by Mindy Neff
“You don’t have to drive all the way out to Mercy,” she said,
He smoothed his hand along her hair. “You’ll need a ride home, babe.”
“I can get a cab.”
“That’d be silly since I’m offering.” He urged her toward the ambulance. “I’ll meet you there.”
LINC WATCHED HER CLIMB into the back of the ambulance. A few employees from the courthouse had gathered outside the glass doors, keeping a respectful distance. Linc barely glanced in their direction.
He went down the courthouse steps and climbed into his truck, then fell in behind the ambulance as it traveled down Main Street and turned onto the two-lane highway heading east toward Austin. His mind kept flipping back to the astonishing fact that Tracy Lynn was pregnant.
Man alive, he hadn’t expected that. And he hadn’t been prepared for the jealousy he was feeling now, jealousy regarding the real father of her child.
Despite his quick actions, his nerves weren’t all that steady. He’d never imagined he’d find himself in the position of saving Jerald Randolph’s life, and he didn’t mind admitting that the whole episode shook him up.
Now that he mentally replayed the scene, he felt bad about hollering at Tracy Lynn. Man, the anguish in those blue eyes had nearly flayed him alive.
He’d always been a little in love with her, but any fool knew that the socialite and the son of the town drunk weren’t a good combination. Her daddy had made that quite clear when Linc had walked her home from school one day years ago after a group of bullies had cornered her and scared the bejeebers out of her.
A lot had changed since then, though. Anger, dogged determination and a knack with horses made him one of the top Thoroughbred breeders in the state of Texas. Hell, he could buy this town—including Jerald Randolph—and still have money in the bank.
Not that he still bore Randolph a grudge. Truthfully, he didn’t give a damn about anyone’s opinion of him. Most of his life he’d been labeled a bad boy, the kid from the wrong side of the tracks, and sometimes he deliberately made it a point to maintain that reputation.
It remained to be seen if the good mayor still judged a man by where he came from, or if he recognized and appreciated the changes a man could make in his life. When they’d worked side by side updating Donetta Presley-Carmichael’s hair salon a few weeks back, Jerald hadn’t reacted to him one way or the other.
But the man had sure blown a gasket today.
Blue-and-red flashing lights chased across the bar on top of the paramedic van, the vivid strobes clearly visible even in the bright afternoon sun. He could see Tracy Lynn’s blond hair through the back windows.
Hearts would be breaking all over town when news got out that Tracy Lynn Randolph was pregnant.
Like her father, Linc wanted to know who the daddy was. There had to be a story, otherwise she’d have come clean right off when Jerald asked her for a name.
He sure hadn’t anticipated being trapped into eavesdropping on Tracy Lynn’s conversation with her father when he’d pushed through the courthouse door and stepped outside. They’d been off to the side of the door by the wrought-iron bench, but they might as well have been square in the middle of his path.
His gut had twisted when he’d realized Jerald was berating her right there in public. Never mind that he’d been the only one around to witness it.
All he’d been able to think about were the memories of his own father shouting, swinging his arm with an open palm aimed at his head. Or a bullwhip lashing the tender skin on his back.
The best decision Linc had made back then was to hightail his backside out of Hope Valley at the first opportunity—which happened to fall at the wise old age of seventeen. Ever since, he couldn’t abide bullies or seeing anyone being taken advantage of.
He was a champion for the underdog, and in that one moment this afternoon, Tracy Lynn had appeared in need of rescue.
Then Jerald had collapsed, and Linc’s only thought had been to get the situation under control. Telling the mayor that he’d gotten his daughter pregnant was a little extreme, but it had been a snap decision, the only way he’d seen at the time to bring about some calm.
No big deal, he told himself. They’d just explain later when Jerald wasn’t in danger of having another heart attack.
As he followed the paramedics into the emergency parking lot entrance to the hospital, he picked up his cell phone. Tracy Lynn would want her friends to know what was going on.
The Texas Sweethearts, they called themselves.
