“Licorice?” Reid offered the bag to her.
She shook her head. “No, thanks.”
Because she’d already consumed an overload of sugar and it had done nothing to curb her appetite for what she really wanted but couldn’t have.
He set the licorice and the half-empty bag of popcorn aside and reached for her hand, linking their fingers together. At first, she felt self-conscious and wondered if the overture was intended as some kind of statement about their relationship. But the theater was dark, making it unlikely that anyone could see their hands.
So they watched the rest of the movie like that, their fingers entwined in the dark. And when she stopped trying to read any deeper meaning into the gesture, she could admit that it felt surprisingly nice.
But she also suspected this was part of his campaign to convince her to do “the right thing,” and she wasn’t convinced that marriage was the right thing.
She knew that relationships didn’t come with guarantees, but getting married because of an unplanned pregnancy seemed like a guarantee of heartache. And yet, she was tempted to accept his offer, because heartache at some distant time in the future seemed preferable to the doubts and insecurities about being a single mother that plagued her now.
Of course, the characters in the movie were battling much bigger problems, so she put aside her own thoughts and concerns and let herself be drawn into the action on the screen.
* * *
When the credits began to roll and spectators started to exit the theater, Reid gave her hand a subtle squeeze and released it, preserving the illusion that they were acquaintances simply enjoying a movie together. It was a perfectly legitimate and believable explanation for them being together, but Kate decided that if people were going to talk, she might as well give them something to talk about.
She led the way out of the theater and, after dropping her empty Milk Duds box and drink cup into the garbage, reached for his hand again.
“Thank you,” she said, as they exited onto the sidewalk and the crowd began to disperse in various directions.
“For what?”
“For tonight—the pizza, the movie, the snacks. But especially for helping me forget about everything for a couple of hours.”
“It was my pleasure,” he told her.
“You might feel differently when you’re fielding questions from everyone who saw us together tonight.”
“There were questions before we hit the ticket counter,” he confided.
“From who?” she asked.
“Jolene Landry,” he said, naming the owner of Jo’s Pizza. “Apparently the pepperoni, hot peppers and black olives combo is known to be your particular favorite.”
“I didn’t think about that,” she admitted.
“Well, Jolene now believes—at least, I think I managed to convince her—that those are my favorite toppings, too.”
“But the pizza combined with being seen together at the movie is going to be grist for the gossip mill.”
“There is one way we could nip it in the bud,” he said.
“What’s that?”
“We could announce our engagement.”
She sighed. “I should have known you couldn’t let it go for ten minutes.”
“I let it go for more than three hours,” he countered. “But I’ll make you a deal.”
“What kind of deal?” she asked warily.
“I’ll stop bringing up the subject if you promise to give serious consideration to the idea and let me know when you’ve made up your mind.”
“I have made up my mind,” she told him.
“Serious consideration,” he said again.
“Okay,” she relented, withdrawing her keys from her pocket as they approached her building.
“Promise?”
“I promise.” She unlocked the door. “Good night, Reid.”
He held the door. “I’ll see you up.”
“It’s really not necessary,” she protested.
“It is,” he insisted. “Unless you want me to kiss you good-night right here, where we’re illuminated under the security light for anyone who might be passing by.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to kiss me good-night.” Of course, she did, but kissing Reid tended to lead to other intimacies, and she was determined to ignore the sexual attraction between them. Or at least try.
“I still want to see you safely inside,” he told her.
Because she suspected it was true, she let him follow her up the stairs to the second floor, where she unlocked the interior door to her apartment and turned on the lights.
He did a quick visual scan of the open area, as if to be sure that everything was as they’d left it, then moved to the windows, checked that the latches were all fastened, and nodded.
“Do you want to look for monsters under my bed, too?” she asked.
“Lead the way.”
She shook her head. “I’m not showing you my bedroom.”
His lips curved in a slow and blatantly sensual smile. “Well, the sofa worked just fine at my place.”
She didn’t need the reminder. She remembered, in very clear and vivid detail, every kiss and touch they’d shared that night—and the two nights they’d spent together in Boulder City. And that was why it was a bad idea to let him touch her again.
“We have to be smart about this,” she told him. “We have to think not just about what we want but what’s best for our baby.”
“What’s best for our baby is to have two parents who are together.”
“That’s not always true,” she said. Being a family law attorney, she’d had a front-row seat to the drama that ensued when marriages—and families—fell apart, and she had no desire to add a failed union of her own to the statistics.
“You’re right,” he admitted. “But I know we could make it work, because we’re both too stubborn to accept anything less than success—and because the sizzling chemistry between us would go a long way toward smoothing any bumps in the road.”
“Just like a guy to think that sex is the answer to everything.”
“Not everything,” he denied. “But—”
Whatever else he’d intended to say was cut off by the abrupt ring of his cell phone.
