Expecting...in Texas

by Ferrarella, Marie

  “But Vanessa’s not like that,” Savannah protested. She couldn’t picture Vanessa ever putting anyone in their so-called place. Especially not because of the whimsy of fate and financial circumstances. And Vanessa’s brother Dallas wasn’t like that, either. She knew that for a fact.

  “No,” Cruz agreed. “She is not. But she is different from them.” He looked pointedly at Savannah. “And different from me.” After a small pause, a smile teased his mouth. “Come, this is far too serious a topic for a wedding, and you are here to have fun.”

  But her eyes held his. “That doesn’t mean I can’t learn something.”

  “Maybe we can both learn something,” he remarked playfully as he whirled her around the floor once more.

  Savannah had the uneasy feeling that she’d just been put on notice.

  Three

  “Mind if I cut in?”

  Cruz looked over his shoulder to see Dallas Fortune standing behind him on the dance floor.

  It was on the tip of his tongue to say, yes, he did mind. Because it was, Cruz swallowed the words, a little disturbed that they should have been the ones to rise in response. After all, it wasn’t as if he had any claims on Savannah, or even wanted any. She had just aroused his interest—temporarily.

  They’d spent the last few hours together, dancing and talking. He had to admit that he hadn’t realized just how much time he had spent in her company; it had passed so quickly. They had even discussed his plans for a ranch of his own, something he wasn’t in the habit of talking about with anyone outside the family. Even with his family, he remained guarded, using his words sparingly.

  But talking to Savannah had been different. Easy. The plans, the dreams, had somehow just been coaxed out by the expression on her face, the light in her eyes.

  He’d talked too much. It was high time for him to turn his attention elsewhere, Cruz decided. There were a great many other attractive single women at the party besides Savannah.

  There was really no reason for him to stagnate here. No reason at all.

  “Be my guest.” Cruz released Savannah’s hand from his and stepped away, giving Dallas a clear field.

  His intention was to turn immediately away and seek out the first pretty, unattached woman he came across. But something held him where he was. He watched as Dallas slipped his hand around Savannah’s waist and drew her to him.

  A strange, hot feeling rose quickly in Cruz’s chest. He waited for it to fall back down, to fizzle out.

  When it didn’t on its own, Cruz banked it down, and was surprised at the effort it took. He didn’t know just what the hell was going on, but he wasn’t about to waste time mulling over it.

  He looked around—everywhere but where Dallas and Savannah were dancing—searching for his next companion. Seeing a woman who he thought might provide him with a little diversion, Cruz lost no time crossing to her.

  Looking in his direction, the woman smiled a warm invitation.

  Cruz returned it. He was glad Dallas had come along to free him up when he did. Maybe Cruz had lost track of time there for a little while, but he was back on track now. It was way past time to change partners.

  The song was slow, and Savannah let herself drift with it. The tingling sensation had disappeared. At least her body would have a chance to get back to normal, now that Cruz was no longer holding her.

  She rested her head against Dallas’s shoulder. Vanessa’s older brother had always been kind to her, and she liked him. When she and Vanessa had attended college together and Dallas had come up for visits, he’d always made a point of treating her as if she were his sister, too. It had earned him a permanent soft spot in her heart.

  “Are you having a good time?” His voice drifted into the contented haze forming around her.

  Savannah didn’t bother lifting her head. “Very.” For perhaps the first time in three months, she mused. Since the last time she’d been here.

  “I wanted to make sure you weren’t overwhelmed by everything.”

  Savannah raised her head to look at him. “Overwhelmed?”

  Dallas nodded. “We Fortunes have a habit of steamrollering over people—quite unintentionally. Vanessa tells me that you’ll be staying on at the ranch as a bookkeeper.”

  How much did he know about that? Self-conscious, Savannah looked away, avoiding his eyes.

