by Day Leclaire
“So much,” Rosalyn marveled. “Why would she do all that?”
“Because she understood that Ana and I were the innocent ones, the ones who suffered the most, even more than her own children. Meredith is…she’s quite a lady. After what she did for me, how could I refuse her request when she was in trouble?”
“You couldn’t.”
“She even tried to reconcile the differences between her children, and Ana and me.”
“Without success.”
He grimaced. “Her attempts only made matters worse. MacKenzie, in particular, resented her mother’s interference. She’s always thought I had some hold over Meredith, that I put pressure on her. It never occurred to her that it was the other way around.”
They lay in silent accord for a long time after that while Rosalyn worked up the nerve to ask her final question. Unable to stand it any longer, she cleared her throat. “Meredith told me something else.”
“Meredith’s been busy,” Joc said drily. “What else did she say?”
“She claimed you loved me.” Rosalyn peeked up at him. “Was she right, Joc? Do you love me?”
The tenderness in his expression said it all. “How can you doubt it?” He slid his fingers deep into her hair and tugged her down until their mouths collided. And then he removed all doubts, giving of himself without holding anything back. When she’d melted into a helpless puddle, he released her with a slow grin. “I love you with every fiber of my being, and I always will. Any other questions?”
“Just one. What happens if MacKenzie sells you Longhorn?”
His brows tugged together. “We move in, of course.
That’s what we agreed, isn’t it?”
“But your complex…”
Understanding dawned. “Ah. You’re wondering if I won’t decide to build my office complex if I end up owning Longhorn.”
“It’s just that there are a lot of roots on my ranch.” She hastened to correct herself. “Your ranch.”
“Our ranch, Red.”
“Our ranch,” she repeated. A gentle unloosening swept over her at the word, even as she issued a warning. “You might find those roots trip you up, if you’re not careful.”
“They can’t trip you if your own roots are tangled up there, too. And they are. They’re tangled so tightly with yours that they’ll never pull loose. And with all those roots cluttering up the place it certainly makes the property inappropriate for anything other than ranching.” He kissed away her tears of joy before sliding his hand across her belly in a gesture that had become heartwarmingly familiar. “I have some suggestions for names.”
She laughed through her tears. “Already?”
“I had a lot of time to think over the past couple days.” He hesitated, revealing an uncertainty that sat oddly on his face. “If it’s a boy, how does the name Joshua appeal to you?”
The tears intensified and she had trouble responding. “That—that was the name of my brother.”
“Yes, I know. I saw it at the cemetery.”
“Thank you. It would mean a lot to name our son after my brother.” It took her a moment to regain her control. “Joc?”
“Yes, Red?”
“I love you.”
“That’s all that’s important.” He lowered his head, and with infinite care, kissed her.
As Rosalyn surrendered to Joc’s embrace, she knew deep in her heart that their child would be a boy. A boy named Joshua with hair as black as ebony and eyes the exact same shade as Texas Bluebonnets. A boy who’d grow tall and strong and broad. A boy who would provide the trunk for a tree that would send out endless branches, each growing large and full, nourished by the roots from which he sprang.
Roots that ran deep into Texan soil.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-0540-0
THE BILLIONAIRE’S BABY NEGOTIATION
Copyright © 2007 by Day Totton Smith
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