Expecting the Rancher's Child (Callahan's Clan) (9 page)

“All right. I’ll listen.”

“I want you to look at what we’ve done. After I change, I’ll get things set up in the office you said I can use.”

It was late afternoon before she emerged from her shower, dressed in stone-washed jeans, boots and a blue knit shirt. She left her hair loose and went to find Blake.

She brought him into the office where she had sketches spread on a long table along with 3D designs on her iPad. Blake studied them quietly. “Look through the iPad for pictures of how the artwork, sculptures and furniture for each suite will look. Go ahead.” She stood by the table, watching for his reaction.

“This is perfect, Sierra,” he said, pointing to a sketch of a bedroom. “This will be my room.” He closed the distance between them to place his hands on her shoulders. “I knew you’d do the best possible job.”

Warmed by his praise, she smiled. “Thank you! I’m thrilled you’re happy with it, and I’ll let Lucinda and Eli know because they deserve as much credit. They are really good at this.”

“This is just perfect,” he said, studying her. “I don’t know how the hell you can leave a career you’re perfect for. Do you know how many people would like to have half the talent you do, and they’re in the business? You selected what I would have selected,” he said, turning to look at her intently. “That’s interesting, Sierra, because we don’t see eye to eye on anything else in life. Well, maybe a few things.”

She ignored his flirting. “Thank Lucinda and Eli. They found a lot of those pieces. They took note of what you like when we toured your house.”

“That they did. These are perfect. I’m glad I hired you.”

Her gaze ran over him. She could still feel her heartbeat speed up when she looked at him or thought about kissing him.

How could she be so drawn to him or find him so exciting when they were totally different?

Memories tugged at her senses, and she gulped for air. She wanted to be back in his arms, and she suspected she would be soon.

* * *

The next day Lucinda and Eli arrived, and Sierra stayed in her own suite that night. For the rest of the week and through the one following, workers were coming and going, goods were delivered to the ranch and there was constant activity from early in the morning until about nine in the evening. Blake left for business in Dallas and they talked each day, but she didn’t see him.

The next week Blake went to California. Sierra, Lucinda and Eli stayed at the ranch to be available for the contractor and make sure everything was going well. They all worked hard to get everything finished by the deadline.

On a weekend trip home to Kansas City, Sierra’s worries and priorities shifted as a new concern emerged—one she’d never dreamed she would have.

She could not ignore her body—she might be pregnant with Blake’s baby.

* * *

A few hours later, Sierra stood staring at the results of the pregnancy test. Blake had taken precautions, always. But she knew that condoms were not always effective, even when used appropriately. Apparently, this was one of those times.

Her head swam, and for a moment she felt faint. She sat in a chair, putting her head down, hoping the dizziness would pass.

Looking again at the results of her test, she shook her head. “No,” she whispered. She couldn’t be pregnant.

What would she do? What would Blake do?

She had no answers to those questions. All her life, her family, her friends, her school, her activities, her jobs—everything had been harmonious, satisfactory, even fantastic. She had a big, loving, happy family. She’d had success. She had wonderful friends, and she was in a second great career. An unwanted, unplanned pregnancy, being tied to a man she wanted and yet couldn’t have—how would she cope?

She placed her hand on her flat stomach. She was carrying Blake’s baby.

Panic gripped her, and she felt light-headed again. She had planned her life in the usual manner—marriage then children. It had never occurred to her that her life would not follow that pattern.

She wanted a doctor’s confirmation in addition to the pregnancy test.

With a sigh, she calmed down only slightly. Deep in her heart, she knew the test wasn’t mistaken. She was going to have Blake’s baby.

But he was a man who planned to remain single. A man who didn’t know anything about being a dad, about families or about children. He didn’t even want any.

He was also a man who definitely did not want a long-term relationship right now. And she didn’t want to marry him. They wouldn’t be compatible—not beyond the bedroom.

He would probably give her a generous sum of money to support his child, though.

She thought about Blake at the picnic, sitting and talking to William, then later, coaching the boy when he joined the ball game. He’d never been around children, and yet he’d taken to William immediately. He’d even asked about the boy in their phone conversations. He cared, even when he pretended he didn’t, and common sense told her that Blake would never abandon his own child.

Probably, he would insist on marriage even though they were not in love. With all the bitterness Blake felt toward his father, he would never make the same mistakes with his own family. Blake would do everything in his power to be a part of his child’s life full-time. He’d talk her into getting married, or living with him, no matter how unsuited they were as a couple.

They weren’t in love. Yet she was certain he would push, try to bribe her, charm her, or do everything else he reasonably could to win her to his way of thinking. If she did agree to something long-term, it would be a disaster. She held marriage sacred, the vows were lifelong, the outcome of abiding love. She would have none of that with Blake, whether they said “I do” or avoided a ceremony and simply shared a house.

When she broke the news to him, she should be ready for an onslaught of persuasion. She knew Blake was accustomed to getting his way and would not give up easily.

There had been fabulous sex between them, but not love. She thought about her parents and how deeply they loved each other and how it showed in a myriad of tiny ways day after day. That’s the kind of love Sierra wanted.

She felt hot tears sting. She had gotten herself into a situation that didn’t seem to have a happy solution. Maybe with time and a baby, she and Blake could fall in love.

Wiping her eyes, she stood and took a deep breath. Tears solved nothing. She called her doctor and made an appointment. Then she stared into space, trying to make a plan. How was she going to convince him he could be a great dad without having her in his life full-time?

She definitely did not want to give up her baby, so they would have to share custody. Blake was one-hundred percent alpha male, and he would not take no for an answer, so she needed to figure out how to deal with him.

If he did propose, would it be so bad to be married to him?

Again, she thought of her parents’ harmonious marriage, deeply grounded in love and care for each other. If she married Blake without love, they would never have that special union.

