The Night before Baby

by Smith, Karen Rose

  After Lucas straightened and gave him a few moments, he handed Trevor the grooming brush, knowing this boy like the others, needed something to do to feel he could make a difference, to feel needed here. Then maybe he could accept the fact that, for a few months at least, the ranch was his home.

  Home.

  Lucas wanted to make a home with Olivia. He hadn’t yet told Mim and Wyatt he was going to be a father. Hopefully he could find a few quiet minutes with them tonight after the boys went to bed.

  The strawberry ice cream in front of Olivia tempted her more than any food had all weekend. She and her mother had gone shopping and stopped at the ice cream parlor for old times’ sake. When she was growing up, they didn’t eat out often, but every Friday night they would go window shopping and stop for ice cream. Olivia dipped her spoon into her dish.

  “You are going to tell me, aren’t you?” her mother asked as she sipped her soft drink. Rosemary McGovern’s auburn hair was permed into an attractive style around her face. In her early fifties, she was still a lovely woman. But right now she was a woman with a purpose.

  “Tell you what?” Olivia had found the words I’m pregnant harder to say than she’d thought they’d be.

  “Why you ate a piece of toast for breakfast instead of the oatmeal I fixed this morning. Why you ordered lemonade instead of cola. Why I found a new type of vitamins in your cupboard. If I didn’t know better, I’d think...”

  Before her mother put it into words, she responded, “I’m pregnant.”

  Her mother blinked twice, then finally asked, “The man who answered the phone the other night?”

  “His name is Lucas Hunter. He works at Barrington, too.”

  After a pensive pause, she studied her daughter closely. “I see. And what about Stanley Whitcomb? I thought you had your cap set for him”

  “Mother...”

  “Don’t you Mother me. You mentioned him often enough with determination in your voice. What happened?”

  She had never lied to her mother and she wouldn’t start now. “Lucas happened. On Christmas Eve. I’m still not sure why I...why I...let it happen.”

  “What’s he like?” her mother asked gently.

  A warmth welled up in Olivia’s heart. “He’s tall and handsome and so...” She might as well just admit it “Sexy.”

  Her mother smiled. “Anything else?”

  Olivia took a spoonful of ice cream. “He can be stubborn and very determined, evasive, gentle and sweet, too.”

  “And how does he feel about your being pregnant?”

  “He wants me to marry him. He wants to be a father. But, Mom, he’s not staid and stable and dependable like Stanley. Lucas might not even want to stay in Phoenix. He owns a plane, flies off on business or a whim, and I’m afraid he might be more like Dad than I care to admit.”

  “He wants to chase a dream?”

  “I don’t know what his dreams are,” Olivia confessed.

  “A man’s dreams are very important, honey. Your dad had and still has dreams made of smoke. Even if he could reach one, he’d never hold on to it because he’d think he could find one better. If you discover this man’s dreams, you’ll really know the man.”

  Swishing her spoon absently in her ice cream, Olivia admitted, “I thought Stanley would be the perfect husband. That’s why I was interested.”

  “Was?”

  “I moved in with Lucas to get to know him. No strings. No ties. Not yet. And I’ve only been there a week. He’s complicated.”

  “And so are you.” She took Olivia’s hand. “Honey, a boring man doesn’t guarantee happiness any more than an ardent attraction can provide permanence. Only your heart knows the right answer for you. But you have to listen carefully and wait until you can hear it. Just because you’re pregnant doesn’t mean you have to rush into anything.”

  “I know. And I won’t. Everything has happened so fast.”

  “Give your world a chance to stop spinning. And know that I’m here if you need me.”

  Olivia understood how fortunate she was to always have her mother in her corner. Her dad might have chased his dreams all these years, but her mother had given her the opportunity to make realistic dreams come true. She simply had to figure out if and how Lucas fit into them.

