The Texan's Surprise Baby (15 page)

A shadow fell over her desk and she looked around with a professional smile that quavered just a bit when she saw Andrew standing there, looking delectable as always despite his bandage and bruises. Memories of the night before slammed through her, making her have to swallow before attempting to greet him breezily. “Hi.”

He leaned comfortably against the end of the reception desk. “Hi, how’s it going?”

“It’s been busy. Between the phone and guests, I haven’t been able to get to the marketing work I wanted to do today.”

Andrew shook his head. “You’re trying to do too much.”

“I agree,” she said wryly. “I think it’s time we hire a couple more people for office work. We thought we’d hold off a couple months until Lori goes back to school, but that’s not working out. I’m going to run a help wanted ad next week.”

“But you could take off next week if you decide to accompany me to Dallas?”

“I suppose I could,” she reluctantly conceded. “But I—”

“Don’t decide just yet,” he cut in. “Think about it some more, okay?”

She nodded, relieved to have a respite. “Did you talk to Chuck?”

“He’s out of town. Left last night, won’t be back for a week. Visiting his mother, reportedly.”

“In Beaumont?”

He nodded. “That’s what I was told. Do you know her name and address so I can check that?”

“I have it in my files. She lives in an assisted living facility. Wade was never particularly interested in visiting his grandmother, but I met her a couple of times. She’s a little vague.”

He nodded. “I’ll look into it.”

“Do you think leaving town rules Chuck out or makes it even more likely that he broke my porch, then ran?”

“Could be either. But at least he’s not around to bother you for a few days, assuming he really is in Beaumont.”

“Then there’s no need for me to leave. I’d be fine staying here,” she pointed out.

Andrew frowned. “You’re still assuming Chuck was behind the incidents. I haven’t proven that. I’m not going to be completely comfortable leaving you unprotected until I know for certain.”

She resisted an impulse to roll her eyes. “I’m hardly unprotected. My sister and cousins have stopped by every ten minutes or so today to check on me.”

“I’d still rather have you with me,” he said, his voice dropping to an intimate level that made a little shiver course down her spine.

“I’ll, um, I’ll think about it,” she told him again.

He nodded and straightened from the desk. “I assume you’ve already eaten lunch?”

“Yes, I had a sandwich earlier.”

“Maybe I’ll just get a cup of soup to hold me until dinner.” He glanced toward the diner. “Your aunt makes good soup.”

Following his glance, she saw Patricia leaving the diner, directing a hooded glance toward Hannah and Andrew on her way out. Hannah offered a little wave, which Patricia returned with a glum nod.

“She’s still here?” Andrew seemed surprised. “I haven’t seen her since I moved out of the motel.”

“Still here. I’m not sure how much longer she’s staying.”

“Wonder what her story is.”

Hearing the thoughtful curiosity in his tone, Hannah laughed softly and shook her head. “You can’t run checks on everyone in the resort, Andrew. You’re already looking into Chuck and Zach. Have you found out anything about Zach, by the way?”

“That’s what I’ve been doing since I got back from Cavender’s place. Zach’s juvenile records are sealed and he’s kept his nose clean for at least the past couple of years. His band has a few upcoming gigs, and he works part-time giving guitar lessons. He spends a lot of time in bars and clubs, but considering his career aspirations, that’s to be expected.”

Hannah frowned. “Hardly the most secure career he could pursue. Not to mention the lifestyle that goes along with it—constant travel, uncertain income, groupies, drugs...I’d hate to see Lori get wrapped up in all that.”

Andrew chuckled. “Now who’s being overprotective? Not to mention that you’re stereotyping every young guy who ever played in a band. I have a couple of cousins who went through the band stage, and they’ve all turned out okay. Your cousin’s just going through the typical rebellion stage, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.”

“You’re probably right,” Hannah conceded sheepishly. “I guess it comes from being the oldest. I tend to think I have to look after the others.”

“My cousin Jason would identify with that,” Andrew said with a chuckle.

“Is he an eldest cousin, too?”

“Well, technically, he’s the second of the fifteen Walker cousins, but there’s a sixteen-year gap between him and my oldest cousin, Brynn. He’s always seemed like the first of our generation, while Brynn seems more comfortable with our parents.”

