Annie maneuvered herself into the driver’s seat. “Yow!” she cried, startled by the force of the next pain. “Stay put, little guys. We’re on our way.”
The streetlights cast a soft glow over the darkened roads. Only houses with night-owl residents had lights burning. As Annie turned right from Spring onto Osage, her car sputtered. Then it sputtered again. “Don’t you dare, Eloise. Trent overhauled you big-time.”
But Eloise ignored her. The car choked and coughed and a moment later died.
Annie moaned. This couldn’t be happening! Trent and his ace mechanic had had Eloise purring. Annie pounded on the steering wheel. “You can’t do this to me!”
But yelling was counterproductive. Now she had to call someone. Would it be her very pregnant friend, her nervous neighbor, a taxi driver, or...the handsome, domineering cowboy Brad had sent to help?
Annie reluctantly chose the cowboy. She pulled her cell phone from her purse and dialed Trent’s number.
Trent couldn’t sleep. He’d gone to bed at eleven, but thoughts of Annie swirled through his mind. Thinking of her occupied far too many waking hours lately. And intruded on his sleep as well.
Well after midnight he went to the kitchen to grab a snack. While Rosa’s peanut-butter cookies tasted great, a sugar fix wasn’t enough to distract him. As he sat in his dimly lit kitchen, he kept thinking about Annie.
On his list of concerns, one loomed large: what would happen when Annie’s labor began in a few weeks? Surely his offer to help didn’t stretch to the delivery room? While he could handle practical stuff, he couldn’t imagine being with Annie when she gave birth. But why worry? He’d be the last person Annie would want in the delivery room.
He downed one last cookie and drained the milk from his glass. Before Brad’s letter came, he’d slept like a baby. But since that fateful day, his sleep patterns had turned erratic. So had the rest of his life. He felt more like a neurotic father than the stable, levelheaded rancher he was. And if the end was in sight, it seemed far distant.
When his cell phone rang, Trent jumped. He glanced at the clock and saw it was one thirty. Must be some teenager fooling around. “This better be good,” he growled into the phone.
“Yow! Yow!”
It sounded like a scream. If a kid was fooling around, her acting was pretty good.
“Who is this?” Trent demanded.
“Wait...just...a...minute.”
The strained voice ground out each syllable with obvious difficulty. A pause. Then an exhaled breath. And finally a familiar voice. “It’s me. It’s Annie.”
“Annie? What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“At the corner of Spring and Osage. Eloise died again.” Annie enunciated each consonant. And it seemed to require great effort.
Trent sprang to his feet. “What are you doing out so late?” But as dense as he was, he finally put two and two together. And they equaled delivery.
“I’m in labor,” Annie confirmed. “Will you...drive over here...and take me to the hospital?”
“Of course. Hold on, Annie. I’m coming.”
If he’d felt like a neurotic father earlier, the sensation quadrupled. Trent raced to his room, jammed on his jeans, and yanked a T-shirt over his head. He snatched his keys from the dresser and ran to the truck. No more time to analyze possible challenges. The drama had begun.
He broke every driving rule in the manual to reach Annie. He spotted her car at Spring and Osage just like she’d said. God, he hoped Annie was OK. Why hadn’t he called an ambulance right away? Was he a total idiot? She may have delivered the twins in her car by now!
He parked his truck and jumped out. Annie sat behind the wheel with her forehead resting on the steering wheel. He jerked open the car door. “Annie? Are you all right?”
She lifted her head and nodded. “I’m perfectly fine. Just really embarrassed.”
“Embarrassed? Whatever for?”
“Because it stopped.”
“What stopped?”
“Labor. When the pains were five minutes apart I called Doc Newsome, and she said to come to the birthing center. But right after I called you the labor stopped.”
“Why in blazes did you decide to drive yourself to the hospital? Have you no sense at all?” Trent heard the anger in his voice and knew he shouldn’t be shouting. But the woman had scared him out of his wits. The only thing stronger than his anger was his relief that Annie was OK.