Reid cursed under his breath as he pulled the device out of his pocket and glanced at the screen.
“Aren’t you going to answer that?” she asked, when he made no move to do so.
“I’d rather not,” he admitted.
“It’s almost midnight, and no one calls at midnight unless it’s important.” She lifted her brows as another thought occurred to her. “Or a booty call.”
“It’s not a booty call,” he assured her.
But he touched the keypad to connect the call, and Kate wandered into the kitchen to give him some privacy.
“Sorry about that,” Reid said, after he’d finished with the call and tucked his phone away again.
“Was it something urgent?” she asked.
“Everything’s urgent to Trish.”
“Trish?” she queried, before she could stop herself.
“My ex-wife,” he told her. “She called to tell me that she’s in labor.”
Chapter Nine
Reid didn’t think about how his words might be interpreted until Katelyn’s eyes went wide.
“You’re going to be a father?”
“What? No!” His emphatic response was followed by a short laugh. “Well, yes, but only to your baby.”
Her brow furrowed, as if she couldn’t make sense of what he was saying. “Your ex-wife is having another man’s baby?”
“Yes,” he confirmed.
“You don’t seem too upset by that,” she noted.
“Why would I be? The other man’s her husband.”
�
��Her husband?”
“We’ve been divorced for four years,” he explained. “And Trish has been remarried for three of those.”
She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again without saying a word.
“You’re wondering why she called to tell me about a baby that isn’t mine?” he guessed.
“Maybe. Yeah,” she admitted.
“Because my ex-wife has no concept of boundaries.”
She considered his response before asking, “How long were you married?”
“Two-and-a-half years. But we were friends for a long time before we got married, and we continued to be friends after our marriage fell apart.”
“That’s...surprising.”
“And possibly a mistake,” he acknowledged. “I can’t imagine ever completely cutting ties with her, but I recently accepted that those ties were a little too close, which is one of the reasons I decided to move away from Echo Ridge.”
“And ended up in Haven—having to deal with another woman who’s going to have a baby,” she noted.
He nodded.
“You know, it’s probably not too late for you to get out,” she said. “Isn’t there a probationary period during which you can decide that the job isn’t working out—or that Haven isn’t what you were looking for?”
“Whether or not any of this is what I wanted, it’s what we’ve got,” he said.
And though the idea of fatherhood was no less terrifying now than when he’d first learned of her pregnancy, he remained committed to doing the right thing. He just had to convince Katelyn to let him.
“Well, if you’re determined to stick around, I have a favor to ask,” she said.
“Anything,” he immediately replied.
“You might want to wait until you know what I want,” she suggested.
“Anything,” he said again.
“I’d like you to come with me to the Circle G for a barbecue Sunday afternoon.”
“You want me to meet your family?”
“You’ve already met my grandmother and my sister,” she reminded him. “But yes, I’d like to introduce you to everyone else, too, so that when I get around to telling them I’m pregnant, they will have met the baby’s father.”
He was surprised by the invitation, because he suspected that showing up at the ranch with Katelyn would create a lot more speculation than going to a movie in town. But he only asked, “What time should I pick you up?”
* * *
After Kate closed the office door behind her last client Saturday afternoon, she sent a quick text to Emerson Kellner—her best friend since kindergarten. Kate had been the maid of honor when Emerson got married three years earlier, and the godmother of her first child at Keegan’s baptism six months ago.
Her message, asking if Emerson was up for some company, received an immediate reply: YES! PLEASE!
Aware of her friend’s fondness for white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, Kate stopped at Sweet Caroline’s Sweets on the way and picked up a dozen of the treats.
“I’m still carrying eight pounds of baby fat,” Emerson protested, eyeing the white bakery box in her friend’s hands.
“You look fabulous,” Kate told her sincerely. “But it’s really my godson I want to see.”
She’d first held the baby only a few hours after his birth. He’d had wispy blond hair, a pert little nose, a rosebud mouth and tiny hands curled into tiny fists. And when he’d opened his eyes, she’d fallen head over heels in love. Ten months later, she loved him even more.
“He’ll be waking up from his nap soon,” Emerson promised, moving toward the back of the house. “In the meantime, I’ve got a pitcher of lemonade out by the pool, where you can tell me about the sexy new sheriff.”
Kate stretched out in the lounger beside her friend. “Why are you asking me about him?”
“Because I heard you had a date with him last night.”
“I did not,” she denied.
“Really?” Emerson said skeptically. “Because Lacey Bolton heard from Deanna Nardone that Megan Carmichael saw you snuggled up with an—” she made air quotes with her fingers “—‘unknown hottie’ at the movies last night.”
“I hate this town,” Kate muttered, tipping her head back and closing her eyes.
“Were you at the movies or not?”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“And?” her friend prompted.
“It’s definitely worth the price of a ticket. If you and Mark want to see it, I’d be happy to watch Keegan.”
