The Texan's Baby (Texas Rodeo Barons)

There was a knock at the door and the man in question poked his head inside. “Safe to come in?”

“Of course.” Lizzie beamed up at him. She still couldn’t get over how easily he’d forgiven her. But then, he’d apologized, too, last night, for not talking it through better and walking away instead of staying and working it out.

> He’d been so right. About why she held herself back, about her fears. It wasn’t until she’d seen him come through the curtain in the emergency room that she truly knew. He had become everything. If she had a hope of being happy, she needed to let go and just have faith.

“I should go for now.” Carly stretched out her neck and Lizzie realized that there was a spare blanket on the floor.

“Carly, did you sleep in here last night?”

“Only after about two o’clock.” She gave a hesitant smile. “I didn’t want you to be alone if anything happened.”

Affection for her sister overflowed. “I love you, sis. Thank you.”

“That’s what I’m here for,” Carly replied. “I’m going for coffee. I’ll give you guys some privacy.”

Chris came in and kissed her briefly. “How’d you sleep?”

“Meh.” Lizzie looked up. “Weird dreams. Do you suppose I could get up to use the bathroom? Plus I need to brush my teeth.”

“Sure.”

She took a few minutes to straighten her hair and splash water on her face. Her breath was minty-fresh but she was pretty unspecial when she looked in the mirror. No makeup, plain ponytail, cotton pajamas. Ugh.

At least the spotting had stopped during the night. When Lizzie came out, her breakfast had arrived and she was happy to have it. Last night she’d been too upset to eat much. As Chris drank his coffee, Lizzie filled up on scrambled eggs, toast and oatmeal.

“I want to talk to you,” he said, “but first I want you to drink this. Doc says you need to for your ultrasound today.”

She took the bottle of water from his hands and uncapped it. “What do you want to talk to me about?” she asked.

“The future,” he replied, and she lowered the bottle.

“I know you resigned your position with AB, Chris. But I know they’ll tear it up if you say you’re going back. You didn’t need to do that to demonstrate anything to me. I was completely in the wrong.”

“I don’t want to go back.”

She met his gaze. He sounded so sure of himself. So confident. “You don’t? You’re sure?”

“The one good thing about leaving your place the other night was that I had a chance to really think about what I wanted. Me. Not what someone else wanted or expected. I’ve done that for too long. And I don’t want to hurt anyone but at some point I have to live the life I want. And that life does not include running the AB office here in Dallas.”

“It doesn’t?” Did that mean he was leaving the city, too? God, she hoped not. Not now, when they were just starting to figure out their feelings.

“I’m a rancher at heart. I love the horses. I always have. Working with them would be a dream come true.”

“Oh, Chris, I’m so glad.” She reached out and found his hand, squeezing it tightly.

“Which brings me to the next thing.” He drew in a breath, let it out. “Since I know I love you, and you’ve said you love me, I was thinking maybe we could stop pretending to be in love and make it the real thing?”

She smiled, feeling a little shy and a whole lot happy. “I think that’s a fine idea,” she answered.

“I mean really real,” he continued, and his expression turned serious. His eyes were dark and beautiful as they looked into hers. The same eyes that had drawn her in that very first night and made her lose herself. Only this time she wasn’t as afraid. Only a little.

He reached into his pocket. “Lizzie, I don’t want us to just be a couple. I want to make this official, with promises and commitments and a lifetime ahead of us.” He held up his hand and she saw the sparkle of a ring between his thumb and finger. “I love you, Lizzie. And I realized yesterday that even if there wasn’t a baby I’d love you anyway. I want to be there to hold your hand in the bad times and to laugh with you in the good. I just want you, Lizzie. And whatever life we might build together.”

“Oh, Christopher...” She swiped at the tears that clung to her lashes. “Yesterday when everything was going wrong I just wanted you beside me. From the beginning you’ve been my safe place. I don’t know how or why but I looked at you and things clicked into place, so quickly it was terrifying. I thought I’d ruined it forever.”

“Not even close,” he murmured. “Will you marry me, Lizzie? And let us make a home for our baby?”

She nodded and held out her hand. He slid the ring on it and then gathered her in his arms. They held each other for a long time, taking strength from each other, giving love and acceptance.