Читать книгу Secret Surrogate - Delores Fossen, Delores Fossen - Страница 11

“This isn’t necessary,” Kylie grumbled. Again.

Lucas ignored her. Again.

Balancing the cell phone that he had sandwiched between his shoulder and his ear, he gently deposited Kylie onto the paper-covered examining table. She was still groggy, but not so groggy that it prevented her from insisting that she could have walked into the clinic on her own.

Yeah, right.

She was wearing only those flimsy socks. And the temperature had been below freezing. The ground had been hard and slick with frost. Still, if Lucas hadn’t been concerned that she might fall flat on her face, he would have given in to her protests and let her test her theory concerning her walking capabilities. But a fall might have injured her baby. Or even her. Despite how he felt about Kylie, Lucas hadn’t been about to risk that.

“You can wait out there, Lucas,” Dr. Finn McGrath insisted. And to clarify what he meant by out there, Finn hitched his thumb in the direction of the empty reception area just outside the examining room.

“She’ll be okay, right?” Lucas asked.

That earned him a flat look from Finn, a man he’d known all his thirty-one years of life. His best friend.

“I know, I know. Your psychic skills are a little rusty,” Lucas jested.

“But you’re in luck,” Finn replied. “I’m not too rusty in the medical department.”

Lucas appreciated his friend’s attempt to settle him down, but the attempt was wasted. “They drugged her with something,” he explained.

“Yeah. Figured that out.” Finn put a hand on Lucas’s back to get him moving. “I’ll examine her. But since examining her means making sure she doesn’t have any injuries beneath her gown, I don’t think Kylie will want you to be in the room for that. Doubt you’ll want to be there, either.”

No. He didn’t. And it made Lucas more than a little uncomfortable to think of Kylie and what was beneath that gown. Best to think of her only as his former deputy.

As his enemy.

As his most recent 911 call.

Unfortunately, it was impossible to leave out the part about her being pregnant and apparently in a whole boatload of danger.

“I need to bag her clothes,” Lucas reminded Finn. “I can send them to the crime lab in Austin to see if they recover any trace evidence.”

“Yes, I figured that out, too.” Finn pressed a little harder on Lucas’s back. “Don’t worry. Clothes will be bagged and tagged, and I’ll scrounge up something around here for her to wear.”

Lucas nodded and stepped into the reception area. He hadn’t really noticed it on the way in—mainly because his brain had been too occupied with Kylie and her need for medical attention—but he saw the recent changes Finn had made in the office. A wall mural of a serene pasture dotted with bluebonnets and longhorns. A children’s corner stocked with all sorts of toys and books. Gone was the old loveseat, and in its place were four navy leather chairs. Nice ones. But Lucas was too antsy to make use of the chairs. And he was too tired to pace. So, he leaned against the wall and waited.

He glanced at the tiny screen on his phone to determine if he was still on hold. He was connected, which meant Sheriff Knight was no doubt trying to come up with a situation report on the crime scene, so Lucas used the downtime to try to figure out what the heck was going on.

Two men, both armed, had tried to kidnap Kylie.

Why?

They hadn’t wanted to kill her, that’s for sure, or she would have been dead before he could have gotten to her. Not exactly something he cared to admit. But he knew it was true. After mentally reconstructing the possible scenarios, Lucas figured the kidnappers had had more than ample opportunity to murder Kylie while she was still inside her house. But instead, they’d taken her outside. Toward the lake. Probably to some waiting vehicle.

And that’s where his scenario reconstruction dropped like a sack of rocks.

Once he’d carried Kylie to his truck so he could get her to the doctor’s office, he’d called Dillon Knight, the sheriff from the neighboring town, and asked him to proceed with backup to Kylie’s house. Knight’s initial report was that there were no signs of the kidnappers or a ransom note. Plus, Lucas knew Kylie wasn’t a good candidate for a ransom demand since she wasn’t wealthy.

That ruled out kidnapping for money.

It didn’t rule out kidnapping for other reasons.

Revenge. Criminal intent. Perhaps even a way of silencing or punishing her. He’d need to narrow down the possible motives so he could narrow down the list of possible suspects.

