Ryder parked his truck in front of the store, and they both got out. As luck would have it, Mrs. Weaver, the town’s worst gossip, was coming out of the store.
“Well, hello, Ryder,” she said, but her attention shifted quickly to Ashley.
“Mrs. Weaver,” Ryder replied, then touched the brim of his hat. Her curiosity was hard to miss, seeing she was staring at them both with her snoopy eyes. “This is Ashley Bennett. She’s staying at the ranch,” he said.
Mrs. Weaver nodded, her gaze narrowing shrewdly. “Oh? A friend of Lynn’s?” she pressed.
Ryder didn’t like her pumping him. Everyone within miles of the small town knew each other, so anyone new usually stuck out like a sore thumb. “You could say that,” he answered evasively. “Excuse us, Mrs. Weaver. Ashley has some shopping to do.” He didn’t wait for her response as he ushered Ashley into the store.
Ashley asked about a refill on her medicine, and they had to wait for the druggist to call the pharmacy in Rocksprings to get the prescription transferred. When it was ready, Ryder walked with her to the register to pay for a few additional items she’d picked up. Behind the counter was a woman close to Ryder’s age with red hair that looked like it came from a bottle. She gave Ashley a curious look, then turned her full attention on Ryder.
“Well, hi, there, Ryder, honey. Where’ve you been keeping yourself? I swear you never come in to see me anymore.” She leaned across the counter, and the amount of cleavage she exposed made Ashley blush.
“Roxi.” Ryder acknowledged her with an easy grin, then introduced Ashley. “This is Ashley Bennett.”
The woman gave Ashley a brief glance. She rang up the items, then took Ashley’s money and gave her back her change. She chatted easily with Ryder throughout the entire procedure. As she passed the bagged items to Ashley, she snared Ryder’s arm.
“We haven’t gotten together in a long time,” she said, her voice sultry and suggestive.
Ashley’s gaze locked on the two of them. It was apparent to her that Ryder and this woman had a past. Her heart suddenly felt heavy. She had no reason to feel possessive of Ryder McCall. But she did. And she knew her feelings weren’t just due to the fact that he was the father of her baby. As much as she had fought it, she was losing her heart to him.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn’t heard Ryder’s response as he ushered her out the door. Ashley was quiet and thoughtful as they stopped for gas and picked up stamps at the post office, where she filled out a change of address form.
As they met up with folks along the way, Ryder introduced Ashley and pretty much avoided explaining her stay at the ranch. Though she appreciated him being discreet, it didn’t really matter much. In a few weeks everyone would know she was having his baby. Ashley had the feeling they were going to be the focus of discussion for quite a while, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Ryder remained quiet and thoughtful on the drive back to the ranch, and Ashley sensed it had something to do with her. The people Ryder had introduced her to seemed nice enough, but she hadn’t missed the curious looks and subtle remarks made about her presence at the ranch.
Wanting to talk about it with Ryder, she ventured, “I’m sorry if my living at the ranch is going to present problems for you and your family. I guess we should have thought about that when we discussed my moving here.”
Ryder gave her an irritated stare, then turned his attention to the road. “It wouldn’t be a problem if you’d marry me. At least they’d have less to talk about. Since you’re already living with us, I don’t see what difference it makes.”
“It makes a big difference.” She looked at him and saw his jaw clench. The muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed as his fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “You thought that I’d change my mind about marrying you if you got me to come out here,” she accused, reading his body language.
“You know it’s the right thing to do,” Ryder grated, not denying it. “This isn’t San Antonio. In another month, you’re going to be pretty conspicuous and so is our baby when it’s born. I don’t understand why that doesn’t bother you.”
“It does bother me,” Ashley snapped, irritated that he’d manipulated her. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked away, avoiding his heated gaze. “But I can’t do anything about it. I’m not going to marry you,” she said, her tone unyielding. So she couldn’t trust him, she thought. He’d had his own agenda all along when he’d talked her into coming to the ranch to live. Just like her father, he’d tried to control her.
