What If I′m Pregnant...?
What If I'm Pregnant...?
Carla Cassidy
Colette Carson didn't need a man in her life, but she wanted a baby more than anything. So she headed to the local sperm bank to make her dream come true.Then handsome rancher Tanner Rothman arrived in town and turned Colette's secure world upside down. This overbearing cowboy was everything Colette didn't want in a man, but she couldn't ignore the powerful attraction between them….Beneath Tanner's arrogant exterior was a sensitive–and sexy–man. A man Colette couldn't help finding completely irresistible. But when she fell for Tanner, she faced her biggest dilemma–would this straitlaced family man still want her if she were pregnant with another man's baby?
Dear Reader,
My first book for Silhouette was released in August of 1991. Seeing Patchwork Family on the shelves was one of the biggest thrills of my life. This month, I’m celebrating another thrill…the publication of my fiftieth and fifty-first book in the same month.
What if I’m Pregnant…? and If the Stick Turns Pink… are stories about…you guessed it—the possibility of pregnancy for two very special couples. I hope these books represent what you’ve come to expect from my writing…heartwarming stories about good people finding love.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my readers. Without you I would have no voice, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the stories I tell. I’d also like to take a moment to thank Silhouette and the many wonderful editors I’ve worked with over the years. Thank you for allowing me the honor of writing for you. It has truly been a pleasure.
Best,
Dear Reader,
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we have some wonderful stories for you this February from Silhouette Romance to guarantee that every day is filled with love and tenderness.
DeAnna Talcott puts a fresh spin on the tale of Cupid, who finally meets her match in Cupid Jones Gets Married (#1646), the latest in the popular SOULMATES series. And Carla Cassidy has been working overtime with her incredibly innovative, incredibly fun duo, What if I’m Pregnant…? (#1644) and If the Stick Turns Pink… (#1645), about the promise of love a baby could bring to two special couples!
Then Elizabeth Harbison takes us on a fairy-tale adventure in Princess Takes a Holiday (#1643). A glamour-weary royal who hides her identity meets the man of her dreams when her car breaks down in a small North Carolina town. In Dude Ranch Bride (#1642), Madeline Baker brings us strong, sexy Lakota Ethan Stormwalker, whose ex-flame shows up at his ranch in a wedding gown—without a groom! And in Donna Clayton’s Thunder in the Night (#1647), the third in THE THUNDER CLAN family saga, a single act of kindness changes Conner Thunder’s life forever….
Be sure to come back next month for more emotion-filled love stories from Silhouette Romance. Happy reading!
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
What If I’m Pregnant…?
Carla Cassidy
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Frankie, Jr., the son of my heart.
Thank you for the joy you bring to my life.
CARLA CASSIDY
is an award-winning author who has written over fifty books for Silhouette. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from Romantic Times for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she also won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from Romantic Times.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Prologue
Colette Carson stood in her bathroom and pulled the pregnancy test out of the plastic shopping bag. Her fingers trembled as she opened the box and pulled out the test instrument and the directions.
She read the directions quickly, then looked at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. Her eyes were slightly swollen from her morning of tears, and her pale face radiated the torment of heartbreak that ached inside her.
She couldn’t think about that, she thought as she scanned the directions to the test one last time. She absolutely, positively couldn’t think about him.
Four weeks ago the only wish in her life had been to be pregnant, and she’d opted to become a single parent. She’d found a clinic that offered artificial insemination and had gone through the procedure.
Four weeks ago, all she’d wanted was to be pregnant, but that had been before she’d met him, before she’d fallen in love with him and had her heart broken into a million little pieces.
She stared down at the directions one last time. She’d bought the one she’d thought would be easiest to read. Within three minutes either a plus or minus sign would appear in the test window. Plus meant pregnant. Minus meant not pregnant.
Simple. Easy. Except that since she had been artificially inseminated her life had suddenly become complicated and she wasn’t sure now if she wanted to be pregnant.
Deciding she could put it off no longer, she took the test, then set it on the counter and prepared to wait the three minutes.
“Oh, my,” she muttered to herself. “What if I’m pregnant?”
Chapter One
Fourteen days.
Colette Carson entered her apartment, kicked off her shoes and dropped tiredly on the overstuffed beige sofa. It had been exactly fourteen days since she had been artificially inseminated and on every one of those days she’d wondered if her wish, her dream was about to come true.
If the procedure had been successful, then she would not only be the owner of Little Bit Baby Boutique, but she would become one of her own best customers. She smiled with sweet anticipation and touched her tummy lovingly.
She’d never been more ready for a baby than she was at this moment in her life. She was twenty-eight years old, her boutique was successful beyond her dreams and she was confident she could successfully raise a child alone.
She had approached the decision to become a mother as she had everything else in her life, with unemotional logic and careful clearheaded planning.
Looking at her watch, she realized Gina would be home at any minute and it was Colette’s turn to cook dinner. She pulled herself up and off the sofa, thinking of the young woman who not only worked for her in her shop but had also become her roommate three weeks ago.
Gina Rothman was a sweet, considerate twenty-one-year-old, who was renting Colette’s second bedroom until she could afford a place of her own.
An old friend had asked Colette if she could take in the young woman and Colette’s initial response had been “no way.”
After a string of bad roommates, Colette had decided she wasn’t willing to share her living space ever again. She didn’t need the rent money a roommate would bring in, and she certainly didn’t need the headaches.
She was still trying to get over the horror of her last roommate, a woman named Trina who had been into primal screaming and practiced her yoga buck naked in Colette’s living room.
But Margaret Jamison had begged, telling her that Gina Rothman was a sweet young woman eager to work hard and forge a path in the world for herself. Finally Colette had relented. So far the arrangement had worked out remarkably well.
Gina appeared to have no hidden vices and seemed eager to learn everything Colette could teach her about running a business and living in the city.
In the kitchen Colette went to the refrigerator and peered in at the contents. There was a pound of hamburger, and she tried to decide whether she wanted to make a quick spaghetti sauce or tacos.
Before she could make up her mind, she heard the front door open, then slam shut. She left the kitchen and walked into the living room to see Gina putting the chain lock on the door.
“Spaghetti or tacos?” she asked her pretty young roommate.
Gina whirled around to face Colette, her big blue eyes widened in panic. “You’ve got to hide me,” she exclaimed. She raced over to Colette and grabbed her hand. “You’ve got to tell him I don’t live here, that you don’t know who I am or where I live.” The words spilled out of her as she shot a backward glance to the front door.
“Slow down,” Colette replied with alarm. “What’s going on? Who are you hiding from?” Great. She knew Gina was too good to be true. Had Gina neglected to mention a crazed stalker ex-boyfriend?
“Tanner. He’s found me,” Gina cried, tears springing to her eyes.
“Who is Tanner?” Colette asked, worry sweeping through her as she saw Gina’s obvious anguish.
“My brother.” The tears oozed from her eyes and ran in twin rivulets down her cheeks. “I know why he’s here. He’s come to take me back to that stupid ranch. He’s so mean and hateful and he’s never going to let me grow up, never!”
Colette relaxed somewhat with the information that apparently the threat was from a brother, not a nutty stalker. “All you need to do is explain to him that you’re doing fine and don’t want to go back to the ranch,” she said gently.
Gina shook her head vehemently, her dark hair flying around her heart-shaped face. “You don’t understand about Tanner. He won’t listen to me…he never listens to me and Tanner always gets what he wants.” She released her hold on Colette’s hand and ran into her bedroom and slammed the door.
In the next instant a firm knock fell on the front door. Colette hesitated before answering, trying to assimilate what Gina had just told her. When Colette had taken Gina in, she’d known that this was Gina’s first foray into the world.
Gina had left her family home in western Kansas and had moved here to Kansas City to begin an independent life. So, big brother has come to the big city to check up on her, Colette thought.
All she had to do was assure big brother, Tanner Rothman, that Gina wasn’t being corrupted and was handling her new independence with maturity and good sense.
She unlocked her front door and pulled it open. All rational thought momentarily fled her brain as she eyed the tall, broad-shouldered cowboy with smoldering midnight-blue eyes.
He was clad in a pair of tight, faded jeans, a blue chambray shirt and boots. His hair was the same rich dark color as Gina’s, cut short and emphasizing bold, strong features. Gina hadn’t mentioned that her brother was a top quality hunk.
“Good evening,” he said, his voice low and pleasant. “My name is Tanner Rothman and I’m here to speak with my sister.”
He smiled, the pleasant gesture allowing Colette to relax somewhat. Gina had made him sound like a real ogre, but he appeared respectful and looked like a reasonable man—an incredibly handsome, reasonable man.
“Hi, I’m Colette Carson, Gina’s roommate. Please, come in.” She opened the door wider to allow him entry.
As he swept past her and into the living room, she caught his scent, a masculine fresh smell that was instantly pleasing.
“Please, have a seat.” She gestured toward the sofa.
“No, thanks,” he replied. “If I could just speak with Gina…” His dark blue eyes swept over her, then perused the surroundings, and Colette wondered if he was looking for something criminal or sinful, some ammunition he could use to get his sister to leave with him.
As Colette went to get Gina, she smiled to herself. He would be hard-pressed to find anything to use against Gina. The apartment was a reflection of Colette’s life—well organized, efficient and clean.
“Gina.” She knocked on the young woman’s bedroom door.
Gina cracked open the door and peered out at Colette. “Is he gone?” she asked.
“No, but he says he just wants to talk to you,” Colette replied.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Gina exclaimed, keeping her voice low. “He’ll talk me into doing something I don’t want to do. He’ll win…he always wins.”
“Gina, how are you going to convince him that you’re ready to be out on your own if you hide in your bedroom like a child?”
Gina’s pretty features transformed into a thoughtful frown. “Okay,” she relented. “I’ll come out and talk to him, but only if you stay with me.”
It was Colette’s turn to frown. “I don’t think I should get involved in—”
“Please,” Gina begged. “You don’t have to say anything or do anything. Just sit next to me, and that will give me the strength not to let him talk me into anything I’ll regret later.”
“All right,” Colette relented.
Together the two women went back into the living room where Tanner Rothman stood at the eighth-floor window that offered a view of the skyscraper next door.
He turned as they entered the room, and again Colette was struck by how utterly handsome he was. His sensual lips curved up into another smile as he eyed his sister with obvious fondness. “Hello, Gina.”
Gina sank down on the sofa, and Colette sat next to her. “How did you find me, Tanner?” she asked.
“That’s not important right now,” he replied smoothly. “How are you? It’s been three weeks and you haven’t called or written or anything.”
Gina gazed at the wall to the left of Tanner. “I’ve been busy,” she replied.
“And I’ve been worried,” Tanner replied.
Colette wished she were anywhere but here. She felt like a fly on the wall who needed to fly into another room and leave these two people some privacy.
Gina flushed. “There’s nothing to worry about. As you can see I’m doing just fine.”
“I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner this evening.”
“I’m not hungry,” Gina replied with a touch of defiance.
Colette watched the brother and sister. The tension in the air was thick and palpable.