  She saw Cruz dancing with another woman. Disappointment mushroomed through her even as she tried to subdue it. Cruz was free to do whatever he wanted, be with whomever he wanted. She had no claims on him. None, at any rate, that she was willing to make.

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Vanessa didn’t talk you into it, did she?”

  The question caught her attention, and Savannah looked at him, puzzled. “What do you mean?”

  Dallas laughed softly. “Well, I know you’re a teacher at that private school. Pierce Academy, isn’t it?”

  So he didn’t know that she’d been asked to leave. Relieved, Savannah nodded. This put an entirely different light on the conversation.

  “I just wanted to be sure that Vanessa hadn’t twisted your arm to get you to agree to work on the ranch. I know she wasn’t happy that you were so far away.” He smiled at her. “She missed you a lot.”

  It was nice to know that someone did. Savannah supposed it was the state she found herself in, but of late she’d felt part misfit, part outcast—and completely vulnerable.

  “And I’ve missed her,” she confided. A smile bloomed as she looked up at him. He really did act like a big brother sometimes. She appreciated that the way only an only child could. “That’s very sweet of you, Dallas, worrying about me. But Vanessa didn’t talk me into anything. There have been…cutbacks at the school,” she said evasively. Right now, she didn’t really feel like admitting the truth. She’d have to deal with that soon enough if things worked out and she remained. “I just discovered that I was being let go a few hours before I flew out. Your sister was kind enough to offer me a position here. Luckily, I had some bookkeeping experience in college.”

  One song ended and another, its tempo much quicker, began. Dallas gave no indication that he was about to retreat. Instead, his step quickened in time to the music as he swept her around the floor.

  “Kind, nothing.” He laughed at the thought. “If you work at the Double Crown Ranch, I guarantee you’ll earn your pay. My father doesn’t let anyone coast along, not even his own kids. Especially his own kids,” Dallas amended. But there was no bitterness in his voice. “A little hard work never killed anyone, but I did want you to know what you were getting yourself into.”

  “Information duly noted,” Savannah said, growing a little breathless. Dallas was far more taken with the execution of fancy footwork than Cruz, had been. With Cruz she’d been more aware of bodies moving than flying feet.

  He looked down at her face. “In that case, may I be the first to welcome you aboard, Savannah. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. I’ve had to temporarily move back into my father’s house while my roof damage is being repaired.”

  The room began to spin just a little, and she held onto his arm as much for support as for form. “I’m sorry about your house, though it will be nice to spend some time with you. But don’t I have to get approved by your father, first before the bookkeeping job is officially mine?”

  Dallas shook his head. “Just technically. Nothing more than rubber-stamping at this stage,” he assured her. “He trusts Vanessa’s judgment. We all do.”

  “Then I guess I’m hired.” One huge weight off her shoulders, she thought. At least for the time being. The rest of the future was just going to have to take care of itself.

  As the pace picked up again, Dallas glided her around another couple. “I guess you are.”

  Savannah was smiling at Dallas. Now she was laughing at something he’d just said. Cruz found himself taking in every movement. The woman in his arms was vivacious and had eyes only for him, but he was oblivious to her and her blatant att
empts to snare his interest.

  His attention was on the couple across the floor. His grip on the woman’s hand tightened slightly as he watched Dallas bend his head and whisper something into Savannah’s ear. She laughed in response, the sound muted by the music. Cruz heard it in his head, anyway.

  What the hell were they talking about?

  Again he found that he had to bank down the strange, hot feelings that threatened to take control of him. He muttered an oath under his breath, turning his partner so that he could get a better view of Savannah and her companion.

  “What’s the matter, darlin’?” the woman purred. “You look like your mind’s a million miles away.”

  Cruz looked at his partner. The lopsided grin that followed covered a thousand transgressions. “Just thinking of you and the night ahead, Gia.”

  The blonde snuggled against him, her sigh warm on his chest. “Tell me more.”