“Not much sense, obviously. I can’t tell real labor from the false variety.” Her eyes met his, and in the soft glow of the streetlight Trent saw her disappointment. And the exhaustion. “Will you please take me home?”
“Home? You almost had the babies in the middle of the street. And you want to go home and pretend nothing happened? I’m taking you straight to the hospital.”
“But I don’t want to go. Doc Newsome will just send me home anyway. It isn’t necessary...”
Trent placed his hand gently over her mouth. “Hush, Annie. Don’t say another word.”
“But, Trent...”
Ignoring her protests, he gently lifted Annie and carried her to his truck. She felt light in his arms, even in late-stage pregnancy. And her sweet scent wrapped around him like a soft summer breeze.
He opened the passenger-side door and slid Annie gently inside. Then he grabbed a blanket and tucked it around her shoulders. “Thanks,” she murmured. “That feels good.”
Trent drove straight to Ash Grove Memorial and escorted Annie to the birthing center. A nurse hurried over with a wheelchair and whisked Annie away.
Even though the air-conditioning worked well, perspiration dripped from Trent’s forehead. Annie had given him her insurance cards, so he took them to the receptionist, who made photocopies. “Are you Mr. Samuels?”
“No.” That was the only word Trent could choke out. He couldn’t explain that he was a virtual stranger who’d only known Annie a few days.
“Why don’t you sit in the waiting room while Dr. Newsome examines Mrs. Samuels? We’ll let you know her progress.”
He nodded and headed for the far corner of the room to see what would happen next in his soap-opera life. Whatever it was, he wouldn’t be prepared for it. And it would upend his life on a major scale.
The upending had begun with Brad’s letter and had accelerated faster than a grass fire in a drought. Trent leaned back to wait.
A young woman wearing a candy-striped smock came toward him. “Here’s some coffee, sir.”
“Thank you.” The Styrofoam cup felt warm in his hands.
“Is this your first baby?” she asked.
Knowing he could never explain the situation he said, “Yes. But it’s two babies. Annie’s having twins.”
“I know you want to be with her. After the initial examination, they’ll take you back.”
Panic hit Trent’s gut like a tsunami wave. What if the labor started up again? While he didn’t want Annie to do this alone, he didn’t belong in the delivery room.
“Do you work for the hospital?” he asked, wanting to reroute this conversation.
“I’m a volunteer from Ash Grove High. It’s my job to make expectant fathers comfortable.” She smiled sweetly.
“Thanks. The coffee’s great.”
“If there’s anything else you need, please let me know.”
Trent almost chuckled. He needed so much. He needed to know what on earth he was doing. And how his life had veered so far off course. And most of all, he needed to know if he’d survive this experience.
In addition to the confusion, he felt grateful. Grateful that Annie hadn’t delivered the babies in her rattletrap of a car at the intersection of Spring and Osage. Grateful that, no thanks to him, Annie was just fine. And hopefully the babies were too.
This would not happen again. If necessary, he would camp on Annie’s doorstep. The next time she went into labor, he would drive her to the hospital himself.
“Thank you, Dr. Newsome,” Annie said after being thor
oughly examined. “Sorry about the false alarm.”
“Don’t be. I know you’re ready to bring these babies into the world, but it’s not quite time. Go home and get some rest, and call me when the pains come back.”
Annie nodded. “I’ll do that.”
Dr. Newsome patted Annie’s shoulder. “I’ve learned one thing in my years as an obstetrician. Babies come when they feel like it. And we mere mortals have little control.”
“I’m figuring that out,” Annie said. “Thanks again.”
She picked up her purse and headed for the waiting room. Poor Trent. The man never dreamed that responding to Brad’s letter would rearrange his entire life.
She spotted him in the far corner. The man looked worn slick. He held a magazine in his hand but was gazing out the window. When she walked his way, he sprang from his chair so fast he dropped the magazine. “What did the doctor say? How are the babies?”
“The babies are fine. It just isn’t time yet.”
“So what now?”
“I’m free to go.”
