Rafe stared at him. Shane turned away. “Don’t you think I know that?”
“Apparently not, based on how you’re acting. Clay offered to help your girl. Your girl. You think he doesn’t respect your relationship with Annabelle? You think he’d want to get in the way of that?” Rafe paused as two more girls hurried toward the stairs and ran up to the second floor.
Rafe lowered his voice. “You’re crazy about her and you’re blowing it. Do you think you can do better?”
“I don’t want to do better. I want to be sure.”
“Sometimes caring about someone requires taking a leap of faith. This is that time. Go talk to her. Let her know you’re going to need a little help getting through this. But you can, if you have a little faith in her. And maybe yourself.”
Shane thought about punching his brother, but knew Rafe wouldn’t take it as well as Clay had. Plus, there was a chance Rafe might be right. About all of it.
“Marriage suits you.”
Rafe grinned. “Heidi suits me. You’ve been given a second chance, bro. Don’t blow it.”
* * *
ANNABELLE LET KHATAR pick his way over the open ground. She’d come to the ranch earlier, planning on sitting down with Shane and telling him about her pregnancy. But when she arrived, May told her that Shane had gone into Fool’s Gold with Rafe to look at temporary locations for Rafe’s business. Rather than spend her time pacing and getting more upset, she’d decided to go for a ride.
Over the past couple of weeks, she and Shane had been taking long rides together. They worked on the dance steps with Khatar then headed out past the fence lines and toward Shane’s property.
Now she urged Khatar in that direction. He went easily, remembering the route.
They walked by a grove of trees, then circled around to the edge of Shane’s property. From there it was a ten-minute canter to the construction site.
She stayed back far enough not to spook the horse. The stables were nearly finished and the house had been framed. Shane had taken most of her suggestions and his contractor had called to thank her for keeping him on track, as far as picking out fixtures, surfaces and appliances.
She could already see the finished house in her mind. She knew what the front door would look like, could imagine stepping into the entryway. There would be a light overhead, a switch to the left. From there it was a short walk to the great room. The kitchen was bigger now, with more counter space and more storage. They’d chosen everything together. There was even a jetted tub for two in the master.
“I’m playing a dangerous game,” she whispered. “Falling for a man who might never trust me again.”
Once he found out about the baby.
She had hopes, of course. The fantasy that he would hear the news, gather her in his arms and tell her he would love her forever. That the baby was the best surprise ever. Unlikely, she thought sadly. While she was at it, she could add movie music that swelled as the credits rolled. Because the odds of that happening seemed so small.
One of the construction guys spotted her and waved. She waved back. She leaned over and patted Khatar. “We should probably head back,” she told the horse and began to turn him. He took a couple of steps, then stopped, his ears forward as if listening to something unfamiliar.
Annabelle was quiet, listening. Then she heard it, too. A warning rattle. Her whole body went stiff with fear as she stared down at the ground, searching for the owner of that scary sound.
The snake was coiled by a bush, inches from Khatar’s hoof. Annabelle sucked in a breath and carefully drew the horse back. She didn’t know what would happen if he was bitten, but knew it wouldn’t be good.
“Come on,” she said quietly. “Back. Get back. We’ll leave him alone.”
Khatar did as she requested, taking a step away. Then the snake lunged forward and the horse went on the attack.
There was very little warning. Khatar rose on his back legs, then came crushing down. The snake was pulverized, suffering an instant death. Annabelle did her best to hang on to the saddle while keeping hold of the reins. Then she felt herself starting to slip. She screamed.
Khatar rose up again, as if determined to reduce the snake to little more than a stain on the dirt. Her left foot slipped out of the stirrup, the reins fell from her fingers. She reached for them just as Khatar came down hard on his hooves. He rose again and she went flying.
The sense of soaring through the air shocked her but not as much as the hard ground. She landed on her back, all the air rushing from her lungs. Yet breathing was the least of it, she thought in a panic, her hands covering her belly, as if offering protection.
The baby, she thought as Khatar stepped close and snuffled her cheek. The baby. She inhaled the scent of the horse, saw the sky go black and then there was nothing.
* * *
“YOU’RE VERY LUCKY,” the doctor said.
Annabelle was sure he’d introduced himself, but right now names were the least of her issues.
“Nothing broken,” he continued. “Your bump on the head isn’t serious. We’re going to keep you overnight, for observation. If all goes as we expect, you’ll be released in the morning.”
Annabelle put her hand on her stomach. “I’m pregnant,” she said quietly, trying not to panic. “Is the baby okay?”
The doctor, an older man with gray hair, glanced down at her stomach. “How far along?”
“I’m not sure. Around six or eight weeks.”
“Do you see Dr. Galloway?”
Annabelle nodded.
“I just saw her in the hall. Let me tell her you’re here and check if she can see you.”
“Thank you.”
He left. Annabelle swallowed against the tightness in her throat and told herself that everything would be fine. That even though she felt as if she’d been run over by a truck, the doctor had assured her she wasn’t hurt. The baby was small, right? Protected? If she was okay, then her child would be, too. Except she knew that fall could be bad for an unborn child.
She shivered, then pulled up the blanket and tried to get warm. The steady throb of a headache made it hard to do anything but get lost in the fear.
A few minutes later, Dr. Galloway entered the room and walked over to Annabelle.
“What is this I hear?” the doctor asked as she took Annabelle’s hand and gave her a warm smile. “You fell off a horse?”
“I didn’t mean to. He was protecting me from a rattlesnake.”
“Then he sounds like a good kind of horse. How do you feel?”
“Beat up.”
“Any cramping?”
Annabelle shook her head.
“Excellent. I’ve ordered an ultrasound. They should be here for you shortly and then we’ll have a look and see what happened. Until then, try not to worry. I know that sounds impossible, but make the attempt. Babies are surprisingly resilient.”