“It’s almost seven and I know you just got off work,” Tanner continued. “You have to be hungry. Come on, Gina, all I’m asking for is to take you out for a nice dinner.” His voice held a soft appeal.
Gina hesitated, her gaze going to Colette, who carefully kept her features schooled in total neutrality. Gina looked back at her brother. “Okay, I’ll have dinner with you, but only if Colette comes with us.”
Colette gasped in surprise. “Oh, I don’t think—”
“Fine,” Tanner replied, overriding the objection Colette was about to make. He moved away from the window and walked back to the front door.
“I saw what looked like a nice barbecue place on the next block while I was walking here. Why don’t we meet there in half an hour or so. That will give you ladies time to freshen up or whatever.”
Although Colette wanted to vehemently protest any arrangement that included her, before she had an opportunity Tanner was gone, leaving only a trace of his masculine cologne lingering in the air.
“Gina, I really think you and your brother should talk to each other without me,” Colette said. “I’ll just make myself a salad here. You meet him.”
“Colette, please come with me,” Gina replied, her big blue eyes begging with appeal.
“You’re of legal age, Gina. He can’t drag you back with him kicking and screaming,” Colette protested. “You don’t need me there.”
“If you don’t go, then I won’t go, and then he’ll just come back here. Please.”
Colette looked at her young roommate and was unable to tell her no. She knew what it was like to have a dream and be surrounded by people who didn’t think you were capable of achieving anything.
“All right, dinner tonight,” she relented. “But then you’re on your own where your brother is concerned.”
“Thank you,” Gina said with obvious relief.
“I’m going to change my clothes,” Colette said, wanting to get into something a little more casual than the power suit she’d worn to work.
As she went into her bedroom, she vowed to herself that she would eat dinner and keep her mouth shut. There was no way she intended to get into a battle between the handsome cowboy and his baby sister.
Tanner sat in the restaurant waiting for his sister and her roommate to arrive. He was irritated that Gina had invited Colette Carson to join them. From all the information he’d gathered about the pretty blonde, he had a feeling she was exactly the wrong kind of influence for his sweet, innocent sister.
Still, he’d been shocked by the instantaneous attraction he’d felt when Colette had opened her door to him and he’d had his first glimpse of her.
Her blond hair had been a short, curly halo, a perfect foil for her delicate features and whiskey-colored eyes. Clad in a two-piece navy suit, she’d looked like the cool, driven professional his sources had told him she was.
He’d wanted to get Gina alone, knew that if he had some time with her he’d be able to convince her that what she’d done by leaving school and moving to Kansas City was not in her best interest. But now it seemed he wouldn’t have time with Gina alone…at least not tonight.
“Would you like a drink while you wait for your party?” The waitress gave him a flirtatious smile.
Tanner would have loved a Scotch on the rocks, but knew he needed to be clearheaded for the confrontation to come. “A glass of iced tea will be just fine,” he said.
As the waitress left his table, he once again thought of his sister. He didn’t understand Gina at all, suspected that this impromptu move to the city was a belated surge of rebellion.
He’d given her three weeks to come to her senses, but that hadn’t happened. Now he needed to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently. And that’s exactly what he intended to do.
He rose as he saw the object of his thoughts and her roommate entering the restaurant. He motioned them over to the secluded table, noting that Colette had changed from her business suit into a pair of slim-legged dark brown slacks and a dark-brown-and-beige tunic top. She looked casual, yet coolly elegant.
A warning buzzer went off in his head as he realized his sister was wearing a very similar outfit. “Good evening.” He greeted them with a smile.
Colette returned his smile. Gina didn’t. She pulled out the chair opposite Tanner, leaving Colette to sit at his side. As Colette slid into a chair at his left, Tanner caught a whiff of her scent, a rich floral fragrance that instantly reminded him of the best of spring on his ranch.
“I hope you like barbecue,” he said to Colette. “I know it’s one of Gina’s favorites.”
“Not anymore,” Gina replied petulantly.
Gina’s childish behavior only confirmed Tanner’s belief that she wasn’t ready for the giant leap she’d made from the ranch to independence and city life.
“Barbecue is fine,” Colette said smoothly and picked up the menu from in front of her. Gina did the same, holding the menu up high so Tanner couldn’t see her face.
Tanner smiled inwardly. He knew his sister very well. She was angry and defensive, and that usually meant she knew she was wrong. It shouldn’t be a problem convincing her to return to the ranch with him.
At that moment the waitress appeared at their table and took their orders. Once she departed, Tanner eyed his sister once again. “Bugsy had puppies a week ago,” he said, then turned to Colette. “Bugsy is Gina’s golden retriever.”
For a moment Gina’s petulance fell away and her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. “Oh, how many?”
“Four, two males and two females,” he replied.
“And Bugsy is okay?”
“Came through like the champ she is.” He paused a beat. “She misses you.”
“Don’t even go there,” Gina replied and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in a gesture of defensiveness.
“Gina, I was just stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to manipulate your emotions,” he replied.
He suddenly realized he was going to have to be a lot more subtle than he’d thought. Perhaps what he needed was the aid of somebody else in this…and that somebody else was sitting at his left. Gina might not listen to him, but he had a feeling she would listen to the lovely Colette.
He turned and looked at her, wondering if he could charm her to his side of this issue. She was obviously uncomfortable and would have preferred not being here. Her fingers toyed with the cloth napkin in her lap and she appeared to find a nearby potted plant utterly fascinating.
“Miss Carson, I understand you own a store that sells baby things,” he said.
She smiled and he couldn’t help but notice that she had pretty cupid lips, lips that appeared just perfect for kissing. “Yes, the Little Bit Baby Boutique. I officially opened the doors two years ago.”
Their conversation halted as the waitress appeared with their food. She served them, chatting about the weather and how busy the restaurant had been since the coming of spring, then departed.
“I would assume owning your own business requires a lot of time and energy,” Tanner said as he cut into his thick T-bone steak.
“It does,” Colette agreed. “Which is why I was so pleased to hire Gina. She’s been a real godsend and is a wonderful salesclerk.” She smiled in obvious affection at Gina, who smiled back with the shine of hero worship in her eyes.
“Gina’s very bright,” Tanner replied. Far too bright to work for minimum wage as a clerk in a baby store, he thought.
His biggest fear was that not only would Gina not live up to her intellectual potential, but that a smooth-talking city slicker would take advantage of her, break her heart and leave her not only working in a store for babies, but shopping there, as well. Then she would never fulfill the future Tanner had envisioned for her. All his hard work on her behalf would be for naught.
“Gina tells me you run a big ranch in Kansas, so you must know about long hours and expended energy,” Colette said.
Tanner nodded. “Yes, it definitely requires hard work and long hours…especially this time of year.”
“Then I’m sure you’re eager to get back,” Gina quipped.
Tanner laughed at her lack of subtlety. “You know me, Gina. Family has always been more important than anything else in the world.” Again he turned to Colette. “You have family, Miss Carson?”
“Please, call me Colette,” she replied. “And my family consists of just my mother and me.”
“She lives here in town?”
“Yes, but unfortunately we aren’t very close.” She turned her attention to Gina. “The salad is wonderful, isn’t it.”
Tanner frowned and cut off another bite of his steak. She wasn’t close to her mother. As far as Tanner was concerned, that was just another reason to get Gina away from her influence.
Tanner knew the importance of family. Colette Carson had no idea how lucky she was to have a mother. But Tanner knew all about being without a mother and a father and the importance of hanging on to the family left behind. And his family was Gina.
“So, what kind of a ranch do you have, Mr. Rothman?” Colette asked.
He grinned. “Make it Tanner, and we raise cattle. I’ve got a large herd of Charolais and a large herd of Hereford cows.”
“Oh, is one for milk and one for meat?” she asked.
Both Tanner and Gina laughed. “They’re both meat cows,” Gina replied.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Tanner said to Colette, whose cheeks had turned a charming pink. “I wouldn’t know a bunting from a bonnet when it comes to babies.”
She laughed, the sound musical and sweet. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about cows.”
“Tanner also breeds horses,” Gina explained. “Two Hearts has been responsible for several championship quarter horses.”
“Two Hearts…that’s the name of your ranch?” Colette asked.
“Yeah. Gina named the place,” Tanner explained, remembering the day the ranch had been named. It had been two days after their parents’ funerals as they had stood on the front porch and gazed out across the expanse of pasture and fields that surrounded the ranch house.
“Tanner didn’t like it,” Gina replied. “He thought it sounded too feminine.” She gazed at Tanner and smiled. “But he said if Two Hearts is what I wanted, then that’s what it would be.”
“I always did spoil you,” Tanner exclaimed.
They finished the meal talking about less personal things—the beautiful spring weather, the latest movies they’d seen and the most recent political scandal.
Tanner found his gaze drawn again and again to Colette, slightly irritated by the fact that he found her so attractive.
When she smiled a dimple danced in one of her cheeks, and when she grew thoughtful she pursed her lips in what appeared to be a direct invitation to explore their creamy texture.
She seemed to be as bright as she was pretty and their conversation was lively and surprisingly stimulating. But he wasn’t here to enjoy the company of Gina’s roommate and boss. He reminded himself of this as the meal came to an end and they each ordered a cup of coffee.
Tanner wrapped his hands around the thick mug of coffee and decided it was time to renew his campaign to get Gina back on the ranch where she belonged.
“Gina. I’m worried about you,” he said, deciding that authoritative demands wouldn’t work. He needed to appeal to her on another level.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” she protested. “I’m doing just fine.”
“You don’t understand the dangers of city life,” he continued. “You’ve been sheltered all your life. You aren’t ready for this, Gina.” He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. “You know I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t worried sick about you.”
Gina pulled her hand away, a pained expression on her pretty features. She looked at Colette, as if seeking some sort of support.
“She seems to be handling her new independence quite well,” Colette said. “I was on my own at her age and I’ve managed to do pretty well for myself.”
Tanner forced a smile, hoping it hid his irritation. “But Gina isn’t you. Besides, I couldn’t help but notice that your apartment isn’t in the best area of town and there is no security to speak of.”
Although Tanner hoped he’d managed to hide his own irritation, he saw the spark of the same emotion that lit Colette’s eyes. “This area is in the process of rejuvenation. It was a good business decision on my part to put my shop here and live in the same area.”
“That’s fine for you, but it isn’t fine for Gina,” he replied. “She simply isn’t ready for this jump into city life and being on her own. She’s too young, and ill equipped to handle life on her own.”
“If you’re so concerned about Gina’s life here, why don’t you stick around for a few days, watch her working, see how well she’s handling things?” Colette suggested.
Gina looked horrified at the very idea. Tanner frowned. Hanging out for a few days in Kansas City was not in his plans, but then he hadn’t expected Gina to have such a strong support system in her roommate.
“That’s a great idea,” he replied, hoping neither of the women saw the intense frustration building inside him. This wasn’t working out as he’d planned and Tanner didn’t like being thwarted.
“Tanner, I know how busy the spring season is at the ranch,” Gina exclaimed, horror still radiating from her eyes. “I’m sure you can’t spare any time to just hang out here with me and Colette.”