“But is that safe? Shouldn’t they keep you for observation?”
“Until real labor begins, I can wait at home. Will you drive me?”
“Of course. I’ll bring the truck to the front door.”
His offer stirred Annie’s heart. “Thanks, Trent. That’s very thoughtful.”
As he headed for the parking lot, Annie stretched and yawned. The wall clock said six a.m., and while she was glad to leave the hospital, she hesitated to go home. The closer she got to delivery, the less she liked being alone. What if the twins came quickly and she didn’t have a chance to call for help?
Trent’s truck, complete with handsome driver, pulled up to the hospital entrance. Annie’s heart fluttered as the lean, dark-haired cowboy climbed out and strode toward her. He took her arm and helped her settle into the passenger seat. Trent’s warm, reassuring touch took the edge off her loneliness. She was glad she’d called him instead of her other options.
Annie sighed. If she ever needed some tender loving care, it was now.
Before Trent pulled away, he turned to her. “You shouldn’t be home alone.”
While she agreed, she didn’t have much choice. “I won’t be for long,” she quipped. “Soon I’ll have lots of company.”
“I’m serious, Annie. Come and stay at the ranch. Rosa will take great care of you.”
Trent’s gray eyes harbored concern. Genuine concern. “That’s a generous offer. But I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both, I guess. It wouldn’t be proper. I want to go home.”
Trent put the truck in gear and pulled away. As Annie leaned against the seat, her remaining energy drained away. The movement of the truck and Trent’s masculine presence helped her relax. She’d close her eyes for just a minute. Just for a minute.
A tapping sound pulled Annie from a groggy sleep. She glanced around, unable to identify her surroundings. Was she in the hospital? No hospital room ever contained a massive cherrywood bedroom set and a leather love seat.
A large dresser covered one wall and a small table with two chairs nestled below a double window. Beautifully framed paintings of wild horses and nature scenes completed the decor. Annie wasn’t sure where she was, but it wasn’t Motel 6.
More tapping. Then the door creaked open and Trent Madison peered around the corner. “Did you decide to rejoin the living?”
With effort, Annie wriggled into a sitting position. “Can you tell me where I am? And how I got here?”
“You’re in my bedroom.”
“In your bedroom?” she shrieked. “But I told you to drive me home.”
“You did mention that, but I disagreed with your decision.”
If Annie could reach the man, she’d strangle him. “How did I get here?” she fumed. “The last thing I remember is leaving the hospital.”
“I carried you upstairs after you went comatose in my truck. I tried to wake you, but it didn’t work.”
“You carried me?” As much weight as she’d gained, Annie wondered how he always managed to lift her so easily.
“You probably meant well, but I want to go home. Right now.”
Annie tossed back the covers and gasped. Her clothes were missing! She glanced at the black velour robe she wore and eyed Trent accusingly. “Exactly where are my clothes, Mr. Madison? And would you please explain yourself?”
His dark eyes sparkled with mischief. “Don’t panic. They’re safe and sound in the bathroom.”
The nerve of the man! “I don’t remember changing. So how, how...” Oh dear. She didn’t even know how to ask the question!
Trent looked offended. “You always think the worst of me, don’t you, Annie? Why is that?”
“I don’t always think the worst of you. But this better be good.”
He cleared his throat. “I tried several times to wake you. And since I couldn’t leave you in the truck, gentleman that I am, I carried you upstairs. I excused myself while Rosa helped you change. She thought you’d sleep more comfortably in a robe. Mine, by the way, which I gladly sacrificed for the occasion.”
“Hmm.”
The mischief in his smoky eyes still lingered. “So you see? It’s perfectly innocent.”
Could she believe this exasperating man? Trent was having too much fun with this. But in her heart, Annie knew she could. If nothing else, the cowboy was trustworthy to a fault. Maybe that’s why Brad chose Trent to help.
“If you’ll tell me where my clothes are, I’ll put them on and go home.”
“In the bathroom. Right through that door. But you can’t leave until you’ve eaten dinner.”