  Lucas entered his town house, his senses on the alert for Olivia. He hadn’t spotted her car where she usually parked it. When he stepped into his living room, her absence was tangible. He’d returned earlier than usual, anxious to touch down in Scottsdale. That eagerness was unusual.

  He tried to read the Sunday paper, but his attention wandered to his conversation with Mim and Wyatt. They wanted to meet Olivia but understood his reluctance to spring the ranch on her after his experience with Celeste. What if Olivia wanted no part of it? The boys were important to his life, too. He figured a few more weeks, after he and Olivia had connected a little better...

  When the door opened, he took a deep breath and casually folded the paper on the hassock.

  “Oh! You’re back,” Olivia said as she saw him.

  Since he’d parked in the private garage behind the building, she couldn’t have known. Yet he’d hoped for something a little more enthusiastic. Had her conversation with Whitcomb developed into more than a dance?

  She looked like a teenager in her jeans and T-shirt, with her hair tied back in a ponytail. “Did your mother leave?” he asked.

  Olivia dropped a bag onto the sofa. “We went shopping, then she left from the mall. She insisted on buying me something for the baby.”

  “How did she react when you told her?”

  “My mother’s special, Lucas. She was surprised, but...supportive. As she always is. She just wants me to be careful in the decisions I make right now.”

  “About me?”

  “About everything. How was your weekend?”

  “Fine.”

  “Just fine?”

  “It’s always good to get away. Flagstaff is very different from Phoenix. There’s snow on the ground.”

  “Did you go skiing?”

  Arizona Snow Bowl, less than a half hour from the ranch, offered runs. But the ranch had always held more allure than the slopes. “Not this time.”

  Reaching to the sofa, he snagged the bag. “Can I look?”

  “Sure.”

  The yellow shirt and pants and the tiny booties looked as if they’d fit a doll, not a child. “They’re so small!”

  She laughed. “They’re three months. Mom said you should always buy clothes too big.”

  “Big? My gosh...” He suddenly realized this child was fragile and needed so much more protection than he’d ever imagined.

  “It’s scary, isn’t it?” Laying her hand on her stomach, Olivia got a dreamy look in her eyes. “I haven’t felt any movement and probably won’t for a couple of months. Yet I’m always aware there’s a new life inside me. Like I can sense that tiny heartbeat. And when Mom bought these... Lucas, our child will fit into these clothes, go to kindergarten, hopefully college someday. I just can’t wait for each moment of it!”

  His heart contracted with emotions he couldn’t name as he stood. “You really want this baby, don’t you?” He’d been so afraid Olivia would blame him for the pregnancy and think of their child as a burden rather than a joy, a responsibility that would complicate her career and her relationship with Whitcomb.

  “Want it? More than anything,” she said fervently.

  Facing her, he looked directly into her eyes. “It’s been a week. What about us?”

  She hesitated for a few seconds. “I think we still have a long way to go.”

  His chest tightened, and he remembered she could walk out of his life at any time and take their child with her. Maybe straight to Stanley Whitcomb.

  Chapter Five

  Olivia had been truthful, but Lucas’s expression said he didn’t like her conclusion.

  “A long way to go until what?” he asked. “Until you forget about the life you had planned befo
re you learned you were pregnant? I’m beginning to wonder if you can forget.”

  “I still want a career,” she returned after a tense moment “I still want to pass the bar and practice law. If you think that no longer matters—”

  The phone rang, cutting her off. But she ignored it, needing to say what was on her mind. “I still don’t know much about you. Your background. Your dreams. We—”

  The ringing continued.

  “I’d better get that,” Lucas said, reaching for the phone.

  She thought he looked relieved at the interruption. What wasn’t he telling her? Why did he keep so guarded? Where had he really gone over the weekend and who had he spent it with? All were answers she needed before they could move forward.

  As Lucas answered the phone and listened to the speaker, his stance became vigilant. He was absorbing information and processing it. Finally he said, “We’ll get this ironed out. We’ve put too much time and energy into the offer to have negotiations fall apart now. Don’t worry. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Trouble?” she asked when he’d hung up.

