Cord stared at her. “Yes. He doesn’t want to talk about it.”
“Not even to you?”’ She frowned.
He shook his head. “That’s what is so puzzling.” Sheila had something to do with it, but Ashley didn’t want to be the one to bring his stepmother’s name into the conversation, not tonight of all nights.
Ashley and Cord had just reached a new understanding. She couldn’t bear for anything to rob them of the pleasure of this special time together. Too soon they’d be back at the house, their privacy almost nonexistent with Sheila living there.
“Didn’t he say anything to help you understand his motives?”
“Only that he feels it’s time to move on.”
“But that’s absurd!” Ashley cried softly. “He’s too valuable to lose and too old to start a new career.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more. Something bizarre has happened or he wouldn’t just quit. I asked him to meet me tomorrow, but he refused and said he’d have his desk cleaned out first thing in the morning.”
Ashley clutched his hand harder. This was a new contingency neither of them had counted on. “Then you’re going to have to do something about it tonight.”
She felt him stiffen. “I’m not leaving you,” he said like an avowal.
“You won’t have to if we go over to his house together.”
“No, Ashley,” he muttered emphatically. “It’s late. You need your rest. I don’t want you dragged into this, especially not this close to your due date.”
“I’m not a fragile piece of glass, Cord. Whatever my origins, I must have come from sturdy stock because I feel fine, and I can handle this. What affects you, affects me.”
“Lord— It’s been too long since I heard you say that to me. Do you have any idea how much I love you?” His voice throbbed with a new intensity of emotion. “I wanted tonight to be special for us.”
She thrilled to those words. So did I, darling. So did I.
Kissing the back of his hand, she whispered, “We have the rest of our lives to talk and show each other how we feel. But there’s something we have to do first. Emily must be in agony. She trusts you. In fact I know she thinks the world of you, Cord. I have an idea we can work on him through her.”
“If anyone can get to her, you can, my love. She took to you the first time she met you at the company picnic.”
Cord spoke the truth. She and Emily connected from day one. “Then let’s not waste another second. While you get permission for us to leave the hospital, I’ll go back to the room and freshen up.”
“You’re sure you want to do this?”
She was touched by his concern, but this was one time when someone else’s needs came first.
“Cord? Forget me. Please. Time is of the essence here. If Dan is really upset, he might be planning to leave town after he clears out his desk. You know he’s the quiet type who suffers instead of getting things out in the open. It would be just like him to disappear somewhere to lick his wounds, whatever they are. You can’t let that happen without a fight.”
In the obscure light his eyes kindled with new fire. “You’re right. You’re also astute, which is one of the many things I admire and love about you.”
“And you’re a caring man,” she returned the compliment. “It’s one of your sterling qualities. But be honest, darling. If it weren’t for me, you’d be over at Dan’s house right now.”
In a surprise move, Cord rose from the seat and half pulled her up with him. His reaction sent the adrenaline surging through her nervous system. As soon as they’d cleared the auditorium doors, he forced her around to face him. His dark brows had furrowed ominously.
“Let’s get something straight,” he began, his hands forming fists at his sides. She could sense the struggle he was having to tamp down his feelings. “You and the baby are my first priority. Now, and forever. Is that clear?”
“Yes,” she whispered, loving him more than ever before. But by his slight hesitation she could tell he was still afraid to believe the drastic change in her feelings.
Small wonder. After all the months of trauma they’d lived through, their reconciliation was another miracle.
“Why don’t you see about getting permission for us to leave?”
Heaving a deep sigh, he kissed the end of her nose. “I’ll be back before you know it.”
They took their leave of each other and she hurried down the hall for a quick shower and change of clothes. After the ultrasound, she wanted to wash off any residue gel and feel fresh.
When she emerged, she was wearing the smart navy blue and green plaid jumper with a navy silk blouse she’d bought. The tailored outfit was comfortable and suited her pregnant figure.
“You look very attractive, Mrs. McKnight,” Cord commented seconds later when she announced herself ready to go. Heat traveled through her body as his eyes played over her, the look of desire unmistakable.
“Thank you.” She swallowed hard. “So do you.”
While she’d been in the shower, he’d come back to the room and had changed into a dark, olive-green suit. “That’s my favorite outfit on you, Cord.”
“It has always been mine, too, because you picked it out for me.”
Both of them were remembering the morning she’d pulled the new suit out of the closet she’d bought for him with her own savings.
With his wealth he could buy most anything, but her gift was something she’d wanted to do for him. Her surprise had pleased him so much, he’d taken the day off and they’d ended up making love for most of it.
“We match,” she blurted in an effort to clear her mind of pictures too thrilling and intimate to entertain right now.
“In all the ways that count,” came the thick-toned rejoinder. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.”
After they’d left the hospital and were driving out of the parking lot, Ashley turned to him. “What did Dr. Drake say about our leaving?”
“He realizes that emergencies crop up. As long as you’re with me, he feels fine about it. No doubt our esteemed psychologist has been giving him updates. Secretly I believe both of them are so pleased that you and I have reconciled, the renowned Dr. Drake is willing to waive the usual rules for us.”
