Desperado: Deep in the Heart, Book 2 (23 page)

But she wasn’t in love with Jonathan. And in all the years she’d spent sleeping on shag carpets and beanbags and playing with other misfit love children, she’d wanted an Ozzie and Harriet existence for herself. Shoot, she’d settle for Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, if it meant that she and the man she loved stayed under one roof and raised a family—together.

“I don’t know, Jonathan,” she murmured. “I’m still trying to get over the shock of being pregnant.”

“Well.” He shot her a paternal glance. “Take your time. The offer’s open. In the meantime, you and I need to fly to Texas to do some sorting out. Apparently, the locals are giving the director a bit of a fit.” He grinned at her. “I’m not sure it’s their fault, either. This director is very difficult to deal with, as you know, and I believe he’s putting some noses out of joint. We’ll fly in there and take care of some things,” he said hurriedly, when she started to interrupt, “and leave the next morning.”

She got to her feet. “I’m too old for you to try to work this out for me, Jonathan.”

“I’m not! Honest!” He put a hand over his chest.

Stormy shook her head. “You can do this by yourself.”

“No. You’re the one who charmed the locals. They respond to you. I’ve heard this from more than one person. We go together.”

She pursed her lips, giving him a narrow-eyed stare. “I think you’re making this up out of some good-hearted intention.”

“Trust me, I’m far too busy. We need to do lunch with this director and try to gently break it to him that he’s got to take it easy with this batch of folks. In New York, we wouldn’t have this problem.” He sniffed disdainfully. “These country people apparently don’t like to be yelled at, and Cronich sounds like a bullhorn when he’s getting on someone’s case.”

“Oh, no,” Stormy murmured, wondering if Mary had been on the receiving end of any directorial angst. “Okay. But a quick trip, and that’s all. And I do lunch with a director and some soft-shoe about the problems and then you bring me home. Understood?”

“Completely.” Jonathan nodded, his silver hair gleaming in the light. “And your secret is safe with me.”

Chapter Fifteen

Rain finally came to Desperado, despite the weatherman’s prediction that the heat would continue without a break. The storm was vicious, throwing sheets of water against Cody’s face and blowing his clothes tight against his body as he got out of his truck near the movie set. With jagged lightning in the sky, he didn’t like the look of this particular storm. Though he was sure his niece wouldn’t appreciate his concern, he’d decided to pick her up and take her to his house until it passed.

The movie folks themselves were on their own, however. They had trailers and other shelter. He grunted, pushing against the rain until he found a door to the set and went in. Mary sat, apparently unworried, talking to a few of the more minor stars.

“Hey, Uncle Cody,” she called.

He nodded at the folks sitting around her. “Hey, ladybug. Want to come up to the house for a snack?”

A slight frown creased her face as she came over to hug him. “Uncle Cody,” she whispered, “did you come to see me, or Stormy?”

He leaned back and peered down at her. “What do you mean?” he asked in the same whisper.

“She’s here.” Mary glanced around them. “I don’t see her now, but she was here this morning. She spent the night in Austin last night.”

“Hm.” Cody couldn’t begin to put a name to the emotions that raced through his brain at the thought of Stormy being back. “Well, I came to take you home with me, but I also have a bone to pick with her.” He thought for a moment. “I don’t like the feel of this storm. I’m going to take you up to the house, and I’ll pick that bone with Stormy later.” It still rankled that she hadn’t spent the proverbial dime to call him on her previous trip through.

“Why do I have to go home?”

“Just for now, while filming’s basically stopped. I’ll bring you back later, I promise, as soon as it passes.”

“What about Stormy? If it’s not safe for me, it’s not safe for her,” she said with an authoritative tone.

He scratched under his collar. “I can’t take everybody home with me, ladybug. You’re my only concern.”

She eyed with him with an I-don’t-believe-you look. “I don’t think so, Uncle Cody,” she said in a singsong voice.

Sighing heavily, he said, “I haven’t seen Stormy in months, hon. What would I say? Come home with me, because you’ll be safer at my house?”

Mary brightened. “Hey, that would probably win her over.”

