Lone Star Baby Scandal

by Lauren Canan

  When it was over, he dropped down next to her, breathing deep, matching her own gasps for air.

  “You’re incredible,” he murmured against her ear.

  “Clay?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m also...pregnant.”

  Eleven

  Everything stopped.

  Clay froze as though caught in an electric fence, his body paralyzed. He dropped his head onto her chest, still breathing hard. Her hands automatically reached for him, her fingers threading through his hair.

  In a few seconds he raised his head and looked at her through the semidarkness. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “I’ve seen a doctor. The best I can figure is it happened in May after the masked charity ball.”

  He frowned. “How long have you known?”

  “For sure...about four weeks. I... I didn’t know how to tell you.”

  “Oh, Sophie.” His long fingers ran down the side of her face. “You are full of surprises.”

  “I don’t want anything from you, Clay,” she hurried to explain. “I certainly didn’t get this way on purpose. Hopefully, you know that.”

  “I believe you, Sophie. If the baby is mine, I’ll take care of it. Of both of you.”

  If the baby is mine? What did he mean by that?

  “If the baby is yours? Who else would be the father?” She pushed against his shoulders and he dropped to one side of her.

  “Don’t take that the wrong way. It didn’t come out the way I meant.”

  “Oh, gosh. I understand,” she quipped as she struggled to get out of the sleeping bag. “I guess you found out about all those other guys I’ve been with since May,” she spat out sarcastically. “Oops.”

  “That isn’t what I meant,” he said.

  “I don’t need anyone to take care of us, and unless you believe in modern-day immaculate conception, I assure you this baby is yours. Let me up.”

  He immediately withdrew his muscled legs from over hers and she pushed to her feet.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going home.”

  She headed for the sofa, stubbing her little toe on its leg. In the semi-dark, she groped for her jeans and her shirt.

  “And just how are you going to do that?”

  “What do you mean, how am I...?”

  “Sophie, we’ll go home first thing in the morning, as soon as it’s light. Now come back over here and let me keep you warm.”

  For a few long moments she sat on the couch, shivering. She didn’t want anything from him, including his warmth. But she had to think of the baby. Muttering, she limped back to the sleeping bag and got inside. His arm came around her, bringing with it the heat from his large frame.

  “You’re shivering,” he said as he pulled her closer, his powerful leg again draping over hers. “You know what? Roll over on your side. If we spoon, I can keep you warmer.”

  Sophie released an aggravated sigh and did as he asked. Did he really think the baby wasn’t his? How could he think that? He knew the hours she kept. If she’d been going out on a date, he would know it.

  “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” Clay whispered, as if he could read her mind. His right hand rested against her stomach. After a few silent minutes, he asked, “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  “It’s too soon to tell.”

  “Hmm.” And with that he laid his head down on the shared pillow.

  Sophie didn’t move. Clay hadn’t yelled at her or gotten mad; his surprise was a given. But he seemed to accept it. So far. In fact, he’d accepted it a lot better than she’d thought he would. Not that he had a lot of choice. She hadn’t meant to blurt it out, especially at the time she did. She had just been caught up in the overpowering love she had for him.

  What would he do now? Would his mood change in the morning? And how should she handle it either way? Sadly, in part because of his comment, the thought crossed her mind again that her time with Clay might be drawing to a close. She fully intended to go back home to Indiana and give her mom what support she could. Would Clay care one way or another, aside from the fact that he’d be losing a good assistant? That was very sad. At least he hadn’t denied it was his. And now he knew, so perhaps the worst was over. Tomorrow or the next day she would have to tell him she was leaving. She hoped the news would bring as much acceptance and understanding as learning he was about to be a father. But somehow, she doubted it. She closed her eyes and a tear rolled down her cheek. Maybe things would look better in the morning.

  * * *

  “Sophie,” Clay called to her. She shook her head, not wanting to talk.

  “Sophie, I need you to look at me,” he persisted. “Come on, honey.”

  She moaned her unwillingness and tried to recapture that plateau, that heady ambience she only felt in Clay’s arms.

  “Come on, darlin’.” Slowly her eyelids parted, as her mind struggled to do as he asked.

  “Hey, there you are.” He smiled.

  Her gaze was rooted to his mouth. Those lips. Her arms reached up, over his shoulders. Her fingers felt the short hair at the back of his head as she pulled his mouth down to hers. He kissed her long and deep then placed a quick kiss on her forehead and sat back. She noticed he was no longer inside the sleeping bag. In fact, he was dressed and ready for the day.

  “Come on, Sophie. Wake up. It’s morning. We need to be on our way back to the ranch.”

  She eyed him from inside the sleeping bag. The events of the night trickled over her like cold running water. Was he angry? Upset? She couldn’t immediately tell. He hadn’t given her the impression he was angry last night when she’d told him about the baby. Surprised, yes. But not mad.