“I wasn’t asking about the movie,” her friend chided. “And don’t think I didn’t notice your failure to comment, positively or negatively, on my description of the sheriff as sexy, which suggests to me—and remember, I know you better than anyone else—that he’s got you all churned up inside.”
He did, of course, although not only for the reasons her friend was thinking. “His name is Reid Davidson and yes, he’s tall, dark and handsome.”
Emerson shook her head. “No skimping on details.”
“Approximately six-two, short brown hair, hazel eyes, strong jaw, broad shoulders.”
“You’ve always had a thing for guys with great shoulders,” her friend noted.
“Is that description adequate?”
“It’s helping me put together a mental picture,” Emerson confirmed. “But I need a number.”
“Seriously, Em, we’re not in high school anymore.”
“I know. I’m an old married woman stuck at home with a baby now—I need to get my thrills vicariously.”
“You’re twenty-eight years old, married to the love of your life and Keegan is the most adorable baby in the world.”
“It’s all true,” she admitted. “But I still want a number.”
The number system they’d established in high school for rating the guys they liked was hardly unique. Emerson had never dated anyone who was less than an eight-point-five and Kate had never dated anyone at all.
After watching Erin Brockovich with her mother, Kate had announced that she was going to be a lawyer someday. Her mother had been both proud and supportive of her goal, and when Tessa died, Kate had been more determined than ever to follow through with her plan. And while her best friend was dating all the cute boys at their high school, Kate was focused on getting into college and then law school. She had no intention of letting any guy—even a ten-plus—derail her plans.
“Assigning a number is insensitive and objectifying,” she protested.
“He’s a ten-plus, isn’t he?” Emerson guessed.
Kate answered with reluctant honesty. “Yeah, he’s a ten-plus.”
“And they’re in short supply in this town,” her friend noted. “You better snap him up before someone else does.”
“I’m at the building-my-career phase of my life,” she said, conveniently ignoring—at least for the minute—that she was also at the growing-a-life phase way ahead of schedule.
“Things don’t always go according to plan,” Emerson warned. “You can’t predict when you’ll meet the right guy and you shouldn’t pretend he isn’t the right guy just because the timing is wrong.”
“But if it’s the wrong time, is he really the right guy?” Kate countered, attempting to divert her friend’s focus.
“Would you sleep with him?” Emerson pressed, proving the effort ineffective.
She hesitated, just a fraction of a second, before responding, “Actually...I already did.”
“Oh. My. God. I should have realized...when you mentioned the shoulders—he’s the sheriff you knocked boots with in Boulder City.”
Kate rolled her eyes. “Yes, he’s the one.”
“You told me the sex was spectacular,” her friend recalled. “Off-the-charts spectacular, in fact.”
“With the proviso that I�
�d been celibate for a long time prior to that weekend, so my assessment might have been a little bit skewed.”
“And now he’s Haven’s new sheriff.” Emerson picked up her lemonade, sipped. “Was that a coincidence or is he stalking you?”
“Coincidence,” Kate assured her. “He actually interviewed for Jed’s job before the conference started.”
“Maybe fate then,” her friend suggested.
“Please don’t make this into something that it isn’t. And please don’t tell anyone—even Mark—that I hooked up with Haven’s new sheriff.”
“I can’t lie to my husband,” Emerson protested.
“You won’t have to lie because it’s not going to come up in conversation if you don’t bring it up,” she said, lifting her hand to cover a yawn.
“Fine—but it’s not like he’d tell anyone else.”
“Too many people know already.”
“Who else knows besides me, you and the sheriff?”
“My sister,” Kate confided.
“You told Sky before you told me?”
Admitting that Reid had told Sky—more or less—would create more questions, so she only said, “I saw Sky before I saw you.”
“Still.” Emerson pretended to pout. “I’m your best friend. I’m supposed to hear all the important stuff first.”
“You were the first person I told when I came back from Boulder City,” she said soothingly.
That revelation didn’t appease her friend, who was studying her through narrowed eyes. “You’re still holding something back.”
Thankfully, before Emerson could press her further, a cheery babble sounded through the baby monitor on the table.
Kate immediately pushed herself up off the lounger. “Keegan’s awake.”
“Awake but not fussing,” her friend noted.
“That’s my favorite kind of baby,” she said, opening the sliding door.
“Wait until you have one of your own,” Emerson warned, following her into the house. “Believe me, after the first few months of constant demands, you won’t be in such a hurry to pick him up every time he makes a sound.”
Which was going to happen a lot sooner than her friend suspected—and a lot sooner than Kate ever would have predicted. But now that she’d had a couple weeks to get used to the idea, she could confidently say that the prospect of impending motherhood filled her with more joy than trepidation. She still had fears and concerns, but the happiness that filled her heart when she thought about holding her baby in her arms was so all encompassing, it managed to hold those fears and concerns at bay.
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