It wasn’t a question. It was a command. Trent Madison excelled at issuing commands.
Before she could object, he said, “Rosa’s been cooking for you all afternoon. If you don’t eat, you’ll hurt her feelings.”
Annie wouldn’t hurt Rosa for the world. She sighed and gave in. “Thank you. I am pretty hungry.”
“Good. I’ll head downstairs while you freshen up.”
As Annie watched Trent go, she felt an emotional tug-of-war inside. She’d met Brad at a wedding and they’d hit it off. He was charming and handsome, and Annie had fallen for him. But she hadn’t known about his dark moods until after they married. To say Brad was a difficult husband was generous. He wasn’t the person she thought he was.
That had left her paranoid about ever giving her heart again. But to her dismay, the attraction she felt for Trent was powerful and had been from the moment they met. He stirred feelings Annie didn’t want but couldn’t deny. Totally inappropriate feelings.
She got out of Trent’s bed and gathered his robe around her. She inhaled its musky aroma—the scent that so thoroughly characterized him. What if Trent was different? What if he was a trustworthy man? What if they could build a loving relationship together?
Annie shrugged off the silly notion. Trent was doing Brad a favor by helping out—a favor, nothing more. If she let herself connect with Trent, or if she read things into their relationship that didn’t exist, she’d suffer another emotional blow. One she wasn’t sure she could endure.
As she entered Trent’s bathroom, reality hit hard. Annie didn’t belong at Copper Creek Ranch. And she and Trent didn’t belong together.
She was on her own with two babies on the way. Her life was laid out for her—a life of providing for and loving the twins by herself. So harboring romantic feelings for Trent Madison was both foolish and indulgent.
If she had any sense, she wouldn’t let this cowboy turn her head. Or make her dream unrealistic dreams. She’d told Trent since the day they met that her plan was to be the best single mom in Ash Grove, Texas. And she would stick to that plan.
“Are you ready for dinner?” Trent’s deep-pitched voice raised serious goose bumps on Annie’s skin.
“I’ll be out in a minute.”
Annie exchanged Trent’s robe for her clothes and finge
r-combed her hair. A glance in the mirror assured her she looked a bit more presentable.
You’re not dressing for Trent, she reminded herself. It didn’t matter what this cowboy thought of her appearance.
She stepped out of the bathroom and noticed that the table by the window was set for two. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Rosa thought we could eat here. These windows provide the best view of the ranch.”
Eating in the cowboy’s bedroom wasn’t a good idea. But Annie was so hungry that when Trent pulled out a chair, she took her seat. He settled across from her.
Rosa bustled in with steaming plates of enchiladas. Annie inhaled the heavenly aroma.
“I understand you took a trip to the hospital,” Rosa said as she set the plates down.
Annie sighed. “An unnecessary trip.”
“Next time you’ll bring your little ones home. You got some bonus time to finish getting ready.”
“That’s Rosa for you,” Trent said. “The eternal optimist.”
“I made lots of enchiladas, Miss Annie, and you must eat good to build your strength. You’ll need it when the babies come.”
“Thank you. I will.”
Rosa left and Annie glanced at Trent and swallowed hard. His gaze was fixed firmly on her. And his expression held a tenderness she hadn’t seen before. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“More pains?”
“Not even a twinge.”
“Go ahead and eat. You must be hungry.”
She took a bite. “Mmm. No wonder you brag on Rosa’s cooking.”
Annie’s gaze drifted to the magnificent view of the ranch. “I see why you love it here. Just looking out the window brings a sense of peace.”
“You should see it at sunrise,” he said softly. “It takes your breath away.”
Annie could imagine Trent stretched out on his bed as the sun inched over the horizon. She pictured his rumpled pajama bottoms and dark tousled hair. Oh dear. She’d imagined the man shirtless! And that view proved breathtaking as well! Annie gave herself a mental shake and turned her attention to the enchiladas.
“Rosa’s right, you know. We did get some bonus time. And we’ll put it to good use.”
Daddy with a Deadline Page 6
