HER SECRET, HIS BABY

Home > Other > HER SECRET, HIS BABY > Page 9
HER SECRET, HIS BABY Page 9

by Tanya Michaels


  “Sorry about the wait,” Arden told him. “But at least I got to drink that syrupy stuff before we came. When Natalie was pregnant with Danny, she had to drink at the doctor’s office, then wait a whole other hour after her appointment. I would have felt awful for making you sit here that long.”

  In spite of his earlier discomfort, he heard himself say, “There are worse ways to spend time than an extra hour with you.” It should have been light, teasing, but it came out wrong. His voice was too sincere. The fact that he couldn’t tear his gaze away from hers wasn’t helping.

  Her face flushed a soft, becoming pink.

  The sight knocked loose a piece of trivia in his mind, and he grunted in acknowledgement. “Huh. You blushed earlier, and it brought to mind a scarlet mallow. I just remembered the other name for that flower. Cowboy’s delight.” Disturbingly appropriate.

  “Arden Cade?” A woman with a clipboard called Arden’s name over the drone of conversations taking place.

  “I’ll be right back.” Arden stood, slow to break eye contact. As if she didn’t want to leave him. Not that it was much of a compliment that she’d rather stay with him than have a needle stuck in her arm.

  The older woman who’d changed chairs for him struck up conversation. “First-time parents?”

  He laughed. “Is it that obvious? She’s read a bunch of books, but I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

  “My husband was the same way. Don’t think he’d ever held a baby until our first was born. He for darn sure had never changed a diaper. Parenting is all about on-the-job training. You’ll do fine. Just love her and love the little one. Be patient with her for the rest of the pregnancy—it gets worse before it gets better. But the first time that infant’s tiny fingers wrap around yours, you’ll know it’s all worth it.”

  He nodded weakly, even though he felt a little sick inside. On-the-job training? He might not have that opportunity. How were they going to handle custody? He would never challenge Arden’s right to raise their child, but he didn’t want his son or daughter to only see him on holidays and periodic weekends. Would she be willing to move? It would be a major life change—and she had her brothers to consider—but, in theory, she could take pictures anywhere. He couldn’t very well bring one hundred head of cattle to an apartment in Cielo Peak.

  He looked forward to teaching his son or daughter to ride horses, to show them around the ranch where he’d spent his entire life, the land that was in his blood. Loving his child would be easy. He was already half-smitten, and the birth was months away. But loving Arden? After what she’d done? The stranger meant well, but her counsel wasn’t applicable in his situation.

  To discourage further conversation, he grabbed a magazine off the nearby end table, opened to a random page and tried to look engrossed. His thoughts were racing, and he didn’t even see the words printed in front of him. Nor did he notice Arden’s return.

  “Wow,” she said, craning her head to see what he’d been reading. “I didn’t know you were so interested in...the best remedies for hair-coloring disasters?”

  “What?” He shut the magazine, and bold purple type on the cover caught his eye. “‘Thirty-six ways to please him in bed?’ Damn, are they overthinking that. You want to please a guy in bed, show up.”

  That startled a giggle out of her. She covered her hand with her mouth, as if embarrassed, and sat down. “Just show up? Sounds pretty passive.”

  “I don’t remember you being the least bit passive, sweetheart.”

  She didn’t blush or turn away. Those blue-green eyes locked on his as she tilted her body toward him and lowered her voice. “No, I wasn’t, was I? As soon as you put your arms around me on that dance floor, I knew what I wanted and went for it.”

  Heat flooded him, shooting directly to his groin. Was kissing her in the middle of the reception area a bad idea?

  Arden nibbled her bottom lip. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Yes.” Whatever you want. He’d give her the keys to his truck right now.

  “Why me?” She spoke just above a whisper, and he had to get closer to catch every word. “That night...I’d never done anything like that before.” She looked down, toying with a loose thread at the hem of her coat. “Is it normal for you? I have brothers. I know men have casual sex, I just...”