“On the contrary, Gina, I’ve always told you where my priorities lie, and family has always been my number one priority,” he replied. He paused a moment and took a sip of his coffee, then continued. “Besides, I’ve got good men working for me back at the ranch. They’ll keep things running smoothly while I’m gone. I’ve already checked into the hotel down the street, and maybe spending a couple of days hanging out will reassure me.”
He forced a smile. He had no intention of being reassured. He did not intend to leave Kansas City without Gina in tow. Legally he had no leverage. She was of age and could refuse to return to the ranch where she belonged.
But Tanner knew there was more than one way to skin a cat, and he knew the best way to get Gina back where she belonged was to gain Colette’s support.
He gazed at the lovely blonde, a rush of adrenaline sweeping through him as he realized that was one cat he wouldn’t mind skinning at all.
Chapter Two
“I can’t believe you did that,” Gina exclaimed the moment the two women were once again alone in the apartment.
“Did what?” Colette asked as she kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the sofa.
“Suggested that Tanner stick around for a few days.” She paced back and forth in front of Colette, her slender body stiff with tension. “That just gives him more opportunity to manipulate me into doing what he wants, not what I want.” Gina sat in the chair opposite the sofa.
“Gina, I think he’s just worried about you, and after a day or two of seeing you here, I’m sure he’ll realize you’re doing just fine.”
Gina leaned forward. “You don’t know him, Colette. He’s relentless. Don’t be fooled by his charm, don’t be fooled by him. He’s so cursedly stubborn, he doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”
Colette held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Gina, this is between you and your brother. He doesn’t have to try to charm me. It’s you he wants to take back to the family ranch.”
“He wants me to go to school and get a job teaching in the local grade school and eventually marry Walt Tibberman.”
“Who is Walt Tibberman?” Colette asked curiously.
Gina stopped her pacing and sat in the chair opposite Colette. “Walt works on the ranch for Tanner. He’s a nice guy and a hard worker and I know he has a thing for me, but I don’t feel any sparks with him. There’s no magic between us.”
Colette bit her tongue. She didn’t believe in that kind of magic. As far as she was concerned, love was a nice illusion used to sell greeting cards and flowers, a nice word to justify lust and passion. As far as Colette was concerned, love was for needy, clingy women who were afraid to live their lives alone.
She stood and smiled at her young roommate. “Gina, if this is what you want, to stay and build a life here, then stand strong against your brother. And with that bit of advice, I’m going to bed.”
A few minutes later as Colette changed out of her clothes and into the short cotton nightshirt she always wore to bed, she couldn’t help but think about Tanner Rothman.
She had not only found him ruggedly handsome to look at, but utterly charming, as well. His obvious concern for his sister, his desire to make certain she was okay, only added to his attractiveness.
A slight wistfulness filled her as she slid beneath the sheet and into bed. She wished there had been somebody who had been concerned about her when she’d been eighteen years old and had struck out on her own.
Gina might see her big brother as a pain in her backside, but she had no idea how lucky she was to have somebody who cared about her and her well-being.
Colette shoved these thoughts aside. She rarely thought about what she’d never had, instead focused her thoughts and energy on attaining what she wanted. She’d learned at a very early age that she could depend on nobody but herself.
She placed a hand on her tummy, wondering if even now, at this very moment, a little soul was inside her. How she hoped, how she prayed that the artificial insemination had been successful. This child of hers would have all the love, all the care, all the dreams that nobody had ever taken the time to give to Colette.
She frowned sleepily. Funny, she wondered where Tanner and Gina’s parents were in all this. Neither of them had mentioned what their parents wanted. In fact, in the weeks that Gina and Colette had worked together, lived together, she hadn’t mentioned any mother or father.
It wasn’t her business, she told herself firmly. Just as Gina’s life wasn’t her business. And no matter how handsome, no matter how charming Tanner Rothman was, within days he’d be back at his ranch living his own life and she would continue hers…hopefully anticipating the birth of the child who would fill her world with love.
With this pleasant thought in mind, Colette fell asleep.
It was just after eight the next morning when she left the apartment to walk the three blocks to her shop. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sun was already up, shining down warmth on her shoulders, and the scent of sweet flowers rode the air from a nearby truck stand that sold fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Although the shop didn’t officially open until nine-thirty, Colette liked to get there early in the mornings. She always stopped into the local café for fresh bagels, then went on to The Little Bit Baby Boutique and made a pot of coffee.
She enjoyed the quiet time before customers began to arrive, and often the bagel breakfast was all that sustained her through the day. Usually the store was too busy for her to take any kind of a lunch break.
As usual, the café was busy with clerks and office workers whose businesses were located in the down-town area. Colette went directly to the counter, where “to go” orders were placed.
“Hi, Johnny,” she said, greeting the heavyset older man behind the counter.
“Hey, doll.” He grinned at her. “The usual?”
She nodded, then remembered that it was possible Tanner would spend part of his day at the shop. “Why don’t you double it.”
Johnny raised a grizzled gray eyebrow as he placed the fresh bagels into a paper sack. “What did you do? Skip dinner last night?”
She laughed. “You know me, Johnny, I rarely miss a meal.”
“Here you go, doll. Take it easy.”
She took the bag of bagels he handed her, then paid him his amount due. “Stay out of trouble, Johnny,” she said.
“That’s one thing an ex-con always tries to do,” he replied with a teasing grin.
She smiled and whirled around to leave and ran smack dab into Tanner Rothman’s broad chest. He grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her and grinned down at her. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she replied, and quickly stepped back from him, far too aware of the clean, masculine scent of him and the hard muscle of the chest she’d just made contact with.
“Headed to the store?” he asked.
She nodded. “I always stop here for Johnny’s freshly baked bagels before going in. I bought extra this morning if you’d like to have one.”
“Sounds good. I was wondering what time you all normally got to the store.”
“I usually get there by eight-thirty or so. Gina doesn’t come in until noon,” she explained.
They left the café and started walking down the sidewalk toward the baby boutique. She tried not to notice how utterly devastating he looked in his tight, worn blue jeans and a short-sleeved dark blue T-shirt that exposed powerful forearms and deepened the hue of his eyes.
However, it was difficult not to be aware of Tanner’s potent sexuality and handsomeness when they passed several women on the street and they openly stared at him with admiring eyes.
“The guy who runs the café is an ex-con?” he asked.
Instantly Colette knew he was thinking all kinds of horrors about a dangerous criminal in the neighborhood and his innocent little sister. “Thirty years ago Johnny robbed a couple of houses. He got caught, served eighteen months and apparently came out of prison a changed man. Besides running his café, he’s now a member of the chamber of commerce and is involved in several community groups working to prevent crime.”
She stopped at the door to her shop and withdrew a set of keys from her purse. She unlocked the door then turned to face him with a teasing smile. “You can’t use ex-con Johnny as a reason for Gina to go home.”
One corner of his mouth turned upward in a sexy smile that caused heat to flood through Colette. “Am I that transparent?” he asked.
“In this particular instance you were,” she replied and turned to open the door, needing something else to focus on besides the inviting heat his smile had evoked in her.
“Welcome to the Little Bit Baby Boutique,” she said as she flipped on the overhead lights, then relocked the door as he stepped in behind her. “If you want to come on back to the office, I’ll make us some coffee.”
As they walked toward the back of the store, Colette was aware of his gaze darting here and there, taking in the displays, the furniture and various items they passed.
Colette was proud of the layout of the store. She’d spent long hours and utilized all her marketing training in order to create a store that would be comfortable to shop in and displays that would encourage spending.
“What’s all this?” he asked as they passed a large area at the back of the store that was empty except for several sawhorses and some tools.
“I’m having a little kiddy area built back here. It’s going to have little benches and tables with books and puzzles. Lots of my customers come in with children, and I thought it would be great to have a place for those children to play while their parents shopped.”
“Very thoughtful,” he said.
She grinned. “Business thoughtful. Parents tend to spend more time shopping if they don’t have children whining or hanging on them. And the more time people spend shopping, the more they are apt to spend.”
She gestured him into the business office. She’d always believed the office at the back of the store was large, but the moment Tanner followed her in, she felt as if the interior had significantly shrunk.
“Please, have a seat.” She motioned him to the chair in front of her desk, then went to the corner where there was a sink and a counter with the coffeepot on top.
It took her only moments to prepare the coffeepot and turn it on. She sat down at her desk, fighting a sudden, irrational nervousness as the scent of the fresh brew filled the air.
It had been easy to spend time with Tanner the night before with Gina there. But at the moment she felt ill at ease, and was far too aware of him not as Gina’s brother, but as a very sexy, single man. A man who, according to Gina, didn’t have a girlfriend because he was so stubborn.
He didn’t speak until they each had a cup of coffee before them and she had opened the bag and offered him a bagel. “I assume from your store that you like babies,” he said.
“I love babies,” she replied easily. “But that’s not why I decided to sell baby items.” He crooked a dark eyebrow in obvious interest, and she continued. “I knew I wanted to open my own retail business and it took me several months to finally decide on the baby business.”
“So why babies?”
“I studied the markets, did exhaustive research and realized we are on the verge of another baby boom. That, coupled with the fact that no matter what the economy is like, people are always going to have babies.”
“That’s very interesting,” he said. “So, your decision was based on intellect rather than emotion.”
Something in his tone hinted of disapproval and Colette raised her chin defensively. “It’s been my experience that the best decisions you can make are ones made with your mind, not with your heart. But surely you know that. When you chose what kind of cows to raise, I’m sure you made that decision with your head, not your heart.”
He grinned, that lazy, sexy grin that instantly put her on edge. “It’s difficult to get too emotional over a cow.”
Colette tore off a piece of bagel and ate it, then took a sip of her coffee, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. She certainly didn’t want to discuss the situation with Gina with him. She didn’t want to get involved in a tug-of-war between a brother and sister.
“Gina tells me you are from a very small town in Kansas,” she finally said.
He nodded. “Foxrun, Kansas. It’s more like a little neighborhood than a town. Everyone knows everyone else, and most of the time everyone knows everyone else’s business.”
She smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“Do your parents live there, as well?”
His blue eyes grew deeper in color and Colette thought she saw a whisper of pain in their depths. He looked down at the coffee mug in his hands. “My parents have been gone for a long time. They died in a car accident when I was twenty-one years old and Gina was ten. I was left with a ranch on the verge of financial ruin and a ten-year-old grief-stricken child.”
Suddenly Colette understood his overprotectiveness where Gina was concerned. He’d not only been big brother to her, he’d also been mother and father. Admiration for him filled her.
No wonder he was having problems letting go of her. Colette knew there were parents who had trouble letting go of their children, although her mother certainly had not been that kind of parent.
“It must have been very difficult for you,” she said softly. “Twenty-one is terribly young to take on so much responsibility and work.”
“In the case of both the ranch and Gina, it was definitely a labor of love.”
The warmth in his eyes and the soft expression on his face stirred a strange longing in Colette. Confused by the odd emotion, she stood and walked over to the coffeemaker to refill her cup.
