“Thank you for taking care of me, guys,” she said as she rested her head against Chris’s broad chest. They murmured in acknowledgment but she didn’t think they really understood how much she was really thanking them for. She was used to doing for herself. Taking care of herself. Protecting herself. Keeping herself on track. Now her days were slipping into a comforting routine that centered around these men. She wondered at how the thought of becoming dependent on them both comforted and terrified her.
Chapter Eighteen
Early February
“Who do you suppose she’s talking to?” Chris asked as he and Julián watched her next door from the shadows of the Cook Ranch barn. She sat on Wilbur’s riding lawn mower talking on her cell phone. The day had been almost balmy and they’d stripped down to just T-shirts. The warm air felt good and Chris stretched and felt a little lazy before he returned to helping Julián unload the supplies they’d just come back from town with.
Next door, Gwen had been as industrious as ever, mowing the grass around the house even though there wasn’t enough growth to warrant mowing. She’d worked her ass off maintaining Wilbur’s place and if anything, it looked even better. Chris thought that might have to do with her having a woman’s touch.
“Whoever she’s talking to is starting to aggravate her.”
Chris squinted and asked, “How can you tell?”
Julián glanced at him and said, “How long has it been since you’ve been to the eye doctor? She just shot the finger at her phone.”
“No shit? Wish I’d seen that. And I don’t need to visit the eye doctor. Bet she’s talking to that Roger fellow. She hasn’t said much about it but I think he’s really been pestering her.”
They might know these things if they both weren’t working in tandem to wear her out in her leisure time so that she had barely a conscious thought before drifting to sleep at night. Not that he wasn’t grateful for those times though. She was the sweetest thing to sleep with.
He loved it the most when she let him talk her into sleeping on his chest. She claimed she was too heavy to lie on him like that but he’d damn near beg until she giggled and gave in, too tired to argue. Once she fell asleep, if he lay perfectly still, he could feel her heart beating against his chest.
Chris stood there with Julián and watched as Gwen used her hands while talking, showing how frustrated she was. She suddenly sat back against the seat and shook her head, swiped her hand through the air in a negative motion, nodded, and hung up the phone. For a second she looked like she wanted to throw the phone, but she put it in her pocket and then rested her elbows on the steering wheel and put her head in her hands.
“I want to go over there,” Chris said softly.
“I do too. She’s working so hard. She hasn’t taken any time off except for an hour or two here and there.”
They turned back to their work and Chris said, “She’s going for a girls’ afternoon with a bunch of the ladies tomorrow.”
“Yeah, she told me this morning. We should talk her into going out with us for Valentine’s Day next week.”
“Steak at O’Reilley’s and then dancing?” Chris asked as his stomach growled. O’Reilley’s chefs knew what they were doing with a juicy sirloin or tenderloin filet. He could almost taste it.
“Sounds good. Matter of fact, I think we need to set her up for a pre–Valentine’s Day surprise.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“You’ll see.”
Chris looked back up the hill and smiled when he saw Gwen going about her business mowing again. She didn’t let whatever aggravation she’d experienced earlier keep her from getting the job done.
“Did she ever get our Christmas present?” Gwen had sent her forwarding order to the post office in Divine but still hadn’t received the package. Julián had let him kick in half the cost of the ring Julián had purchased for Gwen so it was now considered from both of them.
“No. I verified that it was delivered. She said that her dad told her he had a bunch of mail to bring to her when they visit so he probably has it.”
“Oh hell, when will that be?” Chris wondered how that would all play out for the zillionth time. Maybe it made him a Neanderthal but he viewed Roger Bedford as competition for Gwen.
“I don’t think she knows when they’re visiting yet. Once we’re done here, I’m running into town for a few minutes.”
“I’m sure Gwen and I can find a way to occupy ourselves. You take your time, Julió.”
“Don’t wear her out before I get home, Guido.”
Chris wondered if Julián realized that now even he was referring to the house that Gwen stayed in as home. Wherever she was, that’s where he’d call home.