  Watching Cruz and the blonde who hermetically adhered herself to his body, Savannah struggled not to let a new wave of sadness engulf her. For now, things were as good as they could get. Better than she’d hoped.

  She was just going to have to content herself with that.

  Savannah had no idea why she couldn’t.

  Pride filled Rosita Perez’s ample bosom as she watched Vanessa dance on the arm of her new husband. It was the kind of pride a mother might feel on the day of her daughter’s wedding. The kind of pride Rosita had felt watching her own daughters when they were married.

  Her body swaying ever so slightly in time with the music, Rosita continued watching from the sidelines. Vanessa Fortune might as well have been her daughter. She had helped raise the girl and her twin sister, Victoria, from the time both were babies. She’d stepped in on a full-time basis when the twins’ mother, Janine, had died, filling the huge gap as best she could so that the Fortune children would always know that there was someone around who cared for them.

  Ryan Fortune did care, of course, she thought as she helped herself to a small canapé, but he was only a man, and men were inept when it came to showing their feelings for their children. And then, of course, he’d made the mistake of marrying that woman, Sophia. His second wife had gotten her hooks into him, and the children had become more Rosita’s than ever.

  Rosita delicately wiped her mouth with a napkin. Even her husband Ruben could have shown his feelings more, although he was better than most. No, in her generation it was the women who felt, the women who cried and encouraged and guided. It had always been second nature to her.

  Rosita only hoped that she’d infused some of her values into the current generation of Fortunes, so they would be freer to show their feelings, freer to love those who deserved loving…. Like this small baby whom God had directed into their home, Rosita mused as she looked toward the ornate bassinet that was butted up against the side of one of the banquet tables.

  When Claudia and Matthew had discovered that the baby whom Devin and Vanessa had rescued wasn’t their own precious kidnapped Bryan, they had taken it upon themselves to care for the little mystery baby. Taylor, as they were calling him, had the hereditary crown-shaped birthmark, thus proving he was indeed a Fortune. The only trouble was that none of the Fortune men had claimed responsibility for fathering the little angel. Regardless, the family had come to love the boy in the short time he’d been with them.

  The bassinet could be seen from anywhere in the room. Afraid of a repetition of the awful kidnapping at the christening, Matthew and Claudia had made certain that the baby remained well in sight during the whole reception. They didn’t want to lose him, and perhaps lose the only real connection they still had to their own lost son. Though the FBI and Sheriff Grayhawk were still working on finding the kidnappers and baby Bryan, all leads were cold. At least the media weren’t hounding the Fortunes; the story was being kept quiet out of fear of tabloid exploitation.

  Still, Rosita knew the kidnapping was placing a serious strain on Matthew and Claudia’s marriage. They’d moved back into Ryan’s home, and Rosita saw them daily. She could cut the tension between them with a knife.

  Poor lamb, Rosita thought looking down at the baby. Who is it you really belong to?

  Filled with sympathy for the child, for his real mother, who could be desperately searching for him even now, and for Matthew and Claudia and their continuous anguish, Rosita made her way over to the bassinet.

  She noted that Lily Cassidy, Ryan Fortune’s long-lost love, and Lily’s daughter, Maria, were already there. Lily and Ryan had been lovers once. Lily had recently reentered Ryan’s life and the difference in the man could be seen instantly. About time the man was happy again, Rosita thought. She noticed that the baby began to fret as she approached. Rosita saw Maria lift the baby and take him into her arms with a practiced ease. Usually rebellious and embittered, Maria seemed oddly self-confident as she held the child. The baby quieted instantly.

  Rosita paused, studying the younger woman.

  Seeing her, Lily smiled a greeting to Rosita. “You must be very proud.” Her eyes indicated Vanessa.

  Rosita nodded. Lily was a fine lady, and genteel in the traditional sense of the word. Lily understood that Vanessa was like a daughter to her. Ryan would do well to make her his wife, Rosita mused. Lily would undoubtedly bring honor and style to the family.