  “It was Rex. The deal’s going sour and we have to plan a new strategy.” He headed for the stairs. “I have to change. I’ll probably be in meetings all night.”

  As he took the first three steps, she called to him. “Lucas?”

  He stopped.

  “We have to talk.”

  His hand on the banister, his look of purpose changed to one she couldn’t read. “Tomorrow night. We’ll go somewhere quiet for supper—”

  “I can’t tomorrow night Stanley’s going to help me study for the bar exam. I only have this week to make sure I’ve got everything down pat.”

  Lucas’s jaw set “I see. Well, you let me know when you can fit me into your schedule. Right now mine is tight.” He climbed the remainder of the steps and closed the door to his room.

  Olivia’s mother had taught her not to swear. Ladies shouldn’t swear. But Olivia remembered a string of words she’d heard her father use. She used them now under her breath with as much vehemence as a whisper would allow. Then she concluded that Lucas Hunter was the most frustrating man on the face of the earth.

  And she was falling in love with him.

  As the sun rose Monday morning, Olivia felt something was amiss. It took her a few moments to realize she’d been awake on and off throughout the night listening for Lucas—his footfalls, the creak of his mattress, the sound of water running in the bathroom. But she’d heard none of those noises. Sliding out of bed and snatching up her robe, she went to his bedroom. The door was closed.

  When she knocked, there was no answer. Opening it, she found a bed without a wrinkle. He hadn’t slept in it last night. She told herself maybe he’d returned late and left early, but she knew better. There was no trace of his cologne, no sense of his presence.

  Quickly dressing, she ate a piece of toast and hurried to her car. During the drive to Barrington, she realized she could have tried to call him. But she didn’t want him to think she was checking up on him. At the complex, she could stop at his office and make discreet inquiries if he wasn’t there. If he wasn’t at Barrington...

  Maybe he’d flown off to visit his “friend” again—a friend who didn’t have study sessions with her boss.

  At Barrington, Olivia found a spot close to the front entrance and took it. The deep salmon concrete building rose against the turquoise sky as a few puffy clouds hung suspended like huge cotton balls. As she passed saguaro cactus and teddy bear cholla, she appreciated the warmth of the sun on her hair. Phoenix in February had to be one of the best spots on earth. She paused only a moment in the three-story-high foyer, then headed for the elevators giving access to the east wing. She’d check his office first.

  She was early enough that not many employees milled about. Her heart thumped faster as she exited the elevator and made a beeline for Lucas’s office. Then she forced herself to slow down. Wet-floor placards lined the tiled hall. Making certain each step in her high heels was a sure one, she reached Lucas’s door and took a deep breath. When she knocked, she waited for a response. Not getting one, she turned the knob and found the door unlocked.

  At first, she thought his office was empty. But then her gaze fell on stockinged feet, and the rest of Lucas stretched out on the couch. His cuffs were unbuttoned, his white shirt wrinkled, his tie tugged down and askew. As she quietly rounded the desk to get a better look, he opened his eyes. They were hazy with sleep.

  “Good morning,” she said softly, not sure what response she was going to get.

  He swung his feet to the floor and sat up, looking sexily rumpled. His beard shadow added to the effect as he checked his watch, then stretched his neck as if he had a crick in it. “You’re here early.”

  “I was worried. I didn’t know whether you got tied up or if you just decided not to come home.”

  “We met late into the night, then I had to work out language for the contracts. Maybe I should have called, but I didn’t want to wake you if you were asleep.”

  “I didn’t sleep very well because I knew you weren’t there,” she admitted.

  He studied her for a short while, then rolled his head again and winced.

  “I can help work that out,” she suggested.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said gruffly.

  “Let me try.” She needed to feel close to him again, to dissolve not only the tension in his shoulders, but between them. Coming up beside him, she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Turn sideways.”