“How far along are you in the pregnancy?” Finn asked Kylie.

Even though Lucas didn’t hear Kylie’s softly delivered answer, the question sent Lucas’s blood pressure up a significant notch. He glanced into the examining room. Finn hadn’t shut the door all the way—it was open just a few inches—but it gave Lucas a much clearer view than he wanted.

Kylie had her gaze fastened toward the ceiling, and her left arm was angled so that the back of her hand rested against her forehead. Finn had indeed pushed her gown up to her waist, exposing her bare legs. And her panties. Cotton. Nothing provocative.

Lucas mentally repeated that to himself.

And wondered why it didn’t sink in.

Finn had a stethoscope pressed to Kylie’s stomach, which was also bare, and after a couple of moments, he gave an approving nod.

Finn’s gaze met Lucas’s and with that brief look, Finn conveyed his concern. His empathy.

And his questions.

Finn knew the hell that Lucas and Kylie had gone through. And he also knew that Kylie had had a huge part in creating that particular hell. Now, Finn was probably wondering how Lucas was dealing with the fact that Kylie was pregnant.

Lucas wasn’t dealing with it well.

“Is the baby okay?” Kylie asked.

Finally, she was speaking normally. No slurred words. No mumbling. Lucas felt relief. Then anger for feeling relief that she was apparently all right. Then guilt for feeling the anger.

Oh, man.

Much more of this, and he’d need therapy.

“The baby’s got a steady, solid heartbeat,” Finn relayed in a voice loud enough so that Lucas could hear. “Your heartbeat’s solid as well, Kylie. No visible signs of injury other than a few bruises and scrapes.”

So she wasn’t seriously hurt. That was something at least.

“Lucas?” he heard the person on the other end of the phone line say. Sheriff Dillon Knight. Lucas welcomed the intrusion. Heck, at this point he’d welcome anything as long as he didn’t have to think about Kylie, her baby and what was going on in that examining room.

“You found something?” Lucas asked, tuning out what Kylie was now saying to Finn.

“Nothing good. It looks as if the men made a getaway on the old lake road.”

That’s what Lucas had figured, too. “There will be tire tracks. And blood. I used my knife on one of them, and he probably left a trail of his DNA all the way to the lake.”

“I saw that. We’ve got the area cordoned off so the county forensic guys can come out and have a look. Maybe they’ll find a print or two. Or else they can run the blood and find a match in CODIS.”

CODIS, the Combined DNA Index System. A data bank of sorts. But the only way there’d be a match would be if the wounded would-be kidnapper’s DNA was already on file in the system.

Which wasn’t too much of a long shot.

After all, neither man had been tentative about committing a felony. They’d probably done something criminal before. Or at least, Lucas hoped they had. Because a match in CODIS would give him a name. And with a name, he might be able to figure out why this had happened. That was vital; he needed to solve this case so there’d be no reason for him to be around Kylie.

“I’ll keep you posted,” Sheriff Knight told him as he ended the call.

Lucas slipped his phone into his jacket pocket, turned back to the doorway and saw Finn standing there, his hands bracketed on each side of the jamb. In physical appearance, they were practically opposites. Finn, with his moon-blond hair, blue eyes and his natural surfer-dude tan. Definitely not a typical Texas cowboy. Lucas knew the man didn’t even own a pair of boots. No Stetson, either. And Finn liked to boast that he’d never been within ten feet of a horse. Even when he wore green scrubs, like now, he still managed to look as if he’d just stepped off a surfboard.

“She’ll be okay,” Finn let him know. He handed Lucas a clear plastic bag that contained Kylie’s clothes. “I drew some blood so I can figure out what they used to sedate her. But she should have a checkup by her regular OB. She should have an ultrasound, too.”

Lucas glanced over Finn’s shoulder and saw Kylie. She was now wearing a set of Finn’s scrubs. And yet another pair of socks.

“You can’t do the ultrasound here?” Lucas asked.

“Sorry. Don’t have the equipment.” Finn hooked the stethoscope around his neck, yawned and rubbed his eyes. “There are a lot of advantages to living in a small town like Fall Creek, but we’re Podunkville as far as that type of medical service. She’ll have to go to a larger facility for it.”