Her face grew warm. “I’m sure you’re right. So far I haven’t noticed the other couples being given any special favors.” Just thinking of their newly-made friends reminded her of the reason why they had come to the hospital in the first place. “Cord? Have these four days without a cigarette been hard for you?”
“Yes,” he said emotively. “But not in the way you mean. Since I first saw you on Monday morning, I’ve only suffered from one craving.”
She lowered her head, so sick with excitement and wanting, she couldn’t say anything.
“I’ve missed sleeping with you,” he murmured. “You know how it always was with us.” His low, vibrant voice penetrated to her insides.
“I remember.” Her whisper came out more like an ache. “I—I’ve been in agony, too.”
His hand slid to her thigh, caressing it with urgency.
“When I think of my beautiful wife alone and pregnant all this time… The nights of loving we’ve missed…”
She put a trembling hand over his. “Let’s not look back. No more regrets.”
“If we didn’t have unfinished business, I’d keep on driving until we reached our cabin in the Tetons.”
“I couldn’t imagine anything more wonderful.”
“Ashley—” His voice had dropped to a lower register. “Art Williams phoned me last month. He’s been offered the job of head ranger in Yellowstone and wanted me to know about it before it was posted. Though there’s a long list of applicants for the vacancy he’ll be leaving, apparently he has already recommended me to replace him as head ranger in the Tetons.”
“Cord!” Ashley’s ecstatic cry filled the Rover’s interior.
A satisfied smile broke the corner of his sensuous mouth. “I t
hought maybe that news would appeal to you. It’s what I’ve always wanted.” His voice throbbed. “But because we were separated, I couldn’t imagine taking on the job without you.”
Oh, Cord— “I—I had no idea.”
“His cabin is larger than the one we lived in. We’d have plenty of room to raise our son.”
“Do it!” she urged him. “Call Art and tell him you want the job!”
“I will, just as soon as we’ve talked to Dan. He deserves to be the CEO of the company. When I tell him that the whole board will be behind him if I step down, that ought to open him up so he’ll tell me what’s wrong. No doubt Sheila is at the crux of his troubles,” he said in a menacing tone.
Ashley had no doubts, either, but was thankful Cord had been the one to voice them. “Can’t she block a move like that because your dad left her his shares?”
“No,” came the emphatic pronouncement. “I inherited mother’s shares, something my father couldn’t touch. If I exercise my right and vote like the others, Sheila will find herself without a position in the company, though she’ll always receive an income from the profits.
“When she discovers that you and I are going to live in the Tetons and she’s virtually alone, we can always hope she’ll disappear from the state.”
“I don’t think she’ll give up the house,” Ashley murmured.
“Maybe not. But as soon as our baby is born, we’ll never live there again so it doesn’t matter. My life is with you and our son.”
“That was your home, Cord!”
“Was being the operative word. The day my father let heir inside, my life changed forever. She can do whatever she wants with it after we leave. You and I are going to create our own memories elsewhere, so let’s not talk about it again.”
They’d been holding such an intense conversation, Ashley hadn’t realized that they’d already arrived at Dan’s Colonial-style house in North Salt Lake.
Cord turned off the ignition and came around to her side of the Land Rover to help her down. She could see lights on in the front windows. “Both their cars are still in the carport, Cord. That’s a good sign.”
He unexpectedly lowered his mouth to hers in a long, satisfying kiss. “Having you here with me like this makes all the difference, Ashley. Let’s go.”
As they headed toward the porch, Ashley realized that Cord wasn’t the same man who four days ago had passed her by in the hospital corridor looking ill and haunted.
The attractive, hard-muscled male who escorted her up the steps with a possessive arm, walked with new purpose. The combination of their reconciliation and impending fatherhood had given him a whole new reason to be alive. That elation was infectious and had spilled over to her, making her believe that the nightmare they’d lived through was almost behind them.
Almost.
If they found out Cord’s stepmother had something to do with Dan’s resignation, then Ashley would feel more empowered than ever to help expose Sheila for the liar she was. Hopefully Cord would be able to convince Dan to stay with the company and see this dark period through to a satisfactory conclusion.
“Cord! Ashley!” Dan’s wife said in surprise when she saw them standing on the other side of the screen. Her eyes darted back and forth between them. “But I thought—”
“We know what you thought,” Cord finished the sentence for her. “Ashley and I are back together. As you can see, we’re expecting a baby.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “But—”
“It’s a long story, Emily. Right now we’ve come as friends to talk to you and Dan. Would that be all right?”
“Yes. Of course.” She opened the screen so they could enter. “Dan’s up in the bedroom. Maybe I can get him to co—”
“Who’s at the door, Em?” Dan called out.
“It’s Cord and Ashley!”
After a long silence, “Just a minute.”
Emily sighed her relief and told them to follow her into the living room where Cord drew Ashley over to the velvet couch and pulled her down next to him. As soon as they were seated, Dan appeared in the entry dressed in casual trousers and a plaid shirt.
