The Bachelor's Baby (Bachelor Auction Book 3)(31)

“Please,” he cut her off. “That wasn’t an attack. The reality of pregnancy and newborns and motherhood means that work will be a burden.” He leaned forward and kept his voice pitched low. Every other person in this joint might be talking and eating, but he was conscious of sharp ears now. “What do I do with the baby when it’s my turn? Take him or her out on horseback to mend fences?”

She scowled, not meeting his eyes, but not arguing. What rebuttal did she have?

He didn’t hammer his point. They ate without talking for a few minutes, but she slowed, started to reach for her tea, then set her hands in her lap. She swallowed again, but hadn’t taken a bite in a full minute.

“Meg?”

“I’ll be right back,” she said rather abruptly, disappearing toward the ladies’ room before he could react, but he had a grim feeling he knew what was happening.

She came back looking washed out and smelling of mint toothpaste. “I’m going to step outside for some fresh air,” she told him as she zipped into her vest.

He’d shoveled in most of his meal, stole a triangle of her toast, topped it with ham from his own plate and took it with him to the counter where he covered the bill and met her outside.

“I’m sorry,” she said as they started back to his truck.

“I’m worried,” he said frankly, offering her a wrapped mint he’d nipped from the bowl next to the cash.

She waved off the candy and indicated her purse. “Have toothbrush, will travel.”

He ate the sweet himself and had his arm around her before he’d realized he was going to do it, but he wanted to comfort her. This whole thing was taxing enough without feeling like you had the flu twenty-four seven.

“I’m okay,” she protested, but leaned her weight into him.

He rubbed her arm, liking the feel of her against him. “I’ll take you home. Groceries can wait.”

“No, I’m fine. Honestly. I feel better already.”

Her color had improved, but…

“Honestly,” she repeated. “Don’t let me throw off your plans.”

He couldn’t help it. A noise of complete incredulity came out of him.

She looked up, surprise turning to mirth as they both saw the funny side of it and wound up laughing heartily at their own expense.

*

He didn’t kiss her when he dropped her off, but she couldn’t help smiling. It had been nice. And he called the next morning to offer to cook for her that night, but she and Liz had already decided to run to Bozeman for a bra and some things Liz wanted for the spa. He asked her to call when she got home so he would know she was all right and Meg did. They wound up talking for nearly an hour about all sorts of things that seemed inconsequential afterward, but the conversation had just kept going.

They wound up talking at least once a day after that and he took her out for dinner on Saturday night—which was when they had their first spat.

“What do you mean you’re looking at a place in that building?”

“On Monday. I have an appointment to see it before I go to the doctor’s.”

They were leaving town after a really nice meal that, so far, was staying down—although she’d quit long before she was full, having played this game before.

He went silent for so long, she finally said, “That’s your response? The silent treatment?”

“You know what I think of you moving to town. I don’t have to repeat myself. But I’ll come in with you to look at it. What time on Monday?”

“You don’t get a say,” she told him.

“I get a little bit of say, Meg. If the place is full of mold, I get a lot of say.”

“I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to take something that’s got a crack dealer living next door. Geez. Have some faith. He’ll at least be on another floor.”

No chuckle? Weird.

“I’d like to come to the doctor’s with you, too,” he said, tone coming down a notch from outright bossy to quietly firm.

Why did he have to sound all caring when he was being overbearing? It was a mixed message that confused the heck out of her.

“It’s just a meet and greet. My family doctor retired three years ago and I haven’t seen him since moving to Chicago after high school. Do you remember Rachel from the auction? She won the chef’s dinner with Ryan Henderson. Anyway, she’s a doctor and just moved back herself so I’m going to see if she wants to get up at three in the morning twenty-eight weeks from now for some screaming and yelling.”

“I need some things from the hardware store. No use taking two vehicles. I’ll pick you up and we’ll come in together.”

The story of ranch life: saving up all the errands for the one trip into town. She gave in because it was practical and she would have had to take Liz’s car anyway, having returned her rental before they went to Bozeman.

On Sunday she ran next door to see Skye who was in town for her mother’s birthday. Skye was a few years older, but given the isolation out here and the fact their mothers and brothers had been such close friends, they’d always been close as well. When she had a private moment with her, Meg told Skye about the baby. She didn’t want her to hear about it any other way, too aware how desperately Skye had wanted kids with her first husband.