When she turned back around she caught his gaze sweeping over her, taking in the sum total of her from head to toe. She suddenly wondered if her skirt was too short or too tight. She fought against the blush that tried to take possession of her cheeks and returned to her seat behind the desk.
“So, tell me about Colette Carson,” he said, then took another sip of his coffee.
She shrugged. “There really isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised right here in Kansas City and have been here all my life.”
“Is there a boyfriend in the picture? An attractive woman like you probably dates every night.” His eyes flashed with what she thought might be a flirtatious light.
She laughed, oddly pleased that he thought she was attractive. “I can’t remember the last date I had.” He was probably wondering how many nights a week his sister spent alone in the apartment. “Most evenings I’m either looking at catalogs, trying to figure out what might be the next hot item, or going over the books to see exactly how the shop is doing. Gina tells me you don’t do much dating, either.”
“Like you, it’s difficult to find the time.”
Colette grinned teasingly. “That’s not what Gina says. She said you don’t have a girlfriend because you’re too mean and stubborn. I believe her exact term was ‘cursedly stubborn.’”
He laughed, a deep rumbling sound that was pleasant. “She’s probably right. I’ve been known to be pretty bullheaded. Still, it seems a shame that a pretty girl like you spends all her time on business. How are you going to find Mr. Right if you don’t date?” Again his eyes were filled with a light that unsettled her yet shot a streak of heat through her.
“Finding Mr. Right has never been a priority of mine,” she replied.
With his million-dollar smile warming her, and his overwhelmingly masculine presence filling the office, Colette felt a sudden need to escape.
She looked at her watch and stood. “It’s time for me to open up the shop,” she said, although it was still earlier than her usual opening time. “You’re welcome to stay here and finish your bagel and coffee or whatever. As I told you earlier, Gina doesn’t come in until noon.”
She was aware of his gaze sweeping the length of her as she headed for the door that led out into the shop. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just finish up my coffee back here,” he said.
Nodding, she fled the office, grateful to get some distance from him. Although she had certainly admired his attractiveness and charm the night before, she hadn’t felt the utter magnitude of his sexual appeal the way she had this morning.
She unlocked the front door and flipped the Closed sign to Open, then walked over to the chair behind the small counter that held the cash register.
She had the distinct impression that he’d been subtly flirting with her when he’d spoken about her dating habits, and her pulse had accelerated to an uncomfortable pace.
As she greeted her first customer of the day, she remembered Gina’s words of warning about Tanner. She’d warned Colette not to be fooled by his charm, and Colette realized she would do well to take heed.
She did find Tanner charming, and although she had never felt herself particularly susceptible to any man’s charm, she had a feeling if she allowed it, Tanner Rothman could definitely be a threat to the carefully controlled, safe life she’d built for herself.
Tanner knew she’d expected him to leave after he finished his coffee and to return later when Gina arrived for work, but instead he rinsed out the cup, then joined her at the counter out front.
He leaned against a back wall, watching as she took care of a pregnant woman who looked about ready to burst open like a ripe watermelon.
Tanner had never thought much about having children of his own. At the time when most men began thinking of having families, he’d been busy raising Gina. Now, at thirty-two years old, he almost felt as if it were too late to think about babies of his own.
He redirected his gaze to Colette. Again this morning she was dressed in a three-piece suit. The deep gray jacket was short and fitted over a crisp white blouse, and the skirt was pencil thin and short enough to display her long, slender but shapely legs.
It hadn’t taken long into their conversation for his suspicions about Colette Carson to be confirmed. She was certainly not the kind of woman he wanted as a role model for his impressionable sister.
Despite the fact she had dynamite legs and the longest, darkest eyelashes he’d ever seen. In spite of the fact that she had the sweet features of an angel and a body that would make most red-blooded men think of sin, he had the feeling she was a cold, heartless woman driven by ambition.
He’d been vaguely disappointed when she’d told him why she’d decided to open a shop selling baby items. Although it appeared to have been a smart decision, he was disappointed that the decision was made strictly from a business perspective.
Gina had lacked a female role model in her life. There had been no aunts, no godmother, nobody to step into the void the loss of their mother had created in Gina’s life.
Colette was a distinctive threat to all that he wanted for Gina’s future. He certainly didn’t want Gina to emulate a hard-driven ambitious woman who, he suspected, didn’t have much of a heart.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a grudging admiration for Colette as he watched her working with the customers who came in…and there was a steady stream of customers.
She was courteous, respectful and infinitely patient with every shopper. He also couldn’t help but admire the natural grace with which she moved as she guided customers from display to display.
He could tell she was surprised that he was hanging around. As she attended to her customers, her gaze continually sought him.
Maybe by hanging around long enough he’d irritate her and she would decide that Gina was more trouble than she was worth. Then she’d join him in the war to get Gina to return home.
“I never knew there could be so many expectant parents in one city,” he said when there was a lull in the customers.
She smiled and straightened the blankets in one of the cribs on display. “Not everyone who comes in is expecting a baby. Friends and relatives of expectant or new parents come in to find a gift for the birth or for a shower.”
She gave the blanket a final pat, then straightened. “But this has all got to be terribly boring for you.”
“Not at all. Is Gina as good a salesman as you are?”
Colette smiled and Tanner felt a renewed tug of attraction. “She’s a great salesclerk.”
“Is Gina your only employee?” It would require ridiculously long hours for only two people to run the store.
“I have two other women who work for me on a part-time basis,” she replied. “But Gina is my only full-time worker.” She smiled and excused herself as another customer came through the door.
Tanner resumed his position against the back wall, surprised when a few minutes later Gina came through the shop door. He was shocked to realize he’d been standing around and watching Colette work for the past several hours.
“How long have you been here?” Gina asked suspiciously.
“Why?” he countered.
She set her purse behind the counter and looked over to where Colette was showing a couple of expectant parents the variety of cribs she carried.
“I was wondering how long you’ve had to try to get Colette on your side.”
He grinned. “I got here before she opened the store and we shared bagels and coffee. And I’ll have you know we didn’t even discuss you.”
Gina looked surprised. “Then what did you talk about?”
“This and that,” he replied.
Gina’s eyes narrowed. “I know you, Tanner Rothman. You never do anything without a reason. Colette is my friend and my roommate, and you just leave her out of this.”
“Gina.” Tanner took one of his sister’s hands in his. “Come home. You were less than a year away from your teaching degree. Come home and finish up college, stay at the ranch until you get married and have a family of your own. You don’t want to be a store clerk for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t want to go back to Foxrun. I like it here,” she protested. “And I’m not going to be a store clerk for the rest of my life. Colette is starting to train me as a manager and a buyer.” She pulled her hand out of his and went to greet a customer who had just come through the front door.
Tanner sighed in frustration and looked back over to Colette. As he gazed at her, Gina’s words replayed in his mind. “She’s my friend and my roommate, and you just leave her out of this.”
He couldn’t very well leave Colette out of it. She was smack-dab in the middle, making promises to Gina that undermined what Tanner wanted.
As lovely as she was, as desirable as he found her, he couldn’t forget that she was the enemy. And what he intended to do was seduce the enemy and bring her to his side of the war.
Chapter Three
To say that Tanner Rothman was a distraction was a vast understatement. His overwhelming presence filled the store, and no matter where she stood, she thought she could smell his evocative scent.
He was too tall, his shoulders far too broad, and his utter masculinity and sexiness made it difficult for Colette to focus on work.
Between customers he visited with both Gina and her, charming Colette with his funny stories of ranch life and tidbits from Gina’s childhood.
Even Gina seemed to loosen up as her brother regaled them with charming stories of small-town life. The love between brother and sister was palpable in the air, and Colette found herself wishing she’d had somebody like Tanner Rothman in her life. And the more appealing she found Tanner Rothman, the more uncomfortable she felt.
By the time six o’clock came and Linda Craig, one of the part-time workers, came to relieve Colette, she was more than ready to get away from Tanner.
She wasn’t sure why he affected her on such a physical level. She didn’t understand why his nearness made her breath catch in her chest and turned her palms slightly sweaty.
She’d been intensely aware of his midnight-blue gaze lingering on her often throughout the day. Each time she’d been aware of his gaze, her insides had quivered.
She’d been intimate with one man in her life. She’d dated Mike Covington for three months before she’d finally slept with him. The experience hadn’t been particularly overwhelming, and that’s why she didn’t understand her almost primal response to Tanner.
Sex had never been important to her, but Tanner made her think of sex…of tangled sheets and hot slick bodies, and of slightly callused hands running down the length of her body. He made her think thoughts she rarely entertained.
Stepping out of the store, she drew a deep breath. It had been a good sales day, and she had evening plans of sitting down with a catalog and picking out the baby items she wanted for the baby she might be carrying at this very moment.
She figured Gina would only be with her for a couple of months and would then find her own place, leaving Gina’s bedroom as a nursery. Colette intended to make it a showcase of a room, a place where dreams could be nurtured.
She’d only taken two or three steps away from the shop when the door flew open and Tanner joined her on the sidewalk. “Thought I’d walk you home,” he said as he fell into step at her side. “It doesn’t seem right to let a pretty lady walk home on the mean streets of the city all alone.” He gestured toward the stack of catalogs in her arms. “What me to carry your books home from school?”
She laughed, her pulse quickening. “No, but thanks anyway. And I’ve been walking the mean city streets alone for the past ten years, ever since I was eighteen years old.”
“Well, while I’m in town, you aren’t going to be doing it anymore,” he replied.
“Aren’t you the gallant one,” she said teasingly.
“Gina would call it overly protective,” he said with a half scowl.
Colette laughed, surprised to discover she was glad he’d decided to walk her home. “Gina is young. All she believes is that you’re here to rain on her parade.”
“But I’m not,” he replied, his blue eyes sparkling earnestly. “Three weeks ago Gina and I had a fight. It was a silly argument and I didn’t think too much about it at the time. She packed a bag, told me she was leaving Foxrun and drove off. I figured she’d be home by nightfall.”
“But she wasn’t,” Colette said. She tried not to notice how the bright sunshine made his dark hair gleam with richness.
“No, she wasn’t. I waited until the next afternoon, then began to ask questions of friends and neighbors. That’s when I discovered Margaret Jamison had a friend in Kansas City and had encouraged Gina to come here.” The muscle in his jaw tightened in obvious irritation.
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Carla Cassidy
Colette Carson didn't need a man in her life, but she wanted a baby more than anything. So she headed to the local sperm bank to make her dream come true.Then handsome rancher Tanner Rothman arrived in town and turned Colette's secure world upside down. This overbearing cowboy was everything Colette didn't want in a man, but she couldn't ignore the powerful attraction between them….Beneath Tanner's arrogant exterior was a sensitive–and sexy–man. A man Colette couldn't help finding completely irresistible. But when she fell for Tanner, she faced her biggest dilemma–would this straitlaced family man still want her if she were pregnant with another man's baby?
