Fortune's Christmas Baby (Fortunes of Texas)

Time with her and Stella? Or time before he called home?

Did it matter? She’d bought herself and Stella some time with Nolan Forte. Time to figure out how to deal with Nolan Fortune and the rest of his powerful people.

“Okay, then,” she said as she stood. “Since I didn’t get to it yesterday, my agenda for today was to get this place decorated for Christmas. You up for that?”

His grin just about knocked her back into her chair. She felt it flow through her body and puddle in her crotch.

“Lead on,” he said, standing. And then, his gaze intently on Stella, he added, “If you want to take that shower I can sit and watch her. You know, call out to you if she wakes up or anything.”

“You want to hold her?” She held her daughter close, not ready for that big of a step yet. Not ready to hand her over. Even for a second.

“No. I was... You’d said you were going to bathe while she slept. I figured, if you didn’t mind, I’d watch her sleep.”

Such a sweet, simple request. And yet, she hesitated.

“Or, if you’d rather, I can wait outside...”

“I was... I just... Her Pack ’n Play is in my room. That’s where she sleeps when I shower.”

Unless she was in her swing. But she had t

o fall asleep there or it wouldn’t work.

“Good, fine,” he said, backing toward the door. “How about if I walk down and get us some coffee and muffins?”

He was letting her make the rules. For now. He was a smart man, though. She couldn’t afford to underestimate him. Couldn’t afford to get comfortable. Who knew what kind of tricks men like him had in their cache of power plays?

“I, uh, don’t drink coffee right now,” she said. “I’m breastfeeding and the caffeine isn’t good for her. But...decaf tea would be nice.”

“With cream and a hint of cinnamon like you ordered it yesterday,” he said, at the door now.

“Yes.”

“Be back in a few,” he said, letting himself out.

He was gone before she remembered to thank him.

* * *

For the rest of that afternoon Nolan noticed the energy in his step—the sense of adventure alive and well inside of him. He was revved up. Ready to take on the world.

He was falling back into the trap of the year before. Living for the moment. Knowing the end date before he even began. He saw it happening.

Allowed it to happen.

Ignoring the intense feeling Lizzie created within him hadn’t been the right choice. He most definitely should not have changed his number, or left her no way to contact him.

She’d given them ten days to find the right choice. He was up for that.

Ten days to figure out how they were going to be a family before he had to face his family. She’d acted like she was asking him for some great favor, keeping their secret until after Christmas. Truth was, he was dreading laying this one on the old man.

Like it or not, his family meant everything to him. He had ten days to figure out how to make this all right. To find a way to provide for Lizzie and Stella and not lose the respect of his parents and siblings.

Maybe if he just kept his new little family secret, as he had Nolan Forte all these years, at least until enough time had passed for him and Lizzie to test just how being in each other’s lives might look.

His parents were still going to be disappointed in him. He knew better than to go around getting women pregnant. Fortunes had responsibilities and keeping track of one’s sperm was one of them.

“You sure she’s going to be fine with a tree up?” Nolan asked Lizzie later that afternoon as she directed him to a four-by-six-foot storage area in the back of the front closet where she and Carmela stored their Christmas bins. In one of them was an artificial tree that needed to be put together.