Maybe she was jumping to the wrong conclusions. She shouldn’t start imagining what he would do and making wild guesses.

She dreaded telling him and having to deal with a strong-willed, determined man who would be set on doing things she did not want to do. She wasn’t accustomed to having to deal with someone else on major decisions that affected her life.

When would she tell him? She wanted to wait until she was finished with his new wing. She’d settle up with him and know she could walk away without doing any further work for him. But she’d never be able to keep the secret while living on his ranch, working for him, seeing him every day. She’d have to tell him sooner than that. If they had a fight, a real battle over the future, she would just have to live with still seeing him and working with him.

She felt a little better because she had a plan of action—she’d see a doctor and have the pregnancy confirmed.

The second thing was to finish his new wing.

Then she’d tell him he was going to be a father.

Next week she was staying at the ranch, and Blake would be home from California. Sierra knew with absolute certainty that when Blake learned the news, he would start planning their lives and their future. This would be one dad who would not disappear. She felt certain that, one way or another, Blake would be part of her life for the next twenty years or so. He might not propose to her, but he would not ignore his child.

She ran her fingers across her forehead. She had a doctor’s appointment tomorrow. Sunday afternoon at two she would leave Kansas City for Texas.

She had told her parents, and they were as supportive as she had expected them to be. She still needed to talk to her older brothers. They were protective of their sisters in a very old-fashioned way, and she suspected they weren’t going to be happy with Blake unless she handled telling them carefully. At least they were in Kansas and Blake was in Texas.

She would see Blake on Sunday—that knowledge kept her pulse beating faster. Part of her was eager to see him, while another part of her wished she could put off seeing him for years. She didn’t want to see him while keeping this secret and she didn’t want to have to break the news to him because it would turn his world upside down.

She debated what to wear, how to fix her hair and how much to pack. Finally, the next morning, she dressed in a red linen suit with a matching silk blouse and high-heeled pumps. She combed and clipped her hair up at the back of her head.

The commercial flight to Dallas seemed short. Blake was home and knew she was coming, so there was a plane waiting to fly her to the ranch.

All too soon, they landed at the ranch airstrip. As it taxied to a stop, her pulse beat faster, eagerness now intermingling with dread. She didn’t want to tell Blake. In the next few hours his entire future would change, and she didn’t think he would be happy about the prospect.

She placed her hand defensively against her stomach. She’d had some time to get accustomed to the fact that she would become a parent. At some point after the initial shock, joy had enveloped her. She was going to have a baby. Another grandchild for her parents. Her family would give her all the love and support she would need.

A baby in her life—the thought was scary, but joyous. She had taken care of her little nieces and nephews, and she loved being with them. She had a great support network and a job she loved. No matter what happened with Blake, she would make her new little family work.

When she stepped out of the plane, a warm, dry gust of wind hit her. Blake stood waiting at a car and walked toward her. At the sight of the tall rancher, her heart thudded.

A black, broad-brimmed hat sat squarely on his head, and as always, boots added to his height that was over six feet. He wore jeans and a blue plaid Western shirt. The sight of him kept her heart racing, and all she could think about was telling him that he would be a father.

She was torn between wanting to walk into his arms and kiss him, or blurting out that she was pregnant with his baby.

Before she reached the last two steps on the plane’s stairs, his hands closed on her waist to lift her up and set her on her feet on the ground.

“Someone will get your things. I’ll drive you back to the house,” he said, taking her arm lightly and walking back to hold the car door open.

Once inside, he turned to her. “You look gorgeous, Sierra,” he said quietly.

“Thank you,” she answered.

“I’m glad you’re here. When the new wing is finished, I want to have a party. You can invite your family, and I’ll invite mine. I want them all to see what a great job you’ve done.”

She smiled at him. “Let’s wait and see if it really is a great job.”

“Cade wants to have their family home done over. He’ll give you a call.”

“Blake, I’m out of that business, remember?”

“He’s not going to offer what I did, but I think he’ll make a generous offer for your Kansas City agency, as well as your fee.”

She had to laugh as she shook her head. “I may make more money for the agency by sticking with interior design than I ever did seeking donations.”

Conversation went from one topic to another, and she barely paid attention because all too soon she would be home with Blake and she would have to tell him her news.

The minute they walked into his house, tempting odors of hot bread and roast beef reached her. “Etta must be cooking up a storm.”

“Etta cooked and has gone. We’re alone,” he said, turning to slip his arm around her waist and draw her close.

She had promised herself she would show some resistance to him this time, but the minute he touched her and she looked into his brown eyes, she couldn’t tell him no. She leaned into him, as he pulled her closer and kissed her.

She was lost in his kiss, swept up in desire that made her tremble. At the same time a pang hit her. If only they had love in their relationship, how wonderful the next few hours would be. The best news in the world was a baby when there was love and a union of two people who wanted to be together the rest of their lives. Instead, the news would be an earthquake hitting his life.

His arms tightened, and he held her close with one arm while his other hand caressed her. He took the clip from her hair, letting it fall over her shoulders.

“I wasn’t going to do this,” she whispered, not caring whether he heard her or not.

“I was—I’ve dreamed of this moment since the day I told you goodbye in Dallas. I want you in my arms, in my bed. I want to kiss and touch you, love you for hours. I’ve dreamed about you every night you’ve been gone,” he whispered, and her heart pounded.

“Why do we have to be so different?” she asked, agonizing over what was coming and the monumental differences between them.

“Differences that dazzle me,” he whispered. “You look fabulous. I’ve missed you,” he added. Under other circumstances, his words would have thrilled her, but now she worried his feelings toward her would change with her news. She didn’t know how angry or unhappy he might be. She was certain he wouldn’t welcome it with joy.