Dear Reader,
My first book for Silhouette was released in August of 1991. Seeing Patchwork Family on the shelves was one of the biggest thrills of my life. This month, I’m celebrating another thrill…the publication of my fiftieth and fifty-first book in the same month.
What if I’m Pregnant…? and If the Stick Turns Pink… are stories about…you guessed it—the possibility of pregnancy for two very special couples. I hope these books represent what you’ve come to expect from my writing…heartwarming stories about good people finding love.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my readers. Without you I would have no voice, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the stories I tell. I’d also like to take a moment to thank Silhouette and the many wonderful editors I’ve worked with over the years. Thank you for allowing me the honor of writing for you. It has truly been a pleasure.
Best,
Dear Reader,
In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we have some wonderful stories for you this February from Silhouette Romance to guarantee that every day is filled with love and tenderness.
DeAnna Talcott puts a fresh spin on the tale of Cupid, who finally meets her match in Cupid Jones Gets Married (#1646), the latest in the popular SOULMATES series. And Carla Cassidy has been working overtime with her incredibly innovative, incredibly fun duo, What if I’m Pregnant…? (#1644) and If the Stick Turns Pink… (#1645), about the promise of love a baby could bring to two special couples!
Then Elizabeth Harbison takes us on a fairy-tale adventure in Princess Takes a Holiday (#1643). A glamour-weary royal who hides her identity meets the man of her dreams when her car breaks down in a small North Carolina town. In Dude Ranch Bride (#1642), Madeline Baker brings us strong, sexy Lakota Ethan Stormwalker, whose ex-flame shows up at his ranch in a wedding gown—without a groom! And in Donna Clayton’s Thunder in the Night (#1647), the third in THE THUNDER CLAN family saga, a single act of kindness changes Conner Thunder’s life forever….
Be sure to come back next month for more emotion-filled love stories from Silhouette Romance. Happy reading!
Mary-Theresa Hussey
Senior Editor
What If I’m Pregnant…?
Carla Cassidy
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
To Frankie, Jr., the son of my heart.
Thank you for the joy you bring to my life.
CARLA CASSIDY
is an award-winning author who has written over fifty books for Silhouette. In 1995, she won Best Silhouette Romance from Romantic Times for Anything for Danny. In 1998, she also won a Career Achievement Award for Best Innovative Series from Romantic Times.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Epilogue
Prologue
Colette Carson stood in her bathroom and pulled the pregnancy test out of the plastic shopping bag. Her fingers trembled as she opened the box and pulled out the test instrument and the directions.
She read the directions quickly, then looked at her reflection in the mirror over the sink. Her eyes were slightly swollen from her morning of tears, and her pale face radiated the torment of heartbreak that ached inside her.
She couldn’t think about that, she thought as she scanned the directions to the test one last time. She absolutely, positively couldn’t think about him.
Four weeks ago the only wish in her life had been to be pregnant, and she’d opted to become a single parent. She’d found a clinic that offered artificial insemination and had gone through the procedure.
Four weeks ago, all she’d wanted was to be pregnant, but that had been before she’d met him, before she’d fallen in love with him and had her heart broken into a million little pieces.
She stared down at the directions one last time. She’d bought the one she’d thought would be easiest to read. Within three minutes either a plus or minus sign would appear in the test window. Plus meant pregnant. Minus meant not pregnant.
Simple. Easy. Except that since she had been artificially inseminated her life had suddenly become complicated and she wasn’t sure now if she wanted to be pregnant.
Deciding she could put it off no longer, she took the test, then set it on the counter and prepared to wait the three minutes.
“Oh, my,” she muttered to herself. “What if I’m pregnant?”
Chapter One
Fourteen days.
Colette Carson entered her apartment, kicked off her shoes and dropped tiredly on the overstuffed beige sofa. It had been exactly fourteen days since she had been artificially inseminated and on every one of those days she’d wondered if her wish, her dream was about to come true.
If the procedure had been successful, then she would not only be the owner of Little Bit Baby Boutique, but she would become one of her own best customers. She smiled with sweet anticipation and touched her tummy lovingly.
She’d never been more ready for a baby than she was at this moment in her life. She was twenty-eight years old, her boutique was successful beyond her dreams and she was confident she could successfully raise a child alone.
She had approached the decision to become a mother as she had everything else in her life, with unemotional logic and careful clearheaded planning.
Looking at her watch, she realized Gina would be home at any minute and it was Colette’s turn to cook dinner. She pulled herself up and off the sofa, thinking of the young woman who not only worked for her in her shop but had also become her roommate three weeks ago.
Gina Rothman was a sweet, considerate twenty-one-year-old, who was renting Colette’s second bedroom until she could afford a place of her own.
An old friend had asked Colette if she could take in the young woman and Colette’s initial response had been “no way.”
After a string of bad roommates, Colette had decided she wasn’t willing to share her living space ever again. She didn’t need the rent money a roommate would bring in, and she certainly didn’t need the headaches.
She was still trying to get over the horror of her last roommate, a woman named Trina who had been into primal screaming and practiced her yoga buck naked in Colette’s living room.
But Margaret Jamison had begged, telling her that Gina Rothman was a sweet young woman eager to work hard and forge a path in the world for herself. Finally Colette had relented. So far the arrangement had worked out remarkably well.
Gina appeared to have no hidden vices and seemed eager to learn everything Colette could teach her about running a business and living in the city.
In the kitchen Colette went to the refrigerator and peered in at the contents. There was a pound of hamburger, and she tried to decide whether she wanted to make a quick spaghetti sauce or tacos.
Before she could make up her mind, she heard the front door open, then slam shut. She left the kitchen and walked into the living room to see Gina putting the chain lock on the door.
“Spaghetti or tacos?” she asked her pretty young roommate.
Gina whirled around to face Colette, her big blue eyes widened in panic. “You’ve got to hide me,” she exclaimed. She raced over to Colette and grabbed her hand. “You’ve got to tell him I don’t live here, that you don’t know who I am or where I live.” The words spilled out of her as she shot a backward glance to the front door.
“Slow down,” Colette replied with alarm. “What’s going on? Who are you hiding from?” Great. She knew Gina was too good to be true. Had Gina neglected to mention a crazed stalker ex-boyfriend?
“Tanner. He’s found me,” Gina cried, tears springing to her eyes.
“Who is Tanner?” Colette asked, worry sweeping through her as she saw Gina’s obvious anguish.
“My brother.” The tears oozed from her eyes and ran in twin rivulets down her cheeks. “I know why he’s here. He’s come to take me back to that stupid ranch. He’s so mean and hateful and he’s never going to let me grow up, never!”
Colette relaxed somewhat with the information that apparently the threat was from a brother, not a nutty stalker. “All you need to do is explain to him that you’re doing fine and don’t want to go back to the ranch,” she said gently.
Gina shook her head vehemently, her dark hair flying around her heart-shaped face. “You don’t understand about Tanner. He won’t listen to me…he never listens to me and Tanner always gets what he wants.” She released her hold on Colette’s hand and ran into her bedroom and slammed the door.
In the next instant a firm knock fell on the front door. Colette hesitated before answering, trying to assimilate what Gina had just told her. When Colette had taken Gina in, she’d known that this was Gina’s first foray into the world.
Gina had left her family home in western Kansas and had moved here to Kansas City to begin an independent life. So, big brother has come to the big city to check up on her, Colette thought.
All she had to do was assure big brother, Tanner Rothman, that Gina wasn’t being corrupted and was handling her new independence with maturity and good sense.
She unlocked her front door and pulled it open. All rational thought momentarily fled her brain as she eyed the tall, broad-shouldered cowboy with smoldering midnight-blue eyes.
He was clad in a pair of tight, faded jeans, a blue chambray shirt and boots. His hair was the same rich dark color as Gina’s, cut short and emphasizing bold, strong features. Gina hadn’t mentioned that her brother was a top quality hunk.
“Good evening,” he said, his voice low and pleasant. “My name is Tanner Rothman and I’m here to speak with my sister.”
He smiled, the pleasant gesture allowing Colette to relax somewhat. Gina had made him sound like a real ogre, but he appeared respectful and looked like a reasonable man—an incredibly handsome, reasonable man.
“Hi, I’m Colette Carson, Gina’s roommate. Please, come in.” She opened the door wider to allow him entry.
As he swept past her and into the living room, she caught his scent, a masculine fresh smell that was instantly pleasing.
“Please, have a seat.” She gestured toward the sofa.
“No, thanks,” he replied. “If I could just speak with Gina…” His dark blue eyes swept over her, then perused the surroundings, and Colette wondered if he was looking for something criminal or sinful, some ammunition he could use to get his sister to leave with him.
As Colette went to get Gina, she smiled to herself. He would be hard-pressed to find anything to use against Gina. The apartment was a reflection of Colette’s life—well organized, efficient and clean.
“Gina.” She knocked on the young woman’s bedroom door.
Gina cracked open the door and peered out at Colette. “Is he gone?” she asked.
“No, but he says he just wants to talk to you,” Colette replied.
“I don’t want to talk to him,” Gina exclaimed, keeping her voice low. “He’ll talk me into doing something I don’t want to do. He’ll win…he always wins.”
“Gina, how are you going to convince him that you’re ready to be out on your own if you hide in your bedroom like a child?”
Gina’s pretty features transformed into a thoughtful frown. “Okay,” she relented. “I’ll come out and talk to him, but only if you stay with me.”
It was Colette’s turn to frown. “I don’t think I should get involved in—”
“Please,” Gina begged. “You don’t have to say anything or do anything. Just sit next to me, and that will give me the strength not to let him talk me into anything I’ll regret later.”
“All right,” Colette relented.
Together the two women went back into the living room where Tanner Rothman stood at the eighth-floor window that offered a view of the skyscraper next door.
He turned as they entered the room, and again Colette was struck by how utterly handsome he was. His sensual lips curved up into another smile as he eyed his sister with obvious fondness. “Hello, Gina.”
Gina sank down on the sofa, and Colette sat next to her. “How did you find me, Tanner?” she asked.
“That’s not important right now,” he replied smoothly. “How are you? It’s been three weeks and you haven’t called or written or anything.”
Gina gazed at the wall to the left of Tanner. “I’ve been busy,” she replied.
“And I’ve been worried,” Tanner replied.
Colette wished she were anywhere but here. She felt like a fly on the wall who needed to fly into another room and leave these two people some privacy.
Gina flushed. “There’s nothing to worry about. As you can see I’m doing just fine.”
“I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner this evening.”
“I’m not hungry,” Gina replied with a touch of defiance.
Colette watched the brother and sister. The tension in the air was thick and palpable.
“It’s almost seven and I know you just got off work,” Tanner continued. “You have to be hungry. Come on, Gina, all I’m asking for is to take you out for a nice dinner.” His voice held a soft appeal.
Gina hesitated, her gaze going to Colette, who carefully kept her features schooled in total neutrality. Gina looked back at her brother. “Okay, I’ll have dinner with you, but only if Colette comes with us.”
Colette gasped in surprise. “Oh, I don’t think—”
“Fine,” Tanner replied, overriding the objection Colette was about to make. He moved away from the window and walked back to the front door.