* * * *
On the drive into town, Julián’s phone began to ring.
“Julián Alvarez.”
“Hey, Julián! It’s me, Tracy.”
“Who?” he asked in a teasing tone.
“I’ve been telling Peter and Jordan that we needed to come visit. Now this proves it, when you don’t even recognize your own sister-in-law’s voice. How you been?”
“Well, I’ll tell ya—”
Tracy giggled. “Okay, cut the crap. Tell me all about her.” She sounded voracious for news.
“Are Peter and Jordan keeping you locked up at your house in Lusty? Not getting out enough so that even my love life is exciting news?”
“Nuh-uh. Don’t try to deflect me. I know there’s a woman.”
Julián laughed and teasingly said, “Now how do you know that?”
“When was the last time you thought to buy a baby gift for an expectant mother, much less actually remembered to send it in the mail?”
Busted. “Uh, never?”
“Exactly! So, who is she? Is she pretty? Does she keep you in line?”
Giving in, Julián laughed and said, “Actually she keeps me and my best friend and coworker Chris ‘in line’ if you know what I mean.”
There was an audible gasp on the other end of the line. “No! Really? Oh, wait until Peter finds out about this. Wait until Grandma Kate hears about this! Can I tell her? Now we have to come visit.”
“You can tell anyone you want to, including Grandma Kate. I would love to see all of you. But you have your hands full, don’t you?”
“I’m bored. They want to wrap me in cotton. I’ve got too much energy and not enough to do but then I’m suddenly tired and can barely move.”
“Sounds about normal for an expectant mother.”
“Come on. Tell me about her! I want to know everything!”
Julián spent the rest of the drive telling Tracy all about the woman he loved and hoped like hell that when they came to visit she was still a part of his life. Tracy commiserated with him and told him she would hope for the best.
Ending the call as he walked through Cheaver’s front door, Julián chuckled at the sight that greeted him. Expectant mothers were evidently the theme for the day. “Little lady, do your men know that you’re up here?”
Rosemary Garner scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes as she grinned, and waddled up to him. The petite woman impressed him with her ability to maneuver through all the apparel display racks with her very pregnant belly clearing the way “Are you kidding, Julián? With all the helpful, tattletale-ing men in this town? Of course they know I’m here. It was either this or drive them nuts at home. I needed something to keep me busy. They freak out anytime I go anywhere near the workshop, because of the solvent fumes, and I was done getting the house ready.”
“So you’re up here working?”
Rosemary looked down at her protruding abdomen with a sheepish grin. “I wouldn’t call it working. I’m mainly just hanging out and helping if I can. Not much I can do since it’s hard to reach anything with this monster belly in front of me, but it beats hanging around the house with nothing to do. I’ve mostly just been visiting with people like you—who want to know if my men know I’m up here,” she added with a playfu
l grin as he offered her his arm. “So what are you in for today? Need jeans? Or are you picking up something for the Cooks?”
“Well, that’s the reason I’m glad to see you in particular. I’m shopping for a surprise for Gwen for Valentine’s Day.”
“Oooh!”
“I have a feeling you know what she’d want.”
Rosemary was already directing him toward women’s apparel. “Hell, yes. I know exactly what she wants.”
“I’m not sure about sizes, though.”
“Don’t worry about that. I keep all the girls on file in my phone, since I never know when some incredibly sweet, thoughtful, loving, generous, handsome man might come in and feel like shopping for her. Let me just show you a few things,” she added with a giggle.
A few things? Julián thought he felt his wallet clench in fear. “Set me up, sweetie.”
Rosemary looked at him like he’d just made her whole damned day. Julián considered it an investment in Gwen’s happiness. Twenty minutes later, she handed the selections he’d decided on to Bernadette and then Rosemary looked up at him with innocent eyes. “If I knew of something that would go perfect with that outfit, which I know Gwen has already tried on, and darn near cried over when she had to put them back because of the price tag—you’d want to know, wouldn’t you?”