Ashley had never seen him in anything but a conservative suit and tie. Ironically, the warm, affable personality she associated with him was missing. In its place he presented a guarded, reserved demeanor totally uncharacteristic of him.
He stared at Ashley in stunned surprise. “What’s going on here?”
Cord smiled, hugging her close. “My wife and I are back together, and we’re expecting a son in about three weeks.”
Dan’s skin held a distinct pallor. “It’s your baby?”
Ashley couldn’t prevent the gasp that escaped. “Who else’s would it be?”
“I’m sorry,” Dan muttered. “I didn’t mean to upset you, Ashley. Everybody knew you and Cord hadn’t been able to have children, and then there was talk that you and—” He stopped midsentence. “Forget it. Obviously it wasn’t true.”
“You mean that rumor Sheila spread about me and Greg Ferris?”
She noticed a shadow in Cord’s eyes before her glance flicked to Dan who had the grace to look sheepish. “I don’t remember. Maybe.”
“Besides Cord and me, she’s done Greg and Bonnie a terrible injustice. Especially when he was the one instrumental in getting Cord and me back together. For the record, I conceived our baby right before Cord and I separated. The doctor said we made medical history.”
“That’s wonderful!” Emily ejaculated, clearly thrilled by the news. It warmed Ashley’s heart, but she could tell Cord was upset.
He rose to his imposing height. “We were hoping you would be happy for us, Dan, but that isn’t the reason we’re here.” With his powerful legs slightly apart he said, “We’ve been friends too many years for our association to end like this. How come it took Sheila to tell me that you had resigned? If there were serious problems, why didn’t you unload to me before I checked into the hospital?”
Ashley noticed that he couldn’t look Cord in the eye. Something was terribly wrong.
“I thought it would be better this way.”
Cord shook his head. “Not better for the company surely. The fact is, before too much longer, the board will be voting you in as the new CEO.”
Dan looked up at him, dazed. “Sheila’s never going to let that happen.”
His dark brows quirked. “Obviously you know something that I don’t.”
Ashley could tell that Dan was squirming inwardly. “Cord—” he began, then hesitated, but there was a wealth of pain mixed with anguish in that one word.
“You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to. It can keep. But I’m letting you know… Sheila is on her way out and she doesn’t have a choice.”
Dan grimaced. “The only way that could happen is if you voted against her.”
“That’s right.”
Now it was Dan’s turn to stand up. “But I don’t understand. I thought—” He paused again and scratched his head. “Your dad—”
“I don’t want to talk about my father,” Cord interrupted, his mouth twisting unpleasantly. “You know the old saying. You can’t choose your relatives. Sheila’s never been good for the company.”
At this point Ashley got up from the couch and put her arm through Cord’s. “She has hurt a lot of people in the past, including Cord’s mother. She’s still trying to come between Cord and me. We’re not going to let it happen again.”
For that show of loyalty, Cord bestowed a kiss on her temple. “It’s time we all closed ranks on Sheila, Dan. It’s going to take a little planning and strategy, but we can do it.
“Why don’t you stay out of the office until the end of the week? On Monday we’ll both show up for work as usual. When she asks you what you’re doing there, you can tell her the truth. That you changed your mind. That’s all she needs to know.
“We’ll proceed as normal until it’s time to give her her walking papers. Think about it and phone me befor
e the weekend is over. Right now my wife is swaying on her feet. I need to get her to bed.”
Cord spoke the truth. Since Sheila’s visit, Ashley had been on an emotional roller coaster and was truly exhausted.
The older couple walked them to the door. “I’ll call you,” Dan agreed at last.
“Bless you for coming over tonight,” Emily added. “As for you, Ashley, Cord’s right. You’re about ready to topple.”
“I’ll take care of her.”
Cord’s silky avowal reminded her that they were really back together again. It was wonderful. She needed to tell him all the things she was feeling in her heart, but too much had happened in one day. It was impossible to stay awake and she eventually fell into a deep sleep on the way back to the hospital.
Aside from a feeling of being cherished, she remembered nothing of the walk to their floor or being put to bed.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Cord—” she murmured groggily. “What time is it?”
“Ten to eight.”
“You’re kidding! I thought it must be the middle of the night!”
She bolted straight up in bed but had forgotten her stomach was in the way. Once again her muscles protested and she let out a muffled groan.
In an instant he reached her side, molding his palm to her sleep-warmed cheek. “What’s wrong?” He sounded so anxious, she sat there in amazement.
“N-nothing,” she stammered. The loose green robe revealed his hair-dusted chest, reminding her that he was wearing nothing else underneath. His hands anywhere on her body created overwhelming excitement. “I just sat up too fast. These days I need to move very carefully.”
His hard-boned physique relaxed, but his hands had slid down her arms. “You’re telling me the truth?” he demanded with a gentle shake.
In the obscure light, it was impossible to see the deep blue of his eyes, but she could feel his glance wandering over her. The covers had fallen around her hips, exposing her swollen belly to his probing gaze.
“I promise,” she said in a tiny voice.
“Swear you’ll never lie to me about your condition.”
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