Secret Millionaire for the Surrogate

She pulled up in a tidy little SUV crossover, an all-wheel drive that would be handy in bad weather and rugged enough it would tolerate slight off-road situations. He opened the passenger door and slid inside. “Nice wheels.”

She was looking a little paler than the last time he’d seen her, her freckles standing out on her nose and her cinnamon hair pulled back in a ponytail. “Thanks. I bought a lease-back so I could get something I could carry equipment in and that would handle some bumps and dirt roads.” He’d barely buckled his seat belt when she started down the hill from the hotel.

“It’s nice. A little more cozy than my pickup.”

“You drive a truck?”

He chuckled. “Yeah. I spend a lot of time in the outdoors, and needed something rugged. Plus, you know, I needed enough room to pack some of that gear that I’m selling.”

She made a turn and headed past a sign that said Minnewanka Loop. “Well, I’ll say this for you. You believe in your product.”

He laughed. “I like to think of it as walking the walk.” He looked at her again and frowned. “Are you okay? You look a little pale. We didn’t have to go this early, you know.”

She kept her eyes on the road. “It’s only a little bit of morning sickness. I’ll be fine by ten or so.”

“That?

?s four hours away.” And what exactly did a “little” morning sickness mean?

“Yep.” She exited off the highway and started up the left side of the loop. “I’ll eat some crackers, drink some water. It will probably only last another few weeks. At least that’s what the doctor and all the books say.”

He shifted in his seat. He’d missed out on the “peculiarities of pregnancy” conversations with his sisters, since he’d moved away from Ontario. He had no idea how long morning sickness lasted or anything else to do with having babies besides what he’d seen on TV, and that was terrifying enough.

“We could have waited to go later.”

She looked over at him briefly. “Oh, no we couldn’t.” She laughed a little. “In two or three hours the tourists will be out in full force, and I like playing with the early morning light. The nausea is an inconvenience more than anything, and I work through it.”

He was glad, too. He wanted to spend the majority of his time today looking around town. In particular, the property that had recently been listed. He’d contacted a real estate agent and was anxious to get a look inside.

He enjoyed the scenery for a few moments, but it wasn’t long until she pulled into a nearly empty parking lot. “It’s a bit of a walk from here to the trailhead, but it’s all easy. Another day I’ll take you to my favorite alpine meadow, if you like.” She smiled as she took the keys out of the ignition and hopped out of the car.

She was still pale, but it wasn’t any of his concern if she thought she was good to go. She knew her body far better than he did, and he’d learned long ago not to presume anything when it came to women’s strength and capabilities.

He’d worn jeans and a light windbreaker over his T-shirt. Last night he’d had a quick look at the trail thanks to a Google search and knew he’d be fine without his customary pack of water and snacks. It was less than five kilometers total, and since Harper hadn’t mentioned going farther onto the other joined trails, he’d kept it to just the jacket, which he could fold and zip up if he got too warm.

Then he turned the corner by her back bumper and his jaw dropped.

“What the heck is that?”

She grinned up at him, a camera slung around her neck and with a huge zoom lens on it. It had to stick out eight inches, probably more like twelve, and looked heavy as hell. “It’s my camera. Wow. We really will be starting at the beginning.”

“Ha, ha.” He grinned and shook his head. “Seriously, how do you not have neck and back issues carrying that thing around?”

“I would if I did it all the time. And Banff isn’t exactly hurting for spa services. I do get a massage now and again.” She pulled another black padded bag out of the back and prepared to shift it onto her shoulders.

“No way. I’ll carry that.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “I carry my own equipment all the time.”

“Sure, but seriously, I have nothing and you have a huge camera around your neck.”

“Maybe I use it for counterbalance.”

He snorted, then grinned. “Maybe you like making it difficult for me.”

When she smiled back, his heart lifted. “I consider that a side benefit.”

But she handed over the pack, with instructions to be careful because there was equipment in there. As well as her water and cracker stash.