“I don’t want to win her over to anything,” he said gruffly. “Now look here, don’t go meddling. This is adult—”

“Stormy!” Mary cried with delight. “Come over here!”

Cody’s gut clenched so hard he couldn’t breathe. Sure enough, there was the woman who never got out of his dreams long enough to let him sleep the unbroken sleep of the peaceful man. Stormy walked toward him, her lustrous hair all cut off into a snappy pixie style, her wide lips hesitantly smiling under beautiful expressive eyes—and her belly sticking out four inches in front of her. Cody gulped, his eyes riveted to the mound moving toward him, emphasized by a short white dress with cap sleeves. “Oh, Lord,” he said under his breath.

“Hello, Cody,” she said, her voice soft.

His eyes snapped back up to hers. “Hi,” he managed on a rasp.

“Come on, Stormy.” Mary took her by the hand. “Uncle Cody’s going to take us up to his house. He says he doesn’t like this storm, and his house is the only place he feels we’ll be safe enough.”

She grabbed Stormy’s hand and herded her toward the door. Caught off guard, Cody barely jerked the door open in time for them to precede him. Without umbrellas, they ran to his truck and piled in.

“I’ve never seen rain like this!” Stormy said from the seat next to Cody.

The three of them had room to sit across the front seat of the truck, but Cody and Stormy were pressed elbow to elbow. He could smell her perfume, could see the almost shy look in her lovely gray eyes. Swallowing hard, his heart going a mile a minute, he switched on the engine and got the windshield wipers going. Water slashed to the left and then to the right with each motion of the wipers, but all Cody could think of was that Stormy had never looked better. Water beaded on the tip of her little ski nose, and he reached up to gently wipe it off.

She smiled self-consciously. “I bet I don’t even have any mascara left. It’s probably running down my face.”

He hadn’t gotten past her haunting eyes to notice. Damn, but he’d missed this woman! Dry-throated, he said, “You look fine,” and fixed his gaze to the windshield. Fiercely concentrating on the road that was quickly turning to mud, he headed the truck toward the house.

Mary, scallywag that she was for getting him into this mess—and he knew she’d done it on purpose—hadn’t said a word. Very uncharacteristic. His knuckles clenched around the steering wheel as he guided the truck over ruts and bumps in deference to the baby obviously growing inside Stormy. Cody wondered how to handle this very embarrassing matchmaking of his niece’s. Stormy might have been a virgin when he’d met her, but obviously she hadn’t waited long in finding another lover once she returned to her natural habitat. A large, sparkling engagement ring on her left hand burned a hole in his peripheral vision. He gulped, telling himself that Mary no doubt meant well, but she’d gotten him stuck in a vise-grip of a problem.

What was he doing with this pregnant woman in his truck? He hadn’t wanted to fall in love. His life was simple, and it needed to stay that way. Anger flared inside him, along with overwhelming fear and gnawing rejection.

In the beginning, Stormy had wanted his land for her movie project. Against his better judgment telling him not to, he’d agreed. Maybe even then he’d been falling for her. Certainly, he’d been under her spell. But if her stomach and that ring were any consideration, all she’d wanted was his land for her movie anyway.

He was the fool for stepping into the trap of wishing there could be more.

At the house, he parked the truck and eyed the heavy rain. “I could get an umbrella, but I don’t think it’d make much difference.”

“I think we’d be better off running for it.” Stormy met his gaze, and they both looked away at the same split second.

“You’re going to ruin your shoes,” he said gruffly. On her feet were delicate white high-heeled sandals, which would never survive the mud. No doubt she’d twist her ankle trying to run and he didn’t want that to happen.

With that teasing smile of hers, she slipped off her sandals. “I’ll just leave them in your truck for safekeeping.”

A muscle worked spasmodically near his Adam’s apple as he looked at her bare feet and smooth white legs. His gaze slid up to the skirt hem, which ended at midthigh.

“You’d better carry her, Uncle Cody.” Mary leaned up to look past Stormy at him. “If she slips in the mud, she might hurt her baby.”