Ryder slammed his fist against the steering wheel. It aggravated him that she wouldn’t even consider the idea. “Then I guess we’ll live through the tongue-wagging. I lived through it once when Ariel walked out on me, and I’ll survive this.” He turned his gaze on her, his eyes cold and distant. “But you’re the one who’s going to have to explain to our kid one day why he’s a bastard.”
Pulling to a stop at the house, Ryder got out of the truck, leaving Ashley by herself as he headed for the barn. His words stung, and he wasn’t being fair. She cared about this baby and she was doing everything she could for it. But she wasn’t going to marry a man who didn’t love her.
That afternoon Ashley started learning how to do the accounts for the ranch. Lynn spent a lot of time with her and they worked together well. Ashley really liked Ryder’s sister.
Late in the afternoon they quit working to prepare dinner. Lunch had been an “everyone does their own thing” affair, but dinners were planned and they ate together as a family. Though the atmosphere between Ryder and Ashley was decidedly frosty, Ashley got along well with Deke, who was a tease and a flirt. He loved getting a rise out of her, and she enjoyed their bantering.
As Ryder had warned her, Jake was quiet and harder to get to know, but he made it a point to ask how she was feeling and told her often to take it easy.
Despite the fact that she’d gone to bed without talking alone with Ryder, it was he who knocked on her door again the next morning with something for her to eat. He left her to shower and dress and told her he’d be ready to go into San Luis whenever she was.
They arrived at the doctor’s office with enough time for Ashley to fill out the paperwork with her personal information before her appointment. When she hesitated on the address, Ryder repeated his for her. Ashley wrote it down, her fingers moving nervously as Ryder watched her.
A short while later, the nurse called her name, and Ashley followed her to an examining room.
Feeling anxious, Ryder watched Ashley disappear behind the door. He’d dreaded the thought that she might ask him to go in with her, but now he was disappointed that she hadn’t. He felt a connection between them that had nothing to do with the fact that she was having his baby and everything to do with Ashley. That was another reason he felt a marriage between them would work. But she’d made it clear that she was determined not to need anyone. Including him.
For the next forty-five minutes, Ryder tried unsuccessfully to think about anything but what was happening with Ashley. He was relieved when she finally came back to the waiting room.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, searching her face.
Ashley hesitated at the receptionist window. “I don’t know. The doctor wants to see me again in a week,” she explained in a quiet tone, sounding a little worried. She dug into her purse, looking for her checkbook.
“I’ve taken care of the bill,” Ryder told her. He ignored her exasperated expression and ushered her from the office.
“You don’t have to do that,” she chided him. “I have my own money.”
“That’s my baby, too,” Ryder reminded her. “It’s only right that I accept some of the financial responsibility.” He guided her to the truck. “Did the doctor find something wrong?” he asked, worried that she had to return again so soon.
Ashley shook her head. “I’m not really sure. He examined me, then said not to worry, that everything looked okay.”
Ryder
touched her cheek and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “Then why do you seem upset?” he prodded.
“It’s probably nothing,” she answered, her eyes intent and serious. “He said he wanted to do an ultrasound. They didn’t have time to do it today,” she explained.
“That’s probably routine,” Ryder told her, hoping he was being reassuring when he didn’t really know what he was talking about. “When do you come back?”
“Next Monday.”
“That’s no problem.” Ryder waited until she was seated in the truck, then shut the door. He went around and climbed behind the wheel. As he pulled onto the street, he asked her if the doctor had given her something new for her nausea.
“Yes,” Ashley assured him. “He thinks I’ve gone through the worst of it, and it should pass soon.”
Ryder nodded. They talked more about the visit as Ryder drove back to the ranch. “Maybe you should put off taking over the ranch accounts until you feel a little better,” he suggested, thinking about how poorly she felt in the mornings.