  He was as charmed by her sudden shyness as he had been by her boldness a moment ago. “For the record, I don’t think there was anything casual about what happened between us. I’ve never slept with anyone else that quickly.”

  “No?” she asked hopefully.

  “My best friend had just gotten married. Happy as I am for him, it was odd to think he was settling down, buying a house, eventually having kids. Meanwhile, I’d broken up with a girlfriend a few weeks before and was feeling, not lonely, exactly, but restless? Then I saw you. And I forgot about everyone else. Even though it was Hugh’s reception, I would have bailed in a heartbeat if you’d gone with me.”

  She peered at him through her lashes. “Professional photographers don’t ditch the events they’re working. Bad business. But it sure would’ve been tempting.”

  “Arden Cade?”

  Her head jerked up guiltily, as if the nurse had caught them doing something illicit. “That’s me.” She turned to Garrett. “Okay, this is the part you can come back for. We’ll probably get to hear the heartbeat again.”

  Plus, he got to remain in her company, which was far more enticing than it should have been.

  * * *

  ARDEN WAS FAMILIAR with the procedure by now. First, the nurse sent her to the restroom with a cup, then took her vitals—including weight. Face warm, Arden asked Garrett if he wouldn’t mind waiting farther down the hall. He smirked but did as requested. Then the nurse showed them to room number three, sliding Arden’s chart into the plastic file slot on the door.

  Thankfully, for the visit she had today, Arden didn’t need to disrobe, but she still felt oddly exposed atop the examination table.

  Her doctor was Jason Mehta, an OB whose own wife happened to be expecting. Normally he was all smiles and full of anecdotes that put Arden at ease. But today, he entered the room looking troubled. He drew up short when he spotted Garrett; this was the first time she’d ever brought anyone with her.

  “I am Dr. Mehta.” He extended a hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “This is Garrett,” Arden said. “He’s the father. I thought he might like to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, hear for himself that everything’s going well?” Her nervousness made the last part come out as a question. Maybe Dr. Mehta was having a stressful day and his expression didn’t have anything to do with her pregnancy.

  His next words ruled out that optimistic thinking. “What did the nurse tell you about your blood pressure?”

  “Nothing. She wrote it down on the paper but seemed in a hurry to get me processed. You guys have a really full lineup today.”

  “She must have wished me to discuss it with you, so I could allay your concerns.”

  Arden straightened. “There’s reason for concern?”

  Garrett moved from his post by the door to her side, taking her hand. His thumb brushed back and forth over her hand. She appreciated the soothing gesture, but it couldn’t completely prevent her alarm.

  “Let’s not panic,” Dr. Mehta said. “Your blood pressure’s never been a problem prior to this, and it was not abnormally high going into the pregnancy. Is it possible you’ve been under stress lately?”

  A strangled laugh escaped her. “You could say that. Plus, I’ve barely slept the last two nights. Didn’t I read somewhere that there’s a correlation between lack of sleep and elevated blood pressure?”

  “So this is probably an isolated occurrence.” The doctor eyed her sternly. “You, young lady, need your rest. The blood pressure spike may well pro
ve to be nothing of consequence, but this is after your twentieth week. I would not be doing my job if I didn’t ask some follow-up questions. Any nausea lately?”

  “Not in weeks.” On the contrary, she’d been feeling pretty good. Especially when Garrett touched her, causing a giddy buzz of sensation. She darted a sidelong glance in his direction. When he was this close, could he tell the effect he had on her?

  “Any swelling?” When she glanced pointedly at her stomach, the doctor chuckled. “I meant in your extremities. What about headache?”

  “She had a killer headache last night,” Garrett blurted. “Why? Does that mean something?”

  Dr. Mehta made a noncommittal noise, jotting notes on her chart. “Have you suffered blurred vision?”

  “Well, yes, but I’ve had migraines in the past that frequently mess up my vision. I didn’t think it was related to the baby.”