He quickly checked Stormy’s reaction to Mary’s suggestion, glancing just as fast at her stomach.
There can’t be a baby in there!
his mind shouted. Only six months ago he’d been loving her body. How could she have turned to someone else so fast?

He felt like a fool.

“He doesn’t have to carry me,” Stormy said swiftly. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

“No. Mary’s right.” He steeled himself for the feel of her as he opened the truck door and scooped her into his arms. “Mary, wait here. I’ll be right back for you.”

He lifted Stormy out and kicked the door shut behind him with his boot heel. She put her head against his chest so that she nestled under his chin. Torrents of rain slashed against them, but Cody didn’t care. The feel of Stormy tucked protectively into his arms was heaven. He walked up the porch steps and gently deposited her in front of the door. Unlocking it, he said, “I expect you remember where the bathroom is. Grab a towel to dry off with.”

And then, because he couldn’t bear the look in her eyes, the look that said
thank you
, and, worse, acknowledged the attraction still burning as hot as ever between them, Cody turned to get his niece out of the truck.

Mary bounded up onto the porch.

“I thought I told you to wait.” He eyed her bare feet, and the flat tennis shoes dangling from her hand.

“I know. But there’s no point in you having to come out after me. I can take care of myself.” She gave him a mischievous grin.

“You might have slipped and hurt yourself,” he said gruffly.

“Yeah, but I’m not pregnant. I’d only have hurt my bottom.” She ran past him into the house.

“Damn well better never be pregnant until you’re married,” he grumbled under his breath. He hoped Stormy realized she needed to set a good example for his niece. None of this glamour puss, Hollywood fast life for Mary. Stormy might be unmarried and expecting a baby, but in his home he frowned upon it. He hoped Stormy realized that on this subject, Hollywood and Desperado, Texas, might as well be different continents. This getting pregnant and maybe-we-will, maybe-we-won’t-make-it-to-the-altar stuff was unacceptable.

She walked out of the bathroom toward him, carrying a towel. He clean missed her intention to dry him off because he was staring at how the white dress molded to her stomach. Gosh, she looked big right there. And her breasts were fuller, too. Lots fuller. He felt desire beginning to build inside him. Pregnancy definitely agreed with her.

Soft hands pressed a towel against his head, rubbing lightly. Helplessly, he stared down the smooth expanse of her arm, through the armhole of her dress where he could see a white lacy bra. He’d never known this woman to wear a white bra before. But the white looked clean and enticing, just like the jiggle of her breasts as she moved around him.

Electrified, he allowed her to rub the water off his neck. The cotton was soft, yet somehow scratchy, and her fingers were firm as she plied the towel.

Cody closed his eyes as she patted his hair down, her fingernails crisply pecking at his skin. What in the heck was he going to do with this woman? He had never gotten over her.

“Where’s your mother?” Stormy asked. “I thought she’d meet us at the door.”

“Ma moved out.” The spell broken for him, Cody moved away. Without meeting Stormy’s eyes, he sat down and reached to pull a boot off.

“Moved out? Can I ask why?”

“You can. I doubt I have a good answer.” He doubted he had a good answer to anything. Stormy was wearing the snake teeth she’d stolen from him, in a gaudy, earth-mother kind of necklace that suited her. Why? It didn’t imply any kind of commitment, or longing, for him, not if she was wearing an engagement ring. “She felt like she was keeping me from settling down.” He glanced up at her. “Why don’t you have Mary grab you something of Ma’s to wear so you can dry out?”

“Okay.”

She moved past him, her white legs slick with dampness. Cody pulled his gaze away and tossed his boots onto the fireplace ledge to dry. Thunder boomed, rattling the windows of the house, and lightning cracked so near that the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He couldn’t see his truck from the window for the water blowing sideways against the house. There was a big storm churning his stomach, too.

Going into the kitchen, he filled a pot with water. “Want some tea?” he yelled.

“Yes, please.” Stormy joined him in the kitchen, looking much more relaxed and less sinful in a flowered housecoat of his mother’s. Cody felt himself relaxing just a bit. Her stomach was less visible under a flowing robe. Now maybe he could get through this storm without staring at her body every second.