Secret Millionaire for the Surrogate

“I grabbed a breakfast sandwich at the coffee shop.” He patted his belly.

She laughed. “I’m just finishing up. Come in and sit down.”

He sat at her table while she bit into her egg sandwich. “You want some juice?” she asked. “Milk?”

“Naw, I’m good. I’ve got a big water bottle.” He grinned. She had no idea that today was going to be more of an adventure than she’d bargained for.

“Me, too, in my bag.” She laughed. “You know, there’s only a washroom at the trailhead. I’m not sure what’s going to happen with my pregnant bladder if I drink that much water over the course of the day.”

“I’ll stand guard for you,” he joked, and was gratified when she grinned around the toast in her mouth, a hint of a dimple denting her cheek.

He watched as she wiped her hands on a napkin and grabbed her glass of orange juice. “You ate a whole sandwich. Morning sickness better?”

“Much,” she agreed, and put her plate and glass in the dishwasher. “Mostly now I get the odd wave and it passes. Food’s stayed down for five days in a row now.”

“That must feel better.”

“It does.”

He waited while she finished putting her pack together. Right now she wore a light jacket over her T-shirt, with a lightweight hoodie in the pack. Bottles of water, her bear spray and sunscreen all went in the backpack.

“You were planning to carry all that and your camera?”

“Pretty much. Slightly smaller lens today, though. My neck and back would kill me if I carried that all day. I’m mostly looking for some meadow shots and panoramas.” She looked up. “Wait. You said were. How come?”

Dammit. Of course he’d make a slip. He figured he might as well get the ball rolling. “Well, as a matter of fact, I have a bit of a surprise for you this morning.”

Her brows lifted. “A surprise? I’m not sure if I like that. I’m not really a surprise kind of woman.”

He paused and then went to her and took her hands. “Do you trust me, Harper?”

Confusion mingled with warmth in her eyes. “That’s a big question, Drew. Especially for me.”

“Then listen to your intuition. What does your gut say? Can you trust me?”

There was a moment’s hesitation, and then she nodded slightly. “Yes. For some odd reason, I trust you.”

“Then let’s put this stuff in my car.” He dropped a kiss on her c

heek. “You’re not going to regret this,” he promised.

* * *

Harper didn’t know if she was going to regret it or not. When she went outside, she stopped short at the sight of his rental. The Range Rover SUV sat square in her driveway. A flipping Range Rover! She looked over at Drew, who wore an amused expression. “Something wrong?” he asked.

“No, nothing.” She made her feet move and they stowed her gear in the back. Drew headed east on the highway instead of west. When she opened her mouth to speak, he lifted a finger and shushed her. “Surprise, remember?” he said. “And that means you have to wait. You said you were very patient.”

“Not about surprises or not knowing where I’m going,” she grumbled, slumping down in the seat that cradled her body perfectly. She trusted Drew, but she’d really wanted to hike up the pass today. With the business being so busy, she didn’t get a lot of opportunities and as much as it was fun being with Drew, she didn’t want to squander her chance for some new shots for her portfolio.

It wasn’t long until she realized where he was headed and her head snapped around to stare at him. “The heliport? Are you crazy?” Her stomach turned over both in excitement and fear. A helicopter? She was a bit thrilled and a lot terrified. “Did I not tell you I was afraid of heights?”

He looked over at her and laughed. “You’ll be buckled in and snug as a bug. I promise.”

“But...” She bit down on her lip. “I’ve done enough weddings and events to know that a tour is really expensive, Drew. And I know the building you just bought came at a hefty price. You don’t need to do this kind of thing.”

“It’s the money you’re worried about?” He seemed unconcerned. Amused, even.

It was expensive, she told herself. And yes, she was terrified. But why on earth would he spend the money on this sort of thing? This car rental alone had to cost a lot. Was he always this careless with his money? “It seems extravagant,” she answered, twisting her fingers together. “We were supposed to hike.”