The four women—Sunny Carmichael-Slade, Donetta Presley-Carmichael, Becca Sue Ellsworth and Tracy Lynn Randolph had all grown up together and were still a tight group, even though two had married—Sunny to his brother and Donetta to Sunny’s brother, Sheriff Storm Carmichael. Linc didn’t understand that kind of closeness, the genuine love and trust the four women felt for one another.
He mostly kept to himself. The solitary lifestyle worked for him, and he liked it just fine.
And he sure as hell wouldn’t trust anyone with his heart.
Chapter Two
Linc parked his truck and went into the emergency room waiting area.
Within twenty minutes, he was surrounded by Sunny, Donetta and Becca, all of them bombarding him with questions. The speed with which they’d made it to the hospital was impressive.
All three were working women with busy afternoons—Sunny doctored the animals in town, Donetta did hairdos at her salon, and Becca Sue sold folks antiques, books and designer coffee at her shop. Clearly they’d dropped what they were doing and just raced out the door.
“I’m going back there to see what’s happening,” Sunny said in the no-nonsense tone she used when bossing around cows four times her size.
“I already tried,” Donetta said, giving an indelicate snort. She still wore her black vinyl bib apron that had her salon’s name, Donetta’s Secret, emblazoned across the front. “The emergency room Gestapo with the hideous perm ran me off without an ounce of consideration for my delicate condition.”
She cradled an abdomen that barely showed her pregnancy. “The old bat wouldn’t even tell Tracy Lynn I was here.”
Sunny put her hands on her hips, dislodging animal hairs clinging to her white lab coat. “I’m a doctor. I can get in there.”
“You’re a veterinarian,” Becca Sue corrected. “This is a people hospital, in case you haven’t noticed. Your credentials won’t mean squat here.”
“Gaining entrance to restricted areas is all in the attitude,” Sunny said. “You just have to act like you know what you’re doing, like you belong. Besides, we can’t just let Tracy Lynn sit back there by herself. Come on. We’ll all four go. They can’t stop the whole bunch of us, and if they try, Linc can run interference.”
“I don’t think there’ll be any need,” Linc said, nodding in the direction of the emergency room doors.
They all turned as Tracy Lynn walked out. She looked lost, sad, flustered and seriously peeved. Quite a combination, he thought. He hoped the last emotion wasn’t directed at him.
When she spotted them, it seemed as though she singled him out of the group. Something in his chest gave way when she met his gaze, her beautiful features sliding into relief as if he alone held up her world.
Hell, where did that sappy thought spring from?
She headed toward them, her boot heels clicking against the tiled floor.
“Linc called us,” Donetta said, and with Sunny and Becca Sue pulled Tracy Lynn close.
Linc felt a peculiar pang of envy as he watched the four-way hug. He’d lived in this town from birth through high school, yet, other than his brother, Jack, he didn’t have any special friends.
“How’s your dad doing?” Sunny asked Tracy Lynn when at last the foursome pulled apart.
“He’s awake and trying to tell the doctors how to do their jobs. They took him down to the radiology department. I suppose we’ll know more once they do a few tests.”
“
How about you?” Linc asked. “You holding up okay?”
“If the billing people would quit hounding me about insurance forms, I’d be doing a lot better. Daddy’s the mayor, for goodness’ sake. It’s not as though they wouldn’t be able to find him if he skipped out on the bill. I tell you, these places just make me so mad. You’d think they’d have a little compassion for family members who are upset.”
Linc patted her shoulder. She was working herself into a state. “Want me to go beat them up?”
She gaped at him in surprise. Then she laughed. A dimple winked at the corner of her mouth, and he took a step back, because he was way too tempted to press his lips just there.
“That’s a tempting offer, but I’ll pass, thanks. I’m sorry for leaving you all out here like this. Linc, you really didn’t need to stay.”
He tugged at the brim of his hat. “I promised you a ride home. I try to make it a point to leave with the same lady I arrive with.”