“I saw what looked like a nice barbecue place on the next block while I was walking here. Why don’t we meet there in half an hour or so. That will give you ladies time to freshen up or whatever.”
Although Colette wanted to vehemently protest any arrangement that included her, before she had an opportunity Tanner was gone, leaving only a trace of his masculine cologne lingering in the air.
“Gina, I really think you and your brother should talk to each other without me,” Colette said. “I’ll just make myself a salad here. You meet him.”
“Colette, please come with me,” Gina replied, her big blue eyes begging with appeal.
“You’re of legal age, Gina. He can’t drag you back with him kicking and screaming,” Colette protested. “You don’t need me there.”
“If you don’t go, then I won’t go, and then he’ll just come back here. Please.”
Colette looked at her young roommate and was unable to tell her no. She knew what it was like to have a dream and be surrounded by people who didn’t think you were capable of achieving anything.
“All right, dinner tonight,” she relented. “But then you’re on your own where your brother is concerned.”
“Thank you,” Gina said with obvious relief.
“I’m going to change my clothes,” Colette said, wanting to get into something a little more casual than the power suit she’d worn to work.
As she went into her bedroom, she vowed to herself that she would eat dinner and keep her mouth shut. There was no way she intended to get into a battle between the handsome cowboy and his baby sister.
Tanner sat in the restaurant waiting for his sister and her roommate to arrive. He was irritated that Gina had invited Colette Carson to join them. From all the information he’d gathered about the pretty blonde, he had a feeling she was exactly the wrong kind of influence for his sweet, innocent sister.
Still, he’d been shocked by the instantaneous attraction he’d felt when Colette had opened her door to him and he’d had his first glimpse of her.
Her blond hair had been a short, curly halo, a perfect foil for her delicate features and whiskey-colored eyes. Clad in a two-piece navy suit, she’d looked like the cool, driven professional his sources had told him she was.
He’d wanted to get Gina alone, knew that if he had some time with her he’d be able to convince her that what she’d done by leaving school and moving to Kansas City was not in her best interest. But now it seemed he wouldn’t have time with Gina alone…at least not tonight.
“Would you like a drink while you wait for your party?” The waitress gave him a flirtatious smile.
Tanner would have loved a Scotch on the rocks, but knew he needed to be clearheaded for the confrontation to come. “A glass of iced tea will be just fine,” he said.
As the waitress left his table, he once again thought of his sister. He didn’t understand Gina at all, suspected that this impromptu move to the city was a belated surge of rebellion.
He’d given her three weeks to come to her senses, but that hadn’t happened. Now he needed to deal with the situation quickly and efficiently. And that’s exactly what he intended to do.
He rose as he saw the object of his thoughts and her roommate entering the restaurant. He motioned them over to the secluded table, noting that Colette had changed from her business suit into a pair of slim-legged dark brown slacks and a dark-brown-and-beige tunic top. She looked casual, yet coolly elegant.
A warning buzzer went off in his head as he realized his sister was wearing a very similar outfit. “Good evening.” He greeted them with a smile.
Colette returned his smile. Gina didn’t. She pulled out the chair opposite Tanner, leaving Colette to sit at his side. As Colette slid into a chair at his left, Tanner caught a whiff of her scent, a rich floral fragrance that instantly reminded him of the best of spring on his ranch.
“I hope you like barbecue,” he said to Colette. “I know it’s one of Gina’s favorites.”
“Not anymore,” Gina replied petulantly.
Gina’s childish behavior only confirmed Tanner’s belief that she wasn’t ready for the giant leap she’d made from the ranch to independence and city life.
“Barbecue is fine,” Colette said smoothly and picked up the menu from in front of her. Gina did the same, holding the menu up high so Tanner couldn’t see her face.
Tanner smiled inwardly. He knew his sister very well. She was angry and defensive, and that usually meant she knew she was wrong. It shouldn’t be a problem convincing her to return to the ranch with him.
At that moment the waitress appeared at their table and took their orders. Once she departed, Tanner eyed his sister once again. “Bugsy had puppies a week ago,” he said, then turned to Colette. “Bugsy is Gina’s golden retriever.”
For a moment Gina’s petulance fell away and her eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. “Oh, how many?”
“Four, two males and two females,” he replied.
“And Bugsy is okay?”
“Came through like the champ she is.” He paused a beat. “She misses you.”
“Don’t even go there,” Gina replied and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms in a gesture of defensiveness.
“Gina, I was just stating a fact. I wasn’t trying to manipulate your emotions,” he replied.
He suddenly realized he was going to have to be a lot more subtle than he’d thought. Perhaps what he needed was the aid of somebody else in this…and that somebody else was sitting at his left. Gina might not listen to him, but he had a feeling she would listen to the lovely Colette.
He turned and looked at her, wondering if he could charm her to his side of this issue. She was obviously uncomfortable and would have preferred not being here. Her fingers toyed with the cloth napkin in her lap and she appeared to find a nearby potted plant utterly fascinating.
“Miss Carson, I understand you own a store that sells baby things,” he said.
She smiled and he couldn’t help but notice that she had pretty cupid lips, lips that appeared just perfect for kissing. “Yes, the Little Bit Baby Boutique. I officially opened the doors two years ago.”
Their conversation halted as the waitress appeared with their food. She served them, chatting about the weather and how busy the restaurant had been since the coming of spring, then departed.
“I would assume owning your own business requires a lot of time and energy,” Tanner said as he cut into his thick T-bone steak.
“It does,” Colette agreed. “Which is why I was so pleased to hire Gina. She’s been a real godsend and is a wonderful salesclerk.” She smiled in obvious affection at Gina, who smiled back with the shine of hero worship in her eyes.
“Gina’s very bright,” Tanner replied. Far too bright to work for minimum wage as a clerk in a baby store, he thought.
His biggest fear was that not only would Gina not live up to her intellectual potential, but that a smooth-talking city slicker would take advantage of her, break her heart and leave her not only working in a store for babies, but shopping there, as well. Then she would never fulfill the future Tanner had envisioned for her. All his hard work on her behalf would be for naught.
“Gina tells me you run a big ranch in Kansas, so you must know about long hours and expended energy,” Colette said.
Tanner nodded. “Yes, it definitely requires hard work and long hours…especially this time of year.”
“Then I’m sure you’re eager to get back,” Gina quipped.
Tanner laughed at her lack of subtlety. “You know me, Gina. Family has always been more important than anything else in the world.” Again he turned to Colette. “You have family, Miss Carson?”
“Please, call me Colette,” she replied. “And my family consists of just my mother and me.”
“She lives here in town?”
“Yes, but unfortunately we aren’t very close.” She turned her attention to Gina. “The salad is wonderful, isn’t it.”
Tanner frowned and cut off another bite of his steak. She wasn’t close to her mother. As far as Tanner was concerned, that was just another reason to get Gina away from her influence.
Tanner knew the importance of family. Colette Carson had no idea how lucky she was to have a mother. But Tanner knew all about being without a mother and a father and the importance of hanging on to the family left behind. And his family was Gina.
“So, what kind of a ranch do you have, Mr. Rothman?” Colette asked.
He grinned. “Make it Tanner, and we raise cattle. I’ve got a large herd of Charolais and a large herd of Hereford cows.”
“Oh, is one for milk and one for meat?” she asked.
Both Tanner and Gina laughed. “They’re both meat cows,” Gina replied.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Tanner said to Colette, whose cheeks had turned a charming pink. “I wouldn’t know a bunting from a bonnet when it comes to babies.”
She laughed, the sound musical and sweet. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about cows.”
“Tanner also breeds horses,” Gina explained. “Two Hearts has been responsible for several championship quarter horses.”
“Two Hearts…that’s the name of your ranch?” Colette asked.
“Yeah. Gina named the place,” Tanner explained, remembering the day the ranch had been named. It had been two days after their parents’ funerals as they had stood on the front porch and gazed out across the expanse of pasture and fields that surrounded the ranch house.
“Tanner didn’t like it,” Gina replied. “He thought it sounded too feminine.” She gazed at Tanner and smiled. “But he said if Two Hearts is what I wanted, then that’s what it would be.”
“I always did spoil you,” Tanner exclaimed.
They finished the meal talking about less personal things—the beautiful spring weather, the latest movies they’d seen and the most recent political scandal.
Tanner found his gaze drawn again and again to Colette, slightly irritated by the fact that he found her so attractive.
When she smiled a dimple danced in one of her cheeks, and when she grew thoughtful she pursed her lips in what appeared to be a direct invitation to explore their creamy texture.
She seemed to be as bright as she was pretty and their conversation was lively and surprisingly stimulating. But he wasn’t here to enjoy the company of Gina’s roommate and boss. He reminded himself of this as the meal came to an end and they each ordered a cup of coffee.
Tanner wrapped his hands around the thick mug of coffee and decided it was time to renew his campaign to get Gina back on the ranch where she belonged.
“Gina. I’m worried about you,” he said, deciding that authoritative demands wouldn’t work. He needed to appeal to her on another level.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” she protested. “I’m doing just fine.”
“You don’t understand the dangers of city life,” he continued. “You’ve been sheltered all your life. You aren’t ready for this, Gina.” He reached across the table and took one of her hands in his. “You know I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t worried sick about you.”
Gina pulled her hand away, a pained expression on her pretty features. She looked at Colette, as if seeking some sort of support.
“She seems to be handling her new independence quite well,” Colette said. “I was on my own at her age and I’ve managed to do pretty well for myself.”
Tanner forced a smile, hoping it hid his irritation. “But Gina isn’t you. Besides, I couldn’t help but notice that your apartment isn’t in the best area of town and there is no security to speak of.”
Although Tanner hoped he’d managed to hide his own irritation, he saw the spark of the same emotion that lit Colette’s eyes. “This area is in the process of rejuvenation. It was a good business decision on my part to put my shop here and live in the same area.”
“That’s fine for you, but it isn’t fine for Gina,” he replied. “She simply isn’t ready for this jump into city life and being on her own. She’s too young, and ill equipped to handle life on her own.”
“If you’re so concerned about Gina’s life here, why don’t you stick around for a few days, watch her working, see how well she’s handling things?” Colette suggested.
Gina looked horrified at the very idea. Tanner frowned. Hanging out for a few days in Kansas City was not in his plans, but then he hadn’t expected Gina to have such a strong support system in her roommate.
“That’s a great idea,” he replied, hoping neither of the women saw the intense frustration building inside him. This wasn’t working out as he’d planned and Tanner didn’t like being thwarted.
“Tanner, I know how busy the spring season is at the ranch,” Gina exclaimed, horror still radiating from her eyes. “I’m sure you can’t spare any time to just hang out here with me and Colette.”
“On the contrary, Gina, I’ve always told you where my priorities lie, and family has always been my number one priority,” he replied. He paused a moment and took a sip of his coffee, then continued. “Besides, I’ve got good men working for me back at the ranch. They’ll keep things running smoothly while I’m gone. I’ve already checked into the hotel down the street, and maybe spending a couple of days hanging out will reassure me.”