Her baby was going to have a lot of relatives, Hannah thought a few minutes later, after Andrew left to eat. She had to occasionally remind herself that the child was as much a Walker as she was a Bell. Just as her parents were going to have to get used to the idea of sharing their grandchild with another set of grandparents. She sighed, telling herself that the sooner she and Andrew broke the news, the sooner everyone could start adjusting. It seemed clear that tonight at dinner would be the natural time, which meant she would warn Andrew to be prepared for the resulting fallout. She had only a few hours to brace herself and decide exactly what she wanted to say.

Chapter Eight

A
ndrew just happened to be hanging around when Hannah was ready to go back to her place before the planned dinner with her parents. Resisting an impulse to sigh, she climbed into a golf cart with him and allowed him to drive her the half mile home, though she had planned to walk for the exercise. It just seemed easier not to argue. This time.

He insisted on checking her steps and newly constructed railing before she climbed the stairs to her front door. Only when he’d confirmed that everything was solid did he move aside to allow her to enter.

“Thank you,” she said, her sarcasm either sailing over his head or simply going unacknowledged as he followed her in.

“Are you kidding?” she murmured when he then made a show of checking all the windows and the back door for signs of entrance. “Don’t you think you’re carrying this a little too far?”

“Not where your safety is concerned,” he replied, unperturbed by her tone. “Everything looks good.”

“Of course it does.” Shaking her head, she motioned toward the kitchen. “There’s iced tea in the fridge if you want a glass. I want to freshen up before we head to Mom and Dad’s house. Or, of course, you could meet me there later.”

“I’ll have some tea,” he said, not at all to her surprise. He wasn’t leaving her alone even for the half hour remaining before they were expected to join her family for dinner. She was going to have to discuss this with him of course. She would be smothered if she couldn’t have even a few minutes to herself, and she needed to convince him that she was perfectly capable of using caution on her own behalf. It was just one of the many things they were going to talk about after she washed her face, freshened her makeup and brushed her hair—all an excuse to give her a few minutes alone to compose her arguments.

He sat on the couch when she returned, a half-filled glass of tea on the coffee table, his ever-present phone in his hand. More work emails, she suspected. His responsibilities in Dallas had to be weighing on his mind as much as his concerns here.

She sat on the other end of the couch, half turned to face him. “Andrew—”

He set his phone aside. “You want me to back off. I’m trying.”

He had a real knack for knowing exactly what she was about to say. Still, she said, “You can’t be my full-time bodyguard.”

“I know,” he conceded with visible reluctance. He reached out to cover her hand on her knee with his. “I just want to take care of you.”

Something inside her melted in response to his words and the gentle tone in which he’d said them, but she made herself stay strong. “You know, since I found the backbone to divorce Wade a year and a half ago, I’ve gotten into the habit of taking care of myself. I like it.”

“I know that, too. And I have to admit, it makes me wonder if there’s a place for me in the life you’ve made for yourself.”

She moistened her lips, trying to decide what he meant. Was he saying he wanted a place in her life? Permanently?

The baby gave a particularly vigorous kick to her rib cage, probably because she was twisted on the couch, and she shifted into a more comfortable position, her free hand going automatically to her side. Andrew followed that movement with his eyes. “Is she kicking?”

“Yes. Do you want to feel her?” After their lovemaking last night, he had been fascinated by the hard little lumps and bumps beneath her skin, the rolling, kicking movements of their child inside her. Hannah had fallen asleep very quickly, but she wondered how long Andrew had lain awake, thinking about the future, visualizing the daughter he would be meeting in a few months.

“Of course,” he said, pressing his palm to her side, just where the baby’s foot was performing a little tap dance. “Wow, she’s really getting her exercise, isn’t she?”

“Getting stronger every day.”

He slowly moved his hand away, as though he would have liked to leave it there longer. “I haven’t even thought to ask if you have a name for her yet.”

“Not really. After all, we just found out yesterday that she’s a girl.” It made her head spin a bit to realize how much had happened in the past few days. It was no wonder she hadn’t found time to make lists of potential names. “Um, do you have any favorite girls’ names?”

Looking a little dazed, he shook his head. “I haven’t thought about it yet, either. I mean, choosing a name for our kid makes it all pretty real, doesn’t it?”

It had been real for Hannah for several months now, but Andrew still had a way to go to catch up. “Yes.”