Ashley shook her head. “No, I’ve already gotten a good start and I don’t want to stop. Actually, I’m enjoying myself.” It was important to her, also, to keep to their original bargain. This was a job, just like any other.
Ashley turned the computer off and stretched. Her back ached, and she pressed her hand against it as she tried to ease the tension from sitting so long. She knew enough about computers to make learning how to keep the ranch accounts fairly easy. Lynn had been very organized and had spent time training Ashley until she felt confident about taking over. Once Ashley understood the process, it was a matter of keeping up with everything. When she needed help with something or had a question, someone was usually nearby to ask.
She was surprised at how much time it took to keep the accounts straight. She was working an average of five to six hours a day, most of it on the computer, the remainder on filing and other details that kept the ranch running smoothly.
Ashley had assumed that she wouldn’t see much of Ryder during the day, figuring his work around the ranch would keep him busy. Instead, he seemed to go out of his way to check on her often. Sometimes he would linger after lunch and chat for a few minutes, and Ashley found herself looking forward to the time she spent alone with him.
The McCalls were a close-knit family and from the first moment she arrived, they had gone out of their way to make her feel at home. Her upbringing, however, was a direct contrast to the McCalls. Where her life had been filled with dissension and pain, Ryder and his family shared an honest, loving relationship.
Family conversations were full of stories about their lives, and though she enjoyed being included, Ashley was often reminded of the differences in the way they were raised. She envied them and sometimes caught herself dreaming of belonging with them forever. Then she would realize the foolishness of her thoughts.
Ryder didn’t mention the baby very often, and when the pregnancy did come up, his attention seemed centered on her and how she was feeling. Ashley thought he must still be wrestling with his own feelings. She wanted him to accept their child, to be a loving father. If he couldn’t, then she’d have to leave. Her child was never going to feel unloved.
She shut off the computer and walked to the kitchen just as Lynn was coming in. One would have thought Lynn would resent the fact that she was still expected to provide meals for her brothers, but if so, it was never evident in her attitude.
“Hey, Ashley.” Lynn greeted her with a smile. “How did it go today?”
“Fine. I think I’ve got things under control now. And I found that mistake that was throwing the balances off.”
Lynn gave her a look of surprise. “Wow! That’s great. I’ve been trying to figure that out for days.” She washed her hands and began pulling preparations for dinner from the refrigerator.
“I’m sure you would have, given the time.” Ashley took the makings for a salad and retrieved a large bowl from the cupboard. She enjoyed working along with Lynn in the kitchen. She’d never had a sibling, though she’d always wished for one. She and Lynn had hit it off from the first day Ashley had arrived.
“Well, thanks to you I don’t have to. You’re very smart. I can’t believe how quickly you picked up on things.”
Ashley blushed as the pleasure of Lynn’s compliment seeped through her. “Thank you.” She rinsed the lettuce and set it on a paper towel to drain. “How’s it going now that you’re working with the horses?”
Lynn frowned and rolled her eyes. “It’s tough, but I’m hanging in. Russ is fighting me every step of the way. He’s giving me every dirty job he can think of, trying to discourage me. I’m sure he believes I’ll get disgusted and quit.”
“Why would he do that?”
Lynn shrugged nonchalantly. “He doesn’t like me.”
“I can’t imagine anyone not liking you,” Ashley said honestly.
Dropping her gaze, Lynn shrugged her small shoulders. Ashley prudently let the conversation drop as she started grating carrots. After a moment she looked up and caught Lynn watching her.
“Am I doing something wrong?”
Lynn chuckled. “Of course not. I was just thinking that it looks like you’ll soon be out of those clothes,” she commented.
“I know.” Ashley knew that was true enough. “I need to get some maternity clothes. I don’t think I can put it off much longer.”
“Why don’t you shop for some while you’re in town for your doctor’s appointment?” Lynn suggested.
