’s a baby to spend it on. Henry would be turning cartwheels if I had a lot.”
Vivian looked down at her diamond pendant. “Thane and I tried to have a baby. If only it had worked out then, but it didn’t,” she said. “Ah, well. Bring the baby books when it’s convenient. If I’m not here, you can just put them on my desk in the study. No one ever goes in there except to clean. Thane and I were the only ones who used that room.”
“I will. I hope you work things out. I’m glad we’re having babies at the same time. Our kids can be friends.”
Vivian smiled and nodded, going to open the door to see Millie out. She sighed and turned away. She had a lot of decisions to make. It was May now and Slade was gone. If she left the ranch, she would have to put it up for sale and that would hurt a lot of people, but there seemed little point in her staying. Eventually, she would have to leave it and get closer to a private school in Dallas, probably choosing the private schools she attended. The biggest decision she faced right now was when she would tell Mike. But she needed to have a plan in place before he started trying to take charge. For the ranch, Thane had picked one of the best foremen to run the business from what Thane and Slade had said about Mike. As far as meddling in her life, that was a whole different story.
She decided to forego dinner and stay in her suite, working on her life plan. By nightfall, she wasn’t any closer to an agenda and later she lay in bed in the dark, thinking about what she wanted to do. She placed her hand on her stomach. Her baby and Mike’s. Tears came and she wiped them away. This should be one of the happiest times in her life and here she was, crying. She had to stop thinking about that and just make plans. If nothing else, she’d move back to Dallas, buy a house, get a nursery ready and hire a nanny.
She thought about Millie’s mother coming and smiled. Her mother had immediately turned each of her own children over to nannies. Vivian wanted some help, but she wasn’t giving up taking care of her precious little baby that she had wanted so badly when Thane was alive.
She would ask Mike if he would mind if they named a boy Thane. She would like that and maybe Mike would, too. Hopefully, it would be one thing they could agree on. She might as well break the news to him soon and let him start adjusting. Was the fight just beginning or could they work it out peacefully? Mike had his moments when he surprised her and was incredibly kind and considerate—like the night when she felt so despondent telling him good-night and he had turned around to look at her and then came back to hold her and kiss away her tears.
She didn’t expect that kind of reaction this time, but she could always hope. There was just no way to accurately guess his reaction to learning he was about to be a dad.
* * *
Mike worked until late every day and he got up early in the morning to eat and get to work. Slade had made everything look so damned easy. Or had a lot of things happened after Slade left and it was just pure coincidence that he seemed to have way more to do than Slade had?
It was Thursday and Mike hadn’t seen Vivian in days and he missed her. He wanted to take her out the soonest possible weekend he felt he could get away. They needed a night to themselves. He needed a night with her. What he wanted was a weekend with her where they could get away from the ranch and its problems and just enjoy each other’s company and spend hours making love.
He made a mental note to find her tonight and ask her to spend the weekend with him.
He had three guys who were great cowboys. He’d be able to fall back on any one of them if something came up and he was away from the ranch or unable to work for any reason. Slade had told him to find three and Mike had taken his advice. It was a good feeling knowing these men were there. It was also a good feeling knowing Leon was gone. He hadn’t worked but a short time with the man, so losing Leon wasn’t a blow as far as Mike was concerned and he didn’t have to worry about Leon and Vivian. He didn’t have to worry about Clint and Vivian either and that was good. The neighboring rancher hadn’t been around in a while.
Thinking of Vivian made him yearn to hear the sound of her voice. He tried calling her but the phone rang unanswered until her voice mail came on. It had been like that for days. He ended up not leaving a message when he got another call. He took it and got caught up in discussing some missing cattle. He turned his pickup around and headed in the opposite direction and forgot about talking to Vivian.
It was evening when he got back to the house. He had seen lights on in her suite when he had driven up, so he walked upstairs and knocked. She opened the door.
She was in cutoffs and a blue T-shirt but to him she looked beautiful. “Hi, stranger,” he said.
“Hi. You’re working late now and a lot more.”
“I sure am. I didn’t realize how much Slade did. He made it look easy. I don’t have the knack for making it look easy or be easy. Can I come in for a minute?”
“Sure,” she said, stepping back. He walked in to stand close to her.
“You look wonderful.”
“T
hank you, Mike. We haven’t seen each other much.”
“No, and I want to change that. Let me take you to Dallas tomorrow night. Some place fun or even just to your condo. I want to get away from the ranch and the problems here. We can go to dinner and then you pick it—dancing, a show. What would you like to do? Anything sounds good to me.”
“That would be fine. Let’s go to dinner at the club in downtown Dallas. It’s quiet and has a piano player and excellent food by a super chef. We can stay in my condo again.”
“Oh, baby, you have a date. I can’t wait to go.”
“Are you sorry you have Slade’s job?”
“Not at all. It’s just that a lot has happened this past week. It’ll settle down. On top of other problems, we need rain and a lot of it. I’m sure we’ll eventually get it. Vivian, do you know where your phone is?”
“Yes. It’s in the other room on my desk.”
“For a couple days now I haven’t been able to get you when I call.”
“I’ll pay more attention. I was probably wrapped up in painting or something and didn’t even hear it. I didn’t think you would call me when you’re working.”
“Well, I have and I’d like to get you when I call. Is anything wrong?”
“Wrong? No,” she said and smiled at him.
“You seem preoccupied,” he said, feeling an invisible wall between them that he didn’t expect. He couldn’t figure out why he felt that way when he never had before with her. He wanted to take her in his arms, kiss her for the next hour and make love to her all night, but he had a feeling if he tried to hug her, she would stop him. They stood looking at each other and his suspicions grew that something was wrong, but he didn’t know what and she obviously wasn’t going to tell him.
He closed the gap between them, seeing her eyes widen and a flush make her cheeks pink. He wrapped his arms around her, leaned over her and kissed her. For a moment she didn’t respond, didn’t do anything, but then her arms went around his neck and her lips yielded to his.
When she kissed him in return, she was as passionate and sexy as ever. Shaking, he wanted her with all his being. He tightened one arm around her while he ran his other hand over her, tugging her shirt out of her shorts and slipping beneath it to caress her breast.