“She’ll probably have dark hair, because you and I both inherited our mothers’ dark coloring. My dad’s hair is lighter, and his eyes are light blue. So our daughter’s eyes could be any color, but I hope she gets your jade-green. You have beautiful eyes.”

From Andrew, that was almost a poetic speech. It made her cheeks warm in instinctive pleasure. “She may well have your brown eyes, because I believe brown is dominant, but we’ll see.”

“Whichever, she’ll still be beautiful.”

“Yes.” Hannah had no doubt that their daughter would be beautiful to them. She already loved this baby so much her heart ached with it. She suspected Andrew was quickly feeling the same way. Family was as important to him as to her, and he made no secret of his affection for them.

As for their feelings for each other...

She loved him, she thought with a hard swallow. She had loved him almost from the beginning. He’d come into her life at a time of turmoil, bringing with him sanity, certainty and reassurance. He’d listened to her, respected her, comforted her and deferred to her—all things she and her battered ego had needed at that time. She’d fallen for his compassion, his competence, his quiet humor, his undeniable physical appeal. The whole package. She’d loved him when she’d invited him into her bed in Dallas, even though she’d been convinced then it wouldn’t last. Now she knew she would love him the rest of her life.

Maybe he was trying to convince himself he loved her, too. But despite her own certainty, how could she trust his feelings to last, considering the current circumstances? He wouldn’t even be here with her now if it were not for her unexpected pregnancy. Yes, she had been the one to ask him not to contact her after that night in December, but she’d had good reasons then, and still thought her decision had been valid. Maybe just as valid now.

“Hannah—”

“Claire,” she blurted in a sudden panic at what he might say. “I’ve always liked the name Claire. Do you like it?”

He blinked, then nodded. “I like it.”

“My mother’s middle name is Elizabeth. I think Claire Elizabeth is a pretty name, don’t you?”

“Very nice.”

Claire Elizabeth...Bell? Walker? Bell-Walker? She suspected that question nagged at Andrew just as it did at her. He didn’t have to tell her which he preferred. She knew he wanted his child to carry his name. But he would probably agree to whatever she ultimately decided, as long as he had an active role in the child’s life.

“Have you given any more thought to going with me to Dallas tomorrow?”

She tucked her hair behind her left ear. “I’m still thinking about it.”

“You haven’t entirely ruled it out?”

“No,” she admitted. She wasn’t afraid to stay here, but maybe she should be with him when he told his parents about the baby. It would only be fair, because she planned to tell hers with him there tonight.

It would be natural for his parents to worry about what he’d gotten himself into, maybe even to question the character of the woman who was carrying his baby. As far as she knew, Andrew wasn’t one of the superwealthy, but from what she’d gleaned about them, his family lived quite comfortably. They owned businesses and had a reputation to consider. Putting herself in their shoes, she could see how they would be concerned if he simply told them out of the blue that he was having a child with a woman they’d never met. She supposed she owed it to him as a simple courtesy to meet and reassure them, especially because Andrew was going out of his way to accommodate her on so many counts.

“I’ll talk to the family, see if there would be any problem with my taking another week off,” she conceded. “I still haven’t decided, but maybe.”

The flare of satisfaction in his eyes suggested he was confident she would be leaving with him tomorrow. “Good.”

She started to warn him again not to be so certain, but decided to let it go. It was true that she hadn’t ruled it out, so maybe she would go. Actually, maybe she’d be glad to get away for a few days after tonight.

“I’ve decided we should tell my family at dinner,” she said, knowing there was no need to be more specific. “You’re right, the longer I wait, the more likely it is they’ll find out anyway. They deserve to hear the truth from me.”

Andrew cleared his throat. “I think you should know that Aaron already knows. I didn’t tell him,” he added quickly. “Shelby figured it out and when Aaron asked me outright if it was true, I couldn’t lie to him.”

She couldn’t be mad at him of course. “Maggie knows, too,” she confessed. “For the same reason—she made an educated guess.”

Had any other members of her family reached the same conclusion? Her parents? Her aunt or uncle? She doubted that Mimi had, because her grandmother would never be able to keep quiet about it.

“Then it’s definitely time you tell your parents,” Andrew said. “Your dad’s going to give me enough evil-eye looks as it is.”