“Nice trait.” She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear. “Do you also make it a point to claim responsibility for her pregnancy?”
“Can’t say as I’ve had that come up before.” He liked her moxie, especially when he could see the worry in her blue eyes.
After what appeared to be a synchronized, delayed reaction, Sunny, Becca Sue and Donetta gasped and started talking all at once.
“What?”
“I thought you were—“
“You guys got together? I—“
“Shh!” Tracy Lynn hissed, conscious of the hospital personnel nearby. She looked at Linc.
“I didn’t tell them about that part.” He winked and sauntered off toward the chairs.
Tracy Lynn’s yearning to have a child was something she’d shared with only her three closest friends. For a few moments, her initial giddy excitement flared as she repeated the news of her positive pregnancy test. Then it died when she told them how upset her father became and Linc’s astonishingly generous, and ultimately fruitless effort to calm him.
“I thought Daddy would be thrilled. Instead, I gave him a heart attack. Literally.”
“Oh, you did not,” Donetta said, then looked over at Sunny for confirmation. “Did she?”
Becca nudged Donetta’s shoulder. “Real good, Donetta. Has pregnancy fried your brain cells, or what?”
Donetta gave Becca a “so bite me” look.
“You didn’t cause the heart attack, Tracy Lynn,” Sunny said with soothing authority.
Donetta reached for Tracy Lynn’s hand. “I understand how your father might worry about whispering campaigns and the opinion of others. Remember how I acted when I found out I was pregnant? I was convinced the gossipmongers would have a field day with me, and that it would spill over onto Storm and his job as sheriff. But the Darla Pam Kirkwells of the world don’t stand a chance against all of us.”
“I’m sure your dad was just caught off guard,” Becca said. “Once he’s had a chance to think clearly, when he’s not suffering with the pain of a heart attack, he’ll be a proud, expectant grandpa.”
That remained to be seen. And, if he did indeed run for a seat on the senate, the repercussions Jerald Randolph worried about had the potential to reach national levels—way out of Darla Pam Kirkwell’s range.
Meanwhile, Tracy Lynn really needed to talk to Linc. In private.
“I hope you’re right. I’ve had my heart set on having a baby for so long, and I’d hate to think that the very thing I want most might cause dissension between Daddy and me. But right now, you all need to get back to work.”
“To hell with work,” Sunny said. “You’re more important.”
“And I love you for that. But I’m okay. I don’t know how long it’ll be before they get Daddy settled in a room. There’s no sense in all of us sitting around here waiting. I’ll call if anything comes up, okay?”
“He’s just as important to us,” Becca reminded her. “You don’t need to go through this alone.”
“I’m not alone.”
She glanced over at Linc. He was slouched in an upholstered chair, his coffee-brown hat pulled low on his brow as though he was trying to catch a little sleep. What was it about a man in a cowboy hat? she wondered. The mystique? He could cast a glance from beneath the brim, a glance that might spell invitation or censure, promise or threat. A frisson of excitement shivered up her spine to the roots of her hair.
She reined in her curiosity over Lincoln Slade’s magnetism. “I need to speak with Linc. We’ll have to get our stories straight about the baby—at least until Daddy is stable.”
“I can’t decide if I’m surprised by Linc’s actions or not,” Sunny said. “He’s got a good heart, but he’s a hard one to figure out. He’s not normally the kind of guy to butt in.” Since Sunny was married to Linc’s brother, she probably knew him the best. But that wasn’t saying much—Linc didn’t allow people to get close.
“Well, at least he’s cute and rich,” Becca Sue commented. “Just think, if it had been Artie Bertram who’d come to your rescue, your daddy would be imagining a stick-skinny grandkid with axle grease under his nails.”
“And acne scars,” Donetta added.
“Thank you for putting that picture in my mind,” Tracy Lynn said dryly. “Especially since my sperm donor was anonymous. Go back to work, would you? All of you.”
The women grinned and acquiesced. “You’ll call and keep us up-to-date on your dad’s prognosis?” Becca asked.