Trick question. Only one right answer here.
“Of course I’d want to know.” She waddled slowly with him toward the boot department. “You sure you’re okay to go traipsing all over the store like this?”
Rosemary chuckled softly. “I promise I’m fine. I’m a week overdue and I feel like every move I make might be the one that finally gets things rolling.” She reached for a box in a stack beside a display of women’s fashion cowgirl boots.
She held the box and let him open it, smiling as he revealed the contents. The scent of new leather wafted up as she parted the printed tissue paper and he whistled in admiration.
Rosemary giggled and smiled. “I know, right?”
“Pretty.” Nestled in the tissue was a pair of white, pointed-toe, high-heeled cowgirl boots, heavily embellished with turquoise crystals. “I don’t think she’d wear those in the arena.”
Rosemary nodded and looked like she wanted to pat him on the head. “Astute observation. That’s why she wouldn’t buy them—besides the fact they’re a little pricey. These are strictly ‘going out and showing off’ boots and she’s just a little too practical. But they’d go perfectly with that cute dress you found for her.”
“I guess you’d better put those with my order then, huh?”
“You’re a prince among men, Julián,” she said as she took the box from him and set it down to put the lid back on. “This is her size, too.” She made a soft groaning noise and put a hand beneath her burgeoning abdomen.
Concern filled him when she braced herself against the counter for a second. “You okay, sweetie?”
Rosemary eventually stood up straight again and smiled, but he could see the lines of pain around her eyes. “The baby is so still these days but every so often he—or she—does this…squirming around thing…like he’s trying to get comfortable and it hurts.” She let out a deep breath and then gave a couple of quick pants before sighing in relief. “It’s probably time for a glass of water too.”
“Come on and I’ll help you to the water fountain.”
“I have a water bottle in my office. I just need to sit down for a few minutes. Hey, Bernadette?”
Bernadette came over, suspicion in her eyes. “You okay, Rosemary?”
“Yeah. Will you gift wrap these for Gwen?” She handed Bernadette the boot box. “I’m letting Julián walk me back to the office but he needs those done up for Valentine’s Day.”
“Sure thing. I’ll have them up front when you’re done, Julián.” She watched Rosemary speculatively for a second as she waddled, still hanging on Julián’s arm, to the stockroom doors. “You want me to call the guys?”
“No, they’re coming to get me in a few minutes anyway. This is just the baby moving a little, nothing to fret over.”
Once they were through the stockroom doors, she paused again and made a frustrated sound. Julián whispered, “You sure you don’t want me to call them, Rosemary? I’d want to know if Gwen was feeling like this.” The thought of Gwen expecting his baby lightened his heart a little even if it was a vicarious dream.
“That’s the thing. I’ve been feeling like this a lot and we’ve already had a few false alarms. It’s wearing the guys down, especially poor Evan. He’s the most reactive of the two but that also means he’s the most upset if he thinks I’m in pain. Even Wes is feeling the strain and watches me like a hawk if I so much as sneeze. I just don’t want them alarmed for no good reason.” Once they were in her office, he helped her sink into the chair and she took a long drink from her bottle of water.
She sat back and rubbed her abdomen and smiled at him. “Thank you, Julián, for the help and for the company.”
“I can understand how your men feel. I’d probably be the same way.”
“You’re a sweetheart, Julián. Wes and Evan would like to swaddle me and put me to bed but I’m afraid that’d just slow things down further. I need to keep moving even when it’s uncomfortable. Being overdue, I’m feeling a little desperate here. The next thing is hot and spicy barbecue. If that doesn’t work, then it’s a long drive on a bumpy road.”
“Hula-Hooping?” He was glad that made Rosemary smile. He didn’t like seeing any woman uncomfortable or in pain.
“Absolutely! And if that doesn’t work then it’s line dancing at The Dancing Pony. Can you see me dancing Gangnam Style?” She circled one arm in the air and wiggled in her chair, imitating the dance, and then made an odd sound and froze. Her eyes went a little bulgy.