Lucas considered it and mentally cursed. “It was Kylie’s trip into San Antonio that might have led to the kidnapping attempt. Kylie had said something about two men possibly following her home.”

“Yes,” Kylie verified. “They did.”

“That means a trip back into the city isn’t a good idea,” Lucas concluded.

At least, not alone. However, it wasn’t a trip Lucas intended to make with her. He’d have to turn this over to a deputy or else Sheriff Knight. This eerie proximity with Kylie Monroe was a lot more than he could handle.

“I’ll drive her in the morning,” Finn volunteered, probably sensing what was on Lucas’s mind. “I have a colleague who manages one of those back-to-nature kind of birthing facilities just outside San Antonio. It’s in the country. Very serene. Off the beaten path. And private. He’ll let me use his ultrasound machine. We’ll keep everything hush-hush.”

Lucas nodded, conveying his thanks. Hopefully, a private facility also meant a safe one.

When there was the sound of movement in the examining room, Finn turned, angling his body so that Lucas and he had a clear view of Kylie. She tried to get up…and failed. With a groan, she eased back down onto the table.

“They used chloroform on me, didn’t they?” Kylie asked. She didn’t wait for an answer. “Will it hurt the baby?”

“Probably not,” Finn answered. “We’ll know more in a day or two when I get back the test results.”

Another soft groan. But a groan wasn’t her only reaction. A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly swiped it away. “Did anyone catch the men who did this to me?”

Finn stepped aside. That was Lucas’s cue to fill her in and ask a few questions so he’d have info for the report he would have to make. “They’re still at large.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful,” she mumbled.

Lucas ignored the sarcasm and got to work. “Did you get a good look at either of the men?”

Judging from the way her forehead bunched up, she considered that. “No. They were both wearing ski masks. Both dressed in all black. One was about six-one, the other about two inches taller. The taller one had light gray eyes. And he said something like, ‘Don’t hurt the kid or her. We’re to deliver her to the boss. So they can talk.’”

“Talk?” Lucas repeated skeptically.

“I didn’t believe that’s what they had on their minds, either.” She tried to sit up again. This time, she succeeded. Well, for the most part. Kylie wobbled, and she grasped the sides of the examining table. Her gaze came to his. “I’m sorry, Lucas. I’m so sorry.”

He didn’t want her apology. Nor did he want her to specify why she was sorry. Maybe it was for Marissa. Or maybe it was because she believed she’d placed him in danger with her 911 call. It was true that she had, but being placed in danger came with his job.

“I’ve got to phone a few people and take care of the arrangements for the ultrasound,” Finn said, making his way out of the room.

Leaving Lucas alone with Kylie.

Lucas decided the best approach to this was the most obvious one—to continue his interview. He was the sheriff, after all, and he’d questioned many victims of many crimes. He would treat this one no differently than the others.

He stopped and admitted that it was a sad day in a man’s life when he started lying to himself.

He had no choice but to treat this case differently. Because this case involved Kylie.

She shook her head. Winced. Wobbled again. Flashed him when she tried to use her leg to maintain her balance. She probably would have fallen if Lucas hadn’t reached out and snagged her shoulders.

“Thanks.” She dropped her head against his right arm. Eased against him.

As if she belonged there.

And for some stupid reason, he didn’t move. He let her stay.

She was shaking, and she looked up at him. Her eyes were ripe with fatigue, spent adrenaline and the aftereffects of the kidnappers’ drug.

“I’m scared,” she whispered. It was an admission he’d never heard Kylie make. And it was true. He could see that stark fear on her face. He could feel it in her. “They could have killed us. You, me, the baby. All three of us.”

“But they didn’t.”

There was no indication in her body language that she believed him. “And here I was so full of myself. So cocky about how I didn’t anyone want to protect me. God, Lucas.” Her voice broke and became a hoarse sob. More tears came. “I was wrong, and that mistake could have cost you everything again. They could have killed your baby.”

His heart actually skipped a beat.

Your baby.