“You know I will.” She hugged her girlfriends, feeling fortunate to have such tight friendships. She never thought of herself as an only child, because she’d always had Sunny, Donetta and Becca Sue as surrogate sisters.
The Texas Sweethearts, friends through thick and thin.
When the women left, promising to come back after work, Tracy Lynn crossed to Linc and sat down beside him.
“Did you run them off?” he asked, his chin still tucked to his chest, his hat pulled low.
“Yes. And you really don’t have to stay, either.”
He lifted his head. “Why are you trying so hard to get rid of everyone?”
“I’m not. But there’s nothing anyone can do at this point, so it’s silly to sit out here in the waiting room.”
“If I wanted to do something…silly, I suppose that’d be my prerogative. Been a long time since I’ve done anything I didn’t want to.”
“Really? If that’s the case, what in heaven’s name possessed you to tell my father that my baby is yours? Do you realize what you’ve done?”
“Babe, the man’s heart was threatening to cash in his chips, and I sure didn’t hear you coming forth with a name.”
“That’s because there isn’t one!”
He folded his arms across his chest. Other than his gaze dipping to her flat stomach, his expression hardly changed. He merely waited for her to elaborate.
“I had artificial insemination about three weeks ago. You’ve heard of that, haven’t you?”
“I’m aware of the term. A good portion of my breeding operation involves artificially inseminating the mares. Why didn’t you just say so when your dad asked?”
“There wasn’t time. I mean, I would have…I was just so excited, I blurted it out.” She stood and began pacing. “I used one of those home-test kits, and when it came up positive, I rushed over to the courthouse.”
“Couldn’t wait till suppertime?”
“We’re close, Daddy and me.” She shoved her hair back from her forehead. “I never even considered the possibility that he wouldn’t be pleased about the baby.” She realized that she had a tendency to plow headlong into ventures, automatically expecting them to turn out fine. Sure, she’d gotten herself into some fixes over the years, but she was usually lucky and eventually things fell into place.
This time, she wasn’t quite as confident. Her reputation wasn’t the only one at stake. Her father’s was, as well.
“He didn’t know you were trying to get pregnant?”
�
�No. I couldn’t see any sense in both of us getting our hopes up, watching the calendar and wringing our hands. You have no idea how stressful this is. And now…I still can’t figure out what in the world you were thinking when you claimed paternity. You’ve gotten us into a bigger mess.”
“Come on, babe. It’s not as bad as you think.” He stood and moved toward her. “We’ll just leave things be for now and straighten out everything when your dad recovers.”
“You mean, pretend I’ve been sleeping with you?”
His brows slammed down. “I imagine you could do worse. For the record, I bathe daily and I’ve had all my shots.”
She sighed. “I didn’t mean to sound like…” She waved her hand, the word escaping her.
“A society girl?”
Her head snapped up. “It used to make me very mad when you called me that.”
“I know.” He paused, letting the implication of the words sink in.
His direct stare made her heart skip. He was toying with her. Did he have any idea what that had done to her as a girl? What it did to her as a woman?
“What were you doing at the courthouse, anyway?” she asked, trying to find the solid ground beneath her feet.
The corners of his mouth curled up. “The building houses other departments besides the ones where you pay fines and go before the judge, babe.”
She opened her mouth, closed it, then frowned. “That wasn’t necessary, Lincoln Slade. I didn’t automatically assume you were there because you were in trouble.”
He shrugged. “I was looking up county records on some property boundaries. There’s a seven-hundred-acre parcel I want to buy.”
“The way you and your brother have been acquiring land, I thought you already owned every plot of open range around here.”
“Not every plot…yet,” he added with a half grin. “Jack’s been gnashing his teeth over a pie-shape wedge of land that’s smack dab in the center of his north section. He bought up the parcels all around it and doesn’t like giving easement rights—even though the owners live in New Jersey. I might have to make an offer above market value to get the title holders to turn loose, but the investment will pay for itself.”