He forced a smile. He had no intention of being reassured. He did not intend to leave Kansas City without Gina in tow. Legally he had no leverage. She was of age and could refuse to return to the ranch where she belonged.
But Tanner knew there was more than one way to skin a cat, and he knew the best way to get Gina back where she belonged was to gain Colette’s support.
He gazed at the lovely blonde, a rush of adrenaline sweeping through him as he realized that was one cat he wouldn’t mind skinning at all.
Chapter Two
“I can’t believe you did that,” Gina exclaimed the moment the two women were once again alone in the apartment.
“Did what?” Colette asked as she kicked off her shoes and flopped down on the sofa.
“Suggested that Tanner stick around for a few days.” She paced back and forth in front of Colette, her slender body stiff with tension. “That just gives him more opportunity to manipulate me into doing what he wants, not what I want.” Gina sat in the chair opposite the sofa.
“Gina, I think he’s just worried about you, and after a day or two of seeing you here, I’m sure he’ll realize you’re doing just fine.”
Gina leaned forward. “You don’t know him, Colette. He’s relentless. Don’t be fooled by his charm, don’t be fooled by him. He’s so cursedly stubborn, he doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”
Colette held up her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “Gina, this is between you and your brother. He doesn’t have to try to charm me. It’s you he wants to take back to the family ranch.”
“He wants me to go to school and get a job teaching in the local grade school and eventually marry Walt Tibberman.”
“Who is Walt Tibberman?” Colette asked curiously.
Gina stopped her pacing and sat in the chair opposite Colette. “Walt works on the ranch for Tanner. He’s a nice guy and a hard worker and I know he has a thing for me, but I don’t feel any sparks with him. There’s no magic between us.”
Colette bit her tongue. She didn’t believe in that kind of magic. As far as she was concerned, love was a nice illusion used to sell greeting cards and flowers, a nice word to justify lust and passion. As far as Colette was concerned, love was for needy, clingy women who were afraid to live their lives alone.
She stood and smiled at her young roommate. “Gina, if this is what you want, to stay and build a life here, then stand strong against your brother. And with that bit of advice, I’m going to bed.”
A few minutes later as Colette changed out of her clothes and into the short cotton nightshirt she always wore to bed, she couldn’t help but think about Tanner Rothman.
She had not only found him ruggedly handsome to look at, but utterly charming, as well. His obvious concern for his sister, his desire to make certain she was okay, only added to his attractiveness.
A slight wistfulness filled her as she slid beneath the sheet and into bed. She wished there had been somebody who had been concerned about her when she’d been eighteen years old and had struck out on her own.
Gina might see her big brother as a pain in her backside, but she had no idea how lucky she was to have somebody who cared about her and her well-being.
Colette shoved these thoughts aside. She rarely thought about what she’d never had, instead focused her thoughts and energy on attaining what she wanted. She’d learned at a very early age that she could depend on nobody but herself.
She placed a hand on her tummy, wondering if even now, at this very moment, a little soul was inside her. How she hoped, how she prayed that the artificial insemination had been successful. This child of hers would have all the love, all the care, all the dreams that nobody had ever taken the time to give to Colette.
She frowned sleepily. Funny, she wondered where Tanner and Gina’s parents were in all this. Neither of them had mentioned what their parents wanted. In fact, in the weeks that Gina and Colette had worked together, lived together, she hadn’t mentioned any mother or father.
It wasn’t her business, she told herself firmly. Just as Gina’s life wasn’t her business. And no matter how handsome, no matter how charming Tanner Rothman was, within days he’d be back at his ranch living his own life and she would continue hers…hopefully anticipating the birth of the child who would fill her world with love.
With this pleasant thought in mind, Colette fell asleep.
It was just after eight the next morning when she left the apartment to walk the three blocks to her shop. It was a gorgeous spring day. The sun was already up, shining down warmth on her shoulders, and the scent of sweet flowers rode the air from a nearby truck stand that sold fruits, vegetables and flowers.
Although the shop didn’t officially open until nine-thirty, Colette liked to get there early in the mornings. She always stopped into the local café for fresh bagels, then went on to The Little Bit Baby Boutique and made a pot of coffee.
She enjoyed the quiet time before customers began to arrive, and often the bagel breakfast was all that sustained her through the day. Usually the store was too busy for her to take any kind of a lunch break.
As usual, the café was busy with clerks and office workers whose businesses were located in the down-town area. Colette went directly to the counter, where “to go” orders were placed.
“Hi, Johnny,” she said, greeting the heavyset older man behind the counter.
“Hey, doll.” He grinned at her. “The usual?”
She nodded, then remembered that it was possible Tanner would spend part of his day at the shop. “Why don’t you double it.”
Johnny raised a grizzled gray eyebrow as he placed the fresh bagels into a paper sack. “What did you do? Skip dinner last night?”
She laughed. “You know me, Johnny, I rarely miss a meal.”
“Here you go, doll. Take it easy.”
She took the bag of bagels he handed her, then paid him his amount due. “Stay out of trouble, Johnny,” she said.
“That’s one thing an ex-con always tries to do,” he replied with a teasing grin.
She smiled and whirled around to leave and ran smack dab into Tanner Rothman’s broad chest. He grabbed her by the shoulders to steady her and grinned down at her. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” she replied, and quickly stepped back from him, far too aware of the clean, masculine scent of him and the hard muscle of the chest she’d just made contact with.
“Headed to the store?” he asked.
She nodded. “I always stop here for Johnny’s freshly baked bagels before going in. I bought extra this morning if you’d like to have one.”
“Sounds good. I was wondering what time you all normally got to the store.”
“I usually get there by eight-thirty or so. Gina doesn’t come in until noon,” she explained.
They left the café and started walking down the sidewalk toward the baby boutique. She tried not to notice how utterly devastating he looked in his tight, worn blue jeans and a short-sleeved dark blue T-shirt that exposed powerful forearms and deepened the hue of his eyes.
However, it was difficult not to be aware of Tanner’s potent sexuality and handsomeness when they passed several women on the street and they openly stared at him with admiring eyes.
“The guy who runs the café is an ex-con?” he asked.
Instantly Colette knew he was thinking all kinds of horrors about a dangerous criminal in the neighborhood and his innocent little sister. “Thirty years ago Johnny robbed a couple of houses. He got caught, served eighteen months and apparently came out of prison a changed man. Besides running his café, he’s now a member of the chamber of commerce and is involved in several community groups working to prevent crime.”
She stopped at the door to her shop and withdrew a set of keys from her purse. She unlocked the door then turned to face him with a teasing smile. “You can’t use ex-con Johnny as a reason for Gina to go home.”
One corner of his mouth turned upward in a sexy smile that caused heat to flood through Colette. “Am I that transparent?” he asked.
“In this particular instance you were,” she replied and turned to open the door, needing something else to focus on besides the inviting heat his smile had evoked in her.
“Welcome to the Little Bit Baby Boutique,” she said as she flipped on the overhead lights, then relocked the door as he stepped in behind her. “If you want to come on back to the office, I’ll make us some coffee.”
As they walked toward the back of the store, Colette was aware of his gaze darting here and there, taking in the displays, the furniture and various items they passed.
Colette was proud of the layout of the store. She’d spent long hours and utilized all her marketing training in order to create a store that would be comfortable to shop in and displays that would encourage spending.
“What’s all this?” he asked as they passed a large area at the back of the store that was empty except for several sawhorses and some tools.
“I’m having a little kiddy area built back here. It’s going to have little benches and tables with books and puzzles. Lots of my customers come in with children, and I thought it would be great to have a place for those children to play while their parents shopped.”
“Very thoughtful,” he said.
She grinned. “Business thoughtful. Parents tend to spend more time shopping if they don’t have children whining or hanging on them. And the more time people spend shopping, the more they are apt to spend.”
She gestured him into the business office. She’d always believed the office at the back of the store was large, but the moment Tanner followed her in, she felt as if the interior had significantly shrunk.
“Please, have a seat.” She motioned him to the chair in front of her desk, then went to the corner where there was a sink and a counter with the coffeepot on top.
It took her only moments to prepare the coffeepot and turn it on. She sat down at her desk, fighting a sudden, irrational nervousness as the scent of the fresh brew filled the air.
It had been easy to spend time with Tanner the night before with Gina there. But at the moment she felt ill at ease, and was far too aware of him not as Gina’s brother, but as a very sexy, single man. A man who, according to Gina, didn’t have a girlfriend because he was so stubborn.
He didn’t speak until they each had a cup of coffee before them and she had opened the bag and offered him a bagel. “I assume from your store that you like babies,” he said.
“I love babies,” she replied easily. “But that’s not why I decided to sell baby items.” He crooked a dark eyebrow in obvious interest, and she continued. “I knew I wanted to open my own retail business and it took me several months to finally decide on the baby business.”
“So why babies?”
“I studied the markets, did exhaustive research and realized we are on the verge of another baby boom. That, coupled with the fact that no matter what the economy is like, people are always going to have babies.”
“That’s very interesting,” he said. “So, your decision was based on intellect rather than emotion.”
Something in his tone hinted of disapproval and Colette raised her chin defensively. “It’s been my experience that the best decisions you can make are ones made with your mind, not with your heart. But surely you know that. When you chose what kind of cows to raise, I’m sure you made that decision with your head, not your heart.”
He grinned, that lazy, sexy grin that instantly put her on edge. “It’s difficult to get too emotional over a cow.”
Colette tore off a piece of bagel and ate it, then took a sip of her coffee, desperately trying to think of something to talk about. She certainly didn’t want to discuss the situation with Gina with him. She didn’t want to get involved in a tug-of-war between a brother and sister.
“Gina tells me you are from a very small town in Kansas,” she finally said.
He nodded. “Foxrun, Kansas. It’s more like a little neighborhood than a town. Everyone knows everyone else, and most of the time everyone knows everyone else’s business.”
She smiled. “Sounds like fun.”
“I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
“Do your parents live there, as well?”
His blue eyes grew deeper in color and Colette thought she saw a whisper of pain in their depths. He looked down at the coffee mug in his hands. “My parents have been gone for a long time. They died in a car accident when I was twenty-one years old and Gina was ten. I was left with a ranch on the verge of financial ruin and a ten-year-old grief-stricken child.”
Suddenly Colette understood his overprotectiveness where Gina was concerned. He’d not only been big brother to her, he’d also been mother and father. Admiration for him filled her.
No wonder he was having problems letting go of her. Colette knew there were parents who had trouble letting go of their children, although her mother certainly had not been that kind of parent.
“It must have been very difficult for you,” she said softly. “Twenty-one is terribly young to take on so much responsibility and work.”
“In the case of both the ranch and Gina, it was definitely a labor of love.”
The warmth in his eyes and the soft expression on his face stirred a strange longing in Colette. Confused by the odd emotion, she stood and walked over to the coffeemaker to refill her cup.
