Pregnant with the Rancher's Baby: Reclaimed by the Rancher

“Can’t...sleep?” he asked, trying not to shiver.

“I can’t get comfortable,” she said, sitting up.

He frowned. “Is something wrong with the bed?”

She shook her head as she punched the pillow she’d had at her back. “No, the bed is fine. It’s the pillows. They’re too soft. They flatten out when I lean back against them.”

“Is this a pregnancy thing?” he asked, wondering if it was for her comfort or had something to do with the health of the baby.

“Yes,” she said, punching the pillow again before she gave up and tossed it back onto his bed. “Since I’m on my feet so much when I’m working at the hospital, I’m trying to make sure I protect and rest my back muscles as much as possible.”

“Is that because your stomach is getting bigger?” he asked, figuring the bigger a woman got the more extra strain it put on her back.

Nodding, she pushed her silky blond hair out of her eyes. “And I’ve already started wearing a maternity support belt when I work.”

He wasn’t even going to speculate on how that little jewel was worn or what it did. Just the name of it suggested that something was uncomfortable. The thought that he was responsible for Jessie experiencing any discomfort made him feel guilty.

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” he said, sitting down on the side of her bed.

She looked confused. “What are you apologizing for?”

“If I hadn’t made you pregnant, you wouldn’t be having all these problems with your back,” he said, feeling a lot like a fish out of water. He really needed to research what she was going through and what he could do to help make things easier.

Instead of accepting his heartfelt gesture, she laughed. “Nate, I’m not having back issues. Yet. What I’m doing now is preventive.” Smiling, she placed her hand on his forearm, sending a shockwave coursing throughout his body. “And even if I do start having backaches in the last few months of my pregnancy, it will all be worth it once I hold the baby.”

The realization that she was looking forward to having his baby, instead of viewing the unplanned pregnancy as a mistake, caused a warm feeling to spread throughout his chest. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“Of course,” she said, placing her hand on her rounded stomach. “Why wouldn’t I?”

He shrugged. “Since I wasn’t exactly your favorite person when you discovered you were pregnant, I wasn’t sure how you’d feel.”

“No matter what happened in the past or will happen in the future, it doesn’t change the way I feel about our baby,” she said, her tone serious. “I might not have planned this, but I’ve loved this child since the moment I learned I was carrying her.”

“Or him,” he said, grinning. “We won’t know the gender for another week.”

“As long as he or she is healthy, I really don’t care,” she said firmly.

Staring at her, he surprised both of them when he motioned toward the middle of the bed. “Move over.”

“Nate—”

“I’m going to be your back support,” he said, easily lifting her to the center of the mattress.

All things considered, he was probably out of his mind to think that he could hold her all night without losing what little sense he had left. But she needed her rest and he was going to see that she got it, no matter what kind of hell he had to go through.

When he stretched out beside her, Nate turned onto his side, then pulled her back against his bare chest. “Is that comfortable?” he asked as she arranged one of the pillows under the side of her belly.

“Yes, thank you.” She suddenly went perfectly still. “Why are you so cold?”

“I had to take a shower,” he said truthfully.

“A cold one.” Her tone indicated she knew exactly why. “Maybe you supporting my back isn’t such a good idea.” She sounded sleepy and not all that convincing.

“It feels good, doesn’t it?” he asked, nuzzling the side of her neck. Her silky hair against his face felt like heaven and he didn’t think twice about leaning over to kiss her cheek.

“Mmm-hmm,” she murmured, snuggling into him.

“Then don’t worry about it, darlin’,” he said, feeling his body start to react. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Nothing is going to happen unless it’s what you want, too.”

“Even though it frightened me, I liked...watching you ride...today,” she whispered sleepily. “You’re very...good.”