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

“Is something wrong?” he asked when they started up the stairs.

Startled out of her musing by his question, she shook her head. “No. I’m just a bit tired.” She wasn’t about to tell him the real reason behind her pensive mood. That was something two people who were in a relationship would share and she wasn’t about to go there. That might give him the idea she was getting closer to resuming their relationship, which she wasn’t.

When they walked down the hall and stopped in front of her bedroom door, he didn’t try to put his arms around her as she thought he might. Instead, he smiled as he cupped her cheek with his palm. “I’ll be right back,” he said, crossing the hall to disappear into the master suite. When he returned, he handed her a white T-shirt. “Since I failed to have Bria pick up something for you to sleep in, I thought this would be more comfortable than sleeping in your clothes.”

“Thank you,” she said, accepting the garment. Until he mentioned it, she hadn’t given what she would sleep in a second thought.

“I’m glad you had a good time. Sleep well, darlin’.” Leaning forward, he kissed her forehead, then reaching around her, opened the bedroom door for her to enter. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Staring up into his blue eyes, she swallowed hard. Why was she disappointed that Nate hadn’t really kissed her? This was the way she wanted it to be between them.

“Good night, Nate,” she said, escaping into the room and closing the door firmly behind her.

What was wrong with her? She didn’t want that kind of attention from Nate Rafferty. He’d proven that she couldn’t put her faith and trust in him not to hurt her. She had done so over and over, and each time he’d left her to pick up the pieces of her broken heart.

Now that they were having a baby and their lives would always be tied together, it was even more important to protect herself from heartbreak. It would be so much easier raising the baby if they could at least be friends.

Sighing, Jessie took off the gnome costume and slipped into the T-shirt Nate had given her to sleep in. She was immediately assailed by Nate’s clean masculine scent and a shiver of longing slid up her spine. Chiding herself for her reaction, she climbed into bed and it crossed her mind that when she went back home tomorrow, it would definitely be in her best interest to stay there. But she had told Nate she would stay with him until after Thanksgiving so they could make decisions and to give him a chance to feel as if he was a part of the pregnancy.

Jessie turned to her side and tried to stop thinking about how he had originally asked her to stay in order to convince her he wanted to get married. She had no doubt that Nate had convinced himself that was what he wanted. But she wasn’t foolish enough to think he could change his mind that fast about something he wouldn’t even consider a remote possibility until she announced she was pregnant.

He’d only suggested it because of the baby. It had nothing to do with loving her. As far as she was concerned, love was the only reason a couple should consider entering into a marriage.

She closed her eyes tight against her threatening tears. She had stopped wondering why Nate couldn’t love her and resigned herself to the fact that he never would. But that didn’t stop her from remembering how gently he touched her or from longing for the safety she always felt when she was wrapped securely in his strong arms.

Three

Late the following afternoon, after driving to Waco to get Jessie’s clothes and stopping by the hospital for her to make arrangements to take off work for the next month, Nate couldn’t help but smile as he carried Jessie’s luggage into the ranch house and up the stairs to the room across from the master suite. How could one petite woman need so many clothes? He’d carried in two large suitcases that were so stuffed he was surprised the zippers hadn’t given way, a smaller one that was just as full and a good-sized tote bag. And all the way back to Twin Oaks she’d worried that she might have forgotten something. He chuckled. As long as he had access to a washer and dryer, he could get by indefinitely with whatever he could fit into a gym bag and a boot carrier for his dress boots.

While Jessie went to work hanging things in the closet and filling dresser drawers, Nate looked around the room. “You know, this bedroom would be the obvious choice to turn into a nursery.”

“Why would you need a nursery?” she asked, stopping to look at him. “You won’t be having the baby overnight until he or she is older.”