“Rose—”
Rosemary grasped the arms on her desk chair, her cheeks went red, and she looked up at him with uncertain eyes. “Uh, we might wanna call the guys after all. Either I just peed in my pants in front of a handsome cowboy or my water just broke.”
Julián grabbed the bookkeeper in the office next door and found Wes Garner’s contact info in his phone. Rosemary sat in her chair calmly as the call connected.
Wes’s Texan drawl came on the line. “Wes Garner. How’s it goin’, Julián?”
“Hey, Wes. I’m up at Cheaver’s and we’re pretty sure Rosemary’s water just broke.”
Julián smiled when he heard a crash and then the sound of running. “Tell her we’ll be right there. Will you stay with her just in case?”
“Of course.”
Wes chuckled. “Now Evan’s phone is ringing too. We’ll be there as quick as we can. Thanks, man.” The line went dead.
Bernadette came around the corner, nearly bumping into Julián with her phone to her ear. She grimaced and put her hand over the microphone. “I forgot that Evan is the nervous daddy.”
Julián could hear Evan loudly pelting her with questions from the speaker of her phone. “Is she okay? Is she sitting down? Is she upset? Bernadette! Are you there?”
Bernadette spoke quietly to Evan and answered all his questions with simple responses. “She’s in good hands, Evan. Just let Wes drive, okay? We’ll see you when you get here, daddy to be.” She smiled when she hung up the phone. “I had a feeling something was up this time so I called him.”
“Her water just broke. I called Wes.”
“That’s what Evan said.” They peeked in the office and the bookkeeper was squatted down looking at her wristwatch, stroking Rosemary’s shoulder as she breathed shallowly. Bernadette skirted around him and opened the top drawer in the filing cabinet, and pulled out several towels.
Rosemary chuckled as she finally breathed out a slow, deep breath. “I guess it’s a good thing the Boy Scouts thought to put those in there, huh? Sorry for all the female drama, Julián. You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. I’d understand.”
Julián shook his head. “I promised Wes I’d stay wit
h you. Was that a contraction?”
“Think so.”
The quiet was broken several minutes later as Wes and Evan barreled through the stockroom doors, making them swing wildly. “Rosemary!” Evan hollered, startling Rosemary but then she smiled in relief. Both men entered the office and everyone else exited. “Sorry, Rosie, didn’t mean to yell so loud.” He looked at his brother and they both knelt down beside her.
Julián said, “Guys, I’m gonna leave you to it now. Congratulations to all three of you. Call me if there’s anything we can do to help.”
The men nodded their thanks and Rosemary smiled and waved.
“And thanks for all the help, sweetie. You’re gonna be a great mommy.”
He followed Bernadette out of the stockroom doors and to the register, having nearly forgotten about his purchases in all the excitement. They chatted briefly and he was in time to hold the door open for the threesome as they hurried out of the store to Evan’s big truck which was parked right outside the front doors.
“Headed to the hospital?” he called.
“Yep.”
Julián smiled when he heard Rosemary tell Evan that he needed to call Grace and let her know to get the word out, while Wes drove. Good strategy, Rosemary. With her pleasing disposition, Grace would likely be able to keep Evan calm on the ride to the hospital.
The thought of having to go through a scenario like this with Chris made him grin again. Gwen would probably be just like Rosemary, wanting to work up until the very last second before the baby arrived. Julián thought he might be a little neurotic and protective like Evan too. Walking out to his truck, he felt a little sappy as he imagined Gwen with a baby bump.
* * * *
Valentine’s Day
Gwen stood in front of the long mirror behind her bedroom door staring critically at her reflection. The stylish Western dress Julián had bought for her fit like a dream.
But it shows way more leg than I’m used to!
She looked at her legs, seeing every imperfection. Too thick. Too pale. Too short. Too—
Tangled in Divine [Divine Creek Ranch 14] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 27
