Читать книгу What If I'm Pregnant...? - Carla Cassidy - Страница 10

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.