DONNA ALWARD - The Texan's Baby

After he left, Julieta sat down, her face drawn, and Lizzie looked at Jet.

“Well, little brother, if you were ever going to reconsider going into the family business...”

Jet scowled. “I’m in the family business. Rodeo. On my own ranch, thanks.”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.” She kept her voice low, not wanting the whole family to overhear her putting the screws to her brother. “Dad’s not going to be able to go into work for a while. You know he wants you as part of the business.”

“And you’re already a vice president. You’re the one to take the reins now, sis.”

She scoffed. “Right. Like the board is going to stand for that.”

“It will if Dad says so.”

“And will he? Because he’d rather it were you. I swear, if he puts Mark Baker in the driver’s seat I’ll resign. That man is impossible.”

“You won’t resign. You love that company as much as Dad does.”

She sighed. He was right. So what was she going to do? Run an entire energy company in between bouts of morning sickness and prenatal appointments?

She squared her shoulders. Well, why not? If she didn’t, she’d just prove every chauvinistic thing Mark Baker ever said absolutely true.

“You’re sure you won’t come aboard?”

Jet smiled his charming smile. “I’m sure you’ll do a great job, Liz. And I’ll tell Dad that, too, if it helps.”

“Yeah, thanks a lot,” she answered halfheartedly.

Jet disappeared after that, and she caught sight of him texting in a corner of the waiting room. She took a seat and slid off her heels, which were starting to hurt her feet. She leaned back and closed her eyes as exhaustion began to creep in. Maybe they’d soon be allowed to see Brock and then she could go home to her comfy apartment and bed....

“Lizzie?”

It was Jacob this time, looking incredibly earnest. She knew right away why he’d come to sit with her. While Jet couldn’t be convinced to take on a bigger role at Baron Energies, Jacob wanted one and Brock kept holding out.

“Hey,” she said tiredly.

“Looks like Dad’s going to be out of commission for a while. Do you think that puts you in charge?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I’d be happy to step up, take on a bigger part at the company if that would help you out, ease some of the pressure.”

Lizzie considered her words. Jacob was a good man and they tended to think a lot alike. She didn’t understand why Brock kept him in the wings at Baron. She also knew that his offer came from a genuine willingness to help, and not really from trying to advance his personal position.

“I’ll let you know. I appreciate the offer, Jacob, but I’m going to have to run everything by Dad, you know that. Even if he does have to hand day-to-day control over to someone...me...I can’t sanction changes he wouldn’t make. You understand that, right?”

“Shit would hit the fan,” Jacob acknowledged with a smile. “I’m going to be on the road a lot this summer. The one thing I do that he seems to approve of is rodeo.” He frowned. “But will you promise that if you need anything, you’ll ask?”

“I will, but Jacob, it’s not even a done deal.”

“Sure it is. We all know who he’d like to have running the company....” Jacob looked over at Jet in the corner. “But he relies on you and you’re family. That trumps everything.”

“So are you,” she pointed out. Sure, she remembered the time before Peggy and the boys had come on the scene, but they had been a part of their lives for so long there was no question about their place in the family—at least for her.

“In a way I’m glad I’m not you.” He grinned suddenly. “He’s going to hate being at home and away from the office. I bet he calls you a dozen times a day.”

The unit doors opened again and a grinning Alex burst through, carrying a paper bag nearly as big as he was, Chris following closely behind with a cardboard tray of cups in one hand and a sack in the other.

The two ten-dollar bills Julieta had given Alex wouldn’t have come close to paying for the sheer volume of food they brought back, and she looked at Chris with something that felt like affection. Damn it, she was starting to like him on top of everything else.

That probably wouldn’t be a good idea, would it? Especially if the goal was to keep things logical and businesslike. He stopped and handed her a hot cup. “I thought you could use an herbal tea,” he said quietly, so close to her ear that shivers snuck deliciously down her spine. “Sadly, the other sack is full of doughnuts and cinnamon buns. You may have to make a sacrifice.”

She took the cup and wrapped her hands around its warmth. “It was nice, what you did,” she said, looking up and meeting his gaze. “It’s a long day for Alex.”

“He’s a great kid,” Chris replied. “A lot of energy, but great.” His smile was a little crooked. Lizzie found it endearing.

“I don’t know how long we’re going to be here.” Lizzie took a restorative sip. “But you’re welcome to stay at my place for tonight. My couch is pretty comfortable.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Oh please. You totally dropped everything for me today and under what might have been really tense circumstances. I appreciate it, Chris. I think it’s a good sign, really, for how we’ll be able to deal with each other in the months ahead.”

Right. Because they weren’t actually dating. It was all an act for tonight. And the details to be worked out were more like a business negotiation than a relationship.

A nurse approached the group. “If you’re waiting for Brock Baron, you can see him now. Just for a few minutes. Follow me.”

Chris took her cup from her fingers. “Go,” he ordered, nudging her forward. “I’ll wait for you here.”