When she turned back around she caught his gaze sweeping over her, taking in the sum total of her from head to toe. She suddenly wondered if her skirt was too short or too tight. She fought against the blush that tried to take possession of her cheeks and returned to her seat behind the desk.
“So, tell me about Colette Carson,” he said, then took another sip of his coffee.
She shrugged. “There really isn’t much to tell. I was born and raised right here in Kansas City and have been here all my life.”
“Is there a boyfriend in the picture? An attractive woman like you probably dates every night.” His eyes flashed with what she thought might be a flirtatious light.
She laughed, oddly pleased that he thought she was attractive. “I can’t remember the last date I had.” He was probably wondering how many nights a week his sister spent alone in the apartment. “Most evenings I’m either looking at catalogs, trying to figure out what might be the next hot item, or going over the books to see exactly how the shop is doing. Gina tells me you don’t do much dating, either.”
“Like you, it’s difficult to find the time.”
Colette grinned teasingly. “That’s not what Gina says. She said you don’t have a girlfriend because you’re too mean and stubborn. I believe her exact term was ‘cursedly stubborn.’”
He laughed, a deep rumbling sound that was pleasant. “She’s probably right. I’ve been known to be pretty bullheaded. Still, it seems a shame that a pretty girl like you spends all her time on business. How are you going to find Mr. Right if you don’t date?” Again his eyes were filled with a light that unsettled her yet shot a streak of heat through her.
“Finding Mr. Right has never been a priority of mine,” she replied.
With his million-dollar smile warming her, and his overwhelmingly masculine presence filling the office, Colette felt a sudden need to escape.
She looked at her watch and stood. “It’s time for me to open up the shop,” she said, although it was still earlier than her usual opening time. “You’re welcome to stay here and finish your bagel and coffee or whatever. As I told you earlier, Gina doesn’t come in until noon.”
She was aware of his gaze sweeping the length of her as she headed for the door that led out into the shop. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just finish up my coffee back here,” he said.
Nodding, she fled the office, grateful to get some distance from him. Although she had certainly admired his attractiveness and charm the night before, she hadn’t felt the utter magnitude of his sexual appeal the way she had this morning.
She unlocked the front door and flipped the Closed sign to Open, then walked over to the chair behind the small counter that held the cash register.
She had the distinct impression that he’d been subtly flirting with her when he’d spoken about her dating habits, and her pulse had accelerated to an uncomfortable pace.
As she greeted her first customer of the day, she remembered Gina’s words of warning about Tanner. She’d warned Colette not to be fooled by his charm, and Colette realized she would do well to take heed.
She did find Tanner charming, and although she had never felt herself particularly susceptible to any man’s charm, she had a feeling if she allowed it, Tanner Rothman could definitely be a threat to the carefully controlled, safe life she’d built for herself.
Tanner knew she’d expected him to leave after he finished his coffee and to return later when Gina arrived for work, but instead he rinsed out the cup, then joined her at the counter out front.
He leaned against a back wall, watching as she took care of a pregnant woman who looked about ready to burst open like a ripe watermelon.
Tanner had never thought much about having children of his own. At the time when most men began thinking of having families, he’d been busy raising Gina. Now, at thirty-two years old, he almost felt as if it were too late to think about babies of his own.
He redirected his gaze to Colette. Again this morning she was dressed in a three-piece suit. The deep gray jacket was short and fitted over a crisp white blouse, and the skirt was pencil thin and short enough to display her long, slender but shapely legs.
It hadn’t taken long into their conversation for his suspicions about Colette Carson to be confirmed. She was certainly not the kind of woman he wanted as a role model for his impressionable sister.
Despite the fact she had dynamite legs and the longest, darkest eyelashes he’d ever seen. In spite of the fact that she had the sweet features of an angel and a body that would make most red-blooded men think of sin, he had the feeling she was a cold, heartless woman driven by ambition.
He’d been vaguely disappointed when she’d told him why she’d decided to open a shop selling baby items. Although it appeared to have been a smart decision, he was disappointed that the decision was made strictly from a business perspective.
Gina had lacked a female role model in her life. There had been no aunts, no godmother, nobody to step into the void the loss of their mother had created in Gina’s life.
Colette was a distinctive threat to all that he wanted for Gina’s future. He certainly didn’t want Gina to emulate a hard-driven ambitious woman who, he suspected, didn’t have much of a heart.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a grudging admiration for Colette as he watched her working with the customers who came in…and there was a steady stream of customers.
She was courteous, respectful and infinitely patient with every shopper. He also couldn’t help but admire the natural grace with which she moved as she guided customers from display to display.
He could tell she was surprised that he was hanging around. As she attended to her customers, her gaze continually sought him.
Maybe by hanging around long enough he’d irritate her and she would decide that Gina was more trouble than she was worth. Then she’d join him in the war to get Gina to return home.
“I never knew there could be so many expectant parents in one city,” he said when there was a lull in the customers.
She smiled and straightened the blankets in one of the cribs on display. “Not everyone who comes in is expecting a baby. Friends and relatives of expectant or new parents come in to find a gift for the birth or for a shower.”
She gave the blanket a final pat, then straightened. “But this has all got to be terribly boring for you.”
“Not at all. Is Gina as good a salesman as you are?”
Colette smiled and Tanner felt a renewed tug of attraction. “She’s a great salesclerk.”
“Is Gina your only employee?” It would require ridiculously long hours for only two people to run the store.
“I have two other women who work for me on a part-time basis,” she replied. “But Gina is my only full-time worker.” She smiled and excused herself as another customer came through the door.
Tanner resumed his position against the back wall, surprised when a few minutes later Gina came through the shop door. He was shocked to realize he’d been standing around and watching Colette work for the past several hours.
“How long have you been here?” Gina asked suspiciously.
“Why?” he countered.
She set her purse behind the counter and looked over to where Colette was showing a couple of expectant parents the variety of cribs she carried.
“I was wondering how long you’ve had to try to get Colette on your side.”
He grinned. “I got here before she opened the store and we shared bagels and coffee. And I’ll have you know we didn’t even discuss you.”
Gina looked surprised. “Then what did you talk about?”
“This and that,” he replied.
Gina’s eyes narrowed. “I know you, Tanner Rothman. You never do anything without a reason. Colette is my friend and my roommate, and you just leave her out of this.”
“Gina.” Tanner took one of his sister’s hands in his. “Come home. You were less than a year away from your teaching degree. Come home and finish up college, stay at the ranch until you get married and have a family of your own. You don’t want to be a store clerk for the rest of your life.”
“I don’t want to go back to Foxrun. I like it here,” she protested. “And I’m not going to be a store clerk for the rest of my life. Colette is starting to train me as a manager and a buyer.” She pulled her hand out of his and went to greet a customer who had just come through the front door.
Tanner sighed in frustration and looked back over to Colette. As he gazed at her, Gina’s words replayed in his mind. “She’s my friend and my roommate, and you just leave her out of this.”
He couldn’t very well leave Colette out of it. She was smack-dab in the middle, making promises to Gina that undermined what Tanner wanted.
As lovely as she was, as desirable as he found her, he couldn’t forget that she was the enemy. And what he intended to do was seduce the enemy and bring her to his side of the war.
Chapter Three
To say that Tanner Rothman was a distraction was a vast understatement. His overwhelming presence filled the store, and no matter where she stood, she thought she could smell his evocative scent.
He was too tall, his shoulders far too broad, and his utter masculinity and sexiness made it difficult for Colette to focus on work.
Between customers he visited with both Gina and her, charming Colette with his funny stories of ranch life and tidbits from Gina’s childhood.
Even Gina seemed to loosen up as her brother regaled them with charming stories of small-town life. The love between brother and sister was palpable in the air, and Colette found herself wishing she’d had somebody like Tanner Rothman in her life. And the more appealing she found Tanner Rothman, the more uncomfortable she felt.
By the time six o’clock came and Linda Craig, one of the part-time workers, came to relieve Colette, she was more than ready to get away from Tanner.
She wasn’t sure why he affected her on such a physical level. She didn’t understand why his nearness made her breath catch in her chest and turned her palms slightly sweaty.
She’d been intensely aware of his midnight-blue gaze lingering on her often throughout the day. Each time she’d been aware of his gaze, her insides had quivered.
She’d been intimate with one man in her life. She’d dated Mike Covington for three months before she’d finally slept with him. The experience hadn’t been particularly overwhelming, and that’s why she didn’t understand her almost primal response to Tanner.
Sex had never been important to her, but Tanner made her think of sex…of tangled sheets and hot slick bodies, and of slightly callused hands running down the length of her body. He made her think thoughts she rarely entertained.
Stepping out of the store, she drew a deep breath. It had been a good sales day, and she had evening plans of sitting down with a catalog and picking out the baby items she wanted for the baby she might be carrying at this very moment.
She figured Gina would only be with her for a couple of months and would then find her own place, leaving Gina’s bedroom as a nursery. Colette intended to make it a showcase of a room, a place where dreams could be nurtured.
She’d only taken two or three steps away from the shop when the door flew open and Tanner joined her on the sidewalk. “Thought I’d walk you home,” he said as he fell into step at her side. “It doesn’t seem right to let a pretty lady walk home on the mean streets of the city all alone.” He gestured toward the stack of catalogs in her arms. “What me to carry your books home from school?”
She laughed, her pulse quickening. “No, but thanks anyway. And I’ve been walking the mean city streets alone for the past ten years, ever since I was eighteen years old.”
“Well, while I’m in town, you aren’t going to be doing it anymore,” he replied.
“Aren’t you the gallant one,” she said teasingly.
“Gina would call it overly protective,” he said with a half scowl.
Colette laughed, surprised to discover she was glad he’d decided to walk her home. “Gina is young. All she believes is that you’re here to rain on her parade.”
“But I’m not,” he replied, his blue eyes sparkling earnestly. “Three weeks ago Gina and I had a fight. It was a silly argument and I didn’t think too much about it at the time. She packed a bag, told me she was leaving Foxrun and drove off. I figured she’d be home by nightfall.”
“But she wasn’t,” Colette said. She tried not to notice how the bright sunshine made his dark hair gleam with richness.
“No, she wasn’t. I waited until the next afternoon, then began to ask questions of friends and neighbors. That’s when I discovered Margaret Jamison had a friend in Kansas City and had encouraged Gina to come here.” The muscle in his jaw tightened in obvious irritation.
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Carla Cassidy
Тип: электронная книга
Жанр: Зарубежные любовные романы
Язык: на английском языке
Издательство: HarperCollins
Дата публикации: 16.04.2024
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О книге: Colette Carson didn′t need a man in her life, but she wanted a baby more than anything. So she headed to the local sperm bank to make her dream come true.Then handsome rancher Tanner Rothman arrived in town and turned Colette′s secure world upside down. This overbearing cowboy was everything Colette didn′t want in a man, but she couldn′t ignore the powerful attraction between them….Beneath Tanner′s arrogant exterior was a sensitive–and sexy–man. A man Colette couldn′t help finding completely irresistible. But when she fell for Tanner, she faced her biggest dilemma–would this straitlaced family man still want her if she were pregnant with another man′s baby?