LITMIR.BIZ

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her news, Shane rose to his feet. Walking over to her, he used the pad of his thumb to wipe the tear from her cheek.

      “Why don’t you pack a bag for the weekend while I go get my truck?”

      “But what if someone sees us leaving town together?” she asked, looking uncertain.

      “We’ve got bigger things to worry about than what some busybody with nothing better to do than spread gossip is going to say about seeing the two of us together,” he interrupted, anticipating her argument. Taking her into his arms, he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Once we get to Rainbow Bend, we can discuss things, sort it all out and decide what we’re going to do. For now, get your things together and be ready to go when I get back.” Without waiting for her to change her mind or find an excuse to stay at the resort, he quickly released her and walked outside.

      Pulling the door closed behind him, Shane stood on the deck for several mind-numbing moments and gazed at the panoramic view of the Rocky Mountains against the bright blue September sky. Splashes of gold from the aspen trees making their annual autumn transformation painted the slopes and quavered delicately in the slight breeze. He saw none of it.

      He was too focused on the fact that he had done the one thing he had sworn he would never do. Hell, he had never even considered fathering a child as part of his life plan.

      But he had just learned that particular horse had left the barn and there was no sense in closing the gate now. As he saw it, all there was left to do was man up, accept his responsibilities and do the right thing. It was what his morals demanded and his father would have expected of him.

      Filling his lungs with the crisp mountain air, Shane straightened his shoulders and descended the steps. Walking toward the main part of the resort, he knew exactly what he had to do.

      He had made Melissa Jarrod pregnant. Now, it was time for him to make her his wife.

      The drive to Shane’s ranch was mostly spent in quiet reflection as they both contemplated the ramifications of the unexpected turn in their no-strings affair. By the time they reached Rainbow Valley, Melissa felt as if her nerves were stretched to the breaking point. Grappling for something—anything—to keep from thinking about their dilemma, she glanced around.

      She had only been to the Rainbow Bend Ranch once before and that had been several years ago when her father had coerced her into accompanying him on a horse-buying trip for the resort. It had been a lame attempt on his part to bridge the ever-widening gap between them. She hadn’t wanted to be there and spent the time wishing she was anywhere else, instead of taking in the gorgeous scenery.

      But as Shane drove the truck over the ridge and down the winding road leading into the picturesque valley, she couldn’t get over the breathtaking view. “This is beautiful, Shane. You’re so lucky that you got to grow up here.”

      “I like it,” he said, stopping the truck beside a rustic two-story log ranch house. “But not everyone appreciates the isolation.”

      Melissa frowned. “You make it sound as if it’s stuck out in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t consider ten miles outside of Aspen all that far from civilization.”

      “That’s because you haven’t been here in the winter,” he answered, shrugging one shoulder. “When we get a heavy snow, the road up on the ridge can be closed off for weeks at a time, making trips into town few and far between.”

      “How did you get back and forth to go to school when you were a child?” she asked, remembering that he had graduated with honors.

      “When I was younger and winter hit, I stayed in Aspen with my dad’s sister and her family until they moved to New Mexico.” He got out of the truck and walked around to open the passenger door for her. “By the time they left Colorado, I was almost out of school and old enough to stay on my own.”

      “That’s when you stayed at Jarrod Ridge, wasn’t it?” she guessed. Required by her father to work at the resort after school and on weekends, she vaguely remembered seeing Shane working with the horses the few times she had escorted guests to the stables.

      Nodding, he reached into the bed of the truck for her overnight case, then placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her toward the house. “My dad and yours had an agreement that I could stay at Jarrod Ridge the winter of my senior year, in exchange for me wrangling on the weekends and acting as a guide on some of the trail rides.”

      “Considering how much you’ve always loved horses, you probably didn’t have much of a problem with that,” she said, smiling as they climbed the steps to the wraparound porch.

      He shook his head, then reached around her to open the front door. “Since the resort buys all of its stock exclusively from Rainbow Bend, it was like taking care of my own horses.”

      When they entered the house, Melissa got her first glimpse of Shane’s home and it came as no surprise that everything from the pieces of antique harness and tack decorating the walls to the foyer’s chandelier made of elk antlers was rugged and thoroughly masculine. Just like the owner. There wasn’t so much as a hint that a woman had ever lived there and she couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to his mother.

      Melissa tried to think if she had heard anything about the woman. Nothing came to mind. Had his mother passed away when Shane was a child like her mother had?

      “Cactus left this morning for Denver, so we’ll be on our own for meals,” Shane said, interrupting her thoughts. He hung his wide-brimmed hat on a peg beside the door, set her small bag on the floor and reached to help her out of her jacket. “Just let me know when you get hungry and I’ll throw a couple of steaks on the grill.”

      She frowned. “For the past couple of weeks, it seems that I’m hungry all of the time.”

      “Is that because of the pregnancy?” She watched his gaze zero in on her midsection as if he was looking for a significant change to have taken place in the past few days. Apparently finding none, he raised his gaze to meet hers. “I remember one of my hired men joking about his wife eating like a field hand when she was pregnant with their little boy.”

      “I wouldn’t say I’m that bad yet, but I do think the pregnancy could be the cause for the increase in my appetite.” She nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to remember what some of her friends had mentioned about the early stages of their pregnancies. Nothing came to mind about constantly being hungry. “Since I’ve never been pregnant before, I’m not really sure,” she said, shrugging.

      He stared at her for several long seconds before nodding. “We’ll have to check with your doctor about that when you go for your first visit.” Looking thoughtful, he added, “In fact, it would probably be a good idea to start making a list of the things we need to ask him.”

      “Whoa, there, Cowboy. What do you mean by ‘we’?” She shook her head. “I don’t remember inviting you to go along with me.”

      “Doesn’t matter. I’m going,” he stated, as if it were a foregone conclusion.

      “Why?”

      “We’ll discuss my reasoning later, as well as make a few important decisions,” he said, giving her the same charming grin that never failed to make her pulse race. He picked up her bag and ushered her toward the stairs. “Right now, I’ll show you to the bedroom and let you freshen up while I put the steaks on to cook.”

      When he guided her up the steps and down the hall, she was a bit surprised that he opened a door and showed her into one of the guest rooms. They’d never spent an entire night together and she had assumed when he asked her to spend the weekend with him, he had intended for her to sleep in his room. But after hearing the news of her pregnancy, she had no doubt that his previous insatiable desire for her had cooled considerably.

      He set her bag on the bed, then turning to go, took her into his arms. “When you get ready, come down to the kitchen. I should have supper ready in about twenty minutes.” Then, before she could react, he softly kissed her cheek and left the room.

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