She followed the nurse along with the rest of the family, suddenly nervous. She wasn’t ready. Not ready to sit at the head of the boardroom table, and definitely not ready for motherhood—and she was, in all reality, being thrust into both roles at the same time.

Chapter Four

Chris rolled over and lifted an arm over his head, staring up at the ceiling of Lizzie’s condo. It was coolly modern, decorated in a lot of black, white and chrome. Beautiful, he supposed, but a little sterile and missing out on the coziness he’d been expecting. It was decorated much like an executive suite rather than a home. The sofa had been comfortable enough though his feet dangled over the end, and she’d given him a soft comforter and nice pillow. And at first he’d slept okay.

But then he’d opened his eyes while it was still dark outside and he hadn’t been able to get back to sleep.

Yesterday had been stupidly surreal and when he put all the pieces of what had happened together, it was hard to believe. He’d known Jet and Jacob for a while, and everyone was familiar with the Baron business, but he’d never crossed paths with Lizzie until that night in the bar.

She should seem more of a stranger to him, but there was a familiarity that was surprising. He sighed deeply. A logical man would be wondering about a paternity test. A cautious guy wouldn’t take everything she said at face value. It wasn’t like she’d been all that transparent at their first meeting....

And yet he did believe her. He couldn’t explain why, especially when he tended to be a bit cynical at the best of times. Somehow it felt as though he’d known her longer. There was a comfort level that was unique. Under the circumstances, a guy would shy away from family drama like the Barons had gone through yesterday.

Instead he’d inserted himself right in the middle. And he’d enjoyed seeing Jet and Jacob, liked taking the innocent and impish Alex to the cafeteria.

He had yet to meet Brock, but the truth was he liked her family. It was big and complicated and caring—the sort of noisy, loving family he’d never had but always wanted, growing up as an only child.

But there was still the matter of Lizzie, and the fact that she wasn’t interested in him personally—she was only interested in how they were going to handle the logistics of parenthood. It was the strangest start to a relationship he’d ever had. Only six months ago Erica had bailed on him and he’d seen her true colors. She’d wanted what he could provide more than she wanted him. She’d wanted the paycheck, the house and the white-picket fence. And when he’d turned his back on his job to go rodeoing, she’d left, saying he wasn’t the man she thought he was.

There was no danger of Lizzie wanting him for his stability and security. She had Baron money backing her up. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, either. The truth was she was having his kid and she didn’t need him in any way. What would keep her from shutting him out of his child’s life if things went badly?

He was still lost in his thoughts when he heard footsteps shuffling on the upper level of the condo, followed by the most pitiful sound of retching he’d ever heard.

Morning sickness. The perfect reminder that she was far more affected by this pregnancy than he was—at least for the moment.

It was rude to listen but he didn’t see how it could be avoided. After a very long few minutes, the toilet flushed and he heard water running. He’d better get up and get moving.

He was dressed and in the process of folding up the comforter she’d given him when she came downstairs, freshly showered and dressed in neat trousers, low heels and a blousy pink top with asymmetric ruffles across the front. She looked quite pretty, he realized, except her eyes looked tired and her face still held a grayish-green pallor.

“Good morning.” He felt completely out of his depth.

She tried to smile back, but it didn’t quite make it. “I’d offer you coffee, but I don’t have any in the house. I can’t stand the smell of the stuff these days.”

“That’s okay.” He finished folding the blanket and put it on the end of the sofa. Smells, too? Clearly he wasn’t familiar with the ins and outs of pregnancy.

“Do you want some breakfast? I’m fairly well stocked. There’s cereal or eggs or oatmeal. Bread for toast.”

“What are you having?”

“Some buttered toast.”

“That works for me. What can I do?”

She shrugged. “Nothing, really.”

He went into the kitchen anyway and took the loaf of bread from her hands. He slid two pieces into the toaster. “Where’s your butter and a knife?”

Wordlessly she got out two plates, a knife and two glasses. “Apple juice okay? I can’t seem to handle the acid in the orange in the morning.”

“Apple’s fine,” he answered, marveling at the peculiarities of pregnancy once more. He was so over his head and unsure of how to proceed. Never mind he still had to get back to his place so he could head to his mom and dad’s. He hadn’t wanted to give them much information last night when he’d called to say he wouldn’t be arriving for a few days. Some news was better delivered in person—and after he and Lizzie had made a plan of some sort.

The toast popped and he buttered it, but as he was putting it on a plate Lizzie disappeared again, this time into the downstairs half bath. The slammed door didn’t do much to muffle the sounds coming from within.

He ate the two pieces of toast that were prepared, not really noticing the taste. It was only a few minutes when Lizzie came back out, her smile a little easier now.

“I should be good now,” she said hopefully. “I find I’m only really sick first thing in the morning. I guess I didn’t get it all out the first time.” She blushed a little and Chris thought she looked adorable. “Is there any more toast?”