“All right,” Annabelle whispered.
Three hours later, she was wheeled back into her room. A pretty nurse bustled in to check her vitals and offer her a sandwich to tide her over until dinner.
“We’ve been flooded with calls,” the nurse added with a smile. “Word got out about your accident and the whole town wants to know if you’re okay.”
Annabelle couldn’t imagine ever feeling hungry or tired or sad again. Not when the news had been so good. The baby was fine. She had, in Dr. Galloway’s terms, fallen exactly right to protect a growing fetus. Her bones and organs had cushioned the growing life inside of her, which meant she would be sore for a few days but the child would be unaffected.
She let the relief spread over her and knew she would always be grateful. “A sandwich would be great,” she said. “As to my friends, you can tell them everything is perfect. I’ll be home in the morning. And yes, that’s actual permission to give out the information. I know you have strict confidentiality guidelines.”
“We do and I appreciate the specific instructions. There are a few people outside in the waiting room. Is it okay to send them in?”
“Sure.”
Annabelle realized she probably looked awful, but that didn’t matter, either. Her baby had survived. Right now he or she was growing. In a few months she would be holding an infant in her arms. That was going to be her priority.
As the nurse left, Annabelle wondered if Shane had heard about the accident and if he was one of the people waiting. At the thought of him, her heart quickened. As soon as they were alone, she wanted to tell him about the baby.
She loved him and hoped for the best. Hoped he cared about her as well, that he loved her and wanted to be with her. But even if he didn’t, she would be fine. That’s what she’d decided while waiting for her ultrasound. That she would make it work in every way possible. She’d grown up knowing she wasn’t wanted by either parent. She would do everything in her power to make sure that never happened to her child. She was strong and had a good job. She lived in a wonderful place and had supportive friends. She would get through this and she and her child would thrive.
But everything would be so much better if Shane came along for the ride.
Heidi and May burst into her room.
“Are you all right?”
“What happened?”
“Are you broken?”
They were speaking over each other as they rushed toward her. Heidi ran around to the other side, then they hugged her together.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m going home in the morning. Nothing is broken. Just a few bruises.”
She didn’t tell them the best part, but as she spoke, she rested a protective hand on her stomach and sent all the love she had to the growing life inside of her.
* * *
“YOU ARE Shane Stryker?”
Shane nodded at the woman in the white coat. She’d found him pacing in the waiting room.
“I’m Dr. Galloway.”
The woman was in her late fifties, with steel-gray hair and glasses. Her eyes were kind and she didn’t look like she was delivering bad news.
“Is Annabelle okay? The construction guys saw what happened. Khatar reared. Ah, that’s a horse. I thought maybe he was trying to throw her, but there was a snake. He killed it. I think he was protecting her.”
“That’s what she said, too. Annabelle is well. Nothing broken. She hit her head, but even that seems to be minor. We’ll keep her overnight and release her in the morning.”
Shane released the breath he’d been holding. Relief rushed through him. “You’re sure.”
The doctor motioned to a sofa and chair in the corner. “Let’s sit,” she said.
He followed her and then sat. She angled toward him.
Dr. Galloway smiled at him. “The baby is fine. It’s so tiny and there’s so much cushioning. We did an ultrasound. All is well. I knew you’d want to know.”
She said something else. They both stood and shook hands. Shane might have spoken in return, but he couldn’t say for sure. It was as if his mind and his body had separated. He could see himself moving and talking, but it wasn’t him doing it. He was on the outside, watching.
Baby? Annabelle was pregnant?
The words echoed and repeated. They turned upside down, then righted themselves. They formed images. A baby. She was having a baby. His baby.
He thought of all the times they’d been together. How they’d used protection. Condoms, which worked most of the time, but not always. He thought of her dancing on the bar at Jo’s and how she laughed and the way Khatar would literally break down walls to be with her. He thought of how he felt when he was around her and knew that as much as he wanted not to be played, he didn’t have a choice.
* * *
ANNABELLE WATCHED THE door anxiously. She’d had a steady stream of visitors, but had yet to see Shane. It was nearly six and she could smell the dinner trays being distributed. She’d barely touched the sandwich that the nurse had brought even though she knew it was important to eat. Yet all she could think of was that she wanted to see Shane.
And then he was there, walking into her room. Tall and handsome, everything she could want in a man. His gaze met hers.
“You scared the hell out of me,” he told her.
“Sorry. It wasn’t Khatar’s fault.”
“I know. I saw the snake. Or what’s left of it.”
“He was very brave and determined. The snake didn’t stand a chance. But I lost one of the stirrups and started slipping and then I was flying through the air. I don’t remember much after that.”
There was something in his eyes, she thought, feeling a little uneasy. Something about the way he was looking at her. She raised the bed a little, so she was sitting up.
“Shane? What is it?” She couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he didn’t look happy. “Is Khatar all right?”
“He’s fine. Rafe took him back to the ranch.” His gaze intensified. “All right, Annabelle, let’s get married.”
“What?” Her voice was breathless, as she did her best to grasp the words. “Married? What are you talking about?”
Because he wasn’t acting like a man out of his mind with love. He seemed…resigned. As if they’d been in a battle and he’d lost. But they hadn’t been. They didn’t fight. They weren’t that—
Oh, God. She’d told Dr. Galloway it was okay to talk to Shane. She’d meant it was okay to tell him she wasn’t hurt. But Dr. Galloway was a gynecologist. By definition, she would assume Annabelle meant the baby.
He wasn’t proposing, he was giving in. He was assuming she expected that if she was pregnant, she would want him to marry her. He was accepting responsibility. Because that’s what Shane did. The right thing.