  “Hmmm. The good news is, there’s been no protein in urine—at least, not more than the normal trace amounts.”

  Arden wanted to cover her face with her hands. She was more attracted to Garrett than any man in memory, and even if nothing was going to come of that, she’d rather he not be subjected to discussions about her bodily fluids. She snuck a peek at Garrett, who looked hyperalert, like a soldier at attention. As if he were memorizing everything Dr. Mehta said and avidly awaited instruction.

  The doctor put a hand on her shoulder. “You are a healthy young woman. It’s likely everything is fine. But you need to come back next week so we can check your blood pressure again and rule out preeclampsia. Meanwhile, to err on the side of caution, try to stay off your feet. I won’t prescribe complete bed rest if you swear to me you’ll take it easy.”

  She craned her neck to look up at Garrett. “Better cancel our nursery shopping trip for Sunday. That might be too much after a full day of work Saturday.”

  “What exactly does this day of work entail?” the doctor interrupted.

  “I have a number of portrait sessions scheduled and the big high school dance Saturday night. I’m the official photographer,” she explained.

  He scratched his chin. “And that would involve walking around and taking a bunch of candid shots in a noisy ballroom as well as being out late? Absolutely not. You should reschedule the other Saturday sessions, too. Unless you can promise me you’ll be taking all the pictures from a chair without moving around much and that none of your clients are going to be demanding and in any way raise your blood pressure further.”

  She thought of Mrs. Merriweather and the Tucker twins. “Um...”

  “That is what I thought.”

  “But...” Her eyes stung. “I’m a professional. I can’t just flake out on everyone.”

  “Even professionals cancel when there is a medical necessity,” Dr. Mehta said gently. “Arden, your baby needs you far more than the high school students do.”

  He was right. She knew he was right. But she’d already been worried about how the baby would affect her work after the birth. She was thrilled to become a mother, but babies weren’t cheap. Photography was how she kept a roof over her head. She wasn’t sure the high school administrators would be able to find anyone good on such short notice. If they did, would she be losing their future business to an unknown competitor?

  She blinked rapidly, trying her damnedest not to cry in front of Garrett or the doctor. She was only able to half concentrate on the rest of what Dr. Mehta said during the visit. Thank goodness Garrett was there to help catch whatever she missed. Finally, the doctor left them, reminding her to make a follow-up appointment with the receptionist.

  Garrett stepped to the edge of the table and pulled her against his chest for a comforting hug. It was exactly what she needed, but, unfortunately, she lost the battle with the tears she’d been struggling not to shed. The front of his shirt grew damp beneath her face.

  “Y-you must think I’m s-so selfish, caring more about my j-job than—”

  “Hush. I don’t think that at all, sweetheart.”

  She sniffed. “I had to cut back while I was sick. Now that it’s passed, I’ve been trying to take as many jobs as possible, to save up for—”

  “Arden.” He drew back so she could see his expression. “Don’t worry about the money. I can help with that. What I can’t do is keep this baby any safer. I know we haven’t talked specifics yet—hell, this time last week, I didn’t even know you were pregnant—but Peanut is my responsibility, too. No, not just responsibility. My gift, too.”

  She was dazed by his generous spirit. Not the financial generosity, but his emotional openness. Some men would be demanding a paternity test right about now to make sure the kid was even theirs before offering to pay a dime. She knew from his candor Wednesday night how angry Garrett was, yet he was at her side, hugging her. And when he talked about the baby, there was real caring in his voice.

  Guilt seized her, raw and wrenching. This wasn’t how parenthood should have begun for him. It should have been with someone he loved. She could easily imagine his joy at hearing the news for the first time. He probably would’ve brought flowers for the woman, a big floppy teddy bear for the baby. He should have been there from day one, and she could never give that back to him.

  She swallowed hard. “I need to go pay and set up that appointment. Heaven knows they need the room back.”