  She would wait, she decided, before she broached the subject again, wait until he’d had time to digest the news and then ask how he felt about it. She hoped he would want to be a part of the baby’s life but she wasn’t holding her breath. She couldn’t let go of a bit of disappointment that he’d not been happy at the news. While maybe it was unrealistic, she had hoped he would at least be joyful. Maybe not ecstatic, but a bit excited. Apparently not.

  * * *

  The trip back to the ranch was unusually quiet. Clay was absorbed by the information Sophie had laid on his doorstep. She was having his child. He had no doubt it was his. She didn’t date, although why a beautiful woman like Sophie would remain almost celibate he couldn’t begin to guess. As close as they were, he would certainly know if there was another man in the picture.

  She’d said she loved him. He’d taken it as something she might say in the heat of passion. Could she truly feel that way? And if so, where did that leave him? He certainly cared for Sophie. Deeply. She was his best friend and a very special person in his life, a life that wouldn’t be the same without her in it. But he didn’t know if he loved her. He wasn’t sure he knew what love was.

  Was it a son or a daughter? Either option filled him with a pride such as he’d never felt. He could hand off the reins to his corporations to either one when he decided to retire. No more worries about that. But that was assuming Sophie didn’t take the child and return to Indiana. He refused to seriously believe she would do that because, dammit, he didn’t want to believe it. Through the years of physical therapy and working side by side, she’d come to mean a lot to him. But a wife...? He had never seen himself as the type of man who would settle down with a family. He still didn’t. He needed to make sure she knew he was excited about the baby without giving the impression that he was ready to put a ring on her finger. But his conscience kept hammering the point home: You know it’s the right thing to do.

  He would give Sophie the choice.

  He flew a semicircle around the ranch grounds before setting the helicopter down on the tarmac next to the others. A
car was waiting to take them to the house.

  “Have dinner with me tonight?” he asked as they approached the car. “I think we need to talk.”

  She hesitated. “All right.”

  “I’ll pick you up around eight?”

  She nodded.

  “In fact, let me take you home. You must be exhausted.”

  She stopped. “Why would I be exhausted?”

  “It was a long trip. And in your condition...”

  “What? My condition makes me lazy?”

  “You said that, not me.”

  “So? It’s what you were thinking.” She made a scoffing sound and turned toward her car.

  “How, um, how did you arrive at that determination?” He had to get a grip on this. She was picking fights, objecting to anything he said. That was not what he’d meant but he’d be damned if he would follow her around and keep apologizing.

  “Don’t worry about it,” she threw over her shoulder. “And forget dinner. You’re right. I’m just too tired and lazy to make the effort.”

  “Sophie. Stop.”

  She stopped.

  “Look, I might not have handled this right from the beginning. I get that telling a guy you are having his child is supposed to be a romantic moment. You just caught me off guard. Actually, you blew my mind is what you did. But I do respect you. I do know, without any doubt, that it’s my baby. And the more time I have to let it soak in, the more I’m realizing I’m kinda happy about it.”

  “Really?” Hope mixed with surprise in her voice.

  “Really. Look, why don’t you stay here instead of going home? We can have an early dinner—or a late one. Whichever you prefer. I need to go into the office and check things out. One of your old swimsuits is upstairs, in that first small room on the right as you go up the main staircase. Remember, you used to use it for a changing room? Just swim, relax—that’s not calling you lazy. Or, if you want, walk with me inside to the office.”

  “I... I would actually like that.”

  “Come on, then.”

  Together they walked inside the enormous home and turned toward the wing that had been designated as office space. While he returned phone calls, Sophie went through the foot-thick stack of mail.

  The office phones weren’t usually answered on Sundays. It was with surprise that Clay noticed the solid white light on one of the secondary lines on his phone. After ending his call, he couldn’t help but speculate about who Sophie was speaking to. Before he could walk over to the connecting door, the volume of her voice increased.

  “So you’re saying they have a heart?”

  She was quiet while she listened to the answer.

  “Oh, Mom. Call me when it’s over. Please.”

  Another silence. A sniff. Was Sophie crying?

  “Okay. Mom, I’ll keep my cell with me. Call as soon as you know?”

  Silence.

  “I will. Mom, I’m coming home. It should be in about two weeks, sooner if I can make it happen.”

  Quiet.

  “I know. I know.” There was a pause. “Okay, Mom. I’ll talk with you soon. Bye.”

  “Sophie?” Clay called to her as he walked through their door. “Is everything all right?”

  “As I told you, Dad is sick. But they may have found him a heart. He is really weak, but the heart is in transport, so...” The tears filled her eyes. “He has a chance.”

  Clay walked to where she was sitting, still holding her cell phone. “That’s great.” He reached out and covered her hands with hers. “Did I tell you my dad died of a heart attack?”

  “No. You’ve never mentioned him.”

