How was she going to get home?
Chad had brought her on Eclipse, and the walk back to her house was ten miles at least. She sighed as she slipped into her own shirt.
A piece of garbage caught her eye by the wastebasket, and she reached to pick it up. Chad’s condom.
Her heart skidded to a stop.
There was a tear in it.
Chapter Eight
Driving to the south barn, Chad called Annie and then swore to himself as he pushed his cell phone back into his pocket.
What the hell had he been thinking, asking Catie to call the vet? As if he’d never had a calf birthing before. He’d always called the damn vet himself. He didn’t need someone else to do it. She wasn’t his helpmate. It wasn’t her problem.
He shook his head.
The whole damn night had been a mistake. But oh, how her tight little body had sheathed him. He’d barely gotten into her and she’d gripped him like a vise. He’d had to work to keep from coming then and there. Now, all he could think about was burying himself in her sweetness again.
A spike of heat hit him low in the gut, and his groin tightened in expectation.
Not a boner. Not now.
Christ.
All he had to do was imagine her pretty face, her sweet raspberry kisses, her lovely brick-orange nipples.
The tangy scent of her heated sex.
He was a goner.
Like he always said about his brothers. Always said they were goners. Damn.
This had to stop, and it had to stop now.
Otherwise he’d break her heart, and he wasn’t sure he could live with himself if he did that.
She wasn’t in love with him. This was a little girl crush that had gotten out of hand, yes, but it was nothing more than pure infatuation. He’d help her see that. He shook his head slowly. He sure couldn’t help her see that if he was sleeping with her.
Yep, it had to stop.
Goddamn it.
Raspberries were his favorite fruit.
* * *
When Chad didn’t return within the hour, Catie called her sister, Angie, to pick her up.
Angie, the gossip of all gossips, flooded her with questions of why her baby sister was at Chad McCray’s house. Catie fended off the inquiries as best she could. They’d gone riding. It had been late, and they were closer to his house. She’d stayed in one of his guest rooms.
Luckily, it didn’t occur to her sister to ask why she wasn’t riding Ladybird home. She didn’t want to talk about this to Angie or to anyone. Not now. Not ever. She was too busy ruminating about the torn condom.
What would happen? Chad didn’t want to get married. If he didn’t want to get married, he sure didn’t want kids.
Now sitting back in her bedroom, Catie’s tummy tumbled and threatened to empty, even though she hadn’t eaten since the party. Her mind was a whirl of conflicting thoughts. A baby? She wasn’t sure she was ready for a baby. But a sweet little boy or girl who looked just like his handsome daddy? Oh, she could make do.
But Chad? What would Chad say? Would he marry her? Would he want to? Would he want the baby? She choked back a sob. She might be alone in this. She would never abandon her baby, but could she raise a child alone? Women did it every day. She was certainly as capable as anyone else.