Ashley started to mention she didn’t want to do that with Ryder along, but was prevented from saying so when she heard him come inside. The familiar sound of his boots thudded as he came into the kitchen from the back porch.
“Oh, Ryder,” Lynn said as he walked into the room, “Ashley needs to do some shopping when she’s in town for her doctor’s appointment.”
“No, that’s okay. I can do it later,” Ashley blurted out. She didn’t want to make Ryder any more uncomfortable about the baby than he was.
“Don’t be silly,” Lynn insisted. She looked at her brother. “You don’t expect her to fit in her clothes much longer, do you?” she asked, glaring a him.
“I haven’t given it much thought,” he admitted. His gaze went to Ashley. She looked embarrassed, her expression flustered.
“Of course you haven’t. If you had, you’d have seen to it before now.” Lynn shook her head.
Ryder stared at Ashley. She hadn’t pulled her hair back today, and the raven strands fell around her face, framing her big brown eyes. His gaze slid lower to her breasts and his body tightened. They were fuller now and he ached to touch her there. Her waistline was just noticeably thicker, her stomach barely protruding, but it was obvious that she was carrying his child.
The thought reverberated through his mind. His child. He felt an ache in his chest that was becoming all too familiar whenever he thought of her carrying his baby. And a possessiveness that he wasn’t used to feeling. Was this what it was supposed to feel like when a man learned that he was going to be a father?
“I’ll take you to the mall in San Luis before your doctor appointment.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Ashley answered, then turned away from him and went back to what she was doing.
Clearly, she was uncomfortable discussing the baby with him. He didn’t want her to feel that way, but how could he expect her to feel differently? He’d been behaving like a jerk, and he’d given her more than one reason not to trust him. He was lucky she was even speaking to him.
“I don’t mind. We’ll get an early start so you’ll have plenty of time to shop.”
Ashley nodded, and he was glad she didn’t argue the point. He had to admit to himself, though, that the last place he wanted to be was shopping for maternity clothes.
True to his word, Ryder ushered her out of the house early on the morning of her appointment. They parked at the small shopping mall, and he escorted her to the maternity shop in
one of the two anchor stores. He didn’t seem at all uncomfortable. As a matter of fact, he’d been quite pleasant on the way over. Ashley had enjoyed talking with him about the ranch and their plans to expand it into an even larger operation, though she already thought it was huge. She understood now why it took his whole family to run it.
Ashley searched through a rack of shirts and selected a soft pink top, then moved to inspect some slacks on a circular rack. Ryder took the top from her hands and held it for her, along with a few items she’d already chosen to try on. She smiled at him, then turned back to the rack of clothes. She was startled when she moved a few of the pants over to check for her size. Inside the rack, a little angelic face peered back at her.
“Oh, my,” Ashley said, staring down at the little girl who was sitting on the floor in the middle of the rack. “Ryder, look,” she whispered, calling his attention to the child. She had auburn curls, pink cheeks and big blue eyes. “Hello,” Ashley whispered cautiously, not wanting to scare her. The little one just stared back at her without speaking, her eyes big and wary.
Ashley looked around the area, but didn’t see anyone who seemed to be looking for their child. She peered down at the little girl again. “Honey, where’s your mommy?” This time the child sniffed and her eyes started to well up with tears. Ashley looked to Ryder for help. “You try,” she suggested, looking worried.
Ryder eyes widened. “Me?” he squeaked. He hadn’t the slightest idea what to say or do.
Ashley shook her head. “Well, she’s not responding to me so you talk to her.” She moved aside and nudged him forward. “Go ahead,” she encouraged.
Ryder put the clothes in his hands on another rack and looked down at the little girl. Her lip was quivering and she was scrunched up almost into a ball. Great, he thought. She’d probably start screaming any moment now. Sighing, he bent down so he’d be on a level closer to hers.
Cowboys, Babies and Shotgun Vows Page 14