“Dad won’t blame you.”

“Dads always blame the guy,” he retorted. “Just wait a few years and see how I react to any guy who comes sniffing around our daughter.”

She bit her lower lip, trying to imagine what it would be like to share a teenage daughter with Andrew.

He cleared his throat, drawing her thoughts back to the present. “How, um, how do you think your family is going to react? Really?”

She’d been trying to predict that since she’d first realized in utter shock that she was pregnant. She’d known from the beginning that eventually she would have to tell them about that night in Dallas—after she’d told Andrew of course. She still didn’t know exactly how they would feel about it.

“I think they’ll be fine with it,” she answered him cautiously. “Everyone likes you. Maggie was certainly pleased when I confirmed her guess.”

“Are you prepared for the questions? About how we got together, I mean.”

Her cheeks warmed. “To an extent. They don’t need too many details of course.”

A quick flare of heat in his eyes made her suspect he was remembering a few of those details himself, but he moved on. “You know your grandparents—and maybe your parents, too—will ask if we plan to marry.”

She winced. He had just stated the very reason she’d been so resistant to telling her family. “Yes, probably. Especially Mimi.”

“Yeah, she was already trying to push us that way. She’ll be even more determined now.”

Hannah lifted her chin. “We’ll just have to tell her to butt out. I’ll try to be gentle about it, but if she persists, I’ll have to get firm with her.”

“And that’s all the answer you plan to give them?” He watched her face closely as he asked, making her wonder just where this was leading.

“I’ll make a general statement that we haven’t yet worked out the details, but that both of us want you to be an important part of our child’s life,” she said. “We still have so much to discuss, but the family needs to back off while we make our decisions.”

“Just so you know, I think marriage is one of the options we should consider.”

She felt her jaw start to drop, and quickly snapped it shut again. Surely he didn’t consider that a proposal. If so, it had to be the least romantic attempt ever! Not that she wanted him to go on one knee or anything, she quickly assured herself. More likely, he was just outlining all the options, feasible or not, in that ultraorganized and compulsively thorough manner of his.

She abruptly rose from the couch, having looked ahead just about all she could for the moment. “Maybe we should head on over. I’ll see if there’s anything I can do to give Mom a hand with dinner.”

He stood, sliding his phone into his pocket. She thought she saw him square his shoulders before he said, “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

Even though they were a few minutes early, the rest of the family—with the exception of Lori—had already gathered at the home of Hannah’s parents. Andrew noted that his entrance with Hannah was greeted in various ways—beaming approval from her grandmother, distracted welcome from her parents, barely veiled excitement from the younger members of the family who were in on the secret. A big brisket had been in the smoker all day to be served with roasted vegetables and yeast rolls. A carnivorous family, this, but then, most of his were, too. While he was generally just as happy with veggies, he had to admit the Texas mesquite-smoked meat smelled delicious.

Like the other two houses in the compound, this one had an open floor plan with bedrooms set off down a hallway on one side and few walls in the common living area. Kitchen, dining and living areas flowed together so that visiting was easier. A large-screen TV hung above a fireplace in one cozy corner formed by a sectional sofa and comfortable chairs; a game table and bookcases filled another corner. Framed photographs covered nearly every surface, mostly of Hannah and Maggie in various stages of growing up, but also quite a few of the rest of the extended family. There was plenty of seating for eating around a table with eight chairs and a quartz-topped bar with four tall stools with padded leather backrests. Because there were exactly twelve for dinner, Aaron, Shelby, Steven and Maggie claimed the barstools, leaving the table for everyone else.

“Is Lori not joining us?” Maggie asked as she helped set out silverware. “She and I had talked about taking a trail ride tomorrow. We haven’t done that in forever.”

“I haven’t heard from her,” Sarah complained. “She left this morning without a word to anyone. Your dad and I didn’t even see her leave. We were still getting ready for the day. Heaven only knows when she’ll be home.”

“I know one thing for certain,” C.J. said with a scowl, “she and I are going to be having a talk when she finally gets home. This running around at all hours, neglecting her responsibilities at home and work, not even giving us the courtesy of telling us when she’s going to be home has got to stop. We’ve been too lenient with her. We never would have let Steven or Shelby get away with this behavior—not that either of them were ever so inconsiderate.”