  “If you need another minute, they can wait,” he said gruffly.

  “I’m good.” It was a lie, but one designed to put him at ease. She realized she was feeling as protective of him as he sounded about her.

  They returned to the front of the building and arranged her next visit. She almost asked Garrett if he would come with her but bit her tongue. He’d mentioned that he would need to leave Cielo Peak. His entire life was elsewhere, and he had pressing concerns of his own. He couldn’t drop everything to hold her hand.

  Both of them were quiet on the ride back to her studio. Arden was dreading the phone calls she needed to make, rehearsing what she would say to the clients she was about to disappoint. “Rescheduling the individual sessions shouldn’t be too bad,” she mused aloud. “I can offer them a big discount for their inconvenience. It’s losing the high school business that bothers me. All the future potential—yearbook photos, prom, graduation.”

  “I wish to God I knew the first thing about cameras. I’d go in your place,” he vowed.

  She smiled despite her sour mood. “You’ve already gone above and beyond the call of duty.”

  He snapped his fingers. “You mentioned yearbooks. Don’t high schools usually have student staff, kids who take pictures for the yearbook and student newspaper? Maybe several of them could cover the event for, I don’t know, extra credit or something. I realize they’d be amateur pictures, but if the school uses more than one person, there could be a decent assortment of photos to choose from.”

  Plus, she wouldn’t be handing a competitor her job on a silver platter. Bonus. “It’s worth at least mentioning to the principal,” she agreed. “Or maybe I could broach the suggestion with the journalism teacher first. I kind of know her a little, since Jus—”

  “Let me guess. Your brother dated her?”

  “You catch on quick.”

  “What is he, pathological?”

  Truthfully, she couldn’t tell if Justin was afraid of being alone or afraid of being with someone. Or both. But it seemed traitorous to discuss her brother’s flaws with Garrett. “Anyway, I’ll call the teacher when I get back to the studio. If I can get her jazzed up about your suggestion, she might help me convince the principal. Thank you—it’s a really good idea.”

  “Wanna see if I can go two for two?” Garrett gave her a winning smile. “I have another great idea. Promise you’ll hear me out before you answer?”

  “Sure.” She owed him that much.

  “Come to the Double F
with me.”

  “What?” It was the last thing she’d expected, an invitation to meet his family and see the homestead. Was he serious?

  “Assuming that it’s okay with your doctor, I can take you there for a long weekend. Maybe bring you back Tuesday. You’re going to be miserable, canceling all your jobs this weekend, and I hate to think about you cooped up in your house, worried about that next appointment. Aren’t fresh air and open spaces healthy? You’ll come back rejuvenated with a suitably lowered blood pressure.”

  She laughed at his coaxing. “You know that for a fact?”

  “I know I’ll be worried about you the whole weekend if I can’t check on you for myself,” he admitted. “You have to see the place sometime. However we decide to manage this, our child is going to spend time there, right?”

  “Yes.” The word nearly got lodged at the back of her throat. There was no question that Garrett deserved time with the baby, but the thought of being separated even briefly stabbed right through her. For six months, this baby had been entirely hers. She already loved it more than anything in the world.

  “You’re too good a mother to let your kid stay somewhere you’d haven’t already assessed,” he said matter-of-factly. “So come with me now, before the baby’s born and your schedule gets even more hectic. Who knows? Maybe you’ll fall in love with the place.”

  Her worst fear—falling in love with yet one more thing she couldn’t hold on to. One more thing that would break her heart.

  * * *

  NEITHER OF THE Connors was home when Garrett returned from dropping Arden off at work. He’d told her to call him when she was on the way home this evening so he could meet her at the house. “I’ll help pack,” he’d insisted. “You can supervise. From a comfy spot with your feet propped up and a glass of water in your hand.” His tone had brooked no argument.

  She’d groused some choice phrases about “high-handed males” but she’d agreed. After all, they both had the same goal—protecting the little one.

 

‹ Prev