  This time he didn’t argue.

  “If you take your shirt off, I can find the knots better.”

  “You won’t have far to look,” he muttered as he tugged off his tie. Then he swiftly pulled out his shirt from his waistband, unfastened the buttons and shrugged it off.

  The broad expanse of his shoulders and back, all that roped strength, taut muscle and tan skin beckoned to her and started a slow burn in her belly. When her fingertips inched onto his shoulders, the heat of his skin spread to her hands, arms, all of her. But it wasn’t a heat she wanted to escape. Her thumbs kneaded the knots, but her other fingers gloried in the texture of his skin while she breathed in his scent.

  As she worked his shoulders, he groaned and dropped his head, giving her all the access she wanted. His neck tempted her, not to continue the massage but to place soft kisses there. What was wrong with her? Why did she feel like melting at his feet? Because he hadn’t gone somewhere else last night? Was she simply feeling relief?

  Uh-uh. Relief definitely wasn’t the feeling curling through her like liquid fire.

  When she slid her fingers into his hair at his nape, he straightened and turned, catching her hand.

  “That’s enough.” His voice was husky, his eyes a piercing blue.

  “I wasn’t finished,” she murmured, unable to move or breathe or figure out what about him compelled her to be impulsive, to want with a passion that was dangerous to her plans and common sense.

  “If I let you finish, neither of us will get to work anytime soon.”

  The desire in his eyes brought back visions of Christmas Eve, clothes discarded in haste and fiery kisses that created frightening yet exciting needs. Trying to calm her imagination and her memories, she asked, “Are you going home?”

  He rose to his feet and checked his watch again. “No. I have clean shirts and a razor in the closet. In fifteen minutes I have to be in the executive suite for another meeting.”

  The hair on his chest as well as the whorl above his belt buckle drew her gaze.

  “Will you be home for supper, or is that included in your study session?” he asked evenly.

  “Stanley knows a deli that delivers.”

  “I’ll bet he does,” Lucas grumbled as he went to the closet and grabbed a shirt from a hanger. The hanger fell to the floor and he left it there. “So what time will you be home?”

  “Around nine.”

  “I’ll see you then.” Breaking eye
contact, he buttoned his shirt, dismissing her.

  The tension between them was thicker than ever. Before he switched on his razor and shut her out completely, she turned and left. She’d worked long and hard to become a lawyer; she wouldn’t let one frustrating but sexy male stop her now.

  Although Lucas sat in front of his laptop in the kitchen, he checked the clock every fifteen minutes. It was well after nine when he switched it off and began pacing. Olivia came in the door at nine-thirty, and he didn’t know whether to pick up the remote and pretend as if he was going to watch TV or ask her questions that she probably wouldn’t answer.

  He opted for a grumble. “Long study session.”

  Setting the study guide and notebooks on the end table, she looked up. “It was the last one. I have the rest of this week and the weekend to make sure I remember everything that I knew last summer.”

  “You’ll do fine.”

  “I don’t know that, Lucas. No one does. Not until notification comes.” After a cautious glance at him, she added, “Stanley thinks I should stay at a hotel within walking distance for the test, and I think he’s right.”

  “It’s not that far.”

  “I can’t take any chances. I’ve studied for years for this opportunity and had to wait six months because a quirk of fate made me miss it in August. Stanley says he’s even heard of people getting held up in elevators. I’m not going to let anything keep me from the test this time.”

  “He’s making you paranoid,” Lucas snapped, not liking the idea of her staying in a hotel room, not liking her acting as if Stanley’s advice was the law.

  “He’s not making me paranoid. You should understand what taking the bar and passing it means. And without Stanley—”

  His expression must have stopped her, though he thought he was guarding volatile feelings really well. Until this moment. “Go on, Olivia. What about without Stanley? Do you think you’ll be able to do without him?”

  Olivia straightened, squared her shoulders and glared at him. “Exactly what does that mean?”