  Not like Sophia. She’d never been a Fortune—not truly.

  “She does make a beautiful bride,” Rosita agreed with genuine pride. “And more than that, she is a beautiful person.” She looked at Maria and the baby. “Would you like me to take him for a little while? That way you and Ms. Lily can feel free to have a good time.”

  Maria merely scowled in response.

  “That’s very sweet of you, Rosita,” Lily responded, covering for her daughter’s rudeness. Lily rose from her chair. “I guess it doesn’t take all of us to guard one small baby.” She passed her hand lightly over the infant’s downy head. There was affection in her eyes when she looked at Taylor.

  Rosita saw a strange expression pass over Maria’s face as Lily spoke. It looked suspiciously like fear. Was she worried about the baby, too? Everyone at the ranch had fallen in love with this little waif, who laughed and already seemed to have a zest for life. But it was out of character for Maria to care about anyone, even a small baby.

  “Perhaps a little of both.” Rosita reached for the baby, but Maria stepped back, unwilling to relinquish her hold. Rosita looked at her quizzically.

  “That’s all right, I don’t mind,” Maria said quickly. “I like holding him, and he seems to be happy right now. Why don’t you just go and enjoy yourselves?” It was more of a dismissal than a suggestion.

  Lily pressed her lips together. “Maria, you really should get out and mingle a little. I was hoping that—”

  Maria’s face clouded over. “Yes, Mother, I know exactly what you were hoping.” Her eyes strayed toward Matthew before she turned her back on her mother. Her attention became centered on the baby. “But I’m happy here, just holding the baby. Why can’t you just accept that?”

  Rosita looked away, embarrassed for Lily and not wanting to cause her any further discomfort. Her own daughters would never speak to her this way, especially not in front of someone else. It seemed a shame that such a fine lady like Lily had to put up with such rude behavior.

  “I had better see if they have enough wine.” Rosita nodded toward some of the trays scattered about on the surrounding tables. “It looks as if we are gathering too many empty glasses.”

  “Oh, there you are.” Coming up behind Lily, Ryan slipped his arms around her, hugging her to him. “I haven’t had a chance to claim a dance with you in the last hour. Baxter Cordell is talking my ear off about some infernal idea. Something about a dude ranch, of all things. Come save me,” he urged the woman who shared his heart and his bed, and would someday soon, God willing, share his name as well.

  Turning around in his arms so that she faced him, Lily pretended to sigh. “All right, if I
must.” Some of the tension began to leave her brow as she let Ryan lead her away.

  “I saw you hovering by Taylor.” Ryan curled her hand in his.

  “Just being wistful,” Lily admitted. She looked back toward her daughter holding the baby. It made for a pretty picture. “I can’t wait until one of the children makes me a grandmother.”

  Ryan laughed and shook his head. “You’re far too young looking, Lily, for anyone to think of you as a grandmother.”

  Her laughter, light and airy, mingled with his. “That’s part of the joy of it.”

  Rosita looked thoughtfully over at Maria. Perhaps you already are one.

  It was 3:30 a.m. All the guests had gone. Darkness and quiet enveloped the Fortune family home. Bolting upright, Rosita cried out in surprised anguish before her eyes opened to admit the darkness within her bedroom.

  Lying beside her, Ruben roused himself. Though he was not a stranger to these kinds of outbursts from his wife in the middle of the night, it took him a moment to orient himself and pull himself together.

  Half asleep, still lying in bed, he managed to thread his arms around her waist. “Shh, Rosita, it was just a bad dream.”

  “Yes,” she agreed breathlessly, her pulse still beating erratically. “No,” she declared suddenly, as things began to focus in her brain. “Not a bad dream, an omen. A sign.” Excited, breathless, she shifted, looking at her husband. His eyes were half closed. Rosita shook him by the shoulder. “It was a sign.”

  Ruben opened his eyes reluctantly. “What are you talking about?”