  Clay pulled up a chair. “I was twelve. I knew he was sick but at the time I never fully understood what it meant. Back then transplants weren’t as common as they are today.” He shrugged. “Anyway, he was out branding steers and just clutched his chest and fell over.”

  “Oh, Clay, I’m so sorry.”

  “Thanks. Did I hear you were planning on going home?”

  “Yes, I need to return home to Indiana. I’ll write out my resignation tomorrow. I need to be packed and on my way as soon as I can arrange it.”

  “You’re leaving permanently?”

  “Yes.”

  “Sophie, why don’t you take some time off, return to your parents’ home and see how things pan out? Take as long as you need. Just don’t leave with the intention of never coming back.”

  She was quiet for a long time. Clay had to wonder if it was strictly because of her dad’s illness or if the baby had something to do with it. She was going to have a baby. He hadn’t committed to anything but supporting her monetarily. He could do that from anywhere. Did she think he was trying to pay her off? Did she think he wouldn’t be there for both her and the baby? Was she using any of it as an excuse to leave her job, to make a clean break with Everest? Or was it Clay Everett she needed to get away from?

  “I don’t know at this point when I might be able to come back. If...if something happens to Dad, Mom will need me there. Yes, my older sister, Susan, is there, but frankly she isn’t all that dependable. She means well but... I just don’t know, Clay.”

  He needed to get a grip on this.

  “So, you’re saying you plan to give birth to our baby in Indiana? Will I be notified when the event occurs?” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

  “Of course. You’ll get plenty of notice if I can reach you. If that’s what you want.”

  “If that’s what I want? Sophie... Have dinner with me tonight,” he said. “Give us a chance to talk this out. You told me about the baby less than twenty-four hours ago. It hasn’t been long enough to really soak in let alone realize what I need to do.”

  She smiled. “Clay, you don’t need to do anything. You’ve been through so much in the past several years. And now you’re dealing with some creep spreading rumors about Everest and it’s causing you greater stress and worry. I don’t want to cause you any more.”

  “Sophie...”

  “I’ve got to go home. I want to call Mom again and get the latest news on Dad. I’ll see you tomorrow. We can talk in the office about anything you feel is necessary.”

  With that she picked up her small overnight case and her purse and headed to the door of the office. “I enjoyed this weekend. Thanks for taking me along. Sorry I had to go and spoil it.”

  Clay watched from the window as she went outside and walked to where her car was parked. With one last wave, she backed out of the parking space and headed for the road that would take her back to the cottage.

  * * *

  Clay wasn’t in the office Monday morning. It was a first for him, but not really all that surprising considering what she’d dropped on him over the weekend. She thought she would hear from him but apparently not. What did that mean? She had no clue. Part of her said she was exactly where she thought she would be with regard to their relationship. He’d taken the news of the pending birth in stride, just like he did everything else. He’d accepted it, hadn’t questioned if the child was his, and life went on. She knew better than to expect emotion; still, she was slightly disappointed. But she reminded herself that it could’ve been much worse.

  The office phones began to ring, indicating a typically busy start to a Monday morning. She had told him she would work another two weeks, not wanting to leave him shorthanded even though he had plenty of secretaries he could get here at a moment’s notice. She put in a call to the home office’s human-resources department and requested the same two secretaries who’d helped them out before when they were dealing with the Everest PR crisis. They had already been trained on the basic office procedures and would be able to step in without any problems. They would start the following Monday.

  When she contacted her mother after gettin
g back to the cottage on Sunday afternoon, it had come as a relief to hear the smile in her mother’s voice. Everything had been arranged. Her father was to have the heart transplant on Wednesday. The prognosis was good. She let her mom know she had given her notice and would be coming back to Indiana. She’d call her again when she had a definite time of arrival.

  Sophie got up and walked to the large picture window in her office. It looked out over the distant barns, forest and to the right the miles and miles of open range. She would miss this. She would miss working for Clay. This job, and Clay, had become her life. She spent more time in this office and with him than she did in her cottage. Maybe she and the baby could come back to visit in the future. She’d also made friends with a lot of the ranch hands and their families who lived on the spread. She knew when they found out she was pregnant they would want to see the baby. But she wasn’t the kind of person to pick up the phone and tell someone. At least not until Clay had made his intentions perfectly clear. For all she knew, he might not want anyone to know he was about to become a father. As these were his employees, she would leave it to him to tell them or not.

  It was sad when she realized the greatest joy in her life was one she had to keep to herself. Maybe Clay would come around. He might not want to raise the baby under his roof, but at least her pregnancy would serve as no embarrassment to him. Miracles were in short supply this year and she had given her allotment to her dad.

  Twelve

  Friday morning as Sophie entered the office, she immediately saw Clay behind his desk, hiding behind his newspaper as usual.

  “Good morning,” she offered. “I’m glad to see you back. I hope you enjoyed your vacation.”

  “I did.”

  “Well, when you decide to go to work, there are several calls you need to make. The messages are all on your desk and in the order you need to return them.”