Lucas opened his mouth to correct her. And might have done that if he hadn’t felt Kylie freeze. She went completely stiff; that extreme reaction had him staring down at her.

She pulled back, meeting his gaze head-on. In the depths of all that blue, Lucas saw something in her eyes that he didn’t understand.

He shook his head.

“It’s true,” Kylie said, as if that explained everything.

It took him a moment just to ask what he needed to ask. “What’s true?”

“The only reason I’m telling you this is because I’m afraid I can’t protect this baby by myself. Not now. Not with those men still out there.”

“What are you telling me exactly?” Lucas tried to brace himself for the answer. Judging from her expression, he couldn’t possibly brace himself enough.

A moment later, Kylie confirmed that.

“When you applied for a surrogate, I pulled some strings. Called in a few favors.” He watched the words form on her lips, and each one stabbed through him. “Lucas, I’m your surrogate, and this baby I’m carrying is yours.”

WELL, THAT IMPROMPTU confession cleared Kylie’s head.

The residual effects of the kidnappers’ drug vanished, leaving her with vision and a brain that was a little too clear. That clarity allowed her to see the thunderstruck expression on Lucas’s face.

“My baby?” he mumbled.

She watched that register. First, he shook his head. Stared at her. Shook his head again.

Then it sank in.

He stepped back, his chest pumping as if he were suddenly starved for air. He tried to speak. Couldn’t. He looked as if he were on the verge of seriously losing it. Kylie reached for him, but he put up his hands, palms out, in a back-off gesture.

“Why?” he finally asked.

She didn’t know how he had managed to speak. His teeth were practically clamped together, and his jaw muscles had seemingly turned to iron. But those responses were tame compared to that look in his eyes. There was fire mixed with all those shades of brown. Fire and brimstone.

“Why?” Kylie repeated. “I’ve asked myself that more than a few times.”

“Is this some kind of warped punishment?” Lucas’s anger chilled his voice. “Your way of torturing me?”

She’d anticipated a few of the things Lucas might say if he ever learned the truth, but that hadn’t been one of them. “No. God, no. It’s because of what happened to Marissa.”

“Don’t. I don’t want to talk about her.”

Kylie didn’t even consider heeding his warning. Despite his glare. Despite his defensive posture. They had to get a few things straight. “I did this because of what Marissa said when she was dying. ‘Don’t let my death kill Lucas. Look after him. Help him heal. Make sure he’s happy.’ And that’s what I promised her I would do. I owed her that promise. But you wouldn’t let me help you.”

“I didn’t want you to do any of those things for me,” Lucas protested, stabbing his accusing index finger in her direction. “I didn’t want your help. I still don’t. In fact, the only thing I wanted from you was never to see you again.”

Now, that she’d expected him to say. Too bad she hadn’t planned a perfectly worded response. Too bad that his words hurt.

“You think this was an easy decision for me to make?” she asked. “Well, it wasn’t. I agonized over it. I’m twenty-nine years old, Lucas, and haven’t had a relationship with a man in years. This may be the only baby I ever have, and it’s not even mine. Hear that? It’s not a baby I can hope that you’ll share with me.”

Nothing she said soothed him. In fact, it had the opposite effect. His jaw muscles jerked. And it seemed as if Lucas were about to let go of the choke hold he had on his anger and other emotions.

“And at no point during this monumental decision-making process did it occur to you to ask me if I wanted you for a surrogate?” he stormed. “No. That would have too reasonable. Something a sane, normal person would have done. And you know what I would have said if you’d asked, Kylie? I would have told you that there’s no way in hell I want you to be the mother of my child.”

Oh, that stung.

Mercy.

And here she thought she was somewhat immune to anything Lucas could say to her. She was obviously wrong.

“I made a promise to Marissa,” Kylie reminded him. Because that was the true bottom line of why she’d made her decision. Yes, her guilt had contributed to it. So had her need to somehow pay for her mistake. But if Marissa hadn’t asked, Kylie wouldn’t have become Lucas’s surrogate. “And I always keep my promises.”

“Oh, that’s a good one.” He took several steps toward her and got right in her face. “What about the promise to keep the citizens of Fall Creek safe? What about your sworn oath to follow regs? Regs you ignored when you went after those two men who robbed the convenience store? Was it worth it, Kylie? Was Marissa’s and my baby’s lives worth catching two scumbags who’d stolen a hundred and twenty-three dollars?”

Kylie had no answer for that, and she’d tried for nearly three years to find one. She’d made a fatal mistake that day. Not waiting for backup. Proceeding on foot after two armed suspects. Though waiting for backup might not have changed the outcome, it was a mistake she’d tried to live with.

So far, she hadn’t been successful.

She wasn’t holding out hope that she would succeed any time soon. Because of Marissa’s death, she turned in her badge. Resigned. She’d quit a job she loved. But Kylie was under no illusions that her resignation would atone for what she’d done.

“Look, I know this isn’t my business,” she heard Finn say. He had come back into the room, stepping between Lucas and her. “But you’re both my friends, and I won’t stand here and let you two rip each other apart. Besides, I’d like to get some sleep. My advice is that both of you should quit talking and instead start trying to figure out what you’re going to do. Not about the baby,” he quickly added. “Leave that for a day when tempers have settled a bit. I’m concerned about a more immediate problem here.”

Kylie waited until Lucas turned his attention from her and aimed it at Finn before she followed suit. She also tried to let what Finn had said sink in. Yes. They did have a more immediate problem than her secret surrogacy.

Finn’s hands went to his hips. “Let me insult your intelligence and summarize the situation, Lucas. Someone tried to kidnap Kylie tonight. She’s possibly still in danger. And that baby she’s carrying is yours. My advice—bury the hatchet. Not in her back, either. Bury it and get on with what you know you have to do.”

Kylie figured it was a good time for her to sit there and shut up. Lucas must have decided the same thing because the conversation ground to a halt. Seconds ticked by, practically turning into minutes, before Finn cursed.

“All right. Be that way. Since it obviously isn’t safe or prudent for Kylie to go home, and since I doubt she wants to sleep in the jail or on that examining table, you should take her to your ranch, Lucas.”

“No!” Kylie and Lucas said in unison.

Finn shrugged and directed his attention to Lucas. “Well, I can’t bring Kylie with me to my house. I can’t defend her against kidnappers and other assorted felons. I don’t even own a gun. And besides, protecting her is your job.”

When Lucas didn’t respond other than with a lethal glare, Finn huffed. “Since you’re a good sheriff, and since I know you’re not an ass, I’m trying hard to figure out why you’re hesitating. Is it public opinion? Gossip, maybe?” He stopped, as if considering that. “Please don’t tell me you’re concerned how your former sister-in-law would feel about Kylie staying at the ranch.”

Now, it was Lucas’s turn to huff. “Cordelia doesn’t make decisions for me.”

“That’s never stopped her from trying,” Finn mumbled. He grabbed Lucas’s hand and plopped it against Kylie’s stomach. “But whatever’s causing you to hesitate, forget it. Do what you’ve sworn to do. Protect her. Protect your baby.”

Lucas’s hand was stiff. Even through the cotton scrubs, she could feel the calluses he’d earned the hard way—by working on his ranch. His touch stayed rigid, defensive. He closed his eyes for a moment. Swallowed hard.

Then, something happened.

His touch suddenly wasn’t so hard. Wasn’t so defensive.

Finn backed away. Lucas’s hand stayed put. And his fingers moved gently over her stomach. Not far. Mere fractions of an inch. He didn’t make a sound. Didn’t say word.

But their gazes met.

And in that gaze, Kylie saw what was going on. Pain, yes. That was a given. But there was more. That gentleness wasn’t about the pain, but rather about the life growing inside her.

“My baby,” he said under his breath. “Why?” Not an accusation this time, but a plea.

She waited a moment, to clear that sudden lump in her throat. While she was at it, she prayed she wouldn’t disgrace herself again by crying. “I wanted to try to give you back what I took from you.”

He waited a moment, as well. Staring at her. Really staring. He pulled his hand away, and she immediately felt the loss of his body heat. Something stirred deep